Eames Walnut Stools  

Phew! for whoever won them!
They'd want to be genuine vintage considering how much they sold for! I think that they are definately worth it though, they are like sculptures, practical art?
I wish they were more affordable, or I was more wealthy, so I could have all 3, but it is probably a good thing they aren't as if you are lucky enough to have 1 or more, I'm sure most would cherish them like tropheys. If everything was easily accessable to everyone, they would become common and less special. We need special things!
But also in saying that, if a piece of furniture or design is beautiful and you love it, it shouldnt matter who its by and how much it costs.
I took the plunge...
I emailed the seller on ebay of the pair this post originally pertains to. I really want one.
I am hoping they will split them up and sell seperatly. I would LOVE to have both, even better a complete set, but purse strings are not that loose unfortunately!
I have requested some close up shots of any wear to them as I have noted what others have said about the age related wear, etc...
Would look fab next to my Eames lounge chair. I Saved up for ages and scoured the earth for a vintage example & a bargain. If the seller is prepared to split them, I will probably be paying more for the stool than the chair!
We'll see...

Sorry I'm back again!
I was just drooling over some pictures of the stools online and came across this vintage picture. See the one in the far top corner, I have never seen one like that before? Were there originally 4 stools or did they change the design later on?
Its almost as if it were an incomplete model A?
Could it be a more valuable one as they only made a few and then just produced A,B and C thereafter?
Hmmmm....
Jinx
http://www.eamesoffice.com/vintage/sales_materials_detail.php?id=34

Hmmm
Both stools in the Time Life photo look a bit odd. Perhaps they were pre-production versions made specifically for the space...

Those would have to be pre-production...
I particularly like the one on the left, how plain it is. I'm with you, Jinx. I hate(and love) looking at stuff like that. Firstly, I can't really afford it. But secondly, I really wouldn't want to bother with the worry of caring for/protecting it either.

Got detailed pictures from dealer
As promised, I requested the detailed close up of the stools originally in question...
They appear to be genuine vintage models alright.
Sadly the seller will not split them up and are for sale as a pair only. I understand why they wouldn't want to, but I cannot afford both 🙁

A few more pictures
I think that these are showing genuine vintage wear to them, what do you experts think?
Even though the pair is out of reach for me at the moment as I need other more functional items before I can spend that kind of money on the stools, as stunning as they are, like some 20th century armchairs, etc...
Thanks for all your help!

If the first image
Is the top side, it looks right.

Hi Woodywood...
Yes the 1st picture is of the top and then further down they have been turned over to show the bases.
Thanks for all your knowledgeable help, it has been greatly helpful!
Regards,
Jinx

PS: Do you know anything about Eames Lounge chairs?
I have posted a thread about and Eames chair I just picked up and was wondering if you knew much about them?
Should be near the top of the forum thread, look out for SACRILEGE.
Thanks,
J

New game
Let's play "The Dating Game". No, not the Chuck Barris '70s TV show... Let's see how obvious a vintage Time-Life stool is when compared to a more recent example.
I have finally found time to take a few quick pictures of walnut stools we have. One is an early vintage example in very good condition. The other's a more recent example (less than 10 years old) with average wear.
I think that it's obvious which is which, and I think that side by side, I'd rather have the vintage stool any day. I probably pay a little more for the vintage as well. But unless you see them next to one another, I think that the recent production is quite handsome and well worth having (unlike some other recent production versions of classic designs).
The greatest difference to me is that originally I think they used an oil finish on the stools where now they apply a clear coat. We oil our vintage stool as a regular course of maintenance.
If you look closely, you will see some difference in the shapes (aside from the center, obviously) but if you look at current production you will also notice some very slight variation from one to the next. It's my understanding (I was told by the folks who make these) that the blades require regular sharpening and occasional replacement and that subtle changes in the blades can create some variation in the shape of the stool. This is acceptable within a narrow margin, but if it too pronounced, they will be rejected.

More pictures
for comparison...

Can you tell us more about th...
Can you tell us more about the production? I assumed they were contracted out but turned with ordinary turning chisels.
The sort of curve in a flat steel blade to produce that concavity would be, in terms of grinding and machining, huge, i can't make sense of it.

Heath
I'll see if I can find out more. I'd only asked about the subtle variation I'd noticed when I'd seen the same shape stool side by side. It's minimal, but you can see it if you look closely. I'd noticed it mostly on the B shape stools with the bulbous shape in the center. I don't know how they are produced exactly. You do know that they are made in essentially 3 pieces. The top and bottom segments are the same for all three shapes while only the center section changes for the different designs.
Jinx,
There were other pre-production variations in addition to the one you noticed in that vintage photo. If you look at page 248 of the Eames Design book, you see another variation of the C shape. It only has two angular sections instead of three. On page 249 you'll also notice that the picture of the A shape stool is upside-down.
woodywood,
I don't think the flat lip you often see on the outside top edge is indicative of recent production. Look at the A shape stool on page 248 of the Eames book. It's a period photo with a pre-production stool also in the shot, but the A shape stool has that flat edge on the top. I think it's a fluke of production. Some have it, some don't.

yeah knew about the three...
yeah knew about the three pieces. Its a nice design but I think the diameter could have been increeased slightly and offered in different timbers, but not pine 🙂

Hi Pegboard...
Oh wouldnt you love to get your grubby mits all over a set of the pre-productions, or should I say white gloves! I love the design they settled on, but as we all know, and love the end design so much, it would be something truly special to possess the "prototype" versions!
I recently saw a dealer selling some odd looking Eames walnut stools, they just didnt look right to me and assumed that they were fake. I will dig around and see if I can find them again. The seller claimed they were vintage...
I wonder if any pre-productions somehow got out into the open market back then, as I have a feeling 1 of them looked like the 1st one on the left side of the picture.
Hmmmm...