Eames Walnut Stools  

Nice pair...
...by the way!
Very jealous!
I take it the one on the right is the vintage example, it looks practically identical to the ones retrovive are selling, just a teeny bit darker. Less exposure to direct sunlight I guess.
Very nice!

Pegboard
I had read about the edge differences somewhere online, but I can't recall or locate the source at the moment. Unfortunately, I don't have the Eames Design book.
I made the same observation about the edge upon replacing my recent stool with a vintage one. Other observations were that the vintage stool is more honey brown, rather than dark brown. The finish is very smooth, whereas the recent stool I had was somewhat textural. Finally, the joints were notably tighter on the vintage stool, whereas the recent stool developed joint separations and other cracks within a few years of owning it.
Regarding other stool variations, I believe there are probably some floating around that are not necessarily vintage "pre-production" or direct Eames creations. I recall an eBay listing sometime ago where it was just the top and bottom portions glued together, coming from the "estate" of a former Herman Miller worker/employee.

Jinx
Actually, the vintage stool is the darker, richer one. Like I said, it's been well cared for and was oiled rather than allowed to dry out. I assume that's why there is no cracking or separation. Walnut can lighten or bleach when exposed to direct sunlight, but I think if that does not happen it can get darker, warmer and richer in tone. All the more recent stools I've had are closer to the lighter, more gray stool. They are very nice and have wonderful graining, but not that warm, soft patina.
woodywood,
I've seen a number of "employee specials" or experiments. I even heard about an employee once who used walnut stool seconds as wood panelling in his den. he stacked them floor to ceiling and wall to wall.
Here is a photo of a complete set of recent production. They have the flatter, more pronounced lip on the edge.

This is a picture of the different shape I found...
Apparently comes with certificate from Herman Miller?
Opinions?
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/herman-miller-eames-walnut-stool-n...

Looks like the one on the left to me
In the picture with all 3,isn't it like the left hand one? -JMO

Either
Either the picture is very skewed, or that is a fake. There were, in fact, four stool profiles initially, but only 3 made it into long-term production. The 4th variety can be seen in images of the Time-Life interiors. And you can see how the B shape was later modified.

time life stool
About your comment about someone knocking them off...I have seen one (I haven't purchased it) it is stained oak...the proportions seem right but it is marked Kent State on the bottom...it is an old stamp and I would guess the stool was made in the 1970s but that is only an educated guess. Have you ever seen something like this and/or where they ever made in another material for some other client, like Kent State. Thanks

As usual . . .
. . . the archives of DA are excellent for learning about a specific piece; the Eames Time Life stool in today's example for me.
While I think I now have a good understanding of basic authentic/replica and vintage/recent examples, I am still a little unsure as to vintage replicas vs homemade vs pre-production. As the Eames Office link above no longer works, there is no visual reference for the vintage/pre-production discussion that followed.
I found this "A" stool image on the LiveAuctioneers archive, listed as a Herman Miller Eames. The wood certainly looks 50+ years old, but the details and surface finish look quite different than other online images. What category does this stool fall under?
Thanks.

.

Current eBay auction
with . . . you guessed it, super duper rare Eames prototypes.
(edit) decided to cut-and-paste the description so it won't be lost to posterity.
Herman Miller and Charles Eames Time Life 1960 original prototype stools. First I would like to say these are stripped to bare wood and this is because when I purchased the previous owner had painted a few times in a bright orange as seen in photos. In 1960 after Herman Miller manufactured the Time Life Stools they began to produce the stools in different woods and designs as prototypes to see which one was going to be mass produced in the end they decided to use Walnut with a more symmetrical stool. The other very rare prototypes I have seen are made of Mahogany and Oak and have been found in the areas surrounding the Herman Miller factory and area where employees live. I found in Chicago from a retired antique dealer who was 84 and he could not remember where he acquired them but he did say his wife painted and drilled holes in the top to use as planter stands I saved them about 2 weeks ago. The stools are all made from 3 different woods 2 of which have never surfaced on the open market. The stool on left is the Mahogany the center stool Asian Ramin and the stool on right is Red Gum. If you look at the 2 matching stools the top tapered part above center globe is larger than the bottom tapered area a design that was not put into production. The stools are also larger in height and diameter and overall design measurements which was what the factory did to all prototypes. The stools are constructed in the same manor as original Time Life stools. These set is so rare, its hard enough to find a single prototype let alone three with all different woods and sizes. This is a one of a kind set no one else will ever have such a rare set from Herman Miller, truly a collectors item. All stools have matching pieces of wood to plug holes. Needs to be finish sanded stained and sealed I will leave up to buyer to choose their own finish sold as-is so If you have any questions please ask before bidding.
Left stool: Mahogany 18" tall 14 3/4" top 11 3/4" bottom
Center Stool: Ramin 17 1/2" tall 14 3/4" top 11 3/4" bottom center stool has some damage to top as in photo glued some time ago also the stool has been numbered 13 on bottom
Right Stool: Red Gum 17 1/2" tall 14 3/4" top 11 3/4 bottom
Shipping will be FedEx Ground unless buyer wishes to ship privately
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261232375568

cdsilva
Missed your previous post from April. That looks like an Eames-inspired piece to me. Certainly looks to have some age to it though. Obviously not walnut.
The eBay stools you just posted look like (recent) knock-offs that have been stripped. In my opinion, they are in no way "prototypes".

Woody, thanks for the...
Woody, thanks for the opinion on the first photo. I was not aware of period knockoffs. If it was a recent knockoff, someone did a pretty good job of making it look old.
The last post was more for entertainment purposes. The mention of Asian Ramin did get me thinking about lunch today though.

Photos for reference
Posting some photos of my stools for reference. Stool on the right is 1960s, stool on the left is 1980s (according to the original owners). The later stool has a slightly more pronounced lip edge, but not as much as what I have typically seen on newer production. The texture is also very smooth like the older stool.

Welp, they sold for
$2500. Looks like that was the reserve.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Herman-Miller-Eames-Time-Life-Stools-1960-origin...

Shock and awe.
Someone just got bamboozled.