Modernica vs Herman Miller.  

>>>Modernica
No question about it. They're made on the same machinery and presses as the original HM fiberglass shells. In my humble opinion the newer plastic HM shells suck, no matter what HM marketing or the Eames Office says.

If I liked Eames shells
and were buying new, it'd be Modernica for me, too.

Modernica
I agree. The Modernica shells are every bit as good as the originals. The Vitra / Miller chairs look odd in that matte finish, and show sink marks where the "shock mount" has been integrated into the shell. The polypropylene won't hold up as well as the Modernica fiberglass, either.

That's interesting about the...
That's interesting about the shock mounts being visible in the molding. That says cheap to me. We looked at both and noticed the same, the fiberglass won us over with the Modernica. I feel they are more original than the Herman Miller even without the 'disk' on the bottom.
Anyone know why Herman Miller decided against the fiberglass? Just seems like the wrong choice.
-Kav

Polypropylene is greener.
More environmentally friendly. Easier to recycle than glass-filled polyester.

According to The Story of...
According to The Story of Eames by Marilyn Neauhart The polypropylene shells are actually closer to Charles' vision than the original fiberglass shells. He wanted a satin finish and integrated mounts, but the technology of the time did not allow for such. I too think the original fiberglass shells have alot more character, but I do find it interesting that Herman Miller updated the design according to Charles' original desires.

Modernica
Shells are okay, but in my experience the build quality is not as good as the vintage HM shells. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would suggest trying to find some vintage shells. With a bit of persistence, you can probably get a decent price.

Modernica legs fit a HM shell?
I hear that the original dowel legs were brittle and could break over time. I know Herman Miller and Modernica have addressed this in the new bases. I know Modernica sells the base separately does anybody know if their base would fit a vintage HM fiberglass shell?

Yes
The base will fit if the shell has the narrow shock mount configuration.

1000
-Lunchbox