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PK22 owners: I have...
 

PK22 owners: I have a (pretty technical) question about a new PK22 I've just purchased from Fritz Hansen  

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PK22
 PK22
(@pk22)
New Member
Joined: 10 years ago
Posts: 3
22/12/2014 6:19 am  

I apologize in advance if this seems over the top but it's been bugging me ever since I noticed it.  I recently purchased and received a PK22 in walnut elegance leather.  Cosmetically I am very satisfied (the chair is truly breathtaking in person) however I have a structural question regarding the chair I've received. There is a distinct unevenness in the frame that I believed is caused by either an uneven give/flex in the steel (seems unlikely) or an uneven geometry.  This unevenness can be demonstrated by lifting the chair slightly off of the ground from one corner (at either the front or rear of the chair). One side has much more give than the other.If you, for example, lift the chair slightly off the ground from the front left corner, the front left leg and the front right leg come off of the ground virtually in unison (as I would expect and as is the case on almost any chair) however lifting from the front right corner does not produce the same result. The front right leg will be 1.5 to 2 centimeters off the ground before the front left leg leaves the ground. A similar exercise produces the same result for the rear legs. Specifically, when lifting from the top left corner of the chairs back rest, the left rear leg will come about 2 centimeters off the ground before the right rear leg lifts off however lifting from the top right will cause both rear legs to lift off the ground in unison.I am uncertain as to what specifically is causing this occur. I have tightened the allen bolts attaching the crossbars to the legs and the welds attaching the cossbars to the seat frame are not broken or loose in any way. The angles of incidence at the joining of the cross bars and each leg are symetrical from the right leg to the left leg  Although my perspective is only a layman's one, I am surprised that such unevenness would fall within the acceptable quality control tolerances for a furniture maker as reputable as Fritz Hansen. More specifically I am surprised the issue im describing would fall within the acceptable tolerences as outlined for BS4875 level 4 and EN1022 which is a rating for furniture suitable for general contract use (public spaces such as waiting rooms, airports, hotel lobbys, etc) and is the rating Fritz Hansen claims the PK22 qualifies for. I have E-mailed Fritz Hansen explaining the issue as politely as possible and they have told me to talk to the dealer. I told them I wasn't looking to open a claim I was just asking if my issue is normal but they don't seem to want to asnwer me. This even though the dealer never took delivery of it; they simply arranged the order and had it shipped directly to me from Fritz Hansen in Denmark.  Is what I'm describing normal? I will be eternally greatful for anyone who has any insight!


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objectworship
(@objectworship)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1184
27/12/2014 12:08 am  

Are you afraid of the dealer?  Contact the dealer!


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HPau
 HPau
(@hpau)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2534
27/12/2014 1:04 am  

Sounds like there is some twist in one of the legs.
Can you fully take it apart ? Compare each piece to its mate and check for any discrepancy if thats all fine lay the legs on a flat surface and check for any rocking, also check the mounting holes are in identical positions.
Not an owner though, wish! Bu I would not accept this fault.


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leif ericson - Zephyr Renner
(@leif-ericson)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 5660
27/12/2014 6:08 am  

If you lay the chair on its side and trace the legs on a large piece of paper (newspaper perhaps), is the shape identical on both sides?  
 


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fastfwd
(@fastfwd)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1721
27/12/2014 11:56 am  

If you'd purchased the chair used or without a warranty, I'd certainly go along with Heath's recommendation to take it apart and start measuring.  But you've bought it new from an authorized FH dealer, right?  So this is a straightforward warranty or shipping-damage claim.  Disassembling the chair or attempting to make any repairs will complicate that claim, so don't do any of that.
The way you've described the problem seems more tortuous than necessary, so I wonder whether I understand the problem correctly.  To me it sounds as though the chair simply wobbles from its right-front foot to its left-rear -- a problem that could conceptually be fixed by placing a wedge under either the right-front or left-rear foot.  Is that an accurate description of the problem?  If so, you should absolutely not accept the chair as-is.  $6000 is too much to spend for a wobbly chair.
So... If you still have the shipping materials, don't throw them out.  Make sure that the chair really is wobbly and it's not just an uneven floor: Find a surface that is known to be flat (I use a marble dining table when I have to do this sort of thing at home) and set the chair on it.  With three of the chair's feet on the table, hold a ruler next to the fourth foot and take a photo to show how far above the surface it is.
Next, and without delay, contact the dealer and show him the photograph.  Ask for the chair to be fixed and don't take no for an answer.  He shouldn't give you any trouble at all; when you spend that kind of money, you're entitled to expect not just an excellent chair, but also excellent customer service.
Good luck.
 


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PK22
 PK22
(@pk22)
New Member
Joined: 10 years ago
Posts: 3
28/12/2014 4:24 am  

Thanks to everyone who took some time out of their day to reply!
To fastfwd: I'm sorry, my explanation was a little superfluous. I've never been much of a writer. To clarify: the chair is not wobbly when on the ground (sitting in it or not). What I was attempting to get at was an apparent unevenness in the give/flex of the spring steel that I though was either due to an uneven construction or uneven steel. I'll spare you another attempt at explaining the issue since the problem is reduced significantly by putting it on a more level surface (Thanks for the suggestion!). It would be hard to show in pictures or video the imperfections in symetry at this point because they are so slight and they do not affect the integrity of chair  in any real way. I was very relieved to get in onto a pefectly level surface and am satisfied overall at this point. 
If you'll indulge me I'd love to chat about the chair and my experience with it since it was a big purchase for me. I decided to buy one after finishing my undergrad and some professional exams because I though that was as close as I'd even come to having an excuse to spend ~7,500 on a chair. (Thats canadian dollars, and includes import duties, shipping and the elegance leather). The only other chair I've purchased that this forum would appreciate is a old and broken Grete Jalk lounge chair. But anyways I digress.
The PK22 is not a static piece. The spring steel contruction gives it something that is hard to appreciate when looking only at photographs. Spring steel is a material that is know for its high yield strength. Objects return to their original shape despite significant bending. Common applications are springs, lockpicks, antennas, piano wire etc (all this according to Wikipedia). It really makes the chair special because it moves so much when you're sitting in it. The legs will noticably bend as you take your seat and there is a real give to the back rest. It is extremely comfortable to sit in
I want to be careful not to put anyone off with talk of the chair being bendy and forgiving because the chair is also very substantial. I wouldn't want to know how much time I've spent staring at pictures of the chair but it didn't prepare me for the size, weight and tank-like qualities that are so obvious in person. Despite being forgiving to sit in you are never left with the impression that the chair is some delicate thing to be used gingerly. The chair (or at least the steel frame) will certainly outlive me.
Wow the chair is just something to look at. I dont know what to describe it, its just superlative. Pictures don't come close. The elegance leather is nice too since it has a lot of depth in color in the right light. The chair has such a presence but is also barely there in a way. I sort of forget about it and then every once in awhile I'll stare at it and just be in awe. 
I know a lot of people complain about Fritz Hansens prices and I agree. I wish it werent as expensive because I would buy more than one! In particular I think the PK31 prices are a little ridiculous. 30,000 for a couch is out of the question for me and 99% of people and its hard to imagine there is an appreciable difference in quality over a 7,000 eames couch for example
I can't comment on EKC versions of the PK22 since I've never examined one in person but I must say that this chair is something special. Heath, if you ever have the means, I would highly reccomend picking one up.


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HPau
 HPau
(@hpau)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2534
28/12/2014 6:19 am  

It is a lovely chair, ive never been really clear on if it is high carbon and chrome plated, heat treated and plated or series 200 stainless like what knoll uses?
Is the steel on your seat curved? Ive noticed they look flatter now.


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PK22
 PK22
(@pk22)
New Member
Joined: 10 years ago
Posts: 3
29/12/2014 3:59 am  

Heath:
According to my copy of Michael Sheridan's book, The Furniture of Poul Kjaerholm: Catalogue Raisonne, up unitl 1999 the steel used was chrome plated spring steel. Starting in 1999 the frames were made with satin brushed stainless spring steel.
I can't find any other information but I'm assumeing the steel is high carbon given how much flex there is. The brushed stainless I think is better that the EKC and early FH versions since its less unsighly if scratched and should be much more resistant to corrosion being "stainless" and all (If I remember metallurgy class corectly that means there is a minimum of ~10% chromium present in the steel). You dont have to look far to find examples of EKC PK22's with lots of rust/corrosion spots (obviously this is partially due to their age as well).
The steel backrest is definitely curved, the seat is not.
 


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