Finn Juhl Whisky chair  

I suspect it's another case of being better when sitting in it than looking at it. A decent splash of single malt probably wouldn't hurt one's perspective either.

I've said these exact words about various cars I've owned, BTW.

@tktoo2. Why am I not surprised you have commented on this thread!! 😆 

@lexi, Now, if it'd been named The "Whiskey" Chair, I might have a completely different opinion.

Ask me again sometime after 5:00PM Easter Standard Time...

@tktoo2. 🤣 

Thanks for this interesting post. The biggest issue for me when it comes to house of juhl is always about the use of walnut. Make this (and other chairs) in teak and you will see the difference. Walnut makes them looking like a replica of bad taste. 

@herringbone, Apologies if it seemed I meant to make light of your query. I did not and share reservations regarding re-issue of Juhl designs and this model in particular.

@andersen, I agree with you about walnut to a degree. The heavily retouched photo Herringbone provided I think is, on one hand, a fair representation of what to expect from a brand new chair. On the other hand, oiled walnut can and often will develop a rich depth and color over time. Unfortunately, most furniture-quality walnut available in quantity these days is kiln-dried to +/-7% moisture content using a steam process that just kills the natural color of the wood instead resulting in a flat, grayish appearance as illustrated in the aforementioned photo above. Also, as responsible inhabitants of this planet, we must appreciate that certain natural resources are finite despite what some industries would have us believe. Walnut is a reasonable alternative choice for these new editions, IMO. Would I rather have a vintage piece in good condition in teak? Of course! I wish I could afford one, too!

While I agree on the sustainability aspect, I am not sure that teak is a wood that is particularly different from other woods when it comes to sustainability, at least for furniture of this category. You’ll find these days plenty of teak being used for furniture. For the Juhl chairs, I am afraid it’s more a question of how easy is to use walnut versus teak for some cuts and shapes. The house of juhl actually uses teak for some pieces, so if it was a mere question of sustainability you won’t find those. And for my taste, walnut will never age as beautiful as teak... 

actually, I am not sure that Juhl would have ever agreed in having his pieces made with walnut. 

@andersen Even Vodder made same of them in walnut, although European one. But as a general rule teak nowadays is much rarer and way more expensive than walnut. Also the quality of today’s teak wood is inferior to what was used back in the day because then the wood came straight from nature. Now it’s from  plantation. And I've even been told (by one guy from House of Finn Juhl) that import to Europe is going to end sometime in the near future. That’s why House of Finn Juhl do rarely offer chairs in teak. Pelican and Poet come with teak legs, veneered pieces do also come in teak because veneer is easier to handle but when it comes to thoroughly wooden frames, they always use walnut as a cheaper alternative. I don’t mind it at all, because I‘m in Europe and we don’t have a history with American Walnut. This wood still looks fresh and luxurious to me. Other than European woods like beech or oak. So probably the European market is better suited for reissues in Walnut than the American one. 

But my initial point was, that apart from the material used the chair isn't really a highlight of Finn Juhl‘s career. 😅

Thanks herringbone for the nice explanation!

House of Juhl should be praised for resurrecting such design, and I hope more will be done in this direction to fully celebrate the genius of Finn Juhl.

I am probably too conservative when it comes to restoration or reproduction of these amazing pieces to make any compromise. Do you have any reference to Vodder using walnut ? Not to question you at all, just for my curiosity. What‘s the metal used for the feet ? Is that really  brass ?

The thing is that the volume of furniture produced by house of Finn juhl is relatively small that it should use the best materials available still. Including teak of the best quality, which may be available from certified sources too. This would justify the effort of spending Juhl‘s name and the sums asked. One question is: are the pieces produced nowadays going to become valuable in the future and last through generations ? I am not totally convinced that for some pieces walnut will work as well as teak in terms of stability. Am I wrong ?

Honestly, I would not mind saving for such a chair if it was done with proper materials. I believe there is a share of potential customers that are refraining from spending these sums because of the pieces do not exactly match the original intent. What do you think ?

Look at the Japan series in oak ... the butterfly table is at least also offered in teak, that piece I am dreaming of !

For all the grief HoFJ gets, they are a key reason why interest in FJ has grown significantly over the last 15 years, including highlighting old designs that are not well known; "Whisky" Chair included. Expanding awareness and new production is good for anyone who collects vintage FJ, even if it means HoFJ making up names recently for old designs.

FJ authorized walnut in both Europe and certainly the US for designs. Teak became popular in the 1950's (for both FJ and many other designers), but he used a wider range of woods in the 1940's. Most are not aware, but walnut was the original wood of choice for the 45 Chair in the 1945 guild exhibition.

Professor Oda, in Japan, acquired one of the three original "Whisky" chairs from the 48 guild exhibition. It was in his house for a long time (quite the furniture assembly in that bedroom!), but I am not sure if it has been moved to the museum that now houses most of his collection.

... and we should all be thankful that HoFJ chose to go with Whisky Chair instead of Ashtray Chair

I should just read the Jalk book myself before commenting here ... ok good that at least walnut was an original choice. I agree with others that the look of this new version is a bit shiny, making it looking a bit fake. Maybe in person will look different. Maybe a different walnut quality would do the job...

The "Whisky and a Cigarette" chair?

I must say that I was a bit confused by the double fold-out drink glass holders/coasters. An ashtray makes perfect sense.

This is the stuff my mid-century fever dreams!

Those two in the picture seem to have a lighter color of the wood of the legs; is that just shadows or two types of wood were used ?