Help dating Knoll Intl. Pedestal desk  

It is some really light walnut, if it is walnut. The grain characteristics certainly match walnut, but the overall color is really light, and is definitely not N. American walnut. Color looks more like cherry to me, or maple with an amber finish on it. Would need closer pictures of the top and side to be sure. The drawers are Meranti/Lauan though.

Sorry, I don't have any info on production date.

thanks zephyr,

sorry but i don't have a better image of the wood close up.

i'll be back in the workshop tomorrow and will take a few pics then. in the meantime, attached is another pic from above. the colour is even lighter here but i think its just that the photo is a bit washed. the wood definitely has a golden glow to it as you can see from the earlier pics.

but as you say, very light for walnut. it was the striations that made me think it might be that rather than teak or cherrywood (both of which are used more often than walnut here in switzerland).

could it be that the lightness is due to fading over time ?

cheers,

bb

there's another knoll intl. desk here ( http://inside-room.de/archive/florence-knoll-pedestal-desk-wallnut-knoll...) that's exactly the same size as mine so i would imagine it's the same model.

it's noted as being from the 1950's ... thought that seems early to me ...

i'm going to strip back the top of mine and revarnish. anyone have any advice on what i could do to really bring out the grain of the wood ? oil ? stain ? any advice appreciated !

cheers,

bb

Yeah, the other example you posted is definitely European Walnut, which is lighter, over all, than N. American Black Walnut. I suppose this one could be also, but it is really light, and there just is not the dark streaks in the grain that is typical, and that you see in the other desk picture.

The undulations you see is called curling, and is a form of grain figuring. It is present in a lot of different hardwoods, usually around 'crotch' locations, and is not indicative of just walnut. In fact, it is probably most common in maple, but can be seen in Cherry, Birch, and countless other species, even teak.

The most amazing figured grain 'pop' I have ever acheived was with Shellac on curly maple. It was de-waxed shellac flakes(from BT&C), not the premixed stuff (like Zinsser), and took something like 5-6 coats. But the depth of the grain was just amazing. Oil also tends to work well for creating depth of grain on darker woods (like walnut, teak, etc.). In both cases, I would top it with something a little more protective like a high quality varnish or poly. I know, people freak out around here when poly is mentioned, but if you get one with really high quality resins (General Finish,Epifanes), and put on 1-2 thin coats, it does not look filmy at all, and offers so much more protection for something like a desk or dining table.

my 2 cents.

hi again zephyr and thanks for the great info.

i was thinking of oil to build up the depth of colour as you mention however i'm not sure if i should use a clear oil or something with a little colour to really add that depth. i guess that once the varnish has been removed i can douse in acetone and really gauge the potential of the veneer.

and regarding your last comments about poly, i completely agree. this is going to be a working desk and will need some decent protection so well worth the investment in a good quality cover.

cheers again for all your help. i'll post back some close ups of the grain tomorrow.

bb

These images are from the Knoll Furniture book by Steven & Linda Rouland.

The early ones from 1952 -55 with the floating top have black finish frames/ bases, the later contract versions from 1955-1983 without the floating top, the steel base was offered in brushed chrome.

Knoll Associates became Knoll International in 1960.

hi minimoma,

so this is the 1503 E and as it's knoll intl. it must have been post 1960. and does it say that the top is available in walnut only but in a variety of finishes ?

some really great information and your help is much appreciated !

cheers,

bb

Yeah looks like the 1503 E, which is says was available in walnut and maple.

It certainly could be a really light European walnut, but I would bet on maple with an amber finish, based on the pictures.

Billyboy, are you in Switzerland? I am not familiar with the Swiss Knoll stuff if the desk was made there or imported from the USA. Do you know the measurements of the desk if it is in inches or in metric? That might give some clue but I really do not know if dimensions were adjusted on these desks.

I have those Knoll square steel tables one from 1950s & made in the USA & the top measures exactly 24"square while another more recently made one from Italy(?) I think, the top measures 60 cm square.

A lot of companies in Europe in the 1950s and 1960s seem to have had older machinery, which is expensive stuff, that was all imperial based, so inches vs centimeters is not always indicative. It seems like later in the 1970s and 1980s the switchover to metric had happened.

hi all !

sorry but haven't been to the workshop yet. i'll try to get there later for better pics.

zephyr - when i read the brochure that minimoma posted i thought the top was available in walnut or maple also, but on closer reading it appears that the option of two woods is only for the casing and drawers. it appears to then say that the top is available in walnut with different options for finishing ... but perhaps i've misread 🙂

minimoma - yes, i'm based in switzerland and the desk is 190 x 90 x 74cm (so slightly different from the american listing in inches of 76" x 36" x 29" which translates to 193 x 91.4 x 73.6cm). wohnbedarf was a company started in 1931 and worked with the finest swiss and european designers of the time : max bill, willy guhl, wilhelm kienzle, marcel breuer, le corbusier, alvar aalto to name but a few. they started producing and distributing knoll items in 1947. so this desk was definitely produced here in europe.

i'll try to get those pics to you all soon !

cheers,

bb

btw - the wohnbedarf company is still going. their website is here : https://www.wohnbedarf.ch/en/. the site is basically furniture porn for people like us 🙂

cheers,

bb

hey all,

here are a few close-ups of the wood ... having looked at lots of maple and walnut wood grains online, i'm tending towards walnut but your expert thoughts will be very welcome !

cheers everybody,

bb

My assessment was wrong! Agree, it is really light walnut.