Windsor Chairs - Collingswood Windsor Chair Works New Jersey

Frederick R. Shindle, III Master Chairmaker		My name is Frederick R. Shindle, III. I am a Master Chairmaker. I was born in 1965, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Southern New Jersey. I have been working wood and building furniture since 1987, and in the Windsor form since the fall of 1994, when I made my first sack back armchair. From that time forward I have had little desire to work in any other style, as the Windsor to me represents the epitome of form and function. I was and still am fascinated with the delicacy of the style in all of its varieties. I never tire of looking at them. They captivate my attention whenever I cross their path. Windsor chairs are one of the few forms of traditional furniture that truly reflect the maker’s sense of symmetry and proportion. It requires not only mechanical skills but also an artistic flare to make a chair work visually. Subtle changes in dimensions or angles result in dramatic differences to the success or failure of any design.
	I work in the traditional method with traditional tools and materials to produce pieces of enduring quality. I have spent countless hours honing my skills and studying the work of Master Chairmakers from the 18th century. This along with living in an area of the country that provides me access to a great many original pieces enables me to offer my clients true reproduction pieces and ones that bear my sense of style and form. We are fortunate to have many examples of Windsor chairs still surviving from the mid 18th Century. This is due in large part to their ingenious design and stalwartly construction. I incorporate these virtues in my work and with a reasonable amount of care my chairs will be here two hundred years from now, hopefully, occupying a place of honor and distinction in your family’s history. Any “hand-made” product in today’s market can be considered a luxury. I know of no luxury that doesn’t come with a premium price tag. Just because something is expensive doesn’t ensure that it is of high quality and, therefore, a good value. I often propose to my clients that a hand made chair possess an ever-changing value. Its first value is to the person who commissions it. That person recognizes the intrinsic value of the chair. When that person can no longer make use of it, it is passed down to the next generation. The chair then begins its sentimental value. It becomes my father’s chair or my grandmother’s chair and so on. After a good many generations enjoying a sentimental value, the chair begins to take on an antique value. This is where the prudence of the first owner comes into play. It must survive to antique status in order for it to have antique value. The construction methods of the 18th century chairmakers are enduring, as is evidenced by the vast array of examples still surviving. I employ those same methods. Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to believe that your great, great grandchildren will enjoy your chair as much, if not more, than you will. While it is true that I make chairs for sale, monetary gain is not my driving force. I, like most people, have a need to leave some sort of legacy, i.e., proof that I was here and a link to those who will come after me. It was this desire that inspired my business. I could have continued building chairs for myself and those close to me, but I want to share my work with as many people as will have it. My work is an extension of me. Therefore, anyone who owns one of my pieces owns part of me. It is for this reason that everything that leaves my shop leaves with a lifetime guarantee, my lifetime. I will stand behind my work in all aspects up to the point of neglect or abuse for as long as I live		Frederick R. Shindle, III Master Chairmaker


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