- Opie’s Candy Store next to Floyd’s Barbershop in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, hometown of both Andy Griffith and Henredon Upholstery.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! As many of you know, at Chestnut Hall we have been celebrating our products that are American-made. This Spring, we have gone on the road to see firsthand what Made in America really means, and we were blown away not only by the skill and craftsmanship, but the extra TLC put into handmade American upholstery and casegoods. We traveled through real, small town America, (and it was extra fitting that we actually visited Andy Griffith’s home town in this process!) Viewing upholstery and casegoods in the making gave us the opportunity to see the furniture we stand behind from start to finish, to truly understand why they are quality products, and what the differences are between our various manufacturers’ methods.
Today I’ll share with you some insider knowledge about upholstery, observed on our factory tours. Your mother told you “nice” sofas and chairs are eight-way hand tied. Often our customers ask for this feature knowing it means superior and well-made, but don’t really know why, or that this bit of engineering must be carefully planned and put together entirely by hand. Here’s the scoop.
Simply put, eight-way hand tied coil springs provide a web of support underneath the seat cushions of a sofa or chair. However, they do more than make sure you don’t fall through the bottom. Other spring systems exist, but only eight-way hand tied systems are tailored to each specific piece and adapt to the individual sitter’s weight and position. The springs are secured sturdily in place by a web of hand-tied rope that crosses each spring eight times, but have enough give to move in different directions depending on the force of the sitter. This means that every person who sits in an eight-way hand tied chair or sofa experiences it in their very own way! Eight-way hand tied sofas and chairs offer superior comfort and durability because of the range of movement beneath the cushions.
Here are some photos from our trip to the factories watching eight-way hand tying in action!
Yours,
Lana
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- Springs are placed inside the frame before hand-tying. Taller springs around the perimeters ensure you don't fall into the crevices!
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- The beginning of the eight-way hand tying process at Wesley Hall. Note the ropes hanging over the frame, ready to be tied!
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- Eddie Deal, President of Wesley Hall with a technician tying springs
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- A Taylor King technician hand-ties springs in a chaise lounge.
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- A skilled technician shows off his finished hand-tied springs, American-made by a proud American!
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- Eight-way hand-tied springs offer a support system that moves with the sitter.
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- Pearson installs four rows of springs in most of their sofas for added comfort.
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- Pearson also installs springs in the back of tight-back sofas for extra comfort.
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- With an eight-way hand tie specialist at Taylor King!
