I've been surfing the internet a lot this off season like many of us do and have seen so much garbage being sold as Civil War furniture, I thought I'd write about some quality options. This first picture is a Tandy Leather stool kit. The three legged stool was wildly popular during the Civil War and can be easily found in numerous photographs. Sadly, this type of seat is possibly the rarest! You can order this kit from their website or pick one up in their many stores across the U.S. The kit includes the legs, the hardware, and great instructions. If you know nothing about leather work this is a great beginner project. I purchased the kit on sale for $35 and the leather for $40. I asked the store employee what leather I needed and the amount I was handed would easily make 3 seat tops. I used a leather punch I already had in the reenacting kit and assembled the seat in less than 30 minutes.
This is definitely a project worth taking on. I saw one with a wool top on clearance at Pendleton for $295. The wood and hardware were EXACTLY THE SAME! Elsewhere these stools fetch top dollar. If you want to upgrade the leg pivot hardware Lee-Valley has a high end version for $40. Check it out HERE. You could even use handles from shovels as a cheap alternative, too. Of course, if you have some lathe skills you can turn your own legs. Oh, and one last note you may want to know: how much does this little stool hold? Well, I'm a husky 1st Sgt and guessing I'm about 230 lbs, it holds my weight comfortably.
This is definitely a project worth taking on. I saw one with a wool top on clearance at Pendleton for $295. The wood and hardware were EXACTLY THE SAME! Elsewhere these stools fetch top dollar. If you want to upgrade the leg pivot hardware Lee-Valley has a high end version for $40. Check it out HERE. You could even use handles from shovels as a cheap alternative, too. Of course, if you have some lathe skills you can turn your own legs. Oh, and one last note you may want to know: how much does this little stool hold? Well, I'm a husky 1st Sgt and guessing I'm about 230 lbs, it holds my weight comfortably.
This walnut stool I recently finished is based on the plan found in A.J. Hammler's Civil War Wood Working and was based off of an original. I would say I have $50 in materials in this stool. Granted, I have a lifetime of tools and experience that help, too. I've seen less stylish versions online for around $195. I have also seen abominations sell for $50 on Etsy or Ebay. There is some real junk out there. The really stand out feature of this stool is the fact it's not made out of pine. It is rare to find anything at some events not made out of pine. Woods like walnut, cherry, or hard maple really aren't that expensive, especially on small projects like this. I recently bought an 8 foot board of walnut from Rockler for only $25. The other thing to keep in mind when making camp furniture is to try to vary wood thicknesses if you can. If you know someone with a power planer, become his or her new friend. Likewise, you can break out the hand plane and scrub it down to thickness by hand. It's a great work out!
In Company D, we're all about sharing information, so if you have any questions about making these, let us know. Remember, the most authentic seat for a soldier will always be the seat of his or her pants.
In Company D, we're all about sharing information, so if you have any questions about making these, let us know. Remember, the most authentic seat for a soldier will always be the seat of his or her pants.