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Designed for Comfort and Built to Last
Gary Weeks & Co. - Furnituremakers

Craftsmanship

In the body of this website we have a Craftsmanship Section.  It's deep. It answers the questions below and more:

  • What makes a handmade rocking chair different from those that are mass-produced?
  • Are handmade rocking chairs worth the cost and worthy of investment?
  • What woods make the best rocking chairs?
  • What do you look for and how do you evaluate joinery, wood, finish, ergonomics?

There is a subsection on How We Make a Rocking Chair and pages on Mortise and Tenon, Finishing, the organization of the shop, and more.

We are dedicated.  Our patrons notice and often write about it.

Austin,

The chair and stool arrived safely last Friday.

They are absolutely gorgeous! The wood is beautiful and the workmanship top notch.

I think a friend here in Bend will be ordering one soon for herself!

Thank you very much for your great customer service and stunning products. I could not be happier with my experience purchasing from you.

T.

Austin,

I got the rocker yesterday and am thoroughly pleased with its workmanship, design and comfort. The cherry wood is lovely, and the rocker moves with minimum effort and great bum and back support. It's also pleasing to the eye- — form follows function in a striking piece of furniture. Thanks for a product that actually is what is claimed.

I'm not so happy with the extra charges newly applied to import duties here, but that's not your issue. Australia is a wealthy country and we are so partly because most of us are paid a very decent wage. It's reasonable to pay fairly for custom processing, but being human means I get to complain!

Thank you for persevering through the transactions.

Much appreciated,
J.

Gary and Austin,

The chair arrived this morning . . . right on time and in perfect condition . . . and we love it!! Thank you so much. I can tell all the love and attention you and your craftsmen put into building it. When our construction is complete and it is placed in our new space I'll send you pictures.

It has been a pleasure doing business with you.
G.

Austin,

thanks so much . . . We received the chair right on schedule.
I was called back east for some emergency end-of-the-year project closeout, and ended up without phone or internet due to an ice storm, so my apologies on the delay in getting back to you to compliment you on this fabulous work of art. It will be a treasured part of my family for generations.

All the best, and thank you again . . . I'll send a picture of it in action when the little one arrives.

Sincerely,
A.

Hi Austin:

Just wanted to let you know: the chairs arrived a couple days ago, and they're beautiful.

We love the rich and varied detail in the wood, and the workmanship is perfect.

Thank you so much — and hope you and your family and business have a fantastic 2014!

M. & S.

The chair arrived this afternoon as predicted.
It is a work of art.

Thank you,
P. and L.

With apologies for the delay in this response (we were on vacation) — my son and wife did receive the rocker and absolutely love and cherish it. I will see it in March as they are in Maine and we are in Portland, OR. Thanks for your craftsmanship, your excellent people skills both in phone conversations and in keeping me informed via e-mails of the status of the rocker.

Most sincerely,
M.

Mr. Weeks and company,

The chair arrived this afternoon. Simply stunned. The craftsmanship is superb. It's so quiet when I rock, I just wasn't expecting what I unwrapped. It looks beautiful, it feels great, and I'm glad I bought from you guys. I will definitely be coming back for a side table and foot rest.

Very Respectfully,
C.

Hi Gary,

I was just about to email you. We wanted to let you know that we did receive the chair a couple of days ago in excellent condition and that we truly love it! Workmanship is outstanding and the chair is truly comfortable. I am 8.5 months pregnant, so I know what comfortable means.
Look forward to using the chair with our new baby and our 4 year old as well.
Thank you so very much for continuing to make these beautiful pieces of furniture.

Our best regards,
M.

Morning Mr. Weeks,

Your opinion of "getting things right" is the standard the rest of us work towards. Having started furniture making within the past year, I have a new appreciation for your design and execution.

P.

Gary,

I am enjoying the chair immensely. It is wonderfully made and is very comfortable (a feature very much appreciated by my back). And thanks for noticing my email address. Not many people understand the reference. There must be great satisfaction in creating beautiful furniture that will last for generations and never become obsolete (unlike anything with batteries, etc). Thanks again to you, Austin, Kitty, and all others who lent their artful hands to the crafting of the rocker.

B.

Loving the chair, ...

Thank you for your beautiful work. Wonderful craftsmanship.

J.

Austin,

The rocking chair was delivered on Monday. Love it. Already been on lots of test drives. Garnering lots on compliments about the comfort and looks. Looking forward to years ( generations ) of use. Thanks for a quality product. It is obvious y'all care about your work. That kind of woodworking isn't an accident.

B.

Dear Austin,

We are delighted with the rocking chair.

As it happened the chair shipped the day the baby was born and we were back at home just a few days before it arrived.

Really impressed by the workmanship and attention to detail, also the great simplicity of the piece. And super impressed by the packing for shipment.

Our great thanks. We are very happy to add the chair to our home and to the memories we'll share with our new son.

D.

Gary,

We received our rocking chair a few weeks ago and have waited to write to you while we tried it out. We even kept the shipping box in case we decided to return it. Well, all that was foolishness. I think we knew from the first moment we saw it and sat in it that we wouldn't be sending it back. What a wonderful combination of comfort and art! We had visited many local furniture stores and searched on line, but never found anything that we liked. Every chair was either clunky looking or uncomfortable, or both. Then, by luck, we came across your chair on the web. It has turned out to be everything we had hoped for. We are especially happy with the smooth yet warm and soft finish — such a pleasure to run our fingers over. Thank you for creating such a terrific product.

Thanks again for the loving care and attention to detail that you put into creating our chair.

B. and D.

Gary,

The chair was delivered seamlessly, and my husband and I love it. It is beautiful and so comfortable and soothing to sit in. We took a leap of faith ordering it, and are so glad that we did. We are very grateful for your skill and artistry, and you can imagine us using it before the fireplace during our very long, cold upstate New York winters!

Thank-you.
D.

Hi Gary,

Everyone who sits in our chairs loves them. You make a beautiful piece of furniture. My husband is a beginning woodworker and is wondering how you get such a smooth finish on your furniture. Do you use mineral oil and sand, sand, sand and do you use an electric sander or is it all by hand? He is so impressed and would love to know how he can get that kind of finish. I am sure you are very particular about your wood too. Is that part of the secret?

N.

Hi Gary,

My chair arrived safe and sound yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, I only had time to uncrate it and dash off to work before really getting a chance to test drive it. I will give you a more detailed critique once I get some "seat time" but on initial inspection, your chair is stunningly beautiful. The craftsmanship is superb.

Warmest Regards,
J.

Gary, I did a web search for hand crafted rocking chairs to find you. I am pleased with the quality and workmanship. Thank you!

D.

Gary,

Yes, the chair arrived yesterday. Thanks for inquiring. My wife and I both love it. I am sitting in it right now and find it quite comfortable. The cherry wood is gorgeous and the finish is silky smooth. We really appreciate fine American craftsmanship.

Best regards,
J.

P.S. My son said, "I have never sat in a wooden chair that is this comfortable. It's a really nice chair!" I agree. A perfect chair for desk work and reading.

Hello Gary,

The rocking chair with foot stool and side table arrived yesterday in good order. Your craftsmen have created a beautiful furniture set that is a pleasure to view and touch and will be enjoyed for years to come.

Thank you,
P.

Dear Gary,

My rocker was delivered today. It is truly beautiful, a work of art to be sure. I love how you centered the grain of the wood on the top cross piece and the seat. The color is lovely and will become even more so. I will enjoy it in my living room, but also it will be easy to move to the sun room in the summer.

Please don't take the following as a complaint, or even a shortcoming of your chair, but only an observation, which if enough people make (which I doubt) you may want to consider as a potential custom item. I would prefer a gentler deeper/longer? rocking motion. I guess that would be accomplished by a shallower arc to the rocker . . . but that might compromise the overall visual effect, which is beautiful as it is.

Thank you and your staff for your wonderful art.

B.

Gary,

You are quite welcome, and many thanks to you for such fine work on the chair. I spent quite a bit of time in the chair this weekend for some mandatory baby book reading and it's fantastic.

The attention to detail on all of the aspects of the chair are second to none, so now I've got a high bar to contend with once my woodworking is underway.

I'll keep in touch and let you know how things are progressing.

Sincerely,
A. & B.

Gary,

It is always a pleasure writing you a check for the privilege of enjoying your craftsmanship.

T.

Thank you — We received the footstool and love it too! We are consistently pleased with your fine craftmanship! Enjoying both now while we wait for the Grand Baby!

Thanks again.
G.

Hi Gary,

We received the rocker and it now graces our home. I consider it a work of art.

Happy New Year,
the K's.

Hi Gary,

Omissions of communication during holy days and holidays never require excuses. My wife and I love the cherry rocker and stool. You charge far too little for the work — it sits impressively next to our other very well made furniture.

A review in greater depth will come in the next few weeks after we attempt to rock the eventual new addition to the family to sleep.

Best regards to the Weeks family and Happy New Year,
C.

Gary, the rocking chair arrived about 5 our time last night in perfect condition. Everyone is delighted. It is such a handsome piece of craftsmanship. Thank you for your help. I was surprised to find the flexible material on the bottom of the rockers. A nice addition. It will protect the wood floors and be very quiet. Merry Christmas! You certainly made one here.

Thanks again.
J. and B.

Hi Gary,

Our furniture was delivered tonight around 6:30pm. Wow, we are so pleased.
Your craftsmanship is impeccable. I am especially pleased with the design. The table has beautiful simple curves that go so well with its strong well-proportioned structure. Denice said it was all so beautiful and far better than she expected. She also feels the chairs are "just perfect" too. You are an artist and your commitment to perfection shows. Thank you for taking that extra time to achieve it.

I do have one question about maintenance. Will the table and chairs occasionally need an application of oil? Do you recommend a particular product?

J. and D.

Thank you so much — We did receive the BEAUTIFUL rocking chair and it came in perfect condition. It is everything I had hoped for, and a beautiful addition to our home as we await the first Grand Baby! Now we would like to order the footstool, as Grandpa looks forward to napping in the super comfortable chair. (And that says a lot — to get him out of his recliner!)
You have been so delightful to work with, and I can see and appreciate how much love and care go into your workmanship. We are true fans! I will call during work hours tomorrow to order the cherry footstool. Thank you again!

V.

Gary,

Thanks for not only your amazing workmanship (I know it is a team effort!), but also for the outstanding hospitality!! I really appreciate folks who will take the time to show off their work centers and are proud of the work they do. Your team all seems really happy and proud of producing amazingly beautiful furniture.

Hope you and your staff have a wonderful Christmas season.

Blessings and peace!

B.

Gary —

All look great. Sorry I didn't tell you, but they're covered with quilts as the last bit of work is done. Thanks for your patience.
Beautiful functional art.

Dear Mr Gary Weeks,

Thank you so much for the beautiful rocking chair made for our son and daughter in law in San Antonio, Texas!

Every part of ordering the rocking chair, from starting the chair order on line to the delivery of the chair could not have gone more smoothly!! Your help is greatly appreciated and your company's service is unmatched by others ! In today's world it is refreshing to work with a company such as yours!

Again, thanks for your expert workmanship, the chair is SO beautiful ! Thanks for your service unmatched by others! Thanks for the extra care I know you took to make sure my order was made perfect and thanks for how delivery people took extra care to deliver chair on time and in perfect condition!

Warmly,
Grandma

Everything got here just fine as expected. We are satisfied customers!

P.

Gary —

S.'s curly maple rocker arrived yesterday afternoon in good order and has been under commission since. If I could change one thing about it, I wouldn't, because it's genuinely perfect. The joinery, finish, and balance are all superb. Most of the highly sculpted rocking chairs I've seen seem frail, too overly wrought and unappealing in their oddness. There's nothing delicate about the build of this chair and it has just enough traditional elements to make it classic.

Can you make another in curly walnut? I will call next week.

Thanks again —
B.

Thank you, they are very well crafted. She will love them.

M.

Gary,

The rocker arrived yesterday, unharmed from its long journey from Texas. Even the box it was shipped in looked good: Some child, either at your end or en route, decorated the box with crayon drawings of a butterfly and a ladder!

The rocker looks great in our 1850 schoolhouse home, and the pleasure I get from sitting in it is almost embarrassing. The wood is so sensuous to touch, and I sit transfixed by the little "flaws" in the grain, which stare back at me like little eyes. For me, sitting in it is both relaxing and energizing. I can lean my head against the back and hold a cup of coffee in my lap, the chair arms beveled perfectly for that restful position, but soon I find that I'm rocking slightly, and that gets me to thinking . . . and then to a sense of "OK, there's work to be done." Even a little rocking energizes my legs.

We're going to have a bunch of visitors today, and I can't wait to have them "have a sit."

You've created a beautiful piece of work that I am grateful to own.

D.

We received the maple rocker on Friday. It is both a museum piece and a perfectly functional piece of furniture. Thanks! One note. While this rocker was not harmed (a slight roughness on the bottom of one rocker in a short stretch), the bubble wrap had worn through at the very bottom of the chair and the wood of the rocker had been rubbing on the cardboard. No problem for us, but I wanted you to know. The outside of the box was perfect. Thanks again.

J.

Dear Gary,

Thank you! Your chairs were delivered yesterday to my parents (with great care, I'm told), and as you can see in the picture, they were very well received. :) As my Mom's subject implies, these chairs have found a permanent home. :)

My parents insist that despite their being made for outdoor use, that these chairs are simply too beautiful to consider having outside. Both of my parents are amazed at both the design and the comfort.

We'll be joining them in Ohio over the weekend, and look forward to seeing these up close (and perhaps even stealing a few minutes in one). :)

Thanks again for everything . . . all of your correspondence and help with the purchase, and of course, the quality of your product!

With gratitude,
J.

The furniture arrived on Thursday as they promised.

That was a hefty packaging job on your part. The chair looks beautiful (as do the stool and table, too). I've sat in it the past two days and find myself sighing as I relax. And even my dog loves sitting on my lap when I'm in the chair (although he loves sitting on my lap wherever I'm sitting).

Thanks for your craftsmanship and attention.
R.

The rocking chair and footstool arrived this afternoon just as I was making a cup of tea, so naturally I unpacked the chair (yielding me enough bubble wrap to last the rest of my life!) and enjoyed my tea while I sat in it.

I am 5'10" tall, and the chair fits perfectly, just as your website said it would. The only smoother finish I have ever felt is a new baby's bottom . . . I am looking forward to many years of reading, resting and rocking in the chair, and I thank you for the craftsmanship that it encompasses. It was worth the wait and all the saving up for this treat! . . .

With thanks and best wishes —
A.

Some people think I am off my rocker. Now I can ask them, "which one"?

The Curley maple and the cherry look great as a pair. Dorothy loves them both. They are the focal point of the house.

Work of art is an understatement. They are beautiful.

Thank you all,
G.

Gary,

Allison and Michael received the rocker, unpacked it yesterday, are thrilled and appear to be vying for "practice sitting" hours in preparation for rocking their newborn in September.

Thank you so much for (1) creating this piece of art and (2) taking great care to make sure it arrived in Chicago safely.

D.

Gary,

The chair was delivered this morning. It is a masterpiece! Your craftsmanship is superb.

D.

Chair arrived in perfect condition. Seems like a work of art as much as a chair. Seems like a living thing.

We'll take some time to feel each other out, but I think this the beginning of a long, lovely partnership.

Thanks to one and all, Gary.
S.

Gary,

We did receive the furniture and are very happy. The workmanship and quality are superb and it fits very well with the rest of what we have in the house.
Congratulations on your daughters marriage.

J.

Gary,

I received the rocker this morning and it is beautiful and comfortable! Wonderful craftsmanship. I look forward to many years of enjoyment.

J.

Gary,

The pleasure was ours! You are such an amazing customer advocate, a trait sorely lacking in most businesses today where the push to make profits is paramount. In addition, you build a quality product that really shows the details of your craftsmanship, and the end result is so comfortable!! I am a very happy client! So, thank YOU!!!

Brgds,
L.

Dear Gary,

What a lovely experience. First, the discovery of your website nearly 10 years ago. Obviously your company is more that just a "business". Your philosophy, creativity, and integrity certainly caught my attention. Seeing your rocker was love at first sight. Since that time I have visited your site often and yearned to own one of your rocking chairs.

Well, special events call for treasured gifts. For my 50th birthday my husband surprised me with my dream rocker. I was thrilled! In this day oandage, where it seems like time passes too quickly, emphasis is placed on technology, quality is sacrificed for mass production and revenue, and the individual gets lost in the crowd — it is so refreshing to know that Gary Weeks and Company exists!! You take every day items and make them extraordinary to enhance our lives and bring us joy. Rocking is therapeutic, grounding, nostalgic, and nurturing — the world would be a better place if everyone owned a Gary Weeks Rocking Chair.

The principles of simplicity and honesty are evident in your designs. I appreciate the time and care you and your craftsmen/ women (and children – the precious butterfly drawing on the crate) put into creating each detail. Just sitting in my rocker makes me feel connected to all the wonderful people who put their energy into it. I am deeply touched and grateful to own such a functional work of art. You ARE truthful — "most beautiful, most comfortable", indeed YES! I respect your family and workers for what you do and how you do it. Thank you for making a positive difference in our lives.

Take Care,
C. and B.

Gary,

The rocker arrived on time and in perfect shape. I am rockin' as I write!

We did a lot of research before we decided on "the rocker" that would work. We were looking for something functional and attractive. We spend a lot of time on the Oregon coast in the summers. Over the last 10 years, I have ogled the Myrtle wood rockers that various woodworkers have created on the coast. About a month before we decided on the Weeks rocker, my wife and I made a trip to the Oregon coast with the express purpose of buying a Myrtle wood rocker. We stopped at several shops and I "rocked" several chairs. The chairs varied in price from $2500–$5000 but, they all had one thing in common. They ALL had floating back staves and they all felt strange to rock, as with each rock the staves would flex. It felt weird, almost like the staves were going to break. A rocker should provide comfort while rocking, not anxiety.

I have sciatic problems and the Weeks rocker provides support and comfort to my back. I am also able to spend hours in front of the TV or reading in comfort while rockin'.

I worked for 7 years at a firm that made wood working machinery and I feel that I can recognize quality wood working. The Weeks rocker is an excellent example of superior American Craftsmanship.

I am proud to own a Weeks Rocker.

B.

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