Live Edge

[Rich Engelhardt]

I am not a fan...

I hope the fad dies off like Avocado kitchen appliances...

[Stan Calow]

Agree..............

[Erik Loza]

Allow me a contrarian view: Yes, it does not take much actual ww'ing skill but it does bring folks into the hobby without having to invest a lot of money on equipment, which is a win for everyone. Also, provides a viable outlet for (sometimes historic) salvage lumber rather than just ending up in a landfill or as firewood. I think I have a slab or two in the garage that came from storm-felled oaks that were in a local historic park. That being said, a guy came by the booth at our last woodworking show with a T-shirt that read "Death to River Tables", which we both had a good laugh about.

Erik

[Prashun Patel]

Death not to live edge
Death to poor design.

Live edge has its place. It can be done very tastefully with practice.

But I agree most instances are live edge for its own sake. All bark and no bite.

[Frank Pratt]

Death not to live edge
Death to poor design.

Live edge has its place. It can be done very tastefully with practice.

But I agree most instances are live edge for its own sake. All bark and no bite.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Mark Bolton]

It went through a similar but less dramatic craze in the late 60's/early 70's just like the cookie clock phase. Agree with Prashun but it will be a fad overall. The bigger prayer is death to epoxy river live edge. At that point your in the hat trick of fads, live edge, combined with the also 70's fad of encapsulating things in clear resin. When they say hold onto your bell bottoms because trend's always repeat.. its real fellas,.. oh yeah.. its real.

[Jim Koepke]

similar but less dramatic craze in the late 60's/early 70's

In my area during that time was furniture made from wooden cable spools. One friend had a nice chair made of a cable spool with the bottom cut flat. Part of the center cut out the leather upholstered seat and back and the sides at the seat cut for arm rests. Many people had various size cable spools for coffee tables to dinner tables. Some were made into cabinets.

And yes, some of these were slathered with clear varathane.

jtk

[Kev Williams]

I'm kind of amused that woodworkers (I'm not, in case no one's guessed yet ;) ) would be averse to Live Edge stuff (and I had to google it)... I like tables and benches with the original tree edges and bark. Looks like "real" wood, guess that would be because it is! :) -- and it's interesting...

We have a gorgeous $3500 dining set, and as nice as the table is to look at, it's veneer...

[Zachary Hoyt]

I like some live edge things I've seen, and some I don't. Actually I didn't much care for a Nakashima bench someone posted a picture of on here once, though I know he was a master craftsman. I tend to like it better in more rustic applications, I guess. Adirondack siding can even look good to me in some cases, though not always. I probably have bad taste, it would not be surprising to find out that was the case.

[Andrew Hughes]

I found a post of a live edge epoxy river table with hair pin legs.
God help us

[Kevin Jenness]

My God! It's...alive!

[Earl McLain]

I found a post of a live edge epoxy river table with hair pin legs.
God help us

Interesting use of trim instead of wasting time making a proper apron.
earl

[Warren Lake]

is the green stuff shag carpet? or is it algae

40 years ago or so in a shop of a fine woodwork guy as he was on the phone telling someone else hes making another Flintstones table :)

At least it matches the floor

[Frank Pratt]

I found a post of a live edge epoxy river table with hair pin legs.
God help us

That actually looks like it could be LVP flooring! That'd really be the crowning touch on that turd.

[John TenEyck]

I'm with Eric. Anything that brings new people into woodworking, no matter the format, is OK in my book. I've seen beautiful live edge furniture and just awful stuff, too. And I've seen beautiful insert whatever style you like furniture and just awful stuff, too. And some well-respected styles I think are just ugly no matter how high the craftsmanship. It's all woodworking, people. And it's like golf; it can be enjoyed at any level.

John

[Jerry Wright]

Would any of you like to post a picture of your last cherry breakfront with glass doors? Assume you bang these commissions out regularly for your paying clients.
Live edge is simply different strokes for different folks. IMHO

[Bill Dufour]

I remember a picnic table at a park on the avenue of the giants in the 1970's. It was live edge all the way. A piece of redwood log about 3' in diameter maybe 20' long. Two slabs cut off on either side for benches, flat side up. The center was about 12" thick as the table.
I have seen many a redwood burl table with nice grain.
Bill D

[Sean Nagle]

The bright side is that when the fad is over, all the discarded tops can be milled and used for the next fad.

[Brian Holcombe]

It’s been a trend for about 60 years now….

[Steve Demuth]

Exactly.

And, to be clear, cutting a 2 1/2" slab out of a 3 foot wide craggy log, filling the cracks with black epoxy, and throwing on some legs does not constitute good design. It's a kind of brutalist approach that assumes that mass, gloss and live edge are aesthetically sufficient and right for everything.

On the other hand, I've been in enough corporate board rooms and executive suites and the like to say that for aesthetic deadness in wood, the inevitable slab table there holds no candle to the acres of rotary cut walnut veneer covering the walls.

[Frederick Skelly]

Actually I didn't much care for a Nakashima bench someone posted a picture of on here once, though I know he was a master craftsman.

+1 Zach.

I agree with the OP - live edge doesnt show me anything. YMMV.

[johnny means]

Let's not confuse live edge furniture with screwing legs to an unfinished board.

[mike stenson]

Let's not confuse live edge furniture with screwing legs to an unfinished board.

Too late. That ship passes quickly, every time this subject comes up.

[William Hodge]

I am not a fan...

I hope the fad dies off like Avocado kitchen appliances...


I can understand the appeal of making live edge stuff. A lot of the design work is done by nature. The built world has been dumbed down by people designing things to work with engineered materials, like MDF, laminate, and all the other plastic building materials that are costed out predictably. All these plastic cabinets, doors, windows, floors, etc. are like eating Captain Crunch cereal three meals a day until you are dead. Perhaps not that bad, but you know what I mean.

Building parts built with aesthetic use of materials is a skill that is leaving the room. Carpenters used to understand the geometry of moldings and building design. Now, we get the marketing people winging it to the lowest common denominator.

Given the choice of a live edge conference table made out of 1970's laminate over MDF, or a live edge river of toxic glop, I can see why people like live edge. There is hope for renewed interest in building parts that are beautiful. When I describe the geometry of moldings and the proportions of building facades to old house owners, they are interested.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Let's not confuse live edge furniture with screwing legs to an unfinished board.Yep..pretty much exactly that. .. . .

Many of the creators of what's out there are the type that would look at the stonework in Falling Waters and see a surface in need of white paint to "freshen it up". :(

[Dave Cav]

Yep..pretty much exactly that. .. . .

Many of the creators of what's out there are the type that would look at the stonework in Falling Waters and see a surface in need of white paint to "freshen it up". :(

Or the folks that were going to paint the interior of the Gamble House to brighten it up.

[Bill McNiel]

I have a problem with all encompassing statements of any kind (pro or con). Please take a look at this previous post.

(https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?262854-What-the-quot-designer-quot-drew-and-what-I-built&highlight=Bill+Mcniel)

[Jim Becker]

I actually appreciate live edge furniture, being a fan of Nakashima and living in the area where he did a lot of his work. (his daughter still runs the company) But I'm also all for tasteful. Not a fan of "flashy" river tables, but ok with monochrome resin work to make useful surfaces for dining, etc. There can always be a middle ground.

[Holmes Anderson]

Wow, this thread is a walk down memory lane. I had erased spool furniture from my memory. How about wood lobster trap coffee tables? I am also a river table hater but the black epoxy and slab tables are nicer to look at than rotary cut veneer. It looks like plenty of people are still making black epoxy/slab and river tables tables on spec so I assume they still sell. As to live edge without epoxy, it can fit in either a very rustic or very contemporary home if not overdone but it is not my cup of tea.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have never been able to understand why Frank Lloyd Wright is so venerated. An architect who designs buildings that leak when new and have so many structural problems is not doing much of a service to the world, in my opinion. Architecture as art or self-expression seems fine to me, as long as it is actually functional too. I would have thought that Fonthill Abbey (for instance) would have already pointed out the problem with avant-garde architecture going beyond the limits of feasibility long before his time, but I guess it didn't stick.

[Jim Becker]

I think it was from his stylings which in many cases were quite unique. But yes, his engineering, um...well...you know...um...wasn't too slick.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Frank Lloyd Wright drew and oversaw some awesome projects. He was lousy to his workers. Larger than life personalities who shaft their workers diminish their respectability beyond repair (to me). George Nakashima appears to have been a sweet and humble guy who created lots of really attractive and valuable furniture. I have made a few live edge pieces, Please God may any of them ever have a value anything near a Nakashima!

[Jim Becker]

My great respect from Nakashima, aside from the outstanding work and designs, comes from his philosophy which is pretty nicely detailed in his book, "Soul of a Tree". While there are certainly many times we can't necessarily "let the wood speak" as much as we like, we can at least make the effort.

[Rob Sack]

I have no problem with live edges when done tastefully. Even Sam Maloof used live edges in some of his pieces. However, I can think of no instance where hairpin legs improve a piece. In fact, I cannot think of an occasion when they didn't detract from a piece.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

My great respect from Nakashima, aside from the outstanding work and designs, comes from his philosophy which is pretty nicely detailed in his book, "Soul of a Tree". While there are certainly many times we can't necessarily "let the wood speak" as much as we like, we can at least make the effort.

In the UK, where every tree requires a permit to be harvested, furniture lumber appears in the lumber yard as a sliced up log. It is a lovely way to see "wood". Also a lovely philosophy!

[Ronald Blue]

I've saw some live edge stuff that was very nicely done and some that wasn't. It's not everyone's cup of tea just as there are many many different cars and trucks to meet the preferences of the population. I don't know how river tables will hold up over time but I could speculate. Make/create what you like. If you have a market for it that's even better. Obviously some of you support yourselves with your shop and talents. Everyone has an opinion about the different styles and that's as it should be.

Bill McNiel that was some beautiful work you linked to.

Andrew Hughes that tables in your dining room isn't it? Just kidding.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I googled "avocado green appliances". I see for sale a SMEG Portofino avocado green range $4000.00.
I wonder if they are selling?

[John TenEyck]

I have never been able to understand why Frank Lloyd Wright is so venerated. An architect who designs buildings that leak when new and have so many structural problems is not doing much of a service to the world, in my opinion. Architecture as art or self-expression seems fine to me, as long as it is actually functional too. I would have thought that Fonthill Abbey (for instance) would have already pointed out the problem with avant-garde architecture going beyond the limits of feasibility long before his time, but I guess it didn't stick.


Exactly. His houses leaked and his furniture is incredibly uncomfortable. We have several FLW houses and industrial buildings near me in Buffalo, NY. The Darwin Martin House and Graycliffe (also built for Martin) have required 10's of millions of $'s to restore. I don't remember a live edge table in either, however, so there is that.

John

[Ron Citerone]

The Wright Brother's first flight was only 120 feet, but it changed everything.........Same with FLW in my mind, despite the leaks!

[Mel Fulks]

Exactly. His houses leaked and his furniture is incredibly uncomfortable. We have several FLW houses and industrial buildings near me in Buffalo, NY. The Darwin Martin House and Graycliffe (also built for Martin) have required 10's of millions of $'s to restore. I don't remember a live edge table in either, however, so there is that.


I think some of Wright’s reputation came from the Ayn Rand novel The Fountainhead. Certainly Roark and Wright “worked together “.

[Brian Holcombe]

FLW was competition with the Bauhaus in the latter part of his career once he moved into modern type of design. I think Mies Van Der Rohe made buildings and houses with better structures but certainly FLW put out some incredible work that is much more appealing to live in, in my opinion.

[andy bessette]

...it does not take much actual ww'ing skill but it does bring folks into the hobby without having to invest a lot of money on equipment...

Agree it doesn't take much woodworking skill. Disagree that live edge somehow ingratiates itself by encouraging newcomers into the woodworking hobby.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

No live edge but it is a chunky hunk of wood with skinny legs. It is our coffee table. I made this before Mid Century Modern was back in vouge, 1991 or so. The top is end grain Douglas Fir, The legs 1 1/4 solid hot rolled steel, the skirt is 1/4 thick inch steel bar. It is over due for a re-do. When I get around to it I plan to refinish the top natural and use some color on the legs and skirt.

470843470850

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I am not a fan...

I hope the fad dies off like Avocado kitchen appliances...

I really was thinking live edge and epoxy stuff was an unanimity for US people.

I do not like live edge and above all I do not like epoxy festival lots of US youtubers looks to adore. Actually I do not know a single person in my relationship that like that... but I live outside the US.

You have my full solidarity.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I don't worry about the Epoxy you tubers. They will be needing more Epoxy every time the seasons change. I like the way Nakashima seasoned his slabs and used his joinery.

Reading these again my comment about avocado green sounds snarky which is not my intent, rather a reiteration of "to each their own".

I will try to get an image of the live edge crotch wood chair. It needs to come back to the shop for either a whole lot of Epoxy or to be completely redone George Nakashima style.

[Mark Gibney]

Some of the appeal of live edge table, when done well, is that they evoke the randomness of nature, that there is beauty in unpredictability.
When people stick hairpin legs under a chunk of log it so predictable and lazy that it inverts any delight we might feel.

Most live edge tables I see make me angry - any lump of wood stuck on top of a rectangle of metal. No feeling for proportion, harmony or even materials, in spite of itself.

[Rick Peek]

I agree on River tables,hairpin legs and epoxy. I think epoxy is o/k on a bar top, but that’s it. I think live edge is great
in the right setting. I love it in rustic homes or even a special piece in a modern home. Also a solid wood live edge
conference table can be beautiful. Here are a few piece’s I built for my very rustic home in the Adirondack mountains.
They are built in the great camp style that is extremely popular around here. I know it’s not most people’s cup of tea,
but everyone loves it here and are willing to pay big bucks for it.

[Rick Peek]

Also don’t know why,but when I attach pics they are upside down, tried everything, can’t fix it!

[Barry McFadden]

I agree on River tables,hairpin legs and epoxy. I think epoxy is o/k on a bar top, but that’s it. I think live edge is great
in the right setting. I love it in rustic homes or even a special piece in a modern home. Also a solid wood live edge
conference table can be beautiful. Here are a few piece’s I built for my very rustic home in the Adirondack mountains.
They are built in the great camp style that is extremely popular around here. I know it’s not most people’s cup of tea,
but everyone loves it here and are willing to pay big bucks for it.

How do you get all that stuff to stay on the tables??:confused::)

[Michael Todrin]

Some of the appeal of live edge table, when done well, is that they evoke the randomness of nature, that there is beauty in unpredictability.


That is what I was aiming for with this piece. I hope with some small degree of success. 470924

[Rick Peek]

Frank Lloyd Wright drew and oversaw some awesome projects. He was lousy to his workers. Larger than life personalities who shaft their workers diminish their respectability beyond repair (to me). George Nakashima appears to have been a sweet and humble guy who created lots of really attractive and valuable furniture. I have made a few live edge pieces, Please God may any of them ever have a value anything near a Nakashima!


That is what I was aiming for with this piece. I hope with some small degree of success. 470924
I think your piece is beautiful.

[Dale Osowski]

I was a big fan of live edge and built a number of tables, never a river table or anything with hairpin legs. I always used unique designs for my legs and butterflies. That being said I can't stomach it any longer! All the river tables, hair pin legs, epoxy etc really turned me off and I no longer want to be involved with live edge pieces. Except for a floating wall shelf here & there but no more tables.

[Stan Calow]

I found a post of a live edge epoxy river table with hair pin legs.
God help us

I cant help but think this table (made of flooring material?) would look good in that kitchen with the upholstered cabinetry.

I'll admit to using hairpins on a storage table I needed to do in a hurry.

[Prashun Patel]

I made a ton or embarrassing live edge work over the years. I've made a ton of embarrassing 'normal edge' furniture as well. Most of the crap we make is because we don't have developed design sense and want to over-emphasize the latest little trick we learned whether it's life edge incorporation, butterfly keys, crazy figured boards, dovetails, or exposed joinery. All that stuff has its place, but it takes a lifetime to learn restraint and how to appropriately deploy it.

[andy bessette]

I made a ton or embarrassing live edge work over the years. I've made a ton of embarrassing 'normal edge' furniture as well. Most of the crap we make is because we don't have developed design sense and want to over-emphasize the latest little trick we learned whether it's life edge incorporation, butterfly keys, crazy figured boards, dovetails, or exposed joinery. All that stuff has its place, but it takes a lifetime to learn restraint and how to appropriately deploy it.

Good post.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I just watched The Secrets of Saint Louis a 1960's documentary. FLW gets a mention. I have been past the Wainwright building many times. Next time I will look up.

[William Hodge]

I made a ton or embarrassing live edge work over the years. I've made a ton of embarrassing 'normal edge' furniture as well. Most of the crap we make is because we don't have developed design sense and want to over-emphasize the latest little trick we learned whether it's life edge incorporation, butterfly keys, crazy figured boards, dovetails, or exposed joinery. All that stuff has its place, but it takes a lifetime to learn restraint and how to appropriately deploy it.


How about Craftsman style through tenons? I make through tenons for a living, but they are traditional and had to see. Those Gamble House ones I never understood. Like exposed dovetails in contrasting wood, or butterfly patches, the Crafstman style stuff seems to shout about the maker, more than create a feeling through geometric design.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I hope to try some through tenons. I posted about a McIntosh repair I just did. repair a broken leg on a nice sideboard (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?295484-repair-a-broken-leg-on-a-nice-sideboard)The McIntosh leg joint is cool. This piece failed because the cross member was only dowelled. How cool would that leg joint be with a tusk tenon and peg for the cross member rather than dowels? (and thicker hardwood rather than slim Mahogany)?