My New (very old) Christiansen Co. Workbench

[Ben Martin]

just show her this.

http://www.harpgallery.com/showroom/item6741.html

nuff said.

I sent that to her, her response was, if it is worth much, why don't you sell it then...UGH.

I asked her how many usable 100 year old workbenches for $300 she knew of...

[Tom Vanzant]

Be careful Ben. That's a slippery slope if there ever was one...

[Ben Martin]

Found some more ads for your viewing pleasure. Apparently Christiansen liked to change their ads often, these are from the Wood Craft Journal from May, June and August of 1914.

[george wilson]

Hardware dealer: I want a Christiansen's bench! And I want it at the 1914 price!! Aren't the old ads great?

[brian c miller]

I love old benches. I have a hammacher schlemmer bench from around that same time. Some where along its life it got a Emmert added.

[Charles Biddles]

Wow, I have a extremely similar bench I just got off craigslist for free. Same Chicago vises as yours, same top, just different base and mine has a bigger drawer. I wish mine was in the same condition as yours, any help identifying the wood on top and the stand? I plan on restoring it, and just hitting it with some boiled linseed. Mine has been very well used. I also have the metal bench dogs! I'll post pics when I get it back together.

[Stew Denton]

Ben,

A well deserved "ya done good!"

I don't have a clue what it should cost, but $300 seems like a very good deal, and I really like having and using good old tools, and that bench looks extremely usable. Again, congrats, good job.

Stew

[Bob Glenn]

My Swedish grandfather had and used one of these. It was in the basement of my Aunt's house and I tried, unsuccessfully, to talk her out of it several years ago. After her death, I called my cousin about the bench and she said my sister had it. Called the sister and she wouldn't give it up, said her husband uses it. I asked for picture so I could build one. She sent a picture of it in the garage. It was stacked with cardboard boxes and junk. Yeah they're using it alright. Pisses me off!

[Jerry Olexa]

WOW...YOU DID WELL..... BTW You Suck!!!!!

I'm envious.

[glenn bradley]

Everything Jerry and others have said. Ya done Good.

[Dan Sink]

"It costs no more than a poor bench and will wear 10 times longer." This thread proves them right! The only way that ad could have been more clairvoyant is if it had said - "Christiansen Benches - In 100 years a bunch of people from across the world will be sitting in their homes using these things called computers to look at pictures of your bench on this thing called the Internet and wishing like hell that they had one." I don't suppose that would have helped sales much back in the 1910s though.

[Gary Cunningham]

Sweet! Nice score.

[michael langman]

It's great that the bench has found a good home. Now go out and buy a lottery ticket Ben, before your luck runs out.