Greeting from (thankfully!) rain Marin County, California! I am expanding my now modest workspace, and would like to get recommendations on the best chair for bench jewelers, with the proper height adjustments and ergonomics. Thanks in advance for your input…James ( James Artisan Jewelry and hand engraving)
Glad you’re getting some rain!
I have never spent more that $150 on a adjustable office type chair myself. But I know a couple of bench jewelers who have Stullers bench chair (item 13-0510) and love them. I see they have them on sale for $321 currently.
Enjoy your new shop!
Mark
I bought my (almost) recent chair from an office supply store. Up here they
are called “Staples” or “Office Depot”. it was just an ordinary,
secretarial chair with adjustable height & with arm rests…no big deal &
cheap as possible!
Gerry Lewy
I’ve had a couple different chairs from Officemax or Staples as well over the years and they work just fine. However, more recently I managed to pick up 3 La-Z-Boy office chairs for $10/ea when they were moving their headquarters in Monroe. They aren’t the big “executive-style” chairs though. They’re like normal bench chairs with movable armrests and adjustable seats and backs. Hands-down the best chairs I’ve ever had!
Wheelless is my preference, mainly because my old wooden floor is wavy.
When on wheels, I had to grab the bench to keep from out-of-control coasting and bumping into the anvil horn and sinusoidal stake. I never could figure out exactly where to put the bench at the lowest elevation so that I would roll into it instead of away from it.
Fortunately, wheels are easily replaceable with glides, which effectively is the same as no wheels.
Hello James, You can choose a chair as suits you. I just want to tell you to take the upholstery off the old chairs and send it in to your refinery. It might sound silly, but I just got back $865.79 net from two 24 year chairs. tom
This is the chair I have, fwiw, very comfy, though I do want wheels on it.
I just got a swivel adjustable stool with wheels from Otto Frei. Around $105. It is perfect because its low height is 20" and high is 27". I need that range because I do a lot of chasing and repousee for which I need the extra height.
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Dear James,
We have been recently surprised by this chair manufactured by Ikea:
It’s very similar to a classical jeweler’s chair, but way cheaper 
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My solution was two chairs, each suitable for different tasks. One with solid, large surface arms, distressed or covered so as to be non-slip under ones forearms - especially good for precise flex shaft operations. A second chair with no arms and greater rigidity, better for forging, sawing, etc, where chair arms might interfere with natural motion needed to best achieve the procedure at hand.
I have had a lot of chairs over the years but my current chair is the best I have ever found. It is called a bunji chair. It is a frame work that is strung with bungi cord instead of having pads or cushions. It swivels and rolls and has a hight adjustment just like most office chairs. it was not expensive.
I’ve had my secretarial chair for 10 years and like it because I can adjust the height quickly depending on whether I’m sawing or doing fine close-up work. Also because the back is adjustable to support the small of the back. Price? Free from a heap of stuff on the street.
Back, or lower back a.k.a. “Lumbar Support” is so-o darned important that
it is almost not fully recognized. We all actually take this for granted!!
When I am "Raising Beads for Pave setting or using my Onglette Graver, I
actually have my lower spine resting against the back supporting section of
the chair. If my spine L1, L2, L3, disks are a few inches away from that
part of the chair, I just don’t have the necessary support that is so
needed.
Even in the “Bright-Cutting” stages of Diamond Setting or even Claw
Filing, my opposite arm is resting on the arm-rest. I brace my feet in a
position that they are preventing any movement of the roller-balls of the
legs. When I ‘relax’ my upper-shoulder muscles, there too, I will use the
upper section & back-supporting section of the simple ‘secretarial’ style
of chair.
Price is not the factor in buying a chair, if you do…sit down in one &
move around, get the ‘feel’ of it. Do you feel comfortable…are at ‘one
with it’? Is it holding different parts of your back & spine? If so, you
just bought it…:>)
Remember that this chair will make money for you, why so? You going to
sitting in it for many, many hours in a day!!
The chair, MUST FULLY EMBRACE YOU, I tell my students you mustn’t have any
space between your lower back and the chair…not one inch is allowed,
period!!!
Try this right, relax your back muscles, where does it rest against? It
rests against your chair, not empty space!!!
Gerry Lewy
(1-905-886-5961)
(1-855-564-0003)
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I had at one time a chair that was adjustable to all the heights I need, but it died long ago, and the chairs I can find now are a bit low, but good for about three quarters of what i do. But for some things I need more height, so I also have a higher basic stool which I use when I need to be a bit taller. Not the best solution and not very comfortable, but it works.
Janet Kofoed
Shockingly pricey, but it fully embraces your back.
I have my old office chair when I was a family therapist which is adjustable, & fine except that it rolls on wheels, Unlike you, I have nice flat cement floors but I still find there are times I need to brace myself to get leverage when working. Pushing with my arms just sent me backwards. So I’d switch out the chair for my wooden bar stool. I’ll have to investigate the slides which will let me get rid of one piece of furniture & gain some needed floor space.