I made a chair

Chair Design & Practical Experience

• The design is recognized as a very old, pre‑industrial “tribal / 2‑piece / viking / bog chair” that appears across cultures and reenactment scenes.
• People report it’s surprisingly comfortable and stable in real life, though you can’t lean too far forward or you’ll tip.
• Some see it as structurally weak (high force at the notch, sharp points on the ground) and wouldn’t trust a single wide board; others say these chairs “basically last forever.”
• Suggested improvements include multiple slots for adjustable recline, shortening the tail with a second interlocking slot to lift it off the ground, or gluing/screwing a stiffener on the underside to handle heavier users.

Wood, Finishes & Safety

• The use of pressure‑treated lumber sparked debate:
  • Concerns: skin contact with treatment chemicals, playground bans, unpleasant dust when cutting, and long‑term disposal.
  • Counterpoints: modern treatments in many places use mostly copper plus fungicides and are considered “safe enough” for outdoor furniture.
• Alternatives mentioned: cedar, redwood, untreated pine with outdoor finishes, oil, polyurethane/varnish, latex paint, and traditional burning (Yakisugi), with caveats about species and upkeep.
• People learned about end‑cut sealer and shared practices like extra finish on end grain.

DIY Furniture Culture & Resources

• Many links to DIY designs: the original one‑board chair instructions, Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione, “Make a Chair from a Tree,” Lost Art Press books (including free PDFs), stick chairs, anarchist design, Segal‑method houses, wine‑barrel chairs, Leopold benches, and Japanese/nomadic furniture.
• Strong theme of “reclaiming” furniture from mass producers, learning to think with your hands rather than following strict plans, and appreciating the structural logic of objects.
• Some criticize certain Mari designs as less robust (loads borne by screws or corners), while others defend them as carefully thought‑through and pedagogical.

Ultralight & Carbon‑Fiber Backpacking Variant

• An ultralight carbon‑fiber version (~2 lb, ~US$350) drew interest and skepticism.
• Critics note the product page oddly omits weight, the fire‑ember claim is vague, and it’s heavier than benchmark ultralight chairs.
• Philosophical split: some argue no serious hiker brings a chair; others say once you try a very light camp chair it becomes indispensable.

Video Length & Media Preferences

• The carbon‑fiber chair video triggers discussion of 10‑minute YouTube padding driven by ad incentives vs ultra‑short TikTok‑style clips.
• Some find bloated videos unbearable; others enjoy slower, process‑oriented content as long as filler isn’t purely for revenue.
• Product reviews are seen as poorly suited to short‑form; shorts are framed as better for quick entertainment than nuanced evaluation.

Making Things & Aesthetics

• Several comments express envy or joy about making physical objects versus software, describing woodworking as meditative in moderation but grueling as full‑time work.
• Aesthetic debates touch on “brutalist” furniture and whether exposing raw wood grain counts as brutalism or something warmer.