In the above video I share my tour of Elia Bizzari’s traditional Windsor chair making workshop in Hillsboro, North Carolina.

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Elia Bizzarri is a world-renowned Windsor Chair maker and instructor. Together we filmed this popular 8+ hour video: “Build a Traditional Windsor Rocker with Elia Bizzarri”, which you can buy here.

Build A Traditional Windsor Rocker With Elia Bizzarri

Elia started traditional woodworking as a teenager, and made due with very rudimentary tools. He told me that he used a dull jack hand plane to make his long workbench (pictured below). He eventually took an interest in making traditional Windsor chairs. He asked his parents for permission to skip college and instead use his college savings for advanced Windsor chair classes.

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Fortunately they were supportive of his alternative career path, and it eventually paid off. Windsor Chair maker Curtis Buchanan welcomed Elia as an apprentice, and Elia has gone on to join Curtis as one of the world’s most well-known Windsor chair makers.

Lie-Nielsen Boggs Spokeshave Used On A Windsor Chair Arm In Hand Tool Woodworking

Elia has even been featured a couple times on Roy Underhill’s The Woodwright’s Shop television show. You can view those episodes here.

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Elia loves making Windsor chairs and finds joy in life’s simple pleasures. I call that true success. I found Elia to be warm, welcoming, and humorous, so his parents must be great folks too! Here are some photographs of Elia’s Windsor chairs:

Yellow Windsor Chair Made By Elia Bizzarri In His North Carolina Woodworking Workshop With A Woodworking Workbench

Spindles Of A Windsor Chair Made By Elia Bizzarri In His North Carolina Woodworking Workshop

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Leg Spindles Of A Windsor Chair Made By Elia Bizzarri In His North Carolina Woodworking Workshop With A Woodworking Workbench

You can contact Elia and place orders for custom Windsor chairs at his website here.

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