Meghan Carter: Hickory chairs are the best combination of rustic, comfort, and durability and that you will find. And I’m here today at Old Hickory to discover why hickory chairs are such a great option.

I’m hitting the road searching for answers and finding great design. It’s a quest for beauty, function and of course inspiration.

To discover why hickory is such a great wood for chairs and furniture, I headed to a company that love hickory so much; they put it in their name, Old Hickory. And while I was there, I talked with the company’s president Rocco Liott. What’s so valuable about using hickory wood? Why is it such a good choice?

Rocco Liott: Well hickory is the strongest wood in North America and it will last forever. Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run with a hickory baseball bat, they used wagon wheel spokes are out of hickory. Ax handles—it’s because of its durability, it’s resilient, it really break and flexes more than an oak wood. But hickory is a very strong wood and durable.

Meghan Carter: That’s what makes your furniture last so long?

Rocco Liott: Yes, yes. In fact there was one quality test that they used to do years ago when the company first started, they take a chair and literally hurl with across the room to see if it survive then.

Meghan Carter: Did it?

Rocco Liott: Absolutely.

Meghan Carter: Hickory maybe strong but if its cut at the wrong time of year the bark will fall right off. And if you’re looking for a beautiful rustic looking chair, that can be a problem. Losing the bark would completely run the fill.

Rocco Liott: All the hickory saplings have to be harvested when sap is down. When the leaves changed on a trees that’s when they’re dying it means the sap is down. And what happens is the barrier of sap that is between the bark and the core is now down. And if you cut it when the sap is up and it dries out it creates a gap.

Meghan Carter: Wow!

Rocco Liott: And the actually whole sleeve of bark will slip right off.

Meghan Carter: Really?

Rocco Liott: Yes.

Meghan Carter: Before purchasing hickory chairs or hickory furniture for that mater, check the cut surface of the wood to make sure there is not a gap between the bark and the core of the wood. Quality hickory chairs have a seamless finish and apparently can be thrown across the room without breaking, but I do not think I would try that at least not in the furniture show room.

Check out my website askthedecorator.com to discover more about this topic, read informative how to articles or watch other videos from my trip. You will find a variety of helpful decorating advice when you stop-by.