The Danish-born woodworker Tage Frid is best known for his three-legged stool. His work influenced the development of the studio furniture movement in the United States. He was a woodworker, author and educator.
Table in the dining room
Tage Frid is an influential woodworker. He taught at the Rhode Island School of Design for two decades. He also directed the woodworking program at the School for American Craftsmen in Alfred, New York. In addition to his work as a woodworker, he was a contributing editor of Fine Woodworking magazine from 1975 until 2004. He passed away in Newport, RI on May 6, 2004.
He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and moved to the United States when he was thirteen. His parents encouraged him to take an apprenticeship with a cabinetmaker. His father worked as a silversmith, and he ran a candy store. He eventually enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design, where he was head of the woodworking department.
He spent most of his time making furniture for his home. His breakfast room features a walnut-veneered round pull-out pedestal table and a walnut-veneered coffee table. He also designed a three-legged stool, a chest of drawers, and reversible beds.
Pedestal sideboard
One of the best-known woodworkers of our time, Tage Frid teaches a lot of people about the art and science of creating great pieces of furniture. He has written a trilogy of best-selling books for the Taunton Press. He also writes for Fine Woodworking. In fact, he’s the contributing editor of the magazine, and has been since its very first issue. He lives a comfortable life on his pension from the Rhode Island School of Design.
He has a home and workshop, located just outside a waterfall. The two-story house is surrounded by tall trees, making it an ideal location for a craftsman. A machinist and a woodworker share the garage, and a two-story, cedar-sided building housing his workshop is next door. He spends about five to six hours a day working, and a short drive away is his home. He shares the residence with his wife Emma, who is a fellow craftsman.
He has a large collection of woodworking books, and has been featured in a variety of other woodworking magazines, including Fine Woodworking. He has also compiled a number of woodworking processes. He also has designed a few pieces of furniture, most notably a lovely pedestal sideboard.
Three-legged stool
Tage Frid was a renowned woodworker who taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He had a significant impact on American craftmen. He helped reintroduce handmade furniture into the U.S., and was one of the driving forces behind the creation of Fine Woodworking magazine.
His three-legged stool was a work of art. It was designed to be functional, and yet aesthetically pleasing. It has a seat that is 16 inches wide by 6 inches deep. It features a swooping concavity on the front, as well as a semblance of a pedestal. The back is sawn and the legs are shaved, but through-tenoned to the seat.
There are several similar versions of this stool, manufactured by Highland Hardware, Inc., a New York company. This example is a bit trickier to make, as its construction relies on a number of tools, including a braced table saw and a table top jig. The triangular shape of the pedestal echoes the triangular shape of the dovetails, and the triangular shape of the seat echoes the triangular shape of its case.
Stories of Tage and Emma
If you’re familiar with the works of Tage Frid, you’re aware of his contribution to the history of woodworking. As a teacher, writer, and maker, he was an influential figure. But he’s most famous for his three-volume manual, Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking, which is still regarded as one of the most comprehensive and authoritative woodworking guides available today.
In the late 1940s, Tage Frid moved to New York State and began developing an impressive design practice. He also taught at the School for American Craftsmen and the Rhode Island School of Design. His designs have been exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Smithsonian Institution.
After retiring from the Rhode Island School of Design, he became a contributing editor for the Fine Woodworking magazine. His contributions to the magazine marked an early success for the publication. He was named a fellow of the American Crafts Council in 1980.
Tage’s wife, Emma, was a furniture maker’s wife. They were married in 1946. She is survived by five grandchildren. She died at the age of 92. She was remembered as a remarkably calm and affable person.
