The Hardwood Beauty Of Hinkle Rocking Chairs

It all started as a supplemental means of earning a living way back in 1834. Eventually, though, farmer Andrew Jackson Hinkle realized that making rocking chairs was a fine way to earn additional income, so he soon got his entire family involved in what was then a part-time business.

Originally from Virginia, Hinkle decided to move his family to Springfield, Tennessee where they initially got involved in farming but took up ladder back chair manufacturing on the side. The summer months would usually find them carving chair frames from branches of beech, hickory, and oak trees while the chair seats got to be weaved during the winter.

Undoubtedly, the work was hard but it soon paid off as the products earned the attention of people. Production then increased and the Hinkles eventually got hold of a small tobacco barn that served as their makeshift factory. Here, they decided to add rocking chairs to their production line.

In 1932, the family that started out as farmers became full time chair producers, and by the time World War II ended, the business has been passed on to several generations. Then in 1948, William Hinkle, Jr, a war veteran, established the Hinkle Chair Company which boasted of 16 employees who had the talent and the perseverance to produce at least 200 chairs daily.

The company was clearly experiencing progress, but the Hinkles were far from satisfied. They soon added tables of varying sizes and shapes to their production line up, many of these crafted from quality hardwoods. Nevertheless, the rocking chairs proved to be among the favorites of many company customers such that by 1990, nearly 100 percent of the production of the Hinkle Chair Company was composed mostly of rocking chairs.

Obviously, there is something unique about the way the Hinkles crafted their rocking chairs which, at present, come in various designs, including rockers for adults and children and single and double rocking chairs. The materials are obviously of genuine hardwood variety which easily accounts for the durability of these rockers, said to last for many generations.

More than just the materials, though, what makes Hinkle rocking chairs such a big hit among its clients is the relaxation and comfort that the chairs provide. Additionally, these rocking chairs also provide beauty to an otherwise dull home area like the resident porch which is where the chairs are traditionally placed.

Recently, the Hinkle Chair Company added a new dimension to their rocking chairs line up. Still largely made of hardwood materials, some rocking chairs have been specially designed to honor several teams and personalities who have carved out a name in the field of sports, particularly race car driving and football. As such, there are now rocking chairs that carry the names of popular NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys, the Oakland Raiders, and the Green Bay Packers. Some chairs have also been designed to honor NASCAR drivers like Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Tony, Stewart, and Dale Earnhardt.

What is quite interesting about these Hinkle rocking chair varieties is that apart from being made of genuine hardwood, they also carry the name of the team or the driver and this can be seen on the top portion. In addition, these Hinkle rocking chairs come in the official color of the team or the athlete that they represent as seen in the back portion and along the legs.

Undoubtedly, the rocking chairs offer more than just the standard relaxation. They can also serve as excellent collector's items.