Wooden Rocking Chairs

I have had some great memories of wooden rocking chairs down the years – from my grandfather sitting in one and reading me a bedtime story, to the time me and my friends sat outside on my dad’s porch drinking beer, listening to music and watching the sun set way off in the distance. It’s fair to say that owning a set of wooden rocking chairs has enhanced my life, and not many other items that I own can make that claim.

Wooden rocking chairs can be constructed from all kinds of wood, from teak, beach, pine and oak. Many of the newer kinds of chairs are now made from metals (such as aluminium). These chairs are typically stronger, but lack the character and old-style feel of a classic rocker. Most of these chairs still have arm rests, which is a necessity in order to sit comfortably. Many people choose to add cushions to their chairs, and it is indeed a very good idea, as sometimes the wood can become quite firm and unforgiving. Some chairs actually come ready-made with a kind of wicker padding that is meshed into the seat. However, these kinds of chairs are few and far between, and you’ll be lucky to find one without an inflated price tag or an over-zealous owner that would never be prepared to let it from his (or her) sight.

They are made by getting a regular char with 4 legs, and placing 2 other curved pieces of wood on the bottom. The curved wood is then placed on the floor, and the chair is balanced so that it can rock back and forth on these pieces, without ever rocking too fare and falling over. Most of these kinds of chairs have been passed down from generation to generation, so they have become a family air loom of sorts. The sentimental value of most wooden rocking chairs is sky-high, and can surely never be understood by someone who does not own one.

Many people claim that rocking chairs relax them, and their therapeutic benefits have been widely thought of throughout the years. In fact, many United States presidents have been known to own and regularly use a rocking chair in times of great need and emergency. Their effects have been known to help make great decisions, as the metronome effect can help sooth a person and help them think clearly. Another benefit of them is that they last for years and years. They are truly built to last, and nearly every chair made is still in use today.

Wooden rocking chairs are often used in films, and are all too frequently used to accentuate a scary moment. When used in the right way, a wooden rocker can be quite scary – especially if it is highly decorative and ghostly looking. An example of this is in the hit TV series ‘Lost’, where the ghost Jacob sits on a rocking chair. Thought we cannot see Jacob, we can see his chair moving, and thus we know he is there.