STICKLE - Bench

STICKLE is a bench built around a single striking idea - rather than rails and stretchers holding the legs in place, a steel spine runs the length of the seat from leg to leg, allowing the slatted ribs of the top to float free. Handmade in solid ash and left with a natural, pale finish, the bench flexes almost imperceptibly under load - a quiet bit of engineering hidden inside a simple form.

The idea for Stickle came from an unlikely place - the remains of a seafood lunch my mother-in-law had cooked for us, eaten looking out to sea in the Algarve. I found myself completely taken with small sardine spines left sitting on the plate - the way they articulated and flexed. I set myself a challenge - could I build a piece of furniture that captured that same sense of dynamism and fluidity?

It meant stepping away from the usual way a bench is built. Instead of rails and stretchers to stop the legs splaying, Stickle relies on a steel spine running through the seat from leg to leg - invisible once assembled, but doing all the structural work. That's what lets the ribs of the seat float independently of one another, rather than being locked rigid into a single frame.

The result is a bench that is alive - it moves, very slightly, under load - settling into a new equilibrium each time someone sits down. It's a subtle thing, more felt than seen, but it's exactly the bend and flex of that fish spine that started the whole idea.

Dimensions

Height 46cm
Length 112cm
Depth 40cm

Materials

English ash and blackened brass with a white hardwax oil finish