Model 391

The Ercol Model 391 is a classic Windsor dining chair from the 1960s and 1970s – a side chair (no arms) with stick-back construction that brings traditional Windsor chair making into mid-century homes. This is Ercol at their best: solid elm seats, beech frames and spindles, proper joinery, and proportions that work for everyday dining rather than just looking good in catalogues.

Each 391 here has been professionally restored in our Devon workshop. Elm seats are hand sanded to remove decades of wear – scratches from cutlery, marks from being dragged across floors, the accumulated evidence of family meals. Then finished with Danish oil to bring out the grain and warm colour. Beech frames and spindles get the same treatment, and joints are checked and reglued where 50+ years of use has loosened even proper mortise and tenon construction.

What makes the 391 distinctive:

The clean stick-back design with three vertical spindles creating the back support. Solid elm seat with subtle saddle shaping for comfort without upholstery. Steam-bent back rail curving gently to support your back. Tapered legs – thicker at the seat, tapering down to feet – giving visual lightness while maintaining strength. Turned stretchers connecting the legs for stability.

The 391 is designed as a side chair for dining tables – no arms means it tucks neatly under tables and allows easy access for sitting and standing. You’ll often find these paired with Ercol carver chairs (armed versions) at the same table – traditionally carvers at the heads, 391s along the sides.

Materials and construction:

Solid elm seat – the heavy, dense timber that defines Ercol Windsor chairs. Elm holds the saddle shaping, takes decades of daily use, and ages beautifully. The seat is deliberately thick because that’s what gives Windsor chairs their strength and comfort. Beech for the frame, spindles, and rails – lighter in colour than elm, strong for turned components, takes steam-bending well for the curved back rail.

Construction shows traditional Windsor techniques: steam-bent back rail creating the curve, turned spindles and stretchers shaped on lathes, mortise and tenon joints holding spindles into seats and rails. No screws, no brackets, no shortcuts – just proper joinery that’s held up for 50+ years because it was done right.

The saddle-shaped seat is what makes Windsor chairs comfortable to sit on for hours without cushions. This isn’t just aesthetic; it’s functional ergonomics from centuries of chair-making knowledge adapted to mid-century production.

Ercol Windsor heritage:

Lucian Ercolani brought traditional Windsor chair-making techniques to mid-century furniture production. The 391 shows this heritage: stick-back construction, steam-bent components, solid elm seats, turned spindles – all traditional Windsor methods. But with cleaner lines than Victorian Windsors, lighter proportions, and Danish oil finishing rather than dark stains.

The result is furniture that connects traditional British craft to mid-century design principles. Not trying to look antique, not abandoning proven construction methods – just good chairs made properly.

Dimensions and proportions:

Standard dining chair height – seat around 45cm, total height with back around 85-90cm. Width around 45cm – substantial enough for comfort without being so wide they take up excessive table space. Depth around 40-45cm.

The 391 works at standard dining tables – Ercol designed these for everyday use in normal homes. Proportions suit average adult heights and typical dining table heights from the same era. They still work perfectly well with modern dining tables at standard 75cm height.

Authentication:

Genuine Ercol 391 chairs have the company stamp underneath the seat – “Ercol” with the model number 391, though stamps can wear faint or disappear completely over decades. Construction quality is the real identifier: solid elm seat (heavy and substantial), beech frame and spindles, steam-bent back rail, proper turned work on spindles and stretchers, mortise and tenon joinery throughout.

Weight is a good indicator – solid elm seats are heavy. Lift a genuine Ercol Windsor and you’ll notice the weight compared to lighter reproductions. The saddle shaping should be properly executed with smooth, comfortable contours. Spindles should be evenly turned and properly seated in their mortises with no wobble.

The contrast between elm seat (darker, warmer tone) and beech frame (lighter) is characteristic – Ercol didn’t stain everything to match, they celebrated the different timbers.

Condition and wear patterns:

Windsor dining chairs show wear in predictable places after 50+ years of daily use. Seat surfaces develop smooth wear patterns where people have sat thousands of times. Front edges of seats show hand marks from people pulling chairs in and out. Stretchers (horizontal supports between legs) often show the most wear – this is where people rest their feet while sitting, causing darkening, smoothing, sometimes slight indentations.

Feet show wear from being dragged across floors – flattening on the bottoms, sometimes slight wobble if wear is uneven. Spindles might show minor scuffs. Back rails can show darkening from hands gripping while moving chairs.

This is normal wear, not damage. It’s evidence of 50+ years as working furniture rather than museum pieces. We address structural issues but don’t try to erase all evidence of use – that patina is part of the chair’s history.

Restoration work:

Hand sanding removes accumulated grime, water marks, scratches, and surface damage without removing the wood’s character. We’re careful around turned details and steam-bent components – over-sanding can blur the crisp details that define these chairs.

Danish oil brings out elm and beech naturally – the grain, the colour variations, the warmth of quality timber. We don’t stain to make elm and beech match; that contrast between seat and frame is part of the design. The elm darkens naturally with age and oiling; beech stays lighter.

Joint repairs are done properly – mortise and tenon joints reglued with appropriate adhesives, loose spindles reset, structural issues addressed. We don’t use screws or metal brackets to fix Windsor joints; that’s not how these chairs were built and it compromises the traditional construction.

Feet sometimes need attention if wear has created wobble – we can level them carefully without removing excessive material. Stretchers occasionally need reinforcement if foot-wear has weakened joints.

Sets and pairing:

The 391 is designed to work with Ercol’s carver dining chairs (various model numbers like the 370A). Sets often get split up over decades – families keep the chairs they need, sell surplus, buy additional ones to replace losses. Finding complete matching sets is increasingly difficult.

The good news: all Ercol Windsor dining chairs from this era work together. Same construction methods, same materials, same finishing. Mix 391s with other Ercol Windsor side chairs or pair with carvers – the consistency in quality and design means they look intentional together rather than mismatched.

What matters is construction quality and finish colour matching, not necessarily identical model numbers. We can advise on which Ercol chairs work together if you’re building a set.

Modern dining use:

The 391 works exactly as intended – comfortable dining chair without arms for everyday use. Windsor construction means they’re comfortable for long dinners without needing cushions (though you can add them if preferred). No arms makes sitting and standing easy, lets chairs tuck neatly under tables.

These suit both traditional dining rooms and modern kitchens. The clean lines work with contemporary interiors while the craftsmanship and solid timber add warmth and character. Practical enough for daily family use with young children, handsome enough for dinner parties.
Stack reasonably well for storage when not in use (though solid elm seats make them heavy). Easy to clean – wipe down with damp cloth, occasional re-oiling keeps timber looking good. More durable than upholstered dining chairs – no fabric to stain or wear through.

Why they’ve lasted:

The 391s we source have survived 50+ years because Ercol built them properly. Solid elm doesn’t fall apart. Proper mortise and tenon joints don’t fail like screwed assemblies. Quality beech doesn’t crack or split like cheaper timber. Steam-bent components maintain their curves.

Compare to modern dining chairs at similar price points – flatpack assembly, veneered MDF, screwed joints, foam padding that compresses. The 391 was built to last generations, not just look good in a showroom. That’s why we can restore them to working condition rather than just selling them as decorative antiques.

These come from house clearances and sales across Southwest England. They’ve sat at family dining tables since the 1960s-70s, hosted decades of meals, survived children and grandchildren, and kept going because they were built to. Restored to working condition, there’s no reason they won’t continue for another 50+ years – that’s what solid elm, beech, and proper Windsor joinery achieve.