The design for the swag leg group of chairs began from George Nelson’s simple desire to create a chair with a sculpted leg, seeking practicality and insisting that the legs be made of metal. The innovation for the designs came from the criteria for the design. As well as being curved, the legs needed to be machined formed and pre-finished. The legs use the process of “swaging” whereby pressure is used to taper and curve a metal tube. The result is incredibly strong and organic. Ingenious engineering allows the legs to come together at the base, connected with special screws to the bracket and base of the chair.
The original is moulded fibreglass, but these days the shell of the D A F armchair is made from 100% recyclable polypropylene. The body is 2 separate moulded pieces, glued together under the arm rest, and the result is light and flexes with the sitter. The slit between the 2 pieces prevents heat build-up. The moulding process used is a patented process created by Charles and Ray Eames, and Nelson gained approval to use it. The resulting design appears light and sculptural but is also very strong and durable.
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