As a chair, the KARIMOKU60 K chair is simple and comfortable
- ChungT.
- Feb 20
- 5 min read
When most people see the K Chair for the first time, they "feel like they've seen it before," with the familiar stitching, fixed buttons, and wooden armrests. In fact, they may be found in nearby stores, coffee shops, etc.
The first Karimoku chair was developed in 1962 as an in-house product. Due to its relatively affordable price, ease of use and simple design at the time, the K chair was supported by corporate needs, such as the lobby of a Japanese inn and the reception rooms of small and medium-sized companies. Although the structure and materials have been continuously improved to adapt to the times, its design style has remained unchanged for more than 50 years and is still in production today, making it very suitable for the Asian body shape.
The K Chair was originally designed as a model for export furniture, being self-assembled and lightweight, making it easy to transport. When only the seat is worn out after years of use, or one of the wooden arms is damaged, it is possible to order only the necessary parts and replace them, allowing the chair to be used for longer.
In 1968, six years after the birth of the K Chair, in pursuit of a better sitting feel and a deeper sensation, Karimoku developed the K Chair 2 Seater. Considering the function of "sitting" purely, we further studied "chairs that make people feel comfortable" - the human body feels most comfortable when it is not forcing itself, that is, the body and mind are relaxed and in the most natural posture, that is, standing or lying. If sitting is unnatural, we should make it as close to nature as possible - and have a form that everyone can accept. The goal is "a chair that minimizes the burden on the body and can present the natural state of the human body."
In 2002, KARIMOKU launched a new young brand, KARIMOKU60, which selected furniture items that are most representative of the 1960s and the brand spirit, updated and reproduced them to make the products more in line with modern life and the trend of the times, and added other furniture items with the same 1960s style for consumers to choose from, so that consumers can easily create a unique retro home atmosphere. The K Chair is a representative work of KARIMOKU60 and a product that conveys the history and origins of Karimoku.
The depth of a typical sofa is 85cm to 100cm, while the depth of the K Chair is 70cm, which is more suitable for the delicate size of Asians and allows adults to sit comfortably without taking up too much space. The wooden frame of the chair is shaved and polished using a unique woodworking method and then given modern micro-curve elements. Most wood on the market is simply air-dried or sun-dried until it is almost moisture-free, and most furniture manufacturers have their wood processed secondary by external wood factories. All of Karimoku's wood is processed in its own factory. The wood is exposed to the sun until the moisture content is below 20%, and the moisture content is dried to around 10% (too dry wood is prone to deformation and cracking), allowing Karimoku furniture to be used for a long time. The seat cushion is made of high-density foam and uses S-shaped coil springs, which greatly improves support and makes sitting more comfortable. At the same time, wool felt is added to reduce the abnormal noise of the spring.
The biggest feature of K Chair is that it can be integrated into any style of scene without any sense of incongruity, and its simple design creates a unique atmosphere. Even though times change, fashions shift, and preferences vary, the design can be used over and over again without getting tired of it. Its simplicity is timelessness, which is an important factor that makes it a best-seller today. Each piece of Karimoku furniture comes with its representative brand label for identification.
The chair's frame is made of rubber wood, and the armrests are made of beech wood for increased comfort. Rubber wood is known as "ivory wood" because the logs have a natural ivory tone with beautiful patterns, uniform and elegant color, good processing performance, and are not easy to deform or crack. It is a very special wood resource. Beech is known as the "fallen aristocrat" and has a unique pagoda pattern. The "blood beech" among beech has a reddish-yellow color similar to huanghuali wood. Beech is heavier than ordinary wood, relatively heavy, strong, impact-resistant, with clear grain, uniform wood texture and soft tone.
In addition to the classic black and walnut colors, the basic colors include brown, light wood, natural wood and wood black. There are also 17 kinds of fabric and artificial leather seat fabrics to choose from.
( Limited editions in elm, beech, maple and chestnut will be launched in 2024. )
The official retail prices of the Karimoku K Chair series range from ¥55,990 (tax included) to ¥118,360 (tax included).
Other Karimoku60 products can be found on the official Japanese retail website https://karimoku60.jp/
Brand Introduction
Karimoku was founded in 1940 by Shohei Kato, who opened a woodworking shop called Kariya Timber Industry Co., Ltd. in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture. The company primarily produced spinning machines to support industries supporting post-war reconstruction. As a material supplier for various wooden products such as sewing machine tables, pianos, and TV cabinets, the company gradually accumulated technical knowledge in woodworking and painting, and its meticulous and sophisticated woodworking technology attracted much attention at the time. Karimoku was founded in 1964 to realize the dream of producing original furniture. It began to produce furniture that combines Japanese and Western styles, and improved its product design to better suit the Japanese lifestyle. Among them, K Chair is Karimoku's representative work. Because rubber wood grows fast and is more in line with the concept of ecological conservation, Karimoku had the foresight to use rubber wood as the frame of the K Chair.
Although Karimoku has achieved a stable supply of wood by establishing direct-operated bases in major production areas such as Hokkaido, Akita, and Malaysia, and introducing large-scale, advanced production equipment, the company still focuses on pursuing the original concept of Japanese manufacturing, high-tech, high-touch, and fully demonstrating the craftsmanship and artistry of craftsmen. Karimoku has developed a unique system rarely seen in the world where everything from material procurement to manufacturing and sales is managed by the group companies, and is currently steadily expanding its business in overseas markets. Has been committed to becoming a company that contributes to the conservation of the natural environment for the improvement of human life through the transformation and utilization of parawood (collection of sap from rubber trees) for more than 10 years.
Source Karimok Furniture Co., Ltd. official website
