Globe Vise and Truck has been around since 1905. A factory furniture company, they built handling racks, wood vices, carts and other useful pieces. Ted Velie, proprietor, is now making an offshoot, using the same name, to do something different.
Velie has gone through the archives and selected old designs, and is turning these designs into furniture that can be used in the home, office or commercial space. "We've done some repurposing of old carts and tables, but we also do a fair amount of repurposing of the designs," he says. "When I first started thinking about [this idea], the first thing I did was go through our archives -- we literally have boxes upon boxes of these things -- and just tried to see what, if anything, jumped out as having another use, possibly in the home."
Velie says that while Globe Vise and Truck is a second entity from the original company, it wouldn't exist without all the history. In fact, Velie's day job still consists of visiting factories and helping to build custom furniture. Even as he flips through an old book full of pencil drawings of decades-old furniture, he mentions he has a meeting at Steelcase later in the day. A typical order from Steelcase might be a call for a rack that can move 20 chair bases around the factory.
The old designs selected from the archives become tables, coffee tables and shelving. He works with master woodworker Adrian Callaghan, who he says has "taught woodworking all over town."
"There's so much knowledge around here that's being underutilized," Velie says. "It seems a shame to just let that knowledge go away. My hope is that by doing things in an old-fashioned sort of way, some of that knowledge can be passed down."
Made from steel and lumber (both new and recycled), the pieces are hearty and durable. They're heavy. A Globe table will probably last longer than you will. The McInerney Bar, for instance, was originally designed as a fixture table for McInerney Spring and Wire Company. Made from real butcher block and Michigan wood, its striped counter space is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional.
"We treat it just like we do a butcher block in the house," Velie says. "Oil it every couple of weeks. You can literally use it to prepare food."
Velie hopes a piece of furniture like the McInerney Bar moves beyond function and becomes a conversation piece as well, as the owners of the furniture will be able to explain what the piece was initially designed for. Like the Globe Cart. Used to move things around furniture factories 90 years ago, the Globe Cart can be used as an industrial chic cover table. Low and on wheels, it still looks very much like a cart, but a pair of wine glasses or a spread of magazines is just as fitting.
Velie envisions these pieces in restaurants, hotels and homes. He says the furniture goes well with exposed brick, places with an urban feel. Industrial loft-style furniture is the way the website bills the collection. While many pieces are wheeled, their weight makes them commanding staples in a room.
"Since I was 22," Velie says, "I've not lived in one place for longer than a year. Every time I move, I don't bring anything with me. Maybe that's part of the reason why I'm doing this stuff, [making furniture] that'll never fall apart. This furniture isn't for everybody. Not everybody's going to want a coffee table that weights 80 lbs. But for me, and for certain people, there's something nice about having a heavy piece of furniture. It kind of anchors you. We live in a world where everything is mobile and can be taken with you, and it's nice to have one thing that says, 'this is where I am.'"
J. Bennett Rylah is the Managing Editor of Rapid Growth Media.
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