Laminated Rod Bundles 
The technique of laminated veneers as used 
in the Boppard chairs and armchairs, aliowed 
only the production of two-dimensional com- 
ponents, since due to the wood structure 
strips and Strip bundles can only be bent on 
the broad side. Therefore, a new method had 
to be found for three-dimensional bends as 
were required for the production of the Liecht 
enstein chairs. 1 Instead of rectangular strips, 
Michael Thonet took matchstick like rods with 
a lateral dimension of 2-3 millimeters. As a re- 
sult, the bending direction was no longer pre- 
scribed by the wood cross section, because 
the rods could be formed in all directions. A 
similar, but much more technologically ad- 
vanced process was used by Thonet Franken 
berg for the “Comprimo” model in the 1980s: 
“In the thread wood technique thin wood 
threads are glued under pressure. With this 
new material structure it is possible to blend 
different cross-sections into one another," it 
said in a promotional brochure from the Com 
pany in 1989. 2 The extremely elaborate thread 
wood chair made using this technique consists 
of only three load-bearing parts, but was not 
able to succeed on the market-the production 
was discontinued already in 1992. 
1 The invention of this new technique-bending of laminated rod 
bundles-has a close technical connection with parquet production. 
See Thillmann, Perfektes Design Thonet Nr. 14, Bielefeld 2015, 
15 ff. 
2 Thonet advertising brochure Comprimo, Model No. 89, Design: 
Wolfgang Müller-Deisig, 1989. 
Fadenholzsessel Nr. 89 Thread Wood Chair No. 89 PV „Comprimo“ 
Entwurf Design: Wolfgang Müller-Deisig, Deutschland Germany, 1988 
Ausführung Execution: Thonet Frankenberg, 1990-92; Pappelfadenholz, Sperrholz, gepolstert 
Poplar threadwood, plywood, upholstered; Thonet Frankenberg 
91