I've broken three machine made Chemexes.

I still check the shelves at thrift stores for my next Chemex, but it's been a while since I've scored one that way.

This one feels very sturdy. We had one for years when I was growing up that never broke. Judging by the water damage on the original collar, this one has had many years of regular use without breakage. Since it's not really rare, I'll enjoy it and will make a point not to bounce it on the floor.

Handblown Chemex carafes are not particularly rare -- although Gary's German-made one might be. They cost nearly twice what the machine made ones cost, however.

<http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/coffee ... maker.html>

There's been a German one available at auction too, not particularly high price. The engraving on the bottom is a little different than mine, but same glass company. I doubt these are very rare. But this has been a fun opportunity to learn about their history.

People do recognize the vintage, hand-blown origin of those engraved in green with the Pyrex name and patent number. Mine is probably the German-manufactured equivalent of those.

The Chemex is a trip deep down memory lane for me. Here's a photo of the kitchen in the home where I grew up. This must be from 1951, after it was newly decorated. My dad, James Seeman, was a successful designer and owned a wallcovering company. He commissioned Ben Schnall, a New York professional photographer, to capture photos of the main living areas. Here's our kitchen.



Zooming in on the stove and counters you can see an 8 cup Chemex on the right and a Kitchenaid grinder on the left, a Revere Ware teapot, and what looks like a Dormeyer Power Chef mixer. I didn't remember the grinder but am pleased that I was raised in a home with a coffee setup that would be serviceable today.

The wood collar and tie came in today, so it's back to new condition. Tying the square knot is difficult to get like in the factory photos. And I had one of the wood collar halves upside down, so it looked like it didn't close the gap well. After flipping it over it fits perfectly.

drgary wrote:The Chemex is a trip deep down memory lane for me. Here's a photo of the kitchen in the home where I grew up. This must be from 1951, after it was newly decorated. My dad, James Seeman, was a successful designer and owned a wallcovering company. He commissioned Ben Schnall, a New York professional photographer, to capture photos of the main living areas. Here's our kitchen.

Gary, that is a great photo to have of your childhood home. It must have been quite ultramodern at the time.

Rocky

Imagine it's not long after World War II. You and your whole family made it out of Hitler's Austria. Your brother (my uncle, Fred Seeman) joined the U.S. Army and was badly wounded fighting in the Pacific, even though he grew up speaking German and could have been a great translator in Europe. You're a talented artist and engineer and after the war ends, and with it your job at the Sikorsky helicopter factory, you start by painting houses, then doing murals in those houses, then silk screen printing the murals in strips to start a company. It's the post-war building boom and your business thrives. America's on top of the world and this is the peak of Mid-Century Modernism. You've started a family and have a home custom-built with the best decorative elements of the time. We moved into that house just after I was born. After recovering from his war wounds, Fred Seeman attended Harvard Business School on the G.I. Bill and became a successful entrepreneur in the decorative arts as well, founding Helikon Furniture, which he eventually sold to Herman Miller.

Gary,

What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it. Do you have more of the photos online somewhere?

Rocky

Not online, but I can post a few more perhaps tomorrow. One of them shows a hand-painted mural in our home that was not one of my dad's best. Another shows a T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings biomorphic glass coffee table in our living room that is now very collectible. Wish I still had it!