NtB Loves: Al Bombo Barstools… But Does She Love the Knockoff?
By Christa TerryThe Al Bombo Barstool is one of the most recognizable designs to bear the Magis brand, and one of the most fun. Designed by Stefano Giovannoni, the real Al bombo is an all-aluminum seat swivel bar stool that weighs a mere 26.5 pounds but costs a whopping $1,400. The not-so-real Al Bombo is made of molded ABS thermoplastic coated with a full-gloss scratch-resistant enamel, weighs 13 pounds, comes in 15 bright, brilliant colors, and costs about $60.

Like the original (I believe) these go from table to bar/counter height and have a 360 degree swivel.

They’re gas lift tested to operate at least 100,000 times. And a rubber ring lines the perimeter of the underside of the base to protect your floors from scratching.

The question, of course, is whether knock off furniture belongs in the realm of, say, knockoff designer bags and shoes. I’m going to guess that the human rights abuses associated with knockoff designer bags could conceivably be a problem in the land of knockoff furniture, since both likely come from parts of the world where the idea of a minimum wage is laughable. Thoughts?
May 29th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Hard to say, hard to say. Not sure if the furniture industry suffers from the same abusesas the , say, handbag industry. Also so much furniture looks like other furniture, so are there truly iconic designs that can’t be copied?
June 4th, 2010 at 11:21 am
The knock-offs fall apart pretty fast, the weight difference alone has an effect. I’ve sat on a real one and a fake one, its pretty obvious in person even though they look almost identical in photos.
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:35 am
I don’t feel right buying knockoffs. A designer created the shape, the material choice, everything, and I don’t see how the knockoff is any different than someone publishing an existing book under a new author’s name or pretending that he wrote a song and then selling it.