Easel is make of great oak and is pretty sturdy. On arrivel, there was no dammage to the box, but... Inside the box, the bottom tray was assembled and cracked. I called the company several times, but always got a voicemail. I left my phone number, but nobody never called me back. As another buyer mentioned: it was not to difficult to repair with some wood glue, but you still see where the cracks are. Manual was in the box. I would give it a 5 for the easel itself (nice piece) but only a 3 for packaging and a 1 for service.
I wanted to return the easel (it was a present for my wife) but she was so impatiant to work with it, that I just saved myself the work of returning and put that energy in repair. I wanted to email to this company, but nowhere found an email address...
Advise to the company that sells these easels: don't assamble the lower tray! It is so easy to put together (8 screws) and it saves a lot of problems.
By the way: my wife loves this easel a lot!!!
I'd gotten used to using an easel for drawing in several of my art classes and wanted one to use at home, but was having a hard time finding one that was affordable AND sturdy. I'd find ones that seemed like they fit the criteria, only to find out that shipping was an additional hundred dollars or so.
I liked that this easel was not only over half off the list price, but that it also qualified for free two day shipping with my Amazon Prime membership. I ordered it and it arrived quickly and in excellent condition. It wasn't too heavy, but it is in a very large box, so I needed help getting it upstairs to my apartment.
I was able to assemble the easel quickly, using only a screw driver. I did have a hard time tightening the screws in all the way, but I got them in most of the way. Anyone who has weak, girly hands like I do may want to use an electric screwdriver to get them in all the way.
Assembled, the easel is great: adjustable, sturdy, has a neat shelf for supplies and a removable metal cup insert, and it isn't too difficult to move around. I am VERY happy with my purchase.
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This easel is of excellent quality especially considering the price! It is super sturdy and durable, nice solid oak wood; heritage quality even. I didn't encounter any damage from shipping as others have mentioned and it did include a brief set of instructions. Set up was quick, 20-30 minutes tops. The pre-drilled holes for the hinges were slightly off on one side but it doesn't affect the overall use or quality; they were also a little difficult to screw in by hand but were by no means unmanageable, a hand drill would make it super quick. It is a little bulkier than I thought it would be but seems about average for a studio easelThe tray is very convenient, that's really why I selected this particular model. Also, there IS a stainless steel cup included and it is located on the right hand side of the tray unlike the photos. Very pleased indeed.
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This appeared to be just what we'd hoped for until we found that the wood was cracked and breaking off in one place. If it weren't intended as a gift for someone else, we'd have simply glued it and kept it because the damage would not interfere with function. Returned because no one should pay full price for a damaged product. It appears the packaging was not sufficient to protect the product in shipping. Also, it did not arrive with packing slip, or assembly instructions. Gave it three stars because though it is on the heavy side and is not something you'd want to plan on moving frequently, it does seem pretty sturdy and if it could arrive it probably isn't too awful bad. I would wonder though about quality of oak that breaks off so easily.
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Had it set up in under 10 minutes, its very well put together and its great how it can be stored laying down or up against a wall. It looks great in the computer room where my g-friend paints.
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The art set looked expensive. Sturdy wooden case containing all the tools needed for a young artist. My 8-year
