American Easel Solid Oak Table Top Easel-Golden Finish

I own two full sized easels but have wanted a table top model for working out on the porch during nice weather or for those odd projects here and there. After visiting a local art supply store, I was extremely disappointed by the selection and decided to shop online...something I rarely do for art supplies given the variability of products and how difficult it is to really determine quality.Locally, the primary options were the aluminum models as well as a few wooden ones with various features. I quickly opted against a tripod as it didn't provide sufficient support especially when working on larger projects. Aluminum has the advantage of being lightweight but simply not comfortable when painting due to the instability. Others were solid but bulky without the ability to work on large items. This is a wonderful compromise - it feels very much like a full sized (albeit much smaller) easel...very sturdy, incredibly simple to set-up and no worry about tipping over due to the heft. It does weigh considerably more than an aluminum easel but is still well within the feasibility of being portable if that is a consideration (although you won't want to lug it far).It arrives mostly assembled - two parts need to be attached which takes less than 2 minutes total and requires no tools. The range is surprisingly large for an easel of this size - it will hold a significant sized canvase with ease. The dual supports provide ample bracing. I happened to find this on sale for just over 1/3 of the MSRP and consider it a total bargain given the overall quality.There are a couple items I would change - primarily, it does NOT contain a tray at the bottom which I really miss...it's one of those things I grow used to when working on a full sized easel and miss for storing paper towels etc in when working but of course, it's a quick work around. The other preference is for the bottom of the canvas to sink below the table setting which is not possible with this model...again, that is an individual preference that comes from working with full sized easel(s) that would require a totally different design.All in all, this is very well built, solid, holds a suprisingly large canvas and feels a lot like working on a full sized easel. In fact, it's so convenient and nice, I'm contemplating getting rid of one of my older large easels and using this as a full-time second instead. The price I paid was less than $20 more than a cheapie aluminum tripod style that provides much less support or stability - EXCEPTIONAL bargain.

I have been using American Easel's hardboard painting panels for several years- mostly because of their quality, and the small details such as the cradle boards being sanded and rounded, so the panels are comfortable to hold. This same detail and care in the easel is noticeable. The wood is beautiful and appears sturdy; it is finished so that all of the edges are smooth and sanded. It is comfortable to pick up and move. It was easy to put together and is a really lovely piece of furniture- It has the look of an easel that will last for years and get passed along to another generation. I was expecting good quality, and they have really exceeded my expectations by producing an easel that is both beautiful and well-made.

I just got this easel this weekend and used it to paint as well. First let me say that it was very sturdy, made of a actual Oak like it states with rubber grips on the bottom so it doesn't skip with applying pressure to the canvas. With regards to assembly it wasn't as hard as people are making it out to be. I just followed the supplied instructions and was done putting the 3 pieces together in less than five minutes. And honestly if you've ever seen an easel before you would have been able to figure out how this needed to go together anyway. The only problem I have noticed, which is the same as what other people have stated, the back support doesn't have the two pieces aligned very well. The hinges are put on not at a perfect 90 degree angle and as such they don't line up perfectly. That said, they aren't off enough to actually hinder your ability to raise or lower the easel angle so it's more of just a cosmetic thing. And you won't even see it if you have a canvas on your easel anyway. It should also be noted that this doesn't techinically fold flat as part of the adjustability. You get get it to be flat but you would have to "disassemble" the back support in order for it to lay flat. So when it's assembled I'd say you have around 45 degrees of adjustablity then then you would have to disassemble in order for it to be laid flat. Other than that the only other thing I noticed was that it sort of looks like in the picture that there is a slat in the top part of the easel to help hold a artist panel and that is not the case on the actual easel. I was dissapointed about that aspect. So that combined with the hinges being slightly off are the only reasons I didn't give this 5 stars.