Edelweiss Restorations

Herr Umhofer fixed my kitchen table chair, which had come un glued. He completely disassembled the chair parts and glued them back together,… He said the chair was in a bad state of needing refinishing (which he does not do), But he just could not return the chair to me with the crud that was on it. So, he cleaned the chair and gave it a coat of furniture wax. I think he charged me a reasonable amount for the repair and the cleaning, and now I have a beautiful oak dinning chair back in hand and use it every day.
Ok, so it was a test and he passed, Herr Umhofer is a real professional. I then took him my antique rocker that I had used almost every day until the rung cracked about a year or so ago. This IS an antique ~100 years old and is one of a kind in design. I loved the chair and missed it terriblely when it broke. So I took it to Mr Umhofer and asked for an estimate, It was reasonable but because I have been un employed for two years I have to watch every penny and so I decided to hold off getting my chair fixed. I decided to wait until we have better days. The next day Mr Umhofer said he would fix my rocker for me, and that I could pay him later when we had money. I was so floored by his generosity I had to take a few days to think on this.
So, about a week later I took my chair back, Herrr Umhofer fixed it, and I can now use it once again. I just could not let this good offer go by the wayside. But, I managed to find some of my lunch money and pooled with some spare change from the recycling bottles I collected and paid Herr Umhofer in-​full.
I don’t think you will easily find a better craftsman anywhere in the bay area, And, certainly you will not find one with a generous heart as big as Herr Umhofer’s.
Wunderbar! Danke Herr Umhofer.
tom

Ottmar Umhofer used to work in restoration for museums in Germany before moving to the US. He is very pleasant, knowledgeable and did good work repairing a chair for me. However, my experience was tainted by the fact that when I came to pick up my chair he asked for twice the amount we had previously discussed. I am not sure whether it was a misunderstanding, but I recommend to get the quote in writing and to make sure that everything is included.

If you ever need anything fixed that needs good care and expertise Ottmar, «Al» is your man! He is an expert in the field. He is careful and thorough in his work.