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I mean, just look at the picture in the catalog or on the website - it's a great
looking little table. It looks like it will seat four. The way the legs get
under it all the way out to the edges makes it look stable. Stability is
important when we camp as we do. Re-enactors use a lot of glass and clay that
break easily. We've all seen (and proven) that one, eh? Plus, camping
never provides a perfectly flat and convenient place to place the camp table where
everyone's chairs also sit flat and face the table, under the awning, where no one is
too near or too far from the fire, etc. & etc. While I was waiting for the table
to arrive, I dreamt of having that table in my camp, the one in the picture, the one
that worked out every time, the perfect one. I even looked at it on the Panther Primitives website on page 74 of their on-line catalog, and there it is, the table. It showed the same dimensions and price as the paper catalog. |
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When it arrived, I set it up and noticed something right away - it looked short,
certainly shorter than the 26 inches it was advertised. Now the first picture
picture of the table alone looks okay, but when you see it next to my four-year-old
son Alex it looks kid-sized. It measured out to 22"Wx28"Lx20" tall. 20
inches tall is only up to my knees, and I'm a six footer. It looked a little
too short at first, but through the process, I learned a great double-use for the
table. But first, let me tell you what I did. I called Panther Primitives and spoke to a very nice customer service representative (CSR). This was the first time I had ever called about any product of theirs, and I was somewhat interested in what their response would be. I have ordered from them in the past. I told the |
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The CSR immediately offered me different options, and offered to send a "call ticket"
or something like that for UPS to pick the table back up, and I didn't even have to
take it anywhere. I was very pleased to hear how easily I could return the table
- if I wanted. She was so busy offering to rectify the situation, and I was so
pleased that I immediately resolved to keep the table and somehow modify it. I
just figured I would put a leaf in it. Easy enough, the table was really nice,
otherwise. I do think that Panther should change one other thing in the
description - they say that the table is "made of unfinished pine," when they should
just say unstained - the finish was smooth, construction hardy, and the table stable
on the ground! The most pleasing thing to discover, though, was that the thing I, at first, thought was bad |
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Then I emailed, I forget the order, but received an email from Theresa Darby at Panther Primitives. She was very kind to explain that they do have a quality process, and a method of discovering and fixing issues like this. A few days later, a letter arrived from Panther with a nice note and I was impressed. I'm sorry, and I need to apologize to Theresa if she thought I was not happy with the table; on the contrary, I am. I guess I need to work on the dry way I speak in emails. Hats off to Panther Primitives.
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The two-fold function of the table is this - I've made the leaf, and when I want to make it a dining table, I put the leaf in, and the table top is at 26", which is as low as I would want a dining surface, but not too low. At first, I thought that I would get the table at 26" tall and maybe make a leaf anyway, just to make it taller. But in the long run, what the heck am I going to do with two heights of dining surface, great, and a little taller. Big deal. In fact, the lower position is much handier. So, now I have the dining table that I really wanted, and a trunk stand to boot! The lower position is great for my trunk or cook boxes (I know, I know, we're waiting for the article…). Especially if someone else you're camping with has a table as well. Then, my Panther table becomes a great stand for your trunk, which happens to be great inside AHLHA'a big A-frame tent. |