U.S. Art Supply Coronado Walnut Easel, Large Adjustable Wooden French Style Field and Studio Sketchbox Tripod Easel with Drawer, Artist Wood Palette, Premium Beechwood, Painting, Sketching Stand

I was very impressed with the quality of this easel. It look very well made and was easy to put up. It was heavier than I expected, making it necessary to return it. I had a shoulder injury and found this difficult for me to carry very far.

This is a beautifully crafted and has a clever design. There are no instructions with it but it doesn't require assembly and it's pretty self explanatory to figure out how to use.

Despite the name "US Art Supply" and distributed from NC - the easel is made in China. It is lightweight, and though it says "walnut" --- it's light weght beech with a walnut stain. It is well constructed for the most part with brass plated hardware, though some are not - which will become a problem over time. The easel interior spaces are not lined with tin or any metal as some competitors. I applied my own solution without adding weight - after I unboxed and setup the easel, I used polyurethane to protect the wooden pallet and interior after removing (and also applying polyurethane) the dividers. Beechwood is very akin to Balsa wood. With that said, it is very attractive and looks upscale with the brass fittings and faux leather handle. I can understand how some folks have issues with loosened fittings and collapsing legs, though these are easy to resolve with a quick trip to Home Depot. I look forward to painting outdoors at Black Butte Ranch in the Cascades with my easel. For the money spent - this is a great bargain -- even if it's made in China. I am going to replace the hardware with something other than the cheap stuff they use (lightweight). I'm happy with the wood used now that the polyurethane is cured, but I plan to reengineer and replace the legs with a hardwood (oak or maple), leaving the body as is. You can buy this for under $100 bucks, or get a Julian Classic for $200+ ... and for this money spent, this is a good unit. Budget conscious buyers can buy with confidence --- and utilitarians - such as myself - will find resolution to any shortcoming for under $20.

This is a perfectly good easel for under $100. I have used it twice now for painting and it does not budge when I am using some heavy-handed techniques. Setting up took less than ten minutes with help from one other person. It has not collapsed on me, like some other folks had trouble with. It is also aesthetically pleasing; it's just nice to look at and I enjoy displaying my paintings on it. The only irritating thing about this easel is it's legs: they can be difficult to work with when you're trying to adjust them and set up for a painting session. Regardless, I'd recommend it to anyone that's on a budget, or a beginner like me.

I had one before. I absolutely LOVE the portability. Be sure the wing nuts are properly tightened, or the easel part might fall down -- lol -- :D <3