I ordered 10 on Black Friday and 8 showed up the following Monday. The steel construction is very solid and not flimsy steel like cheaper stools. All sit squarely on the floor with no rocking. There are a lot of comments pro and con on the wood surface. I would call it a stained barn wood look. It has imperfections and graining. Also it is stained, and each stool's wood takes the stain differently as all wood does. Mine were all sanded enough so as to not have splinters. If you are looking for a fine, smooth finish that is varnished this is not the stool for you. That being said one could sand, stain, and varnish the seats, but I think that is contrary to how they were designed to look. The picture I took shows the variance between the 8 stools I first received. I definitely recommend these stools and can't wait to entertain with them!