Dating antique furniture locks

Most of us who are interested in antique furniture have, at one time or another, run across what seemed liked an intractable problem at the time.
Table of contents

How to Identify Antique Wooden Furniture

Drawer mouldings will also give an indication of the age of the chest. In the 17th Century mouldings were applied to the carcass and as the 18th Century progressed these details transferred to the edges of the drawers. In the George II period drawers often have ovolo mouldings a quarter round edge and by the drawers would typically have a cock bead moulding. Feet where also often changed to make a chest more fashionable.

Antique Furniture Identification

Bun feet were highly fashionable at the beginning of the 18th Century but by the s a bracket foot was more typical. In the Sheraton period this bracket foot was shaped to give it a more elegant profile in keeping with the elegance of the period. When you have considered all these issues you need to look at the proportions of the chest. A fine quality chest will have elegant proportions with a good graduation to the drawers and good crisp mouldings whilst a chest of secondary quality will have a more utilitarian feel.

The most common type of chest is the flat fronted chest but in the late 18th Century serpentine and bowfronted chests came into fashion. A serpentine chest because of the extra work involved in its construcition is rarer and more valuable than a flat fronted chest of similar quality. Chests will have other enhancements that effect their value.


  • grants pass hook up.
  • dating site pay with paypal.
  • student dating website.
  • Antique Periods?
  • Furniture Detective: Unlock the secrets of furniture locks - Antique Trader!
  • Identifying Antique Furniture?
  • blue dating site.

On the other hand, machine-cut dovetails definitely establish that the furniture is no older than about , when the dovetail-cutting machine was invented. Joinery Three clearly distinct drawer joints have been used on quality furniture: Hand-cut dovetails are the oldest and are usually easy to identify.

Вы находитесь здесь

The size of the pins and tails is typically uneven, with the pins commonly narrower than the tails. Also, clearly visible scribe marks and saw or chisel overcuts frequently remain on the wood. Learn four great methods to construct drawers.


  • dating acme acres style wiki.
  • A buyer's guide for an antique chest of drawers. | Reindeer Antiques!
  • dating zambian ladies.
  • Покупки по категориям?
  • dating first cousins once removed.
  • Antique Furniture?
  • Tips for Identifying Antique Furniture?

From the October issue Buy this issue now. Drawers Date Furniture https: In this article, we'll discuss how to assess whether a piece of furniture is an antique and whether it is worth saving through the refinishing process. There are many different styles of furniture, and each type has distinguishing features. For the most part, the furniture you'll encounter will probably be limited to traditional English and American Colonial styles; you aren't likely to find a Louis XV chair at a garage sale.

How to Identify Antique Wooden Furniture: Tips | HowStuffWorks

The basic English and American styles run the gamut from ornate to severely functional, from massive to delicate. Just remember, if you like it, the style is right. Technically, an antique is a piece of furniture with special value because of its age, particularly those pieces embellished with fine artistry. The age factor is subjective: Fine antique dealers consider objects years and older to be antique.

In the East, an antique is Queen Anne or earlier; in the West, it's any piece of furniture that came across the mountains in a wagon. A southern antique is a piece made before the Civil War.

Wherever you look, it's a sure bet that you won't find a genuine antique from or What you may find is a genuine reproduction, and these can be extremely valuable. There are several ways you can spot an antique. The first giveaway is the joinery; machine-cut furniture wasn't made until about If the piece has drawers, remove a drawer and look closely where the front and back of the drawer are fastened to the sides of the drawer.

If a joint was dovetailed by hand, it has only a few dovetails, and they aren't exactly even; if it has closely spaced, precisely cut dovetails, it was machine-cut. Handmade dovetails almost always indicate a piece made before Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife.