When I started getting more involved in my old furniture flipping business a few years ago, I made it a point to be a quick study on some of the obvious things I needed to know about it.
Therefore, I did some reading, but more importantly, I just started studying pieces I got. I took drawers out. I looked at how it was built. I studied the woods used. I tried to store in my head periods of furniture ( yikes there’s so much!)
An old man I had talked to said the more I knew what the authentic old stuff looked like, the better I would be at recognizing it.
This included one key factor in trying to assess the age of a piece. Studying the drawers, the side where pieces join together often called dovetail. It is so called because of how it looks like a tail or peg fitted in. This makes for tight drawer corners.
Dovetailed drawers have been around a long time. The dovetail machine made its debut in 1865 to help the rapidly growing furniture industry.
Dovetailed machines offered precise, exact cuts and spacing and made the drawer process move faster.
Prior to that, the dovetailing was hand done, with the pencil and carpentry marks still visible ( it’s so exciting to find pieces like that!) Mostly though, the majority of drawers you find dovetailed will be neat and precise from a machine.
Of course hand detailing was still done as well and even today skilled carpenters do it.
Don’t let someone sell you on a piece as old by this alone. Even more modern day furniture can have drawers that are dovetailed.
I recently bought a cute old wash cabinet. The size and style made me want it, but also the fact it was a nice old piece definitely sold me.
I had planned to clean it up, refresh it with a little gel stain, and leave it in its old natural state.
I was so happy when a customer claimed it and was ok with what I had planned for it.
But here’s what I want you to see. This piece is old enough to have the hand carved dovetailed drawers! I oiled the wood admiring the old craftsmanship of them.
Looking at drawer structure is just one way to help determine an age of a piece. Again there are many factors….style, wood, design, casters etc
I hope this quick tip on dovetailed drawers gives you a little insight when shopping for antique or vintage pieces. 😊
Shades Of Yesterday 