18th Century Cabinet makers used to cut the Yew timber to form unique grain figuring for example on Windsor chair seats and table tops. Sycamore was also used in country furniture like kitchen table tops as it is a durable wood so could be wiped down and used on a regular basis. Satinwood became popular in the early 19th Century, It was used for veneers, inlaid decoration and the pale colour made it suitable for painting. Enter your email address below to stay up to date with all the latest news and events from Driscolls Antiques. Furniture in coromandel is so expensive and valuable. You always showed up when you said you would and the turn around time for the project was very reasonable. A good number of those listed and defined below are ancestors of chair styles still being made today. Their furniture was made with maple, oak, walnut, birch, and cherry, as well as pine. Pollard Oak is formed from growths on the side of tree trunks caused by fungus. A genuine antique dresser will have a patina. One of the best ways to determine if your rocking chair is an antique, a reproduction or a replica. Pine is very common in building the carcass or interiors of pieces, only to be veneered later. Pictured is Chinese Rosewood with intricate carvings and inlay. Of the light-colored woods like Pine, Spruce, and Birch, this contrast only happens in … It was also used as drawer linings in chest of drawers and wardrobes. Coromandel wood has been logged to extinction over the last 2 to 3 hundred years and is no longer available for new work in any quantity. The wood is almost pink when first cut, but darkens with age to beautiful browns and reds. Amboyna is commonly seen on fine quality pieces of antique furniture. Teak can have a leather like scent when freshly cut or machined. Oak, mahogany, cherry, and walnut are all popular hardwoods that have been used in antique furniture. Our project used walnut oil, but you can use any type of wood stain or dark paint for similar results. This in turn might help you trace it back to its period of origin. Ohio Tools made: Here is some more info and more pictures to help identify a Ohio Tools plane. Burr walnut was first used in the 17th century for decorative veneering, when it’s cut by cabinet makers it forms a beautifully figured veneer used on antique furniture. Rosewood Rosewood is a very dark brown hardwood, with an almost black wavy grain. The dark and light parts of the growth rings in Pine have great contrast. Saved by English Classics. How to Tell the Difference Between Wood Types In Antique Furniture The wood you see here is quartersawn oak. It is very common in cabinetry construction due to its strength and durability. Perhaps this will also help you identify your lamp and find out more information. Visible saw marks up to that time will be straight. Mahogany Mahogany is a close grained hardwood, native to South America and the West Indies. Teak was mainly used in Victorian Campaign Furniture and tends to be a golden or medium brown coloured hardwood which usually has straight grain, though it can occasionally be wavy or interlocked. Is to not just looking at its design, but to also by look at the materials it is made from, and the techniques used in its construction. Manufactured wood such as MDF, OSB, and particleboard all have a distinct look that is—in nearly all cases—easily distinguishable from the endgrain of real wood. Pitch pine is a softwood which is orange to reddish brown in colour and and was popular in the Victorian period on country furniture and church fittings. A good way to tell these two types of wood apart is to press your fingernail into the wood (usually in a hidden place). Different Types. Yew is a warm golden colour and the best examples came from trees growing in mountain areas. Below you will find a tool for Stanley plane identification, specifically dating Stanley planes and identifying the type of your Stanley Bailey woodworking bench hand planes. Checking the manufacturer's mark is the best way to identify the type and era of an antique doll. Hard wood is a dense wood. It consists of a tray and a folding stand. Quarter-sawn oak is also a specific type of how the lumber is cut, which shows the ray fleck, a sought-after almost holographic pattern in the grain. Open up drawers if the furniture has any and look at the side pieces, the bottoms, and the backs of the front pieces. I have a project that requires reproducing an antique chair. Years ago, it didn’t make sense to use valuable wood … Flat-Topped: Pretty self-explanatory, these trunks had (mostly) flat tops and were primarily used for travel, as they were easy to stack and store on trains, ships and carriages.They were made out of a mix of materials: wood, leather, canvas, metal detailing, sometimes covered in waterproof fabric. How to identify different types & ages of wood floors List and photographs of Types & Ages of Wood Floors Used in buildings Examples of restoration of old & antique wood strip floors & wood parquet floors Warnings to Wood Floor Restorers - mistakes to avoid, Wood Inlay & Parquet Flooring Modern Narrow-Width Solid Wood Strip Flooring Modern … "I will definitely recommend Aaron's Touchup to all my friends. Once the preliminary sanding is complete, apply wood stain or dark paint as a coloring agent to low spots and areas where wood has been exposed. A southern antique is a piece made before the Civil War. Elm is found in Central Asia and Indonesia. Red and white oak are very popular varieties. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The type 2 (horseshoe style on the left) and type 3 (bent type on the right) Sargent 1911 and After: (Including Hercules) Millers Falls made: That lateral adjuster on a Millers Falls made plane. Below are some of the most common types of antique lamps that we sell replacement shades and parts for here in our website. Yet with so many imitations out there, it is important to be able to identify a genuine item of furniture. types of antique woods used in history and still used today. It is also known as Harewood and was used in veneers in fine Regency Furniture. The term “antique” can be interpreted in several ways. Lumber is often divided into soft and hardwood. It has a particularly attractive grain and polishes well. Method 1 Burr Walnut is the term for walnut with knotty whorls in the grain where injuries occurred on the trunk or the roots of the tree. If it beads, the finish is shellac, polyurethane, lacquer or varnish. Ash is commonly used to replace oak and the two can be easily confused. Walnut — Walnut varieties have a multitude of colors, but all have a rich figured grain, known for cathedral patterns. It is very common in cabinetry construction due to its strength and durability. Birds eye maple is frequently sold in veneer form, but solid lumber is available as well. Amboyna is commonly seen on fine quality pieces of antique furniture. Types of Antique Chairs. Ash is usually a lighter shade and can be nicely figured with a straight grain. The name is derived from Ambon Island in Indonesia, where much of the figured wood is believed to have been initially exported. There are many books and online resources to use, but experience It is used for inlaid decoration and veneer, but was not used for making solid furniture until the early 19th Century. Butler's table: This type of accent table originated as a light, portable type of furniture during the 18th century. trees. Oak — Oak is very solid wood, popular in cabinetry, wood turning, almost all furniture construction. Look for growth rings—formed by the yearly growth of a tree—which will be a dead-giveaway that the wood sample in question is a solid, genuine chunk of wood taken from a tree. Wood flooring types & ages. The timber commonly has straight grain and is white or pale yellow, which darkens over time. Stoves such as an Elmira or a Vermont Castings feature the name prominently on the front. Bergère; Chaise Longue; Corner Chair; Curule; Fauteuil; Klismos; Morris; Ribbon-Back The lateral adjuster on a Ohio Tools made plane. Softwoods are not The name is derived from Ambon Island in Indonesia, where much of the figured wood is believed to have been initially exported. Mahogany — Native to Central, South America and the West Indies, mahogany is a popular type of wood used in furniture in European styles. The tendency is for the shade of natural wood to darken. Hints and Tips When Buying Antique Furniture, Antique Tea Caddies, Writing Slopes & Small Boxes. Yew is one of the hardest and most durable of the soft woods. Walnut burl veneers are also common on edges and trim in larger pieces. 150. Stanley Plane Identification: How to Identify Antique Stanley Bailey Hand Plane Age and Type? Satin birch is a fine grained and light coloured hardwood often used in Victorian pieces of antique furniture. For some antique dealers, anything over half a century old is considered an antique. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Calamander is a member of the ebony family. Besides coloration, compare the porosity and pattern of the grains. It varies in colour from dark brown to red and occasionally has a spotted effect. After that most wood was cut with a circular saw and any saw marks will be circular. If you already have a knowledge of various wood types and their cell structures or if you have a general idea of what you think the species is, you can go directly to the page for that particular species. By clicking SUBSCRIBE you agree to recieve our free email newsletter, Monday: 10.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m. Tuesday: Closed (We can open via appointment) Wednesday: 10.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m. Thursday: 10.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m. Friday: 10.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m. Saturday: 10.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m. Sunday: ClosedBank Holidays: ClosedVirtual Tour, Driscolls Antiques Ltd, Unit 6, Deanfield Drive, Link 59 Business Park, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 1QJ, United Kingdom, Please Note – Due to Government Guidelines we are open via appointment only but we are dealing with all online enquiries and sales as normal during this time. It can look similar to mahogany, but has fine black or white rings and is much heavier lumber. Some species are easy to identify, such as Oak, Pine, Cherry and Fir. Look at the wood grain and end grain patterns to determine if the drawers are made out of solid wood or veneered engineered wood. Please Note – Due to Government Guidelines we are open via appointment only but we are dealing with all online enquiries and sales as normal during this time. process. While almost any wood could be used today, the type of wood your old chair is made up can be one clue in solving your puzzle. During the 18th century, Indian rosewood was more commonly used in solid pieces of furniture, while Brazilian rosewood was more favoured in veneer form during the 19th century. In some instances it may be necessary to wipe the surface of the wood with a solvent prior to polishing to reduce the natural oils on the surface of the wood. Elm Elm is a hard and durable wood. Oak Oak is a slow growing tree, taking between 150 – 200 years to reach maturity, there are more than 300 varieties of oak. By Joshua T. Farnsworth. Pitch pine is Native to North, Eastern America, Central America and the Caribbean. Amboyna is among the most expensive and sought-after of all burls in antique furniture and boxes and is frequently used as veneer. Your Antique Furniture Guide The figure is caused by unfavourable growing conditions for the tree. You might not be able to tell what period the chair is from, but you can get a sense of what kind of chair it is and when it was made by identifying what chair type category it fits into. Identify the Type of Wood. Sycamore Sycamore is a hard, pale wood with a fine even grain. Kingwood Kingwood is a rich dark purplish streaked hardwood with straight grain. How to Identify an Antique Dresser by Its Signature. If you are in doubt regarding the identification of your doll, contact a professional doll appraiser for an accurate opinion. Pollard Oak was very difficult to cut and lay by hand so it wasn’t until the introduction of Victorian Machines when this wood was used more frequently on antique furniture. This is only short overview on how Most antique rocking chairs you find will be traditional English or Colonial American. Step 1. Walnut Walnut is a close grained hard wood, the colour varying between light golden brown and light grey brown, often with a rich grain pattern. The wood is specked and polishes well. Look for a brand name somewhere on the stove. the right kind of care specific to that wood and piece. Furniture made from mahogany became very popular in Britain from mid 18 th Century, followed by the rest of Europe. determine the type of wood used in antique furniture and trace it to a specific Softwoods are usually conifers, while hardwoods are from deciduous The following websites are excellent resources. The wood for furniture pieces was hand sawn until the beginning of the 1800s. It made a revival in the Edwardian era. Wherever you look, it's a sure bet that you won't find a genuine antique from 1500 or 1600. Check out this video and learn a trick to identifying oak! Ash is a strong hardwood often used in Georgian and Victorian furniture as it was locally sourced. If the wood is a hard wood your fingernail will leave no mark. 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. The name comes from the scent released when the wood is cut. Oak is highly popular in furniture that dates from 1700 to earlier years. Rosewood — This wood gets its name from the scent it gives off when you cut it, much like the flower. The sugar maple attempts to start numerous new buds to get more sunlight, but with poor growing conditions the new shoots are aborted, and afterwards a number of tiny knots remain. Identifying antique furniture is something of a challenge for most people. The manufacturer name is often embossed in the metal on the door or on the side of the stove. Here is a selection of woods used on antique furniture, below is a comprehensive guide into the woods and history behind each type of timber used throughout the centuries. Timber is also present in other countries in tropical America, Southeast Asia and Madagascar. Canada and the United states yield the greatest supply. American Colonial furniture was dependent on the local availability of wood. The Wood Database online can show specific grain types, color variations and hardness to … For … If possible, for best comparison, try to find a piece of wood that has been left unfinished on your clock. If the oil absorbs into the wood, the finish is likely oil. Kingwood is among the densest and probably strongest of all the rosewoods. Furniture made from oak is usually heavy, solid and simple in design. Look on the back of the stove for a small, metal plate detailing the make and model number of the stove. period. Examine the sides and bottoms of drawers to discover fake wood. Other raw forms of walnut can be browns and whites, but antique pieces appear in yellow-browns as walnut lightens with age. The wood is almost pink when first cut, but darkens with age to beautiful browns and reds. Pictured is Chinese Rosewood with intricate carvings and inlay. It’s unlikely that real antique furniture is made with the same type of wood throughout. Wood is the most commonly used material for old rocking chairs because things like plastic weren't invented yet. necessarily any less durable than hard, but they are supple and easier to work You will often see it used on dining tables and dressers, sometimes solid or commonly as a veneer. “knotty pine” or “bird’s-eye maple,” that can complicate the identification Pine — An extremely common wood, pine is lightweight and resists shrinking or swelling, however it is prone to splitting. How to Identify trees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO67Jd_6KEwHow do you identify different types of lumber and wood? is always the best teacher as trees grow differently in each environment. Native to Southeastern Europe, Central Asia and Western China. Cherry – Cherry is a common hardwood in American antiques, as well as Queen Anne styles. 2. Native to India and South East Asia. See More Antique Walnut Furniture For Sale Here. As the girth of the tree is broad furniture makers were able to use a single cut of wood for a table top. ", How to Identify Different Types of Wood in Antique Furniture, Make Your Couch Cushions More Comfortable. It has a distinctive grain pattern and ranges from light brown to red, sometimes with a ribbon effect. For 300 years, trade of rosewood was central to Brazil’s industry, but now the trees are nearing extinction. If you are unsure about a piece of Before 1900, most furniture was made with woods like walnut, oak, mahogany, rosewood, fruitwoods, and rare wood veneers and inlays were in commonly used. I don’t know who made it but I do know that it was used in a Pullman rail car called the "Wisconsin" around the turn of the century for John Ringling. Kingwood is Native to Brazil and occasionally from Mexico. It is the antique … This wood comes in two forms: Indian rosewood and Brazilian rosewood. It is a very heavy and hard wood. Satinwood Satinwood is a hard Yellowish close grained wood, native to West India and Sri Lanka. Some people call it "tiger" oak because of its characteristic striping. There are two ways to use this site to identify an unknown specimen of wood. People also love these ideas Soft wood is a supple wood. Oak is very popular in the Arts and Crafts movement. antique furniture or the type of wood it is made from, bring it in to us! However, you can also use the appearance of porcelain and bisque dolls to help identify if they are antique. Clock Type; Country . Furniture-makers choose different Color the Bare Wood . a myriad of ways to cut and stain wood, it can sometimes be difficult to Listed below are some popular types of antique chairs that originated in Europe and the United States during the past 300 years. When Victorian cabinet makers used to cut birch on an angle this made a very unusual grain and this grain was known as tiger or zebra stripes, this is how satin birch got it’s name. Cherry – Cherry is a common hardwood in American antiques, as well as Queen Anne styles. The preferred furniture woods were readily available, so less attractive or durable woods were used only for hidden parts inside a piece. From the mid 17 th Century oak was mainly used for the carcass and drawer linings of furniture. Black walnut is favored in contemporary construction and can look grey even purple in its raw form. 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Furniture, antique Tea Caddies, Writing Slopes & small boxes the past years... – cherry is a close grained wood, native to Brazil and occasionally has a attractive! Of the stove for a brand name somewhere on the door or on the front to... Is white or pale yellow, which darkens over time rosewood with intricate and! Several ways wood, the finish is shellac, polyurethane, lacquer or...., polyurethane, lacquer or varnish checking the manufacturer name is often embossed in the Regency period and used. Lateral adjuster on a Ohio Tools made plane commonly seen on fine quality pieces of antique furniture wood. It grows in multiple or crooked trunks, it is important to be veneered later you will often see used. Commonly as a veneer from 1500 or 1600 or how to identify type of antique wood paint for similar results timber has. Type of wood is cut old is considered an antique, a reproduction or a Vermont Castings feature the is. 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Growing conditions for the carcass or interiors of pieces, only to be able to different... Soft woods small, metal plate detailing the make and model number of the hardest most! Genuine antique from 1500 or 1600 and a folding stand dependent on the side of the stove strongest... English or Colonial American trick to identifying oak it `` tiger '' oak because of its characteristic striping in... Is prone to splitting & small boxes and wardrobes identifying antique furniture is of! Mellowness attained with age to beautiful browns and whites, but solid lumber is available as well Island in,... Shrinking or swelling, however it is important to how to identify type of antique wood veneered later like. Requires reproducing an antique, a reproduction or a replica of lumber and?. Most durable of the soft woods we ’ re always learning from one another here the... Antique furniture with the right kind of care specific to that time will traditional.