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How to tell the difference between an Amish Reprocution and an Original Antique
Archive for the 'Home Decor & Decorating' Category
Author: admin, October 5, 2008
Because of the Amish community’s amazing woodworking skills they have been able to diligently reproduce and replicate beautiful pieces of furniture from patterns popular in styles like Mission, Arts & Crafts and the Shakers. These styles originated over one hundred years ago in solid hardwoods and timeless designs. Because of the mass appeal of these designs the reproduced is collected and bought just as the original antique pieces are. Since they are some of the most popular pieces of furniture in the last 150 years there is a temptation to deceive collectors who are looking for originals by using Amish work. Although the honest furniture maker and retailer accurately portray each piece as a modern, yet high quality handmade item, not an actual antique, not all are so reputable.
Because of the integrity of design and construction of these heirloom quality pieces an untrained eye may be fooled into believing they are buying a much older piece from perhaps the Shaker collection or a coveted Stickley. A little education on how to inspect a piece being presented to you as an antique will help to protect your wallet. By studying the original pieces in person or at least in picture and by reading these tips it may save you thousands of dollars and heartache.
Although the Amish furniture is not faked because the craftsmen do produce true high end concepts in the design styles of some of the world’s most sought after antiques, they are still not originals. The criteria in determining a fake is that a fake is intentionally meant to deceive the buyer into believing they are purchasing something that in fact they are not, no matter how well done it is. Determining a fake in that perspective is not as hard for the novice furniture collector as it may seem.
A reproduction that is not meant to deceive will usually have easily found identifiers such as in the finish chosen or the assembly hardware, like screws. While the Amish continue to create amazing Mission and Shaker style dressers, tables, couches and chairs that are truly investment pieces and highly collectible, they have modern manufacturing elements. Here are a few tips to help you determine what you are or not buying:
• Don’t start with the details but instead stand back from the piece. Does the piece look balanced? Or has someone married pieces of old and new to fool you? If it does not look or feel right you should probably go with your instincts or hire an expert.
• Is the wood correct for the period of time they say it was made? Is that wood consistently appearing throughout the piece? Fakes usually try to cut costs by using premium woods in obvious prominent places and less expensive elsewhere. Know the period you are collecting.
• Do you see inexplicably filled holes that are perhaps there to hide newer screws and nail heads?
• Look at the drawers by pulling them out and examining the construction. By knowing what was used to join the fronts of drawers to the piece you can easily identify a fake. Hand done dovetailing versus machine has a signature of the craftsman as distinctive as his thumbprint. Modern machines do not have that personality. Minor imperfections can help to identify a handmade piece while style of joining can identify an era.
• A craftsman of old usually ran his marking gauge along the end of the drawer, marking the depths of the dovetails. Do you see that mark?
• Remember that drawer side or backs of the past were never nailed and glued.
• An antique has seen many changes in its environment over a century and its nature is to shrink. This shrinkage occurs across the grain and not with it. Tabletops therefore will not be perfectly circular unless they are new. Bring a measuring tape with you.
• Someone trying to fool you into thinking the Amish crafted piece is an antique is usually “smart” enough to know they must simulate some age. When assessing wear and tear use common sense. Overdone wear is usually a fake. Think about where you yourself sit and put your foot or hands on the piece. Do you see the natural wear there? Do you see unnatural wear in places you would never touch? In their greedy state most fakers over-simulate the distressing without actually thinking through the nature of furniture wear. Look at the feet where you can expect to see some wear from water, mops and brooms but not the faker’s tools. The reverse is true if the furniture was on carpet. Years of sliding has polished the feet to a high burnish. The wear pattern should be consistent with one or the other, not a wire brush. Some fakers even glue dust into cracks and crevices to simulate the years of life the piece has not accumulated.
• Does the stain have a consistent color or patina as it should? Does it look like someone may have altered it to appear aged? While many things can be faked there is still one that even the experts have not been able to reproduce successfully and that is patina. Patina is the deep satin luster of age from many years of dusting and polishing and love. Not only the woodwork develops patina but so can the metal hardware. Practice touching (when allowed) and visually examining patinas in museums or antique stores.
While this is not inclusive of all the unscrupulous ways to fake an antique it is a beginning. True Amish craftsmen share your love of fine furniture that is both timeless and beautiful. Buying pieces directly from the Amish and their retailers help insure the pieces integrity and history. Amish furniture creations are truly both collectibles for today and heirloom investments for the future.
Author: admin, October 5, 2008
The current trend in solid wood furniture is espresso stain. It takes the look of furniture, when stained a more standard color, like medium walnut, from grandma’s house to the modern, up to date home. Here you can see an example of the striking difference espresso stain and a wood type change can make.
While very dark in color espresso really has a more dynamic color scheme than just dark. In low light conditions it has a black, almost painted look. In brighter, well lit conditions it has a transparent, warm brown color that allows you to see the grain of the wood. Like so:
One of the biggest tricks to getting the best look out of espresso stain is the accent pieces and choice of hardware. If you choose to go with black hardware the piece can become over powering. As you can see above the brushed nickel or pewter hardware serves as a great counter point for the deep dark color of the espresso.
Properly done 2 toning with espresso can be amazing. Notice how the black knobs center the armoire and giving it a more refined look and presence. The lighter table top with espresso base allows the base to almost disappear, especially with chairs around it. This can give you more flexibility in color usage for the top and in your dining room or kitchen
Espresso and glass can be a very beautiful combination as well. Again notice the brushed nickel supports holding the glass top. In this case it serves to bridge the gap between the dark espresso stain and the clear “bright” glass.
Used properly espresso stain can really develop a sophisticated, modern looking room that brightens the spirit and is inviting. Used improperly it will only create a depressed, heavy feeling that isn’t enjoyable to be around
Author: admin, October 5, 2008
There are several things that you should look at or at least consider when choosing a table.
- How are the legs or pedestal joined to the table?
- Is the table solid wood or particle board?
- Can you see a distinct line between the leaves or sides of the table?
- Is the table top finished underneath?
How the legs or pedestal are attached tells you alot about the table. First of all if the legs are screwed in it is inevitable that they will loosen and when you try and tighten them you run the risk of stripping the original holes. Second if you need to move the table dismantling it runs an even higher risk of stripping the holes. Now if they are held in with bolts not only can you retighen them and move the table easily but bolts can only be used in a solid mounting system.
Solid wood or particle board? This is pretty straight forward. Solid wood is alot stronger, more durable and lasts alot longer, potentially generations when taken care of, than particle board. Something else to consider is that should something happen solid wood can generally be repaired ie sanded down and refinished. Particle board is basically an all or nothing proposition, when it fails it fails completely. If price is a concern then particle board will always beat solid wood but you have to consider how soon the table will begin to fall apart because sooner or later it will.
Most table tops are made in two pieces the joint between them is a good indicator of how well it’s made. If there is a very distinct line between the two sides or the leaves the table was not completed as a unit. This is a solid indicator that the pieces where mass produced. Mass production of anything leads to a more forgiving environment for flaws and problems. If they are willing to over look something as simple as making the table top line up what else did they miss? This is a true sign that quantity is more important than quality. When good furniture is produced quality always wins over quantity.
Another way to see if they builder pays attention to the small things is to see if they have finished the underside of the table. When I say finished I dont mean stained like the top of the table I mean is it coated with the same top coat as the rest of the table. The reason this is important is because they will absorb water (humidity) at different rates. Namely the unfinished side will swell more in high humidity conditions than the finished side and possibly cause the table to warp or twist. This is magnified in the dryer climates when a big rainstorm rolls through.
If you follow these guidelines you can be sure the table you are buying is a quality piece of furniture that will give you and your family decades and potentially generations of enjoyment. Once a table meets these qualification the only thing you have to worry about is styling and whether you want to stain it or paint it.