Walnut Veneers in Antique Furniture: Identification Guide
Identify burr, feathered and oyster walnut veneers through matching, crossbanding, substrates, construction, repairs and dating evidence.
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Materials & Techniques
44 published guides on repair, care and the stories behind well-made things.
Hand-Cut and Machine-Cut Dovetails: Identification Guide
Learn how hand-cut, machine-cut and Knapp dovetails can help date antique furniture—without relying on misleading one-feature dating rules.
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Identifying Mahogany in Antique Furniture
Identify mahogany using pores, grain, figure, construction and provenance, and distinguish Swietenia from Khaya, sapele and stained imitations.
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Pine and Deal as Secondary Woods in Antique Furniture
Learn how pine, deal and other secondary woods reveal antique furniture construction, repairs and origin through backs, drawers and tool marks.
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Rosewood Furniture: Identification and Legal Considerations
Identify rosewood furniture and veneer, recognise simulated finishes, and check current UK CITES rules before sale, restoration or export.
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Nails and Screws as Dating Clues in Antique Furniture
Use wrought, cut and wire nails plus historic screws to assess antique furniture, repairs and replacement parts without relying on one dating clue.
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Satinwood Furniture: Identification and Veneer Guide
Identify satinwood furniture through lustre, grain, veneer and construction, and distinguish it from maple, sycamore, satin birch and imitations.
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Oak or Chestnut? Identifying Similar Furniture Woods
Distinguish oak from sweet chestnut using medullary rays, end grain, ring porosity and construction rather than unreliable colour tests.
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Saw Marks as Evidence in Dating Antique Furniture
Learn how hand, pit, frame, circular and bandsaw marks can help date antique furniture while accounting for reused wood and later repairs.
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Ebony and Ebonised Furniture: How to Tell the Difference
Learn to distinguish genuine ebony, ebony veneer and ebonised antique furniture using wear, end grain, wood anatomy, construction and finish evidence.
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Dutch Floral Marquetry Furniture: Identification Guide
Identify late 17th-century Dutch floral marquetry furniture through veneers, construction, motifs, attribution evidence and condition.
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Russian Painted Peasant Furniture: Identification and Care
Identify Russian painted peasant furniture from the North and Urals, assess construction and paint layers, and avoid overconfident dating.
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