Naturally, furniture that is in its original, immaculate condition is the most valuable; but that doesn’t mean that you should discount pieces that have blemishes. As long as the wood has not been damaged, it can usually be restored; and sometimes all it needs is a good polishing.
Antique furniture often has small, round holes caused by woodworm boring into it. Once again, this is not a serious problem if the wood retains its structural integrity. If there is fine, pale powder in the holes, it may signal current woodworm activity, which will require treatment.
When trying to determine the age of a piece, just as glue can be a clue, so can a screw – if it’s not fairly new, it can be very crude. The older a screw is, the more unrefined it will be, as it may have a lopsided head or a groove that is off-center. The threads may also be irregular and will go all the way up the shank, which is not the case with modern screws. (That is one loaded paragraph, so I’ll just move on and let you insert your own joke here!)
Handles can also tell a lot about the period in which the furniture was made, as their styles changed throughout the years. The only problem is that handles are also among the most commonly replaced parts. While this may not seriously diminish the value of an item, it is, of course, more desirable to have all of the original hardware intact, especially when the substitute handles are from a different era.
From around 1960 on, handles were usually held in place by pommels and nuts. The newer pommels have brass heads and steel shanks with threads running their entire lengths. Antique pommels were cast by hand from single pieces of brass, and their shanks are square halfway down, and threaded the rest of the way. While 18th century nuts were circular and irregular, today’s nuts are symmetrical and hexagonal (thanks to advances in psychiatry, no doubt).
The locks on early furniture were generally made from wrought iron and secured by iron nails. Pieces made from the 18th century on will probably have steel or brass locks held on by steel screws. As with handles, locks were frequently replaced; and, while this is not a deal-breaker, it is preferable to have the originals.
Although shopping for antique furniture can be quite enjoyable and rewarding, it takes a lot of knowledge about details to pinpoint authentic pieces. To the contrary, shopping for outdoor furniture is blissfully uncomplicated at CedarStore.com, where you’ll find one of the most extensive collections of outdoor furniture available.
CedarStore.com offers decay-resistant wood furniture, handmade with Old World craftsmanship, as well as colorful, contemporary metal and synthetic furniture that’s virtually indestructible.
To see the entire gallery of porch and patio furniture – all of which will make great-looking antiques someday – go to CedarStore.com. To contact a design consultant or customer service representative, call 1-888-293-2339, or e-mail contact@cedarstore.com.
