Very early furniture - before 1700 - is mostly oak, but from 1700 on, mahogany and walnut were widely used. If the piece of furniture is very dirty or encrusted with wax, clean it first with a mixture of denatured alcohol, white vinegar, and kerosene, in equal parts. If the piece is painted, test it with ammonia very old pieces may be finished with milk paint, which can be removed only with ammonia. Test the piece in an inconspicuous spot with denatured alcohol if finish dissolves, it's shellac. Testing a finish isn't always possible in a dealer's showroom, but if you can manage it, identify the finish before you buy. A lacquer or varnish finish is a sure sign of later manufacture. Fine old pieces are often French-polished, a variation of the shellac finish. The finish on a piece made before 1860 is usually shellac if the piece is very old, it may be oil, wax, or milk paint. Until Victorian times, shellac was the only clear surface finish lacquer and varnish were not developed until the mid-1800s. The finish on the wood can also date the piece. A real antique is not perfectly cut a reproduction with the same components is, because it was cut by machine. Examine these parts carefully slight differences in size or shape are not always easy to spot. On handmade furniture, rungs, slats, spindles, rockers, and other small-diameter components are not uniform. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.Įxact symmetry is another sign that the piece was machine-made. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Handmade dovetails almost always indicate a piece made before 1860. If a joint was dovetailed by hand, it has only a few dovetails, and they aren't exactly even if it has closely spaced, precisely cut dovetails, it was machine-cut. If the piece has drawers, remove a drawer and look closely where the front and back of the drawer are fastened to the sides of the drawer. The first giveaway is the joinery machine-cut furniture wasn't made until about 1860. There are several ways you can spot an antique. What you may find is a genuine reproduction, and these can be extremely valuable.
Wherever you look, it's a sure bet that you won't find a genuine antique from 1500 or 1600. A southern antique is a piece made before the Civil War. 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. Fine antique dealers consider objects 150 years and older to be antique. The age factor is subjective: general antique stores label objects 50 years or older as antiques. Technically, an antique is a piece of furniture with special value because of its age, particularly those pieces embellished with fine artistry. Just remember, if you like it, the style is right.
The basic English and American styles run the gamut from ornate to severely functional, from massive to delicate. For the most part, the furniture you'll encounter will probably be limited to traditional English and American Colonial styles you aren't likely to find a Louis XV chair at a garage sale. There are many different styles of furniture, and each type has distinguishing features.
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In this article, we'll discuss how to assess whether a piece of furniture is an antique and whether it is worth saving through the refinishing process. Never buy an antique, or try to refinish it, until you know what you have. If you aren't sure an antique is really antique, pay for an expert opinion. Real antiques and many reproductions are extremely valuable, but there are also many imitations. If you're interested in antiques, recent or old, research before you buy anything. With furniture, as with anything else, one person's junk is another another's treasure.Īntique stores are a good place to find furniture to refinish, but expect to pay for these pieces. Other good sources are secondhand stores, household auctions, and garage sales. You may also discover a real antique or two - pieces handed down through the family for generations. When you want to refinish old wooden furniture, the best place to look is the family storeroom: Check the attic, basement, garage, or wherever unwanted furniture has collected.
Antique wooden drawers had joints that weren't machine-cut until 1860.
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