Dovetail joints are one of the most celebrated and iconic components of furniture crafting. Today, dovetail joints are the hallmark of well-constructed, handcrafted furniture.
The following guide will help you understand more about dovetail joints. You will see why they are so popular, and some potential downsides to this type of joint. Additionally, we will discuss the most common types of dovetail joints that you will see in both antique and modern handcrafted furniture today.
What Are Dovetail Joints?
Dovetail joints refer to a specific type of joint integrated between two sections of wood. Dovetail joints are designed to provide an extremely strong, tight fit which will last indefinitely when they are properly maintained.
If you are interested in antique furniture, you have likely seen dressers, drawers and cabinets made with these exceptionally high quality joints.
By the 19th century, dovetail joints had become standard for handcrafted furniture due to their resilience and effectiveness.
However, as the industrial revolution and the turn of the 20th century saw mass-manufacturing overtake handcrafted furniture, many companies turned to using mechanical fastener joints. Some even used simple butt-joints. These were easier to produce, easier to make en masse, and easier to use in mass-produced furniture.
However, these types of joints simply don’t have the same exceptional fit and long-lasting quality as dovetail joints.
Where Do you See Dovetailed Joints?
The most obvious place to see dovetailed joints is inside the drawer. In fact, fine furniture brands used dovetailed joints on the front of the drawer and the back two corners of the drawer. (Some lesser brands only dovetailed the front joints in the drawers!)
However, you can also see dovetailing on larger antique case pieces, such as blanket chests. Typically, very old blanket chests have dovetail joints all along the four corners of the chest.
Additionally, you can sometimes see dovetailed joints on the top of a dresser or chest. While rare, some furniture companies went as far as dovetailing the entire case of a dresser.
Occasionally, you can see dovetailing in boards of a dining table. Also, you can often see dovetailing work in shelves fitted into bookcases. Finally, you can see dovetailing on the feet on some chests or cabinets.
Obviously, these methods involved extra time, material and know-how. Indeed, if you see these types of details on vintage furniture, you can bet that it came from a high end fine furniture maker.
Benefits of Dovetail Joints
The following are the most notable benefits to using dovetail joints in modern handcrafted furniture or searching for antique furniture with dovetail joints.
1. Dovetail Drawers are Long-lasting and sturdy.
Dovetail joints are long-lasting and sturdy, especially when compared to modern mechanical counterparts. Unlike modern counterparts, dovetail joints aren’t going to be worn down with repetitive movements on cabinet or dresser drawers.
Instead, they are designed to lock tightly together for an exceptional fit that will stand the test of time.
2. Have a sizable glue area.
For modern furniture made with dovetailed corners, each section has a sizable glue area, helping to increase the sturdiness and longevity of the joint. Of course, the more surface area that allows the glue to hold, the better the integrity of the joint.
It should be noted that a well-made dovetail joint works even without any glue; the glue is usually done in modern pieces to ensure a longer lasting product.
3. Dovetailing shows incredible skill.
Back in the early days, all dovetailing showed work of fine cuts and incredible precision. Craftsmen only had access to chisels and saws to create these joints. Indeed, many early 1800s and earlier drawers showed fine slim triangles of wood perfectly cut and joined together.
In fact, the degree and fineness of the drawer dovetailing often gives clues as to how old a dresser may be. Today, most of the corner joints in fine furniture show much more regularity. Instead of tiny wedges, we see perfectly spaced teeth-like joints.
4. Dovetailing Details are Beautiful.
If you love fine furniture, you start to realize the beauty and craftsmanship of dovetail joints. Obviously, this puzzle-like system has practical benefits. However, it is incredibly pleasing to the eye as well. Perfect order and strength come together in vintage dovetail drawers.
Disadvantages of Dovetail Corners
Although dovetail joints have numerous benefits, these joints do come with a few potential disadvantages as well.
1. They need to be made correctly.
If dovetailed joints are poorly made, then they will not have any of the above benefits. They won’t last, may come apart, and will be of poor quality. Additionally, you may see teeth of the dovetail chipped or worn.
Due to the fact that they are difficult to make, you may find that not every joint shows a high level of craftsmanship. Joinery requires patience and precision. Since many furniture companies outsource their production, you may not get the same level of craft from modern furniture.
2. Dovetail joints can increase secondhand furniture prices.
If you are interested in secondhand furniture, then the presence of dovetail joints may actually increase the prices of secondhand antique furniture in shops. Shop owners and secondhand sellers will look for signs of good craftsmanship, such as dovetail joints, and price accordingly.
Types of Dovetailing Joints
Today, people think of these types of joints as a sign of great quality and craftsmanship. However, throughout history, especially before the turn of the century, furniture craftsmen developed hidden dovetail joints.
So, today, you may see different types of these beautiful joints that work to either conceal the joinery, or conceal the end grain of the wood. In fact, some types of dovetailing can only be seen from the inside of the drawer.
Additionally, in the end of the 19th century, a unique round dowel type dovetailing joint was patented by Charles Knapp. This dovetailing features a round peg that braces the wood. Although incredibly strong, this joint loss favor as Victorians felt it was too progressive. The invention took a little less time and was slightly more mechanized.
However, Knapp dovetailing quickly fell out of favor because Victorians thought it was too modern. So, you will only see a small majority of Knapp dovetailing in Victorian furniture today.
Which Furniture Brands Use Fine Furniture Techniques
There are lots of phenomenal brands of furniture that use dovetailing inside all of their drawers. In fact, most high end reproduction companies use these joints exclusively. Obviously, if they made good traditional furniture, they used some traditional techniques.
So, the following companies employed these corner joints almost exclusively:
- Stickley Furniture. In fact, Stickley took it a step further and added grooves for their drawers to slide (called side-hung drawers).
- Harden Furniture. Fine Furniture company Harden used these joints in all bedroom furniture and in dining room case pieces, like sideboards and buffets.
- Pennsylvania House Furniture. Old PA House Company took their time and made furniture beautifully.
- Drexel Heritage Furniture. Most, if not all of vintage Drexel Furniture features these lovely strong corner joints.
- Ethan Allen Furniture. Especially back in the early days, Ethan Allen made incredible fine furniture out of maple and cherry with these dovetailed joints.
- Craftique Furniture. Of course, with fine reproduction furniture, Craftique, Kittinger and Biggs all used lovely dovetailing in their items.
Of course, many other vintage furniture brands used these techniques to make drawers, so make sure you pull them all the way out to see.
Remember: if you’re looking for true quality, then look for well-done dovetail joints.
Other Signs of Quality
While joinery provides one clue about the quality of the furniture, it certainly is not the only one. Make sure you read more of our blog, where we discuss furniture finishes, types of wood and furniture design.
If you love Early American or Colonial style furniture, you may be interested to check out our style guides. We also discuss more of the brands in detail, so you can be sure you learn about the history and quality of products of each of the vintage furniture brands.