Independent, and not selling anything

This site is written by Ray Denton. It began as a set of notes made while trying to work out why two pieces of furniture at the same price could be so different, and why none of the available advice explained how to tell them apart while standing in front of them.

The guide covers construction and how to judge it in person: joinery, frames, materials, and the checks that work without tools. It also covers the North Carolina furniture trade, because the vocabulary showrooms use came from these factories and knowing where a term originated makes it much harder to use loosely.

What it deliberately does not do is rank brands, quote prices or recommend retailers. Brand quality moves as production moves, so a ranking written today is misleading within a couple of years, whereas a dovetail joint means the same thing it meant in 1950. Prices vary by region, by season and by negotiation. And a guide that recommended retailers would have an interest in which one you chose, which is precisely the interest this guide is trying not to have.

The site sells nothing and is not affiliated with any manufacturer or retailer. Where a piece links out - to a reference source, or occasionally to something relevant to the topic at hand - it is because it was useful to the point being made.

Corrections are welcome. If something here is wrong, or has become wrong, the contact page will reach us.