Dovetail Joint

Giant dovetail joints at the end of the kitchen island made of wood.

If you are going to walk the walk, you should talk the talk.

Joinery, or how furniture is put together, may not be a sexy subject, but it is an important one.  Recognizing the type of joinery on a piece of furniture can help you spot quality furniture and even identify an antique.  Last Design Dictionary covered   mortise and tenon joinery. This time we will look at dovetail joints.

What is a dovetail joint?

DOVETAIL JOINT: A method of joining boards at the ends, typically  where two planes intersect such as at the end of a drawer or on the body of a case piece, with interlocking, flaring wedge-shaped projections.  Also seen on table tops and in floors as a butterfly shaped inset to join boards length wise.  Furniture makers began using it around 1700. 

Dovetail joints on drawers

Dovetail joints at edge of kitchen units

Brass butterfly-style dovetail joints on a coffee table by BDDW

Table by George Nakashima, who often used the butterfly style of dovetail joinery

Dovetail joints on stairs.

Dovetail joint on the drawer of the Victorian period desk in my office

Photo credits:  Kitchen island  Image with black mug.  Line drawing.  dovetail joints on drawers.  BDDW table with brass dovetail joints photographed by Lynn Byrne, Kitchen units with dovetail joints photographed by  Lynn Byrne.  George Nakashima table.  stairs  Office Desk my Instagram