Dovetail Joints | Real Craft or Fakery?

Fine Furniture Joints

The dovetail joint is a sign of fine craftsmanship and high quality furniture. And for good reason, as it was traditionally cut with hand tools, which required experience and skill. But with the advent of modern tools it’s possible to made a nearly perfect joint without mastering skills, but in setting up machines. Does that make it fine furniture or is it just a dumbing down of traditional craft? The debate rages. We’ll add our thoughts here.

Courtesy Fine Woodworking

The dovetail is an interlocking joint between two boards that meet at right angles (usually), meaning that it’s held together on its own, without the need for glues or fasteners. The tail board, with its triangular projections that look, oddly enough, like a dove’s tail, fits into corresponding gaps between the pins on the pin board. In the days of yore, before modern glues, this is what held the two pieces together. So it had to be perfect.

It also looks great. A hand cut dovetail traditionally has narrow pin bases, giving the tails an elegant and graceful look. The spacing can be even or staggered to give it additional interest. And since the traditional joint is cut by hand there are still the slightest variations between each tail/pin combination, even when made by the most skilled craftsman. We call that character.

Handmade Colorado Furniture

Today, we use modern glues to fix joints together and they’ll last a long time. There are machines that help make strong joints more efficiently. The mechanical strength of the dovetail joint is not really needed. So where does the dovetail fit (pun slightly intended) in modern furniture making?

In most cases it’s an aesthetic function rather than mechanical need. It adds beauty and detail. A sense of something better. Thus the debate - do machine made dovetails evoke the same feeling as handcrafted? Do they represent the highest form of craft and care and detail or are they posers?

As usual, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Machined dovetails look nice. They convey a sense of craft. And they’re definitely strong.

To my eye, however, they lack character. Because of the way they’re machined, the pins have to be wider than traditional, which looks less than elegant. One is exactly the same as all the rest. Precise, yet common. Made by jigs and machines that detract from the sense of handcrafted skill. A wannabe rather than authentic.

Artisan Craft Made To Your Expectations

A fully hand cut dovetail will have little variations in size and shape because they’re made by an imperfect human. It takes a lot of practice and dedication to certain skills to do dovetails really well. To me, these add character and meaning to a piece of furniture. It was made by a person with a passion for their craft. With respect for history and character and authenticity.

Again, there’s not a right or wrong here. It comes down to the details that are important to you. What feeling do you want from your luxury investment? Details matter.