Amish Furniture Craftsmanship
Amish Craftsmanship
Amish furniture is well-known for its high quality, traditional designs and authentic craftsmanship. The Amish make furniture using handheld tools run by generators, usually working out of small woodshops beside their rural homes. They are a unique cultural group that avoids computers, cell phones, cars and electricity - even in this high tech age. Amish outdoor furniture is painstakingly made by hand, one piece at a time. Each piece is individually crafted and inspected.
While many American furniture makers lose way to foreign imports, the Amish are thriving in the furniture business in places like Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Holmes County, Ohio; and Shipshewana, Indiana. They’ve earned a well-deserved reputation for quality and value, practicing their craft in many places where American furniture has been made for generations and helping to support those local economies.
While the Amish in general have earned this reputation for high quality, quality can still vary from one Amish furniture maker to another. We carefully select furniture makers whose commitment to quality furniture matches our customers’ expectations.
In general, the Amish are an inward focused people that reflect many generations of isolation from the rest of the world. For that reason, they tend to focus on building furniture rather than selling it. With any high quality product, this is where the focus should be!
We trust that you will enjoy owning your Amish furniture as much as the Amish enjoy making it and we enjoy bringing it to you. Our high quality furniture is a treasure that you can pass along to the next generation.
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Solid Hardwood
At a time when mass production and the use of synthetics and veneers has become the standard, we offer you solid wood furniture, inside and out. Our craftsmen pay personal attention to detail, quality, and craftsmanship instead of volume. And because each piece is handcrafted, you can be assured that the furniture you purchase is made of the highest quality wood.
Our handcrafted solid hardwood furniture is generally available in oak or cherry wood. Some pieces are also available in quartersawn oak, hard maple, brown maple, walnut, hickory or birch. Please see the Quick Spec information above to find out what wood is available with this piece. The picture here shows the differences between the hardwoods that we offer.
Oak wood is a naturally light wood with a prominent grain, which makes groves in the wood that you can feel when you slide your finger across them. This grain is evident even with dark stains and usually appears darker than the rest of the wood. Knots may occasionally appear in the wood, which add to its character. Oak has a strong heavy hook and the look isn't deceiving. When finished natural it will have a pale blonde reddish cast, which overtime will oxidize to a golden honey color. A great choice for staining. Quarter Sawn Oak stains very well. Beautiful irregular markings or flakes are a result of logs cut in a special way. Quarter Sawn Oak is known for its amazing strength and firm texture. Quarter Sawn Oak is a top choice for many of our customers!
Cherry wood has less grain and is quite smooth. A favorite for good reasons! Cherry has many interesting characteristics. Aging to a rich reddish brown color over time and often peppered with exotic black specs and swirling grain. It has a natural light gold/red tone but can be stained to create many appearances. Cherry has very small knots that are dark in appearance and sometimes create a dip in the wood. Cherry naturally darkens with age and sometimes features contrasts in color. This is part of the charm of cherry, and should be expected. We recommend a light to medium stain on cherry wood.
Hard Maple is naturally a light wood with very little grain that is quite smooth. Maple mellows to beautiful golden tone overtime. Occasionally flecked with naturally occurring black mineral deposits. Maple is an excellent choice for strong durable furniture. Maple can also be stained to create many appearances. Dark stains may stain unevenly. Brown Maple comes from the same logs as regular maple but is the darker heartwood. Can be a smart choice for darker staining or painting. It can stain unevenly.
Walnut is a dark wood with a medium amount of grain that makes slight groves in the wood. Even with different stains, the appearance of walnut does not change much. Knots may occasionally appear in the wood. Walnut will bring extra elegance to any room. If your tastes run more toward the formal, then the rich dark browns of walnut may be the way to go.
Hickory is a very hard and durable wood by mixing the color tones the finished product is a characteristic piece of natural art. The appearance of natural hickory does vary from a very light appearance to a medium light appearance. Birch grain sometimes has a curl which creates an iridescent effect. Light to medium blond sapwood usually but not always contrasts against darker toned heartwood. Curl can also cause uneven staining. Will age to a golden color.
The beauty and durability provided by solid hardwood is undeniable. It provides several unique benefits:
- Enduring value from one generation to another.
- Natural warmth that synthetics cannot give.
- Expression of each individual tree by its own unique color and grain.
Solid hardwood furniture can also be repaired if damaged because there is no veneer or artificial surface that can be scraped or rubbed through.
Hardwoods are a natural fiber. Therefore, even furniture that has a good protective finish may swell or shrink slightly from one season to another. With proper care, your solid wood furniture will bring you satisfaction for years to come.
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Mission Furniture
Several of our Amish woodworkers have developed a special love for making Mission furniture.
Mission style furniture, often grouped with the Arts and Crafts movement, started being made in the mid 19th century. Mission furniture is known for its strength, beauty, and permanency. Mission furniture is plain and simple, with little decoration. Mission chairs, Mission tables and Mission beds are made with wood slats, and legs are usually straight. Pulls, latches, and hinges are usually made of pewter. The philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement of hand-made products of integrity, utility, and simple style fits well with Amish values and makes Mission-style furniture a natural choice for Amish woodworkers.
No one is certain how Mission furniture got its name. Some believe it is related to the philosophy of the movement that furniture should be functional and have a "mission" to be used. Others believe it was because the furniture was derivative of furniture designs found in Franciscan missions in California. Whatever the reason, the Arts and Crafts movement in America is probably best known for the Mission furniture it produced, and its reputation of durable beauty remains to this day.
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Amish Furniture - American Made
We proudly sell Amish furniture that is handcrafted in the USA.
It is so important these days to buy American! This is becoming harder and harder to do it because over half of the furniture in today’s marketplace is imported! All of our furniture is handcrafted in the USA by skilled craftsmen using Old World techniques passed on for generations. As a result, we are creating local family-friendly jobs for talented craftsmen, which in turn benefit the community. By carefully sourcing our raw materials, we avoid deforestation and uncontrolled pollution that is often allowed with overseas production.
There is something unique about American made furniture, particularly furniture that is handcrafted by the Amish. Our woodworkers make fine furniture using small tools powered by generators and hands as they have for decades, according to time-honored traditions.
When you purchase our fine furniture, you're buying an heirloom product that will last for generations. Additionally, you're supporting a cottage industry that is truly American - an investment you can take pride in.
Our customers take great pride in buying these American Made Heirlooms, knowing that their furniture was made as a labor of love, not in some factory assembly line overseas. And we take pride in selling each handsomely crafted piece.
Our furniture and other products are handcrafted in a clean, safe, environmentally compliant work environment. Experience the difference of furniture made in the USA!
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