Commercial woodworker is aided by machines and
technologies that can duplicate the work of yesterday’s
finest craftsmen. It wasn’t even until the late nineteenth
century that good sharpening stones were available to the
cabinet maker so he could keep a keen edge on his tools
without spending an inordinate amount of time on the sharpening
process.
Perhaps sadly (for those who love antiques)
but truly, the combined efforts of today’s team of
designers and technicians, coupled with the most sophisticated
computer-controlled machines, produces fine furniture to
equal that of any age.
A Louis XVI mahogany writing table that President
Kennedy used when signing a treaty or two sold for $I, 400,000
in 1990. A recent issue of USA today featured an article
about Sotheby’s auction of the late Duke and Duchess
of Windsor. The writing table where Edward VIII sat in 1936,
to sign the document by which he abdicated the throne of
England to become the Duke of Windsor, sold for $415,000.
Two George II chairs sold for $34,500. Today, Baker, Henroden,
Century, Stickly, Drexel-Heritage or Thomasville can-and
do-produce these same styles of writing tables for between
$1, 800 and $3, 000.They all make similar chairs for under
$1, 500. Now you say:”You are not comparing apples
to apples! Furniture used by the windsor or Kennedy are
in a class apat. ”That is true from the historical
viewpoint-and from the historical perspective the items
were probably good buys-but stricle from a furniture standpoint,
item to item, you can do a lot better buying from your local
merchant.
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