Dovetail joint

A dovetail joint joins wood using interlocking pins and tails with sloping sides. It is familiar from drawers and furniture carcases. NDLA distinguishes through joints, visible on both sides, from concealed or lapped construction that hides the joint from the outside.

What should you examine?

Look at drawer corners and accessible joints without dismantling the furniture. Record how the joint is made and separate observations from assumptions. The V&A demonstrates cutting a dovetail joint with hand tools; that demonstration is not a dating guide for an unidentified piece of furniture.

As practical documentation, photograph the joint and describe visible breaks, gaps and earlier repairs in a condition report. Seek an informed assessment before intervening in unfamiliar furniture.

Explore interiors and antiques at OBA, or read about selling older objects.