All of our tables are constructed entirely of solid wood. No veneers. No particleboard. No plywood.

Furthermore, all of the species we offer are durable hardwoods. No pine here. Be sure to read our guide to wood species for more information on this topic.

Joinery simply refers to how the pieces are put together. The last time you sat at a table with wobbly legs, you experienced poor joinery.

For our joinery we utilize loose-tenons. Despite the word “loose,” this is in fact one of the strongest joinery methods around. Anytime we create a joint, it is fixed in place and will stay that way. No wobbly legs.

If you are curious about joinery in general, here is an article from the Woodworkers Guide of America.

If you are curious about loose-tenon joinery specifically, here is an article from Popular Woodworking.

You get a beautiful new table. It looks great for 6 months. Then one morning you walk downstairs and—oh no—your table has a big crack right down the middle of it.

If that sounds like a less-than-ideal scenario… we agree! We don’t want your table to crack now. Or next year. Or in 10 years. Or in 100 years!

The issue is that any solid-wood tabletop will naturally contract in dryer conditions (winter) and expand in humid conditions (summer). Restricting that movement means you’re risking problems.

Needless to say, we don’t want to take that risk! Sometimes the solution is quite simple such as when we utilize tabletop fasteners to secure the top to the base. Other times it’s more complicated such as when we attach breadboard ends via dowels through oval-shaped holes.

Bottom line: we exercise great caution with respect to wood movement, and the result is that you don’t have to worry about your tabletop developing cracks in the years to come.

Wood is finished for two reasons. It makes it pretty and it protects it.

We believe both are important, but we give priority to the latter. We assume all tables we build will be subjected to regular and repeated use, and we want a finish that will withstand that treatment.

To achieve this, we have settled on three primary finishes.

The first two fall in the category of true varnishes and they happen to be made by a company called General Finishes. (No affiliation or sponsorship whatsoever.) Of these, one is oil-based, similar to a polyurethane; the other is water-based. Both offer excellent protection from scratches and moisture. The difference between them is cosmetic

• The oil-based product imparts an amber/gold color to the wood and therefore offers a more classic appearance.

• The water-based product results in a slightly lighter appearance that can be described as more natural and/or calm.

The third finish we offer is a not a varnish, but rather a hardwax oil. It is made by a company called Rubio Monocoat (again, no affiliation). Like the varnishes, Rubio offers excellent resistance to both scratches and moisture. Customers who choose this finish usually do so for one or two reasons.

• Reason #1: Rubio results in a more matte sheen that is arguably more natural than the aforementioned varnishes. It is able to achieve this because it is a penetrative finish, rather than a layered finish.

• Reason #2: Rubio comes in a variety of different color options and therefore allows us to “push” the color of the wood in a particular direction if that is a desired outcome.

Each of the three finishes we offer is very durable. They are all marketed for their durability and we have tested and confirmed their durability. They are also, you will be pleased to know, very low maintenance.