Furniture Find - Questions on age, etc

[Greg Parrish]

I rarely buy antique furniture as most everything in our house is newer styled and/or I've made it myself. That said, I went looking for a cabinet to make a coffee bar out of and this popped up last night. I jumped on it and went to pick it up this morning. Paid $150 cash. Think I did pretty good. We don't like the horse shoes that someone retrofitted onto it so I'm taking them off. The cabinet has had some repair work done on the back with a few pieces replaced but it's not visible when pushed to a wall. I gave the wood a coat of conditioner/polish but nothing else so far.

Anyway, anyone have a guess as to the age? I can't find any markings that tell me. Also curious as to what type of wood this may be. I was thinking it looks like birdseye maple but can't say for certain. Thanks for any info/tips.
















In one of the drawers.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I think birdseye came along with deco in the mid 30s.

[Greg Parrish]

Thanks. I was thinking 1920'ish or around 100 years old.

[Mel Fulks]

I think 20s. They had that big depression thing in '29 that it took a war to climb out. Only piece like that in Birdseye that I've seen ,certainly sets it apart.

[Mike Cutler]

Yep, early 1900's. ( 1910-1925) The dovetails and that lock are "new", relatively speaking.
The veneer work is pretty. It looks to be in really nice shape.

I'm with you. Ditch the horse shoes.

[Greg Parrish]

Horse shoes gone. Looks better. Also have soaked it again in the Howard's feed and wax (beeswax/orange oil) stuff. Trying to get the wood reconditioned so it's not so dry. The knobs are not original. They are old but unless they had a collar or something behind them the marks and holes indicate it probably had wood knobs at one point. Also, the top was removed and stained to be darker. They didn't bother putting the screws back in which is why the top was loose when I got it. And they were missing the mirror as there are dowels in the mirror mounting holes. I didn't want the mirror anyway though. And the covers are missing from the lock holes but not a big deal.

I'm shocked to find that every scrap of original wood in this chest is Birdseye maple. The drawer bottoms, the interior bracing and cross pieces, etc. I couldn't afford the wood these days to build this with 100% usage like this. I'm not sure what's under the veneer but it appears to be lower grade Birdseye also. Crazy.

[Mike Manning]

Very nice pickup!

[Frederick Skelly]

I'd be pleased to own such a piece. I think you did very well!
Fred

[Mel Fulks]

You did well ,I bought something MARKED birdseye ....turned out to be frozen peas. I'm not sure what's under the veneer but it appears to be lower grade Birdseye also. Crazy.

Your







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[Bill Dufour]

I would guess the horseshoes were added in the early 50's. How is the lock held in I do not see any screws? I bet all those locks use the same key.
Bill D.

[Greg Parrish]

I would guess the horseshoes were added in the early 50's. How is the lock held in I do not see any screws? I bet all those locks use the same key.
Bill D.

Not sure. Is that what the little round cover normally does?

ive been thinking about trying to find an old key as I guessed there were prob not many different versions.

on the horseshoes, they simply added longer screws to the knobs to put the horseshoe behind it with a bead as a spacer. The screw was a standard slotted screw so they were prob older screws. Hence your time guess could be right but I don't know. I was thinking the antique store that reworked it did that but they didn't date the written card I posted above.