Small Drop Leaf Tables- A Comparison

I've often asked why one table that looks like its done very nicely can cost double that from another maker. The key of course, is in the details. Here are two tables from maker's that I have in my store, one is a semi-production piece by JL Treharn out of Ohio and the other is handmade by John Buchanan. The latter is 2x the price. Both are made in the USA, both are of solid wood with correct mortise and tenon tables. To really appreciate the differences, and to justify the price variance, one has to go back into history a little bit and study the great masterpieces in American made furniture from the 1700's. These little tables as unrestored antiques will easily fetch a mid- 6 figure price if they were properly executed in the day, and the faithful reproduction attempts to duplicate that build. Here's where the two tables take a different path. The Treharn table is a 'cheater', because the body (legs) of the table are stationary and do not move, the drop leaves are held up by a stop that pivots out of the base of the table. The Buchanan table was one I commissioned, using the photo of the 'Masterpiece' from Albert Sack's book of important American furniture forms. As you can see, the original has a wooden hinge in the base and the legs swing out to support the top, that's known as a 'gateleg' table and they came in many sizes, both round and rectangular tops. That wooden hinge and the swinging leg are the reason the table is twice the price (also the legs, which are hand made one at a time vs the machine made legs on the Treharn piece).

Often its easy to just look at the top of a table and think 'wood color, size" then look at the price and decide which to take home. However, when you get into what I call the "art" of fine furniture, you have to look for the details, which are often on the underside of the pieces. The Treharn table, nice as it is, will have little to no collectible value in 100 years from now. The Buchanan one will, because it represents the craft of master cabinentmaker. Here's a few photos for you to see the differences, both are in my store today...the Treharn table is in tiger maple, the Buchanan is in cherry. Note the dovetailed joinery (hand-cut) on the gateleg panel carcass. On the underside of the Treharn table is a surface mount hinge....that's a no-no in fine furniture making, but pieces such as this are done to a price point, and most folks want the look and don't care so much about the construction. Once again however, this forum is here to educate and inform, so now you know the differences and can decide if you want a $ 800 table or a $ 1,600 one.

Oh, and that matching pair you see in the reference photo - a current auction price for those as a matching pair were they to come up for sale is probably $ 1.5 to $ 2 mil.

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