The Truth Behind Amish Furniture

[hello23]

DrCollie,

I'm interested in buying log furniture and have my sights set on a specific line called the Glacier Country Collection. This line is made by Montana Woodworks. Do you have any experience with Montana Woodworks? What do you think about their furniture.

On their website the word "Amish" is barely mentioned, but they're noted on Amish.net as an Amish manufacturer.

I also find the furniture on DutchCrafters (the least expensive place that I find this furniture) and here it is promoted as "Amish log furniture". Does anybody have any experience with dutchcrafters.com? They seem to be all about Amish furniture. It's not the Amish name that appeals to me as much as just the rustic look of this line of furniture.

Thanks in advance.

[hello23]

Also, Montana Woodworks has a 20-year warranty which is a big draw for me, you just don't see 20-year warranties anymore.

[drcollie]

I don't have any experience with that company, but looking at what they offer and say on their website, its unremarkable. I see lots of pitch in some of their wood they show on their website models, kitchen hinges on the cupboards rather than proper mortise and tenon ones, and I find it somewhat alarming that they claim air-dried lumber is a selling point (Kiln-dried is the only way to go), along with checks in the wood as 'charming'.

20-year-warranty? If a wood piece is properly made and executed, it should last several centuries and many, many generations.

[hello23]

Thanks for your reply. I have a couple questions/comments...

Mortise and tenon hinges?

Checks - I've seen some log furniture up close and from my experience with logs (firewood and such ) they all have vertical cracks (checks) unless they're green. If it's kiln dried it won't have these checks?

Warranty - I know the furniture should easily last 20 years but how many companies back that? At other log furniture sites you're hard pressed to find even a 5-year warranty.

[drcollie]

HA! Sorry, wrote that reply too fast. Mortised-in hinges would be correct, not screwed-in external kitchen cabinent hinges.

Checks in wood are normally minimized in kiln-dried lumber and top-flight cabinetmaker would never allow it on their pieces. May be the norm for log furniture, that's not the type of pieces I work with.

As to warranties, most the furniture I have in my store is lifetime, so I guess the question becomes if they warranty it for 20 years, why not 21?

[aaron]

I was reading the warranty for a very high end line of bathroom furniture recently - after talking up their quality all over their site, and even in the intro to their warranty, they offered a one year warranty. My impression of their pricing was that they could replace the unit two or three times and still turn a profit, so....

One of the odd things I find on Amish furniture sites is that "different companies" often have identical pieces - sometimes, I assume, because they're non-Amish vendors who source from the same suppliers, but at other times I'm not so sure. I've read that some Amish furniture manufacturers simply buy kit furniture, assemble it at the Amish facility, then sell it. With few exceptions, it's really hard to look at an Amish furniture website and get a strong sense of what you're getting.

[knottybutnice]

It is very true all that has been said about Amish log Furniture and all the diferant and confusing aspects that come with it. I grew up in Northern Mi. and that is where I fell in love with it. When you buy your Amish Furniture ask if it comes finished, if they ship for free of make extra money on shipping. How the pieces are made, Dovetail drawers, full extention glides, etc. All my furniture is made by small shops that are in the family barns. I buy right from the craftsman not a wholesaler, the man who makes my log beds works by himself. All my furniture that I sell comes finished and I ship myself and can help with setup and any other questions the buyer might have.

[jrschrock]

I live in Northern Indiana, close to Shipshewana, probably the amish tourism capitol of the world. While it's true that most companies simply use the term amish furniture simply to create a 'buzz', one can easily find authentic Amish crafted wares with a little effort and research. You're likely to have one of the most pleasant experiences doing so, too.