When it comes to furniture, quality is key. Quality furniture should be structurally sound, solid, and well-constructed to ensure its longevity. When you sit or lean on the piece, you should feel secure and not detect any sway, sag, or flexion. Joint construction is the main indicator of quality furniture; anything held together with staples or nails is a sign of poor construction.
The same goes for visible glue. Good joints include dowels (wooden pegs grooved in two opposite holes), screws, dovetail (square “teeth” intertwined), and mortise and tenon (the narrow end of a piece inserted into a hole in the other). Corners should have a reinforcing block attached at an angle. When it comes to wooden furniture, the joints are a great way to determine quality. Quality furniture will have bolted joints or studs, while signs of poor quality include joints nailed, stapled, or with visible glue.
The best joints are dovetail, mortise and tenon joints.
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