buying oak furniture

Stooby2

DirectDebacle wrote:

Its just a decorative "V" groove about 3mm deep that has been routered along the joint line.

Not on our OFL table - it's about 4mm square groove and I did wonder what what would happen if wine or juice got in there. Wife wasn't worried when we got it though.

Leif

moneylover wrote: »

Re the OFL tables- my daughter says they have a ridge all round on the top near the edge, a thin deep one which they say is to let the wood move. However my daughter is worried that odd bits of food etc will get down and not be easily removed - or that someone will spill wine and you cant get to clean it up properly. For those of you with an OFL table, has it been a problem????

It's just a groove, a rocket blower or a soft paint brush will clean it easily enough.

moneylover

thank you , we will update when I have had a look at the furniture and my daughter and partner decide. We are going to Your'e Furnished at Stansted, OFL, the shop that someone mentioned in Milton Road Cambridge and Harveys(the one there my daughter liked the look of the dresser best but the set is described as solid/veneered so maybe not so good (any views welcome the links are below) . thanks

http://www.harveysfurniture.co.uk/products/dining-room/categories/display-cabinets/pavillion-large-glass-display-unit.aspx

http://www.harveysfurniture.co.uk/products/dining-room/collections/pavillion/pavillion-wooden-dining-chair--pair-.aspx

moneylover

Stooby2 wrote: »

Not on our OFL table - it's about 4mm square groove and I did wonder what what would happen if wine or juice got in there. Wife wasn't worried when we got it though.

So, Stooby2, has it been a problem at all?

Jamie_Carter

Leif wrote: »

I reckon that places like John Lewis are not cheap, they buy from a supplier here or overseas, so there is a middle man in the way. Shops like OakFurnitureLand, as far as I know, have their own factories, which reduces overheads. Someone here knocked OFL as they make furniture from planks made from lots of strips of wood glued together, and they include sapwood. Also service will not be up to JL.

Veneer is not necessarily bad. It can be used to make cheap materials such as chipboard and MDF look expensive. Obviously the result is not very hard wearing, and at heart it is still cheap. Veneer has a very respectable use. Firstly, you can't use a solid plank for a table as it would be too expensive, and it would warp. You can get around that by using many planks, and then facing it with veneer. Also, lots of planks glued together look better with a later of veneer on, especially if you choose a nice figure or do something fancy such as book matched veneers.

Anyway, the summary of all this waffle is that veneer is not necessarily bad. I personally do not like it, as it is not as robust as solid wood.

Furniture drops in value massively when secondhand. You can find good used stuff, if you don't mind a scratch or two.

Also try the Ercol Factory Outlet for display and discontinued items. I advise visiting to see the stuff. Lastly Chris Sharp Cabinets make solid wood furniture at good prices. They are made in England, using sustainable wood. I have a CSC bed in solid oak, and the construction is absolutely first rate. They have a very limited range of designs, but they are well made, and you do not kill orangutans, or denude Brazil.

Oak Furniture Land are terrible quality.

Leif

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Oak Furniture Land are terrible quality.

I have a kitchen table from them which is excellent, as good as more expensive ones from places like John Lewis. Why do you say they are terrible quality?

Jamie_Carter

Leif wrote: »

I have a kitchen table from them which is excellent, as good as more expensive ones from places like John Lewis. Why do you say they are terrible quality?

You would probably only notice the difference in quality if you know the industry.

The easy way to tell is by looking at uneven gaps/joints, and warping of the wood.

smashingyour...

Leif wrote: »

I have a kitchen table from them which is excellent, as good as more expensive ones from places like John Lewis. Why do you say they are terrible quality?

He read it online.;)

smashingyour...

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

You would probably only notice the difference in quality if you know the industry.

The easy way to tell is by looking at uneven gaps/joints, and warping of the wood.

More rubbish by Carter.

They however tend to use sap wood and lesser quality wood to make up longer lengths.

But considering the cost its ok value.

Leif

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

You would probably only notice the difference in quality if you know the industry.

The easy way to tell is by looking at uneven gaps/joints, and warping of the wood.

Odd. I have examined loads of furniture from them and I have not seen any of those faults. Superficially they look well made, certainly compared to similar items from other manufacturers.

smashingyour...: DirectDebacle made the same valid points as you in an earlier post.