Friday, May 25, 2012

How to Identify Mahogany Furniture Versus Veneer

Mahogany is among the most expensive wood found in India. Indian furniture is replete with pieces of furniture made from mahogany. The wood was earlier used abundantly for making Indian furniture, especially during the pre-independence period. Of late the use of mahogany in Indian furniture is being controlled by the government. It's growing, felling and sale is strictly monitored by the government.
Mahogany furniture could be of plywood veneer or solid hardwood. The former type of material is often used by wooden furniture manufacturers as a cheaper or inexpensive alternative to the more expensive solid hardwood. When adequately finished, plywood veneer furniture can last as long as vintage or traditional hardwood furniture. There are several advantages and disadvantages of each product with both of them emerging ahead of each other depending on the type of application of the furniture. Both solid mahogany furniture and plywood veneer have common uses with regard to wooden furniture manufacturing.
But how does a common man distinguish between veneer and pure mahogany furniture? While this could be an easy task for a furniture expert, it's not easy for a layman.
Here's how you can distinguish between the two types of furniture.
Inspect the legs of the furniture
If the legs of the furniture are round, have round-shaped spindles, scallops, flutes, carvings or any other apparent aesthetic feature, you can be assured that the furniture is made from solid mahogany. If the legs appear square and over inches wide, then the material is veneer.
Look at the sides
Inspect the sides of the table-tops of your mahogany table. Veneered plywood would sport a grain pattern on the table's edges and will run horizontally. A solid mahogany table-top won't have any grain pattern across the edge of the table-top. The edges of a solid mahogany table will almost look black and have tiny holes. These are nothing but pores in the wood. The sides of a solid mahogany table would also have vertical splices where the separate pieces of lumber are glued together.
Pick up the furniture
Pick up the furniture so as to compare the weight to other furniture. If it is mahogany veneer, the furniture would appear to be very lightweight. In fact, it could be far lighter than what you have actually expected.
Check for color variations
Inspect the furniture for color variations. Solid mahogany wooden furniture would have fine color variations all over the furniture. You will be able to see dark streaks and darker pieces along the ends of the legs and moldings. The color usually ranges from orange-red to almost light-red to whitish streaks having light-amber color. Mahogany veneer, on the other hand, would look quite consistent, almost lifeless and benign and is unlikely to have any color variation.
Apply a general thumb rule
If you find the cost of the mahogany furniture affordable and almost comparative to what you may find at a departmental store, it's likely to be veneered mahogany. If the cost is exorbitant, then the wood could be solid mahogany.

Indian Furniture Outlet is manufacturer of cheap indian furniture
and exporter of sheesham furniture.Browse our website & order our exquisite wood furniture suppliers
from jodhpur.

No comments:

Post a Comment