American hardwood furniture is a big business, with the local production of timber furniture worth at least $4.6 billion for the State of Ohio alone—a figure that climbed more than $1 billion per year during the pandemic as the COVID-led market for home improvement exploded.
Whilst huge volumes of hardwood species (namely Red and White oak) are now exported to China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, where they are manufactured and sold into global markets, the US is still home to a strong and vibrant domestic industry—fuelled by more than 37,000 residents living in the Holmes County Amish community, still considered the heart of the American hardwood furniture industry.
“Amish craftsmen have been refining their work for generations largely using hand tools,” according to Jenna Reese, Executive Director of the Ohio Forestry Association: “You cannot drive a quarter mile without seeing another furniture shop in many parts of Holmes County. They are all family operations that began with one or two people working out of their house(s), adding space as they grew.”
Traditionally, Amish furniture ‘crafters’ focus on doing things by hand without the use of added objects – like screws and nails. For as long as they’ve been making furniture, dovetail joints, mortise, and tenon joinery have been used to fuse pieces.
To ensure the durability of the furniture pieces (and avoid warping and cracking), raw lumber is open-air seasoned or kiln-dried, and all intricate sanding and finishing work is done by hand.
The changing nature of Amish furniture manufacturing
However, increasingly Amish communities are embracing (some) new-age technology to improve production efficiencies, helping to produce items from white oak, red oak, hickory, maple, elm, cherry, and walnut.
“Many people believe the Amish reject all or most modern conveniences. Practices vary among groups, but many Amish do use a good amount of modern tech,” said Erik Wesner from the Amish American Society, which is evaluated and regulated by church rules.
“For example, many Amish woodshops now use generators to power their tools, including CNC machines, rather than connecting to the electrical grid,” according to DutchCrafters, one of the growing numbers of distributors now selling Amish-produced furniture across North America.
Like any religious group or community, the American Amish community has variations in beliefs, customs, and adherence to rules. “The bishops in the Indiana region tend to be more progressive, allowing Indiana shops to use more electronics and machinery than Pennsylvania shops,” they said.
For example, businesses like HW Chair of Millersburg and sister companies Hochstetler Wood Ltd and Tiverton Timber Tree Farm use technologies to reduce forest accidents, injuries and uncertainty. “The results are the same as a handcrafted item, but the process is safer, more consistent and faster,” Ms Reese said.
“Everything is inspected and handled by experienced woodworkers throughout the process,” DutchCrafters said. “Therefore, with tight-fitting joints and stylish designs, the limited tools and technology they’ve adopted improve quality and safety.”
Key Facts About Amish Furniture
- Amish furniture is rarely marked by its craftsmen. The value of humility and community over individualism means they would not call attention to themselves.
- An Amish crafter will specialise in a single piece (chair, table, dresser, etc) to master their skill.
- Power tools used in Amish furniture making came about when food safety laws required them to refrigerate the milk they sold. Gas or diesel-powered generators ran their refrigerators and eventually the tools for woodworking.
- The wood comes from trees selectively cut from managed forests when needed instead of from clear-cut forests.
- No off-gassing due to toxic glues or materials like those used in particle boards.
- Amish workshops don’t like to waste anything. Scrap wood is used for smaller builds, jigs, and other projects, down to sawdust for livestock bedding.
