knapp joint

The Knapp Joint, also known as Pin & Cove, Pin & Scallop and Half Moon, is a visually unique style of antique joinery. It is a particularly interesting joint to us at Furnish Green because we don’t see it very often, and there’s a reason for that; it was only in use for about 30 years.

The Knapp joint was developed during the late Victoria Era in post-Civil War United States. It was patented by Charles Knapp of Waterloo, WI in 1867. This type of joint was a significant advancement in furniture construction as it was made by machines whereas the dovetail joint had to be done by hand. The rate of production went from 20 drawers per day to 250!

This joint is the first known mechanization for making drawers in the industrial revolution age. The Knapp is a very strong form of drawer joinery but was only utilized from 1870 until about 1900, when it basically fell completely out of use. It was replaced by machine cut dovetails, which are still mass produced in factories today.

This Victorian Eastlake piece features Knapp joint details, check it out.

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Read more about the history of the Knapp joint here (very interesting!):

http://www.auctioncentralnews.com/index.php/columns-and-international/furniture-specific/7666-furniture-specific-fingers-a-scallops-the-non-dovetailed-drawer#ixzz3aEplvAWy

Sources:

http://www.thewoodworksinc.com/articles/pin_cresent_joint.php

https://antiquejoinery.wordpress.com/knapp-joint/