Featured Old Oak Desk

My step grandmother bought this old oak desk for her son probably 30 years ago from a lady who had outbid her at an auction for $750. Both have past away. I think its made of tiger oak but I will not put my reputation on the line to swear by it. The lock mechanism is also missing. I am not sure if my step dad took it out and he put it somewhere and I just have not found it or it was not sold with the desk. Thank you for your assistance in this request. What information can you provide on this desk, who made this desk and how old do you think this desk is and what it may be worth? Rob

 

nice roll top....a gentleman's work space !

 

Makes a change from all the times people go on line looking for help with a locked roll top desk for which they do not have the key.

 

Hey Rob:

I may have missed it, but what, exactly, was your request?

 

Some, but not all of the wood, looks to be quarter-sawn (aka tiger) oak. Roll-top desk, called a C-type not an S-type. 20th century, based on the pics I see I would guess later in the 20th century - doesn't have the heft and aged finish I would expect in an early 20th century piece. That said, close-up pics of feet, back, underneath, inside drawer and back of roll-top slats could confirm age. These desks were pretty popular (especially an antique S-type) 30 years ago. Prices have come down significantly, especially if it was made later in 20th century as I am guessing. Price you can sell it for depends a lot on where you live, what the market is there, and the venue you have to sell it in (and your patience).

 

Can't add much to Jeff's summation.

 

I'd just add that there is no tiger oak, but quarter-sawn oak. Tiger maple exists and is how the term was applied by folks to oak. Certain maple has the tiger figuring, but most doesn't. With oak, it's how the wood is cut (a premium cut), oposed to plain cut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_sawing

 

I hope the lock came with it and he took the lock off and it is somewhere among his tools down in my basement. I also hope that there is a brand name on the part that the lock secures to.

 

ok, appreciate your insight. Rob

 

I did know that the S type was more desireable than C type. My dad redid one for an owner of a firestone shop. However, it and the building burnt down and there was a picture of the firemen pushing my mom's wagoneer full of gas out of the bay as the fire was going on behind them shown in the newspaper. I am not saying your wrong because you are the wiser one but I was really surprised that you guess this would be from the later 20th century. I will try to get those pictures for validation from the later 20th century. I just do not know about the back of the desk. The secondary woods inside the drawer and whether or not the dove tails are hand made or not might help with at least a general location like made in the eastern part of the U.S. and time period. That is what I saw on watching Antique Road show. Hopefully there will be other markings, too. Rob

 

If I may jump in, I don't think Jeff meant the later 20th century, but rather later IN the 20th century, i.e. not 1900 but maybe 1930s or 40s.

 

Would agree with a 30s-40s date on this. Don't see much quartersawn oak on this. The small interior drawers have some, as do some of the handles. Value is way down for these. $750 would have been a fair retail price when purchased. We struggled to get $300 for a much nicer, older S-curve top one in our shop recently. I am in a semi-rural Midwest location. You might do better (or worse) in your location.

 

Drawer pulls were very common on desks in the 30's-40's. Flea markets are filled with desks like this, and $300 might be a bit optimistic

 

Any marking on the lock plate would tell you where the lock is from, and from that you might be able to narrow down the manufacturers, but I have a feeling this desk has lots of brothers and or sisters.

 

Yes! Mass-manufactured, industrial quantities of office furnishings. Many state, federal, county, railroad, post office and other municipal offices were filled with the like. Sorry I can't bring to mind any specific companies. Too many for some lazy furniture historians like me to research.