Any experts on wood file cabinets

Hello, just purchased this cabinet on ebay. Was looking online to find some history but cant find anything like it. I don't think its unusual but would like to know if anyone knows age or where it may have come from. It's a file cabinet of some sort, weighs a ton and the drawers are solid oak with dovetail joints, wood pulls with hand hold cutouts in the back. I sanded one and now think i should have left the old finish on it for a more retro look. Maybe it's just junk. Wondering if I should spend the time to refinish it or not. Not even sure if it's an antique or just neglected. Figure maybe someone may know some history for this type of file cabinet as my searches have come up empty.

Anyway, any help with identifying it age wise and purpose would be great.

 

It looks like a "card catalogue" from a library. And I shall refrain from commenting on any refinishing............others will let you know their opinions on that!

 

That is what i think as well, just the drawers are a lot wider and deeper than typical library cabinets that I have seen and all the ones I have found images of have metal pulls. I don't think its rare but surprised to not be able to find another online.

Thank you for the reply.

 

Welcome!
Please always use the full image button for all photos.
Thank you.
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Seems to be a punch card file.
It's up to you if keeping it whether or not to refinish it.
They're worth some hundreds just for the use of them.

 

???

 

Thanks, not sure which button is full image but i hope to find it. Any guess on the age of it? I bought it for 275 just off photos. A little rougher, heavier and larger than I expected but its solid overall. Four to five of the drawer pulls are damaged which I was going to replace with metal ones but decided it will probably keep the character better with the old ones.

 

The full image button is at the top of the photo stack right next to the little box of photos you've loaded.
If they are too big make them 480x640.
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I think it's 60s but could go either way.
Still had punch cards in use in the early 70s.

 

Brad or Johnny may know more as well as others.

 

Sorry, my last reply was meant for you. Also I don't plan on selling this. Was originally looking for a flat file cabinet/map cabinet with a few inches of drawer depth and came across this. Just wanted something to store a bunch of small stuff in but not have it buried deep in a drawer. Would have been a bonus if it was more unique I guess.

 

Still nice.
Mind telling what you paid?

 

If you can match the paint, not stripping it, just repair the pulls.
If restoring look for donor wood, maybe an old cheap chair.

 

Hard telling age on this. Probably made the same for a lot of years. Could be as early as the teens or as late as the 50s. Hard saying what it was a catalog file for. These are very popular for the reasons that you bought it. I probably would have left it alone but since you started refinishing, you might want to continue.

 

I agree with Mansons on library card catalog file. Gee, I have pored through many a one of these from the 1940s to the 1990s. Can still remember the 1st time going to a library after the card catalog had been digitized - a wonder of wonders! I don't think this file cabinet was for punch cards for they were bigger, 7 1/2" x 3 1/4", while library catalog cards were somewhere around 2" X 5".

Knowing dimensions always help in trying to ID something. Just how wide and deep are these drawers? What are the over all dimensions of the whole cabinet? There was a multitude of different size library card catalog file cabinets. Absolutely huge ones for such places as the Library of Congress, National Archives, etc; large ones for city libraries and large universities; smaller ones for for school libraries; and so forth and so on. I have also seen such card catalog files used in business offices containing inventory data or customer data back in the day. As to the pulls being metal or wood, I have seen both types.

--- Susan

 

The overall dimensions are approx 21"w X 28"d X 58"h. The drawers would be able to hold a 7.5"w X 3.5" card and are about 27" deep. Thanks for the information.

 

I paid $275 for this plus a 130 miles round trip to get it. It's a little rough but overall pretty decent. The insides of the drawers are not beat up at all. The outside of it looks like its been stored in a garage or barn for years.

 

I was about to buy one of these nearly identical to this one for $25 at an estate sale; It was made in the 40s but when I picked it up a few mice came out so I decided against the trouble.

 

Were they extra?

 

Sounds like a shop price so if you are happy...that's all that matters.

 

I think he said $275. above............