Hairpin leg furniture can be simple or technical. Finding an old door and attaching hairpin legs is simple. This rosewood table by the folks at Mojo Reserve is a bit more technical. We love that our metal legs fit any level of woodworking you want to undertake! This hairpin leg table features rosewood and spline joints – two things that are a bit out of the ordinary from the standard table.
True rosewood is a member of the Dalbergia genus and they hail from all over the world. Their rich aromatic oils give them their name, their smell often persisting for many years. There are also rosewoods that are not “true” as they come from a different genus, but still carry the name as they share similar visual and aromatic characteristics. Rosewoods have been used in furniture making for centuries and are all strong and heavy.
Spline joints, as seen in this table, is one way to strengthen separate wood pieces to be joined for the final product. Dovetailing is a method commonly seen in the corner of drawers and tongue and grove joints are a frequent flooring joint. A spline joint is similar to tongue and groove joints but unlike the tongue a spline is freestanding and not a part of either board before attachment. The strip of wood is inserted into grooves made in the two boards to be joined.
Although the spline joints are highly functional, they are also visually appealing. They strengthen the tabletop and add eye-catching variety to the two ends. We love the way the dark color of the hairpin legs blends in with the darker colors of the wood and gently contrasts with the lighter colors – like the wood does within its own colors. Another example of excellent hairpin leg furniture!
