1930s Original BuildSolid Oak frame and drawer frontsMortice and Tennon and Dovetail JointsKing George brass lock with new keyOriginal steel hinges polishedCork Lined drawers
Fork Handle Revival always feel a great weight of responsibility when we handle historic items. The history of a piece doesn’t have to be glorious. More history is lost than saved which is why we have a responsibility to save what ever we can. Our stories are based on fact and evidence of which we will always try to provide a reference. When we must, we will make an educated assumption, but we will say so!
This is a perfect example of a “Revival” piece by us. We don’t consider it to be a full restoration because we haven't stripped it to its bones and then presented it as brand new. Its impossible to make it “as new”, especially as its charm and attraction is its patina. The cupboard was bought by FHR after spending its life in an engineering workshop. It was used for storing spare parts and was no longer required. From top to bottom, inside and out, it was covered in oil and the doors had broken off. All of the screw holes for the hinges were stripped out and couldn’t hold a screw. As well all the oil, there was the small detail of no key and we always want to retain the original lock.
We cleaned the whole piece by hand, using wire wool and methylated spirits. This kept the oil in the wood and retained the patina and natural finish. We then finished with a fine wire wool, cleaned again and then waxed and polished. Every point of fixing, screw hole, has been repaired for another lifetime of use. Original Bakelite Handles have been saved and we have added 3 A.Kenrick & Sons cast handles and matt black labels for using chalk for the upper set. We have reused the original screws. Each drawer has hooks cut into their sides so it can hang safely while leaving the drawer open. Every drawer and been lined with cork for clean use. The original solid brass lock has been restored and has a new key. Date stamp of GR. The original steel hinges have been polished and refitted with new old stock brass slot screws. It’s unlikely that there would ever be a date stamp on a piece like this, but we can make an assumption while we work through the revival and gain pieces of evidence. From the front doors and working in and backwards through time we believe the front doors are from Military cupboard of the 1940s and were added to the cupboard, with the lock, later in its life, probably for a bit of security. The original frame and drawers are excellent quality workmanship but would have been standard work for the company “chippy” in the late 1800s, early 1900s. Also, the oak used in the frame appears to be antique.
The name? We take inspiration from events at the time and it seemed appropriate, as we laid our Queen to rest and welcomed our King to the throne, to use the family name that reigned through the life of this piece of furniture. Sold in April 2023 to be part of a bespoke kitchen build in a thatched cottage in Buckinghamshire.
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