What is the difference between a gateleg table and a drop-leaf table?

If the leaf is supported by a bracket when folded up, the table is simply a drop-leaf table; if the leaf is supported by legs that swing out from the center, it is known as a gateleg table.

What are drop leaf tables called?

gateleg table
drop-leaf table, table with one or two hinged leaves supported by articulated legs, arms, or brackets. An early 17th-century form is the gateleg table, which was followed by two later English forms—the Pembroke table and its more elongated version, the sofa table, which dates from about the 1790s.

What is a butterfly leaf table?

The butterfly table is a late 17th-century American type whose name derives from its shape when fully extended. The simplest form of drop-leaf table is the bracket table, a small side table fixed to the wall and supported by a bracket.

How do you identify a drop-leaf table?

How to Identify Antique Drop-Leaf Tables

  1. Look at the finish of the table to determine whether it has a patina of age.
  2. You can identify antique furniture by looking for saw marks, especially on the tabletop.
  3. Look at the antique furniture hardware used in the construction of the table.

What is a Pembroke table?

Definition of Pembroke table. : a small 4-legged table originating in the Georgian period and having two drop leaves and a drawer.

How do Gateleg tables work?

gateleg table, type of table first used in England in the 16th century. The top had a fixed section and one or two hinged sections, which, when not in use, folded back onto the fixed section or were allowed to hang vertically.

What is a draw leaf table?

A form of extension table, introduced during Elizabethan times and revived in the early 20th century. The leaf at each end of the rectangular table is attached to lopers or bearers. To extend the table, the leaves slide from underneath the central top section, which drops down to provide a flat, uniform surface.

How does an antique drop leaf table work?

Drop leaf tables feature a hardware mechanism beneath that allows you to raise and lower each outer leaf, extending the tabletop to accommodate extra guests, dishes or whatever you choose. Both versatile and functional, drop leaf tables are used for all sorts of activities and have been around for centuries.

How do drop leaf tables work?

A drop-leaf table is a table with a fixed center section and two hinged sections (leaves) that fold (drop) down. If the leaves are supported by brackets, it’s simply a drop-leaf table. If the leaves are supported by a set of legs that swing out, it’s a subset of the drop-leaf table called a gate leg table.

How do you date an antique drop-leaf table?

Straight Saw Marks – Like most antique furniture, you can date a piece by its saw marks. Leading up to the early 1800s, saw marks were straight. Anything after was cut with a circular saw. If a drop leaf table has a circular saw cut, it’s not that old, but might still be worth the restoration effort.

How do you date an antique table?

How to Determine the Age of Antique Furniture

  1. Look Past the Style of a Piece.
  2. Examine Bottoms, Insides, and Backs.
  3. Check for Perfectly Matching Elements.
  4. Try to Figure Out What Tools Were Used.
  5. Look at the Wood and Upholstery Fabric.
  6. Investigate the Screws and Other Hardware.

Are drop-leaf tables worth anything?

Antique Drop-Leaf Pedestal Tables These sell for a range of prices, but they are often in the range of $300 to $900.

What is a Sutherland table?

Antique Sutherland Tables are a 19th Century Victorian invention of a much smaller gateleg table design with a particularly narrow centre. Antique Sutherland tables are the ideal serving table as they are of lovely larger proportions when extended but fold away neatly when not in use.

Are Gateleg tables worth anything?

Vintage Gateleg Drop-Leaf Tables You can find mid-century modern examples that work well in today’s homes, and they can be worth hundreds of dollars. For example, a mid-century modern gateleg drop-leaf table and four chairs sold for about $650.

Are Gateleg tables sturdy?

Regardless of the wood species, it is durable, beautiful, renewable and recyclable.