Drawer construction
A drawer is the fastest way to judge a maker. The standard worth paying for: solid timber sides and back; a bottom that floats in a groove (never stapled on); corners joined with dovetails or a locked rebate, not butt-glued and pinned; and runners specified by name and load rating. Open any drawer we ship and you should see grain on every component.
Hardware
Hardware is where cost gets cut invisibly. Our spec sheets will name the runner and hinge manufacturer, the load rating, and the fixing method — machine screws into threaded inserts where hardware may be removed again, not wood screws re-driven into the same hole. Runners and hinges are soft-close, load-rated, from named European hardware manufacturers — the specific maker and rating stated on each product's spec sheet.
Finish schedule
A finish schedule is the sequence a surface goes through: sanding grits, number of coats, cure time. Publishing it matters because it determines how the piece can be repaired. Hardwax oils sink into the timber and can be spot-repaired at home; lacquers sit on top, resist marks better, but need professional refinishing once worn through. Neither is "better" — they're different maintenance contracts, and you should know which one you're signing.
The Oaknest schedule: natural hardwax oil throughout the range. Surfaces are sanded through 120 → 180 → 240 grit, then given two thin coats of hardwax oil, buffed between coats and cured before packing. We chose oil over lacquer deliberately: it can be spot-repaired at home in twenty minutes, which suits a piece meant to be kept for decades. The trade-off — oil needs a wipe-up culture and an annual re-oil on hard-use tops — is documented in the care guide.
Assembly, honestly
Some pieces will arrive assembled; larger pieces will need assembly, because a glued-up solid bed frame doesn't fit through a hallway. Where assembly is required we'll state the step count, time estimate, tools needed, and whether one person can do it — on the product page, before you order, not on a slip inside the carton.
Tolerances — what "handmade variation" means
"Handmade variation" is often a euphemism for "we won't stand behind the dimensions". Here's what it should mean: overall dimensions within ±2 mm of the published spec; gaps around drawers and doors even to the eye and within ±0.5 mm side to side; grain and colour varying freely because timber is not printed. Variation in wood is the material; variation in machining is a defect. A retailer should be able to tell you which is which — and to take the piece back when it's the second kind.