Amish craftsmen have a well-deserved reputation for quality. Great attention goes into the assembly of each piece with the expectation that it will be used for generations. Superior construction techniques add value to the furniture and assure that individual care was put into its creation.
The Amish avoid using electricity, so some of their tools and machines are hydraulically or pneumatically powered. Much of the detailing is done by hand, such as planing, staining and finishing. Many Amish furniture makers focus on solid wood construction, and some use a combination of veneers over engineered wood with solid wood tops and drawer fronts, for lower costs without sacrificing structural integrity.
Traditional Construction Techniques:
High quality wood furniture will feature construction techniques and components that increase functionality and lengthen lifespan.
- Dovetail joints ensure long-lasting strength and stability. Usually employed in drawer construction, the technique consists of interlocking tenons of wood. English dovetails interlock fan-shaped wedges. French dovetails are constructed with one long groove, which is narrower at the surface and wider at the depth, into which slides an interlocking end of a board. Given two chests of similar scale, drawers constructed with French dovetails will offer less storage capacity than drawers constructed with English dovetails because of the required overhang of wood on the front panel.
- Mortise and tenon joints secure the wood at right angles, providing optimal scathe-leg durability for a sturdy chair.
- Tongue and groove design fits boards together closely to create a wide panel, such as a tabletop.
- Corner blocks reinforce the corners of case goods and drawers to improve strength and stability. Corner blocks are not seen from the outside, but bolt to both sides of interior corners.
- Drawer glides allow you to effortlessly move a drawer in and out of its station. They can be made of wood, metal, or nylon, or combinations of these materials. Glides can be side mounted or bottom mounted, depending on the case construction. For example, side mounted glides are more likely to be found on drawers with French dovetails. Wood is a strong material for drawer glides since it expands and contracts with changes in humidity, just like the rest of the piece.
Extras to look for:
Certain features, while not essential, will improve the function of your furniture. 
- Levelers or adjustable floor glides are components on the feet that may be adjusted up or down so that the furniture doesn’t wobble.
- Dust panels are thin sheets of wood between drawers in the body of a chest or desk. They help to keep clothing or other materials in the drawers clean by preventing the infiltration of dust. They also add to the structural integrity of the piece, making it stronger and sturdier.
- Back panels are the generally unseen backs of case goods that are placed against the wall. Quality case goods have back panels attached with screws to help ensure the lateral stability. Some Amish makers even sign the back panels of the furniture they make.
- Drawer Stops, made of nylon or wood, prevent drawers from being pulled out too far or from falling out when fully extended.
- Custom Table Leaves many Amish craftsmen take a bench-made approach to building extension leaves for their dining tables. This means that the extension leaf is cut and finished at the same time as the table top so that it matches perfectly.