How to Determine the Age of an Antique Roll Top Desk

Look inside the drawers and under the desk for a manufacturer’s stamp, which may also the date your desk was made. Look for the two of the largest U.S. antique roll top desk manufacturers names, Schlicht & Field Company and the Cutler Desk Company, which were both located in Upstate New York, according to the Early Office Museum.

Determine what type of wood was used to make your roll top desk. Antique Desks reports that mahogany, oak, walnut, satinwood, satinbirch and teak were popularly used to make antique roll top desks and the majority of early roll top desks were made from black walnut, cherry and mahogany, according to the "Chicago Tribune." In the 1900s, most roll top desk manufacturers started using oak. Once you know the type of wood your desk is made from, you can assess where your desk came from and what years desk manufacturers were using that type of wood to make desks.

Open a drawer and check to see if it has dovetail joints, a technique that has been used for the past 130 years in handmade furniture construction to hold two boards together. Antique furniture specialists determine the approximate age of roll top desks by identifying different types of dovetails including the pin and cove, jig pattern, keyhole and French, which were all used at different times in the past 13 decades. For example, American furniture makers adapted the pin and cove, also known as the round style, dovetail technique in the 1870s which is often seen on late Victorian roll top desks. The dovetail technique was popularly used in the U.S. and Canada through the 1890s, according to the Harp Gallery.

Inspect the desk for modification and restoration repairs. Most old desks have been restored at least once, according to Burrells Antique Desks. Check the leather-covered writing surface, knobs, handles, plinths, veneers and drawer linings for signs of restoration. Modifications and restorations can be dated by the types of materials used, which helps determine the age of your desk by backing up the production date beyond the restoration date. For example, if the veneer was restored in timber, it indicates that the desk's manufacture will pre-date the early 19th century when timber was readily available and veneers were cut thickly to create attractive figuring.