All of Old Hickory's furniture pieces are manufactured in Shelbyville, Indiana and are delicately handcrafted ensuring that every product built is one of a kind. Our basic product line can be customized based on the bark texture, wood finish and fabric/woven options. We also offer Old Hickory customers the opportunity to present new furniture designs and customization of the options mentioned above. Old Hickory has worked for over 120 years to provide our customers with rustic furniture pieces that accurately represent and embrace our nation's history.
Sourcing
Not only is our production facility located here in the States, but we also collect hickory saplings and other wood species from our nation's forests. Our wood is sourced from forests in Tennessee and Mississippi and is sent directly to our manufacturing facility in Indiana. The wood is only gathered between the months of October and April to preserve the quality of the bark and longevity of our furniture. On arrival, the wood is placed in the kiln to dry out and remove any bugs. Then it is separated into two groups where some pieces are stored temporarily, and others are used immediately in our production process (after a secondary kiln drying).
Preparation
From the moment the wood pieces enter our factory, they are matched based on size and likeness to perfectly fulfill our customer's orders. Next, they are subjected to nubbing, boiling, bending, cutting, sanding, and finally doweling and drilling. This is a difficult stage of the hickory furniture building process because of the wood's natural resistance and strength. Even though it is not easy to mold the wood, this is what promotes the durability of each of these pieces and helps it last multiple decades in our customer's homes and businesses. In this stage, we offer the customers the option between Regular and Tahoe Bark texture.
Assembly
Since every piece of wood is one of a kind, it is necessary to assemble our products by hand. This side of the process takes a lot of time and a different skill set than the preparation stage as this involves compiling various pieces to build complete furnishings. At Old Hickory, we use the mortise and tenon method, which involves cutting two mortises into the sides of the wood pieces and creating a separate circular-shaped tenon to insert into the mortises to lock the pieces into place. We also use a high-quality wood glue to strengthen the furniture for longevity purposes. The assembly of each piece is unique, and requires different finishing touches to support our mission in providing the highest quality furniture.
Finishing
The recently assembled furniture is then sanded down for a second time and sprayed with a carefully handpicked finish to further protect the piece and emphasis the natural beauty of each product. Stain colors offered at our factory are Puritan, Rustic, Americana and Centennial. Customers have the option to consult outside designers or work with our team at Old Hickory to choose the right stain for them.
Upfitting or Upholstery/Weaving
Before being packaged and shipped from our factory, the products are either upholstered, woven and/or upfitted, where knobs, handles and embellishments can be added on any casegoods or to a select number of our seating products. When it comes to upholstery and weaving, we have an abundance of options for the customer to choose from. Not only is there variety amongst the upholstery and woven choices, but there is even more opportunity for customization when it comes to the fabric and leather. If you are curious about different options or finishes or the multitude of fabric and leathers we offer, these are listed under Products on our website.
Options & Finishes: https://www.oldhickory.com/options-finishes
Fabric & Leather: https://www.oldhickory.com/fabric-leather
Shipping
Finally, the product is ready to be packaged and shipped, but our hard work does not stop there. We pride ourselves here at Old Hickory on providing the best quality service from the moment the wood enters our factory to the moment it arrives at our customer's homes or businesses. When our products are ready to be shipped, we properly secure our furniture to try to prevent breakage and ensure our products are in the right hands by carefully selecting shipping partners.
