This by far is Redway Furniture’s most versatile piece of furniture. It is also one of our most beautiful pieces as well. The Shaker Step was inspired by a similar step built at Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts during the 19th Century. We made our’s lower, and increased the size of the dovetails.
The step is completely constructed of solid American Black Cherry and joined using hand-cut dovetails. These dovetails were completely cut by hand using only a Japanese Dozuki Saw and Japanese Chisels by Jason Redway. The dovetail joint is the strongest method of joining wood at right angles that has ever been invented.
We used to do a fine arts and crafts show on Nantucket Island, and our Shaker Step was always one of the most popular pieces we sold. We can still remember attending the “Preview Party” on the evening before the show started, and witnessing party attendees sprinting to our booth with a Nantucket Lightship basket clenched in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other to claim one of our beautiful steps. We only made about 8 or 10 per show.