amish building / furniture styles ?

[Tom Bainbridge]

a recent post mentioned the amish

i know of them but perhaps / almost certainly from some biased or miss representative reports

but one thing seems to be consistant........... they work as is the centuries have passed them by



im not interested in politics with a big P, but i am curious

do they have particular "identifiable" building or furniture style?

say like "mission" / "arts and crafts" / "craftsmen"

[JShade]

Don't let their Lancaster, PA image of horse-drawn buggies & plows fool you. When it comes to construction they use modern tools, materials, and methods. Having worked a few decades in Pennsylvania and living close to many small amish communities I've had the chance to work on many construction jobs with them. They've no qualms about picking up a power tool, listening to the radio, using cell phones, etc. They may not be able to drive a vehicle, but they have no problem paying an hourly employee to drive them around to the jobs.

Although they may not have electricity in their homes this does not preclude them from having electricity in their workshops, complete with lines of air compressors, nail guns, table saws, etc. A fine example of that is a place right off I-80 in central PA. It's an Amish owned/run storage shed facility where they use modern technology and machinery to churn out storage sheds with everything from T-111 siding, vinyl ship-lap siding and even a bit of the Crane Bella Stone product on it.

So to answer your question, they don't really have a unique style in home construction, but much of their furniture has been refereed to as "Shaker Style"

[Tom Bainbridge]

the horse drawn carts look like good PR


but they say they live by one set of rules

and live by another

isnt there a word for that?

[Tom Bainbridge]

i WAS trying to be even handed

now im stuggling

[MarkMc]

isnt there a word for that?

Adapting? Evolving?

I use them around here for roofing and chimney work mostly because folks are willing to pay a little more and consider them more trustworthy and harder workers. Often true, sometimes not, and doesn't always translate to a netter finished job. No different that the rest of the population really. The one thing I hate most is when they show up at a good tool auction as prices often exceed retail, and on used stuff. Makes it hard to take advantage of someone else's misfortune. ;)

[S.Joisey]

From what I understand, each Amish community sets it's own standards for what is allowed and what is not. So Amish in the southern end of Lancaster Co may be stricter than those in the north.

The goal behind their rules is quality of life. They view technology as a mixed blessing with benefits but also costs. So they look at us "English" (their term for all us English speakers- were all in the same boat here, Tom) as we rush around in our expensive cars and big homes chasing the almighty dollar and think "progress" might not be all it is made out to be.

Come to think of it, I had an "Amish" last few days. The blizzards of the past week knocked out power in the entire area. I spent a couple of very pleasant evenings with some friends by the gas fire playing board games by candlelight. Had more fun that I've had for a while. The entire neighborhood reminded me of when I lived in Amish country. No street lights, no lights in houses. The evening was totally dark, just like the Amish neighborhoods.

There are downsides to being Amish. I wouldn't want that life. But I can also see their point of view.

And to answer your question a bit more directly, no, I don't think there is a defined "Amish" style, though as someone mentioned the Shaker mindset probably fits.

Gee, just noticed this is my thousandth post. Guess I'll turn out the lights and celebrate; )

[RemoCo]

Tom,
I believe the word you're looking for would be hypocrite, perhaps. People view their work as superior to ours just as they do Japanese or German products. Just like the foreign products it isn't always because of first hand knowledge of their work so much as everyone says it's better so it must be. I wouldn't say they build junk, necessarily, but most of it isn't anything special. It's still high production quality with one coat of finish slapped on it most of the time. Most of what I have seen in the store doesn't look as good as what comes out of my shop but it's Amish so it sells.

JShade,
I lived just off I-80 in Clearfield, PA for 31 years. I probably know that shed lot your talking about.

[jpierce]

From what I have seen they do not have distinct style. They build what sells, just like everyone else. The quality I have seen is normal, nothing spectacular.

I was in an Amish carriage shop once. He had a gigantic diesel compressor and air motors on all his stationary tools and all air hand tools tool. "Amish hand made"

[dave_k]

the horse drawn carts look like good PR

You ought to see the poor young lads who get the short end of the stick driving their open flat horse drawn work carts down the highway in thin jackets caked in snow. They drive them standing up. They don't look particularly happy (I'm assuming because their faces are caked in snow) I don't think those carts were so bad to drive in if you had wind breaks but going down the highway with tractor trailers kicking slush at you can't be much fun.

I saw an Amish horse drawn cart loaded with kids one day leaving a McDonalds parking lot in Stratford one day. They all had ice creams.

I have never dealt with the Amish, there are quite a few living around here but I've never dealt with them. The Mennonites, which are a similar sect but not so strict build a lot of furniture. It's very plain and solid wood. A friend of mine has a millwork operation and he gets a mennonite farmer to CNC all his casework. The farmer put a CNC in one of his drive sheds and runs it day and night for a variety of contractors. They don't have to comply with industrial labor laws, minimum wage and standards, it's classified as farm work.

[Ohiobuilder]

The cabinet maker that I use is German Baptist, similar to and look just the Mennonite and Amish but they drive trucks and use electricity. I think most Amish are pigeon holed into this simple shaker looking cabinetry flair or style. The fella that I use is incredibly creative for such a simple guy. They are a 2 man shop and have cranked out $100k in custom cabinets in 5 months for me, built and installed.

Aside from being great craftsman they are really great guys and fine business men.

[Ohiobuilder]

Also, the do not vote but one of them told me they pray Republican.

[jpierce]

I was in a roadside bar and grill one day having lunch.
There was a wagon and a team of horses out front and 5 young Amish men in the bar drinking.
An old Amish man came in and yelled at them to get home and make sure they bring the wagon.

When I left I passed the boys pulling the wagon down the road, with no horses and a couple miles latter I passed the old Amish man walking the team of horses.

I think he made his point pretty clear!...lol

[m beezo]

I was in a roadside bar and grill one day having lunch.
There was a wagon and a team of horses out front and 5 young Amish men in the bar drinking.
An old Amish man came in and yelled at them to get home and make sure they bring the wagon.

When I left I passed the boys pulling the wagon down the road, with no horses and a couple miles latter I passed the old Amish man walking the team of horses.

I think he made his point pretty clear!...lol

This one belongs in the joke of the day thead!

It would sure make a point for me.

I think the part I know of is that each community does seem to be somewhat independent. Around where my folks live there is an Amish community. When the local hospital closed down and the closest one was a little more than 30 miles away the community agreed to buy a car to take folks to the hospital. But they ordered it and it had to be black, no hubcaps, and the chrome bumpers were either painted black or came black. Before they agreed to do that they had a couple of "English" who they hired to drive them to and from the hospital.

Most of the folks we "knew" or had hired were hard workers, always polite and would be hired back by my folks. They did not have electricticy at home but would use yours when building something. One thing that I always admired was that they had some nice horses. I know they were not supposed to be showy but some of their animals were certainly show class animals.

[Hdeanb]

We've got lots of Amish around here and they're all over the spectrum as regards quality of work and strictness. One Amish lady comes to stay each day with my mom who's got Alzheimers.
Got Cabinets from a young Amish, they were top of the line, he'd been doing so well, was building his own house, put a fancy entry door with sidelights in it. His Amish bishop saw it and made him take it out, too showy. There's tension between the different sects, "Mennonite" is used to insult another Amish for being too lax.