What wood is this, finish and handles.

[Johnboy54]

Hi to all.
Firstly, anyone know what wood this is please?
I've Googled and it seems to be Ash or Walnut?
The wife wants it stripping back so it's a natural finish.
The unit is old and solid wood, handmade to the seller's specs.
I did it with an oak sideboard and finished it with Fiddes wax, which is what I hope to do with this.
The handles look OK when on, but they are like tin and nailed on. As you can see it just tore and mangled when I took the first one off.
Ideally I'd like brass replacements, but all I can find are flat solid ones, which obviously won't sit on the curved drawers.
Plus i'd prefer to cover the nail holes with it.
Any idea where I can find some?
Thanks for any help and advice.
John

 

[foxhole]

If you use a drop handle it will span the curve without much problem.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Ash or walnut? Ash is an open pore timber and normally very light in colour (except for olive ash - generally used as veneer). It was traditionally used as a joinery timber and only really came into use in furniture other than as chair components in the 1960s (in the main). Walnut is a possibility, although I'd expect walnut to be "colder" and darker in hue (it has no reddish tinge at all). The fact that the handles are tinplate makes me suspect that the piece originated outside of the UK (India?) which could make it one of a dozen or more tropical hardwood species.

As foxhole says, drop handles are the way to go.

 

[Johnboy54]

Thank you both for the replies.
I find that quite fascinating.
You obviously know your stuff!
Tinplate points to India, who'd have thought it.
We like the grain and were curious what it was.
I know drop handles are in abundance, but I was hoping to replace the tinplate as well with brass, curved, to cover the nail holes.
And it would look better.
Never mind, I'll keep looking.
Thanks again to both of you.
John

 

[foxhole]

Right size drop handle fixings will cover holes.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Tinplate points to India, who'd have thought it.

In the UK furniture made in the late 18th century often used stamped brass as opposed to stamped sheet steel. Stamped plate continued into the 19th century but much Victorian stuff was made from solid cast brass. You don't see much stamped tinplate used in British made stuff as the brass (including plated) was often readily available and less prone to rusting in our climate (as well as when in contact with tannin-rich timbers such as walnut, true mahogany and oak). It is still available from some suppliers such as Armac Martin in Birmingham and specialist suppliers such as Saville's in Scarborough. Maybe worth talking to them to see what they can supply