The beveled edge, also commonly known as a Swiss edge, is primarily used on thicker solid wood tables that are intended to appear less bulky. By tapering the edge from the top of the table edge downwards and backward, only the upper table edge line is visible at first glance; the other edge 'disappears' under the table. This makes the table appear very light and delicate, despite having a thick tabletop (more than 3 cm thick).
With thin wood thicknesses, the optical effect of a beveled edge is hardly noticeable; here, a simpler straight edge can be used.
With the beveled edge, the angle of the taper is not standardized, so it varies somewhat from manufacturer to manufacturer. Generally, it can be said: The sharper the angle, the less massive the tabletop appears. This special design of the table edge is primarily used for more elegant fine woods, such as teak, oak, or beech. For more rustic tables, such as a live edge table, the table edge should appear more rustic, natural, and strong, which is why it is clearly visible in its full thickness and often tapered from bottom to top.
Beveled edges are mainly used for solid wood tables; they are unsuitable for tabletops made of chipboard or MDF materials. When considering tables with such a chamfered edge, it is also important whether the tabletop has an overhang. The table base should not be directly at the edge and not wider than the lower edge; ideally, it should be set back a bit inwards.
In addition to dining tables with a beveled edge, there are also desks with this edge shape. Here, often only the front has a Swiss edge, while all other sides have normal straight edges, as they are usually less visible. For coffee tables, Swiss edges can also be used effectively, although due to the lower height of sofa tables and the different viewing angle, one tends to look at the table edge more from above, thus making the optical effect of the beveled edge less pronounced.
The beveled edge is also called a Swiss edge or chamfered edge, but it refers to the same type of table edge.
