The Hoffmann Dovetail Joining System is a unique way of efficiently joining wood and wood related materials like MDF, plywood, particle board, etc. Most commonly, the system is used for all types of miter joints, on anything from small, applied moulding to mitered cabinet doors, base frames and furniture components. Other applications include difficult to assemble compound miter joints, as found on crown moulding around the top of cabinets, on custom store fixtures and even casket lids. Square or butt-joints are another field of application, from face-frame assembly to trim carpentry (plinth or corner block-to-casing joint). All in all, the applications are as different and numerous as the customers, from small one-man custom shops to large furniture factories, from shutter manufacturers to architectural millwork shops, from stair builders to yacht outfitters to outdoor furniture manufacturers.
The heart of the system is the Hoffmann Dovetail Key (or "Hoffmann Schwalbe" in German), a fastener in the shape of a double dovetail.