What is Mortise and Tennon Joinery?

One of the oldest and strongest joinery techniques used by woodworkers is the mortise and tennon joint.

Mortise and tennon joinery dates back thousands of years, and examples can be found in ancient Egypt and even earlier.

A Mortise is a cavity cut into a component.  A mortise can be round or square/rectangular.

The Tennon is a protrusion at the end of a component, which is placed into the mortise.

Because of its strength, mortise and tennon joinery is typically used in table, chair, and door construction.