best height for standing desk?

Most antique versions sit around 40 to 42 inches at the front lip. That suits average heights well when standing. Taller users sometimes add wooden blocks under the legs. You can also buy an adjustable drafting stool if you want to sit.

I found a desk with a sloped top in a barn but the lid is warped and won't close, can this be flattened out?

Solid timber warps when left in damp conditions or placed next to a hot radiator. The cells in the wood expand unevenly, causing a permanent bow across the wide flat board. A cabinetmaker can sometimes relieve the tension by cutting kerfs into the underside and clamping it flat. It takes time and requires re-gluing. Often, it is easier to replace the lid entirely if the warp is severe. A good restorer will match the old timber and finish.

ink stains out of raw wood?

Old ink sinks deep into the grain. Surface sanding rarely removes it. Leave the stains alone. They show the desk was used in a busy office.

My grandfather used a high desk in his shipping office and it had a leather top, but the one I bought has bare wood. Was leather removed?

Bare wood slopes are very common. Many counting houses ordered plain timber tops because they took hard wear from heavy ledgers being dragged across them. Leather tops cost more and were usually reserved for senior clerks or bank managers. The softer surface made writing with a dip pen much easier. If yours is bare wood, it was likely built that way. Look at the edges. A leather top usually sits inside a shallow recessed border.

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Victorian Clerks Desks

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An antique clerk's desk is a tall, sloped-top workspace designed to be used while standing or sitting on a high stool, built to hold ledgers and paperwork in commercial counting houses.