This custom traveling backgammon set has a mahogany case with ebony accents and solid brass clasps. The interior is made from select rosewood, mahogany, and satinwood veneers. The hand-turned playing pieces are maple and walnut, and the custom-crafted dice cups are mahogany.

The case measures 18-3/4” long, 11-3/4” wide, and 2-1/2” tall.

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This chess box reproduction was made for a collector of chess sets, for whom I have made several boxes/boards. It is a reproduction of a box made in or around Germany in about 1860. The original was made of ebony and genuine ivory.

As there is an international moratorium on the trade of ivory, this box is made from synthetic ivory and real Gaboon ebony veneers.

The unique tapered sides of its design present some unique visual interest, and numerous construction challenges.

It is lined with billiard cloth.

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Chess and Backgammon Game Boxes like this have been common for centuries. Long before the invention of the GameBoy this is how individuals carried their entertainment with them. 

This box is a replica of a circa 1760 box made in southern Germany. It is the first of a series of boxes being make for a collector of chess sets.  It is a large box, measuring 20" square and 4-1/2" tall.

It was reproduced from photographs of the original, which is in a private collection. Game boxes from this period are extremely rare. This box was made as a replica of its 250 year-old ancestor – preserving the craftsmanship prevalent in that era. 

Great care was taken in distressing the piece and adding age to the veneers and finish. Every surface of this box, inside and outside, is veneered. The only solid pieces visible are the finely detailed contoured top and bottom edge trim moldings – each carefully shaped with a custom hand tool made for this piece. 

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This box is the second in a series of reproduction boxes created for a collector of chess sets.  It contains not only a chessboard, but a backgammon board inside.

Chess and backgammon have a long association. Recognizable forms of each game emerged from neighboring civilizations—chess from India and backgammon from Persia—around the sixth century. One legend from the Persian epic poem “Book of Kings” states that when Indian envoys brought chess to the Persian court, the Persians taught the visitors to play backgammon in return.

This box is a replica of a circa 1710 box made in southern Germany. It was reproduced from photographs of the original, which is in a private collection. Game boxes from this period are extremely rare. This box was made for a collector as a replica of its 300 year-old ancestor – preserving the craftsmanship prevalent in that era. Care was taken to replicate the age of the original.

Unlike its ancestor, this box has faux ivory inlays – not real ivory.

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This premium, solid Black Walnut storage box was commissioned by a client with a special storage need.  He needed a strong, attractive hand-crafted box to store and transport heavy, large gauge brass cartridges for an antique firearm. 

This 9” x 8”x 7” box is constructed of ¾” thick Black Walnut, cut from a branch fork of the tree.  This resulted in very dramatic grain patterns on all surfaces of the box.  The box corners are fitted with hand-cut dovetail joints.  It is finished with a penetrating oil varnish that makes the grain pattern pop for this striking appearance

This heavy box, weighing over 2 pounds empty and nearly 5 pounds when loaded, is fitted with high quality brass hardware, including heavy duty quadrant hinges, a solid brass spring catch, and forged brass carrying handle.

The interior is partitioned, as shown below, providing individual nesting places for each cartridge. Both the inside bottom and top surfaces of the box are covered with black neoprene foam, trapping the cartridges between them, preventing them from rattling.

If you need a box with both style and functionality, I can make it for you!

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This custom jewelry box, with the marquetry top, was commissioned by a client who wanted a special place for a special piece of jewelry.  It is a small box, only 5" x 6" and just 2" tall, but the design on the lid is a rendering in wood of the design on the pendant to be kept in the box.

The lid is hinged as shown with solid brass hinges.

It is made of solid Cherry.  The woods in the marquetry inlay are Padauk and Osage Orange.

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This 8"x"8 small jewelry box is made from highly figured Tiger Maple. The custom marquetry inlay is composed of a variety of contrasting woods, selected for their natural colors to affect the design of the sunflower. It is set off by the inlaid cherry stripping outlining the edge of the top.

This was a commission created to commemorate the first Christmas of a new daughter-in-law into the family who requested it.

It has a simple slip top, illustrated open in the next photo.

Here you can see much better the sunflower marquetry inlay on the top. The sunflower was included as the request of the client.

The interior walls of the box are wood, as shown. The bottom of the inside is finished with felt.

The horizontal stripes on the box corners are installed cherry splines that give the mitered corners the strength needed in order for this box to last for generations.

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This solid Cherry heirloom chest (12"W x 12"D x 6"H) was made specifically to protect the set of very fine doll tea party dishes shown in the next picture.  

The box is constructed with hand-cut through dovetails on all corners.  The lid is accented with a marquetry inlay of the lucky owner's initial, set off with a corner inlaid accent, and the walnut banding around the perimeter of the lid.

It has all solid brass hardware, including a special quadrant hinge that serves as a stop to hold the lid open, as shown following.

Here is the heirloom box with the lid open, showing the set of doll dishes for which the box was created.

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