Chess Storage Box

Greetings Chess Fans, 

Falling Leaf Chess is featuring a beautiful, sturdy, storage box for that special chess set - the Hickory 2 Chess Storage Box. The Hickory 2 Chess Box accommodates kings with a maximum height of 4-3/8" and a 1-5/8" base. It's perfect for the new Dublin Pattern 2 set I introduced recently. It is constructed to hold double queens. The box has a light gray felt lining, padded feet and polished brass Vertex hinges. Overall, the box measures 11-1/2" long x 8-3/4" wide x 5 -3/4" tall and weighs 5 lbs. 

Visit my website - Etsy.com/shop/FallingLeafChess - for  pricing and ordering details. If this box doesn't  fit your special chess set, contact me and I can build something custom for  you.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea how beautiful this box is. 

Thanks for your time, all comments are welcome! 





 

Looks like a really nice storage box. well done. the curved edges is not something you see on most boxes. I like the groove handle too.

This post also gives me a few other ideas for a storage box. I dont know how practical it might be... but it's about aesthetic.

1. Rather than 4 felt pads, what about a full felt bottom (I get it's more material and might be unnecessary)
2. Hidden hinge. not that this doesn't look nice, again, just a totally clean exterior.
3. Fabric hinge like on the World Chess Studio board. Just wondering.
4. Magnet to keep it closed. The click might be satisfying when opening and closing.

Just a thought. These features aren't usually in other storage boxes either.

Check the fabric hinge on the folding World Chess Studio board.

Hello @Timo1177 I'll apologize up front as I don't want to be too critical of people's chess endeavors, and I do fully appreciate new designs towards that end. Your chess box appears to be very robust and secure to hold our treasures. I have a repurposed cigar humidor with 5/8" thick walls and lid, has handles on the sides to lift the case, and even a cedar shelf. However, I discovered that the bottom panel was only about 1/8" thick and rather weak. This was previously unnoticed since this humidor always sat on a hard surface which provided firm support. It wasn't until I first moved the case, loaded with two chess sets, that I felt the bottom sag from the weight.

To your box then, in looking at the cross-hatch pattern of the bottom, is the bottom panel made of compressed particle board? And what is its thickness? I'm also wondering, with the 'feet' at the corners, whether the unsupported center of the bottom panel will sag over time.

Again, I apologize for the critical observations/questions.

@Timo1177

(Fellow wood worker here) I love the natural wood grain pattern, well laid out. Joints look like a good tight fit as well. I appreciate that you balanced the joint layout top to bottom. Well done my friend. I do echo @Yenster1 concerning the bottom board. It may well be solid enough over time, but it appears to be a fiber/board material. It could just be that the photo doesn't do it justice. I'd prefer hard wood bottom versus a fiber/board material myself. Just my humble opinion. Overall, very nice craftsmanship.

As Wits-end said, they like how you carried the look and finish all the way to the top of the lid. I agree. the curved corners and rounded edges is a nice look.

I imagine a sliding top might be easier (and hence cheaper). I have this storage box. It's not bad... I think the finish could be nicer. It's missing the dividers you have.

The sliding top is more secure. I would hope the box isn't shaken around enough to actually need it. If it makes a significant difference in effort/cost this might be an option for some. Perhaps some customization on the top. Can you do laser engraving? Maybe you can charge extra for an inscription where people could put a message, their name or the set inside. I love the idea of hosting a tournament and gifting a set in a custom box. As I think about it, customization might be more useful on the edge if you store them stacked on a shelf... like reading the spine of a book so you can fine the right set.

I covet this storage box from JLP but I think yours has my eye more. JLP makes some very nice boards too. The two-tone here is pretty special.

I only mention the hidden hinge and other ideas as ways you can experiment and create something unique that others don't offer. You'll see both of these examples have the sharp corners... I haven't seen rounded edges like yours.

I will get measurements for a couple of my sets to see what the size should be and if they fit your standard box.

One more... here's a storage box produced by Henri Chavet that they provide their pieces in.