A Tool Chest That Lasts Several Lifetimes

Today I happened to tune into a PBS show called “A Craftman’s Legacy,” which visits various craft businesses.

I was shocked to hear that they were visiting a famous toolbox manufacturer in Dayton. I didn’t know there was such a thing.

But sure enough, when they showed the factory premises, I saw a familiar building, up on the other side of the Great Miami from downtown Dayton, close to the old railroad bridge, and between Sinclair and old St. Elizabeth’s. I’ve passed that building plenty of times, and it’s one of the few factories and warehouses in that area that hasn’t been torn down.

It’s called H. Gerstner & Sons, and they make beautiful, durable wooden tool chests, toolboxes, liquor cabinets, bottle stands, knife holders, jewelry boxes, collectible keepers, and pretty much anything else of that nature that you could want. They will even make you a stylish wooden purse or attache case.

They have a set of bookends that double as firearms storage. And they look darned nice. They also make more conventional firearms cases.

They will also fix and restore any of their old products that you happen to have around the house. Yep, Great-Grandpa’s toolbox can be your toolbox, too.

Finally, if you take a look at their stuff and want to make one just like it — you can buy a kit!

This stuff kills me. It is gorgeous. It looks like some of this stuff would be perfect for wedding presents, for instance.

But yup, apparently they are famous among people in the skilled trades, even if the rest of us don’t know about them. They should be famous with everybody!

The other interesting thing is that they are doing the work with a blend of century-old specialty tools, age-old hand tools, and super-new programmed tool machines. They have improved the processes they can, and left alone the ones that were already best.

So check out their website. Even if just to drool. And keep in mind that they have a warehouse sale every spring!

Also, if you have a lot of gaming miniatures or other knickknacks, and you want to organize and protect them while making your house look nice… they have a lot of stuff for you!