Keep Your Easy-to-Lose Garage Gear in a Cool, Wooden Tool Chest

Like Larry David, we respect wood, we revere wood, we’re considerate of wood. That’s why we love tool boxes made of the stuff.

Though perhaps not as practical as a metal box, there’s something special about a shiny, lacquered, multi-tiered chest of drawers sitting on a garage workbench—a calm, organized center in an often messy, chaotic place. We’ve used them for storing clips, shims, fuses, and small-sized sockets and screwdrivers, their relatively modest dimensions and felt-lined compartments perfect for organizing tiny, easy-to-lose components and tools—the kind of stuff that’s prone to disappear when stored in boxes sized for larger items.

Gerstner has been making so-called “machinist’s chests” out of wood for more than a century now. Still built with tongue and groove joints and available in a variety of configurations, sizes, and finishes, they range in price from about 100 bucks to nearly 4,000, meaning it’s easy to find one right for your needs and budget. Be sure to rest your coffee cup elsewhere, though

Click here to see all the tool boxes Gerstner has to offer.