These boxes are inspired by those made by the Shakers, who established a number of prosperous religious communities in the Eastern United States in the late 18th Century. The Shakers were well known for their careful craftsmanship and many useful inventions. While the Shakers used pine for the tops of their oval boxes, we use a variety of hardwoods (cherry, maple, birdseye maple, walnut) with interesting grain & color.

The Shaker oval boxes have stood the test of time. Today they are as beautiful and useful as they were one hundred and fifty years ago. Our boxes are available in Cherry which will mellow and deepen with age. We often use Bird's Eye for our tops which is an increasingly rare North American hard wood with it's "eyes" providing an exciting visual contrast to the simple Shaker design. We use no stains, only a hand rubbed oil finish which is then waxed. What you see is the beauty of the wood.

Our oval boxes are faithful reproductions of those made by the Shakers, the last being made by Brother Delmer Wilson at Sabbathday Lake, Maine.

Steaming makes the wood supple enough to bend around a form and then fasten with copper tacks. The bottoms and tops are carefully fitted and secured with wooden pegs. The process we use is the same as used by the Shakers. The box is then sanded. A penetrating finish is followed by a protective coat of durable wax.