When you purchase a Gerstner, you make an investment. You invest in the prized collection, valuable tools or precious treasures you keep inside it. You also invest in the finest materials and craftsmanship, so you can enjoy a lifetime of dependable use from something worth passing down through the generations. A Gerstner is built with carefully selected hardwoods and veneers that provide a moisture-free environment for the proper storage of your precision tools. Even after decades of daily use, a Gerstner Chest often maintains a value equal to or greater than its original cost.

Gerstner & Sons was founded on the belief that a journeyman’s reputation is built upon the professionalism that he brings to his work. Gerstner Tool Chests always have and will continue to be used by men and women who take great pride in their work, their tools and their professionalism. We believe that each and every wood chest we build is a keystone in our reputation, and with every product that passes through our hands, we aim to embody our logo: Craftsmanship Lives. We take great pride in our people, our products and the many professionals we serve.

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Hand Rubbed Lacquer Finish

Every Gerstner chest goes through 3 final finishing stages. At each stage the lacquer finish is hand rubbed to give a lasting beauty and protection to the selected hardwoods. Oak and Cherry chests have a hand applied stain, Walnut is not stained – this allows the natural wood grain to show.

American Made

A Gerstner is a testament to the fact that American craftsmanship can be the finest in the world. Beginning with the finest kiln dried hardwoods, over 100 separate construction and finishing operations are performed. The men and women who build the Gerstner Tool Chests are motivated and dedicated to maintaining and continuing this heritage of excellence.

Hand Fitted Drawers and Panels

Each drawer in a Gerstner Chest is shaped, planed and fitted by hand to insure an exact fit and smooth operation. Tongue & Groove joinery insures structural durability.

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Heavy Duty Hardware

All hardware…drawer pulls, corner mounts, carrying handles and locks are specially designed for a lifetime of protection, service and beauty. Some models are available with Brass Hardware standard. An optional upgrade to Brass Hardware is available for an additional charge for all other items.

Felt-Lined Drawers and Storage Compartments

The felt-lined cushioned interiors provide special protection against moisture and abrasions for precision tools.

Front Closing & Locking Lid

A Trademark of Gerstner Chests is the exclusive front closing lid, uniquely designed to slide under the bottom drawer when in use. When closed/locked, the lid conceals the drawers to protect your valuables against theft, temperature changes and moisture.

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Magna-Lid™

Magna-Lid provides only a slight magnetic pull and is not meant to hold a front lid in its upright position while the chest is being transported or moved in any manner. This feature is standard in some of the larger Gerstner Chests, and available as an option in the smaller ones for an additional charge.

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Stop-Trac™ Drawer System

The Stop-Trac System is a unique spring loaded brass bullet catch which prevents drawer spillage yet allows for easy pull-out of drawers when necessary. Stop-Trac comes standard on our model 2613 Pro-Series chest and the B2705 base, and an installation kit is available for other chests.

Gerstner Woods and Color Options:

For our current product line-up we have standardized our core wood choice options to Golden Oak, American Cherry, Rustic Hickory, Natural Walnut and Dark Walnut.

Golden Oak

Golden Oak products have a medium to dark golden stain color. This color is similar to the natural aging process that occurs in chests that we see over 40 years old. This golden color gives them an antique look that brings out the richness of the grain patterns. We only use quartersawn white oak, which is renowned for its stability and unique “tiger striping” grain. From hardwood flooring to whiskey barrels, fine furniture to tool chests, Quarter-sawn White Oak has been a standard construction hardwood of the finest craftsmen for 100’s of years. Your new oak chest can darken over time.

American Cherry

American Cherry products have a light to medium fruitwood colored stain which accents and highlights the natural grain patterns of Cherry wood. Cherry wood has a beautiful flowing and curvy grain pattern that includes naturally occurring “mineral streaks” and “pitting”. The mineral streaks, which can show as darker grain lines and the pitting, which are like tiny knots are part of the natural character and beauty of Cherry. As Cherry ages, it darkens over time adding additional depth and tone to the color of the wood. Grain patterns and other characteristics of the wood add to the elegance and uniqueness of each Cherry product we make.

Rustic Hickory

Rustic Hickory is a popular choice if you want character in the wood. Strength, hardness and durability are key features of Hickory. Rustic Hickory shows a very strong, distinctive wood grain that will make each product a beautiful focal point in any room’s décor. Gerstner’s Rustic Hickory can contain dark heartwood and light sapwood, sound knots and mineral streaks for a contrasting look. The small tight knots (sound knots) and mineral streaks are characteristics of the wood that give it a natural rustic look. The wood has a great deal of color variation between reddish brown, lighter brown and white. The larger the piece used the greater the chance of color variation. Your new Hickory chest has a lacquer finish and no stain to color the wood, but it will darken over time.

Natural Walnut

Natural Walnut wood has no stain applied to let the natural color variations add to the look and style of each product. Each piece of walnut can vary greatly; from a very dark or almost blackish tone, which is found closer to the heart or center of the tree, to lighter or blond color near the edges of the wood. Plain-sawn Walnut, which is the cut used at Gerstner, has a wood grain that features a beautiful, curvy pattern. Natural Walnut can lighten in color and tone over time.

Dark Walnut

Dark Walnut products start with the same plain-sawn walnut used for our natural look products, with its distinct wood grain. We next apply a Gerstner proprietary blended dark stain, to balance out the natural color variations and produce a rich, dark and even tone. Our Dark Walnut finish will help resist fading, but as with all walnut products you may notice a slight lightening in color and tone over time.

Color Samples Available:

The pictures on our website are a good overall representation of the colors of the products that we sell, but from phones to tablets to monitors, colors may appear slightly different depending on your screen. Due to the nature of wood and the variety of grain patterns in even a single piece of wood, all products will have slight variations from the color shown.

If you are unsure about the color of our products, we can mail you small wood color samples for $5.00. This covers our processing & postage costs for the samples. Please call (937) 228-1662 with credit card information or mail a check to:

H. Gerstner & Sons
20 Gerstner Way
Dayton, OH 45402

Be sure to include your daytime phone number and a return mailing address when writing to us.

Note: The exposure of wood to light will change their original color, due to this fact, we cannot guarantee color matches on units purchased separately. If you have a product you would like matched we would need a drawer or some other piece from your chest to aid us in matching your new chest to the older one. See below for explanations of our various woods and colors available. Custom colors and some color matching is also available, contact us for more information.