At long last (thank you USPS), I received a box of the production-bound copies of “The Book of Plates.” Like many readers on Twitter and Instagram, I was smitten. It is a bit intoxicating to hold, page through and examine.
We have had several customers who – having received “The Book of Plates” – have asked the following question: “Where the %$#^ is the custom wooden box you promised?”
So if you are wondering the same thing, here’s the answer: “The Book of Plates” ships in a custom cardboard box made in Indianapolis (and at great expense). We said it shipped in a custom box, and I showed it to you here in this video. It’s cardboard, which is termite barf, which was then eaten by a nearby drunken termite and pooped out into a flat, corrugated format (termite sphincters are amazing).
That’s your custom wooden box.
There is no custom wooden box, and we apologize if you read “custom box” as “custom wooden box.” If we did ship “The Book of Plates” in a custom wooden box, then John and I would be wearing custom wooden barrels as we shuffled into the poorhouse.
As always, if you are dissatisfied in any way with our products, send them back to us and we will gladly refund your money.
— Christopher Schwarz
My copy arrived safely in its custom box, and I thank you for it. I also want to thank all of you for the work you’re doing. All this old information is giving me new energy to get back in my shop.
How about plans for a custom box one might build . . .
Measure your copy of the book?
Mine is 14.25 X 10.25 X 1.75 🙂
If only there were a book, perhaps with a red cover, that had plans for such a box. We could call it a “packing box”?
Snort.
A box sounds like a perfect little project for a winter week.
Fortunately it is a book of plates (pictures) and not a book of reading comprehension.
Oops, I forgot. It is spectacular in detail and quality. Bravo!
OMG!!! I was expecting mine to arrive in a custom coffin (aka. custom box) built by Mr. Schwarz, autographed and complete with burn marks on the inside. Geezzz! 😉
PS. Can’t wait to get mine. (she says, skipping happily around the room)
Marilyn,
For you I skinned a sacred moose….
My custom cardboard box survived, dented etc. however the book is PERFECT. Oh, that’s what custom meant. Works for me. Thanks to all of you.
My copy arrived – very thankfully – in the custom box because although two corners of the box were completely split open the book edges were undamaged. Thank you for such attention to detail.
Who cares about a book box? This book by itself is stunning. It’s way more captivating than I anticipated…and yes, even intoxicating to hold and gaze upon. It’s a work of craftsmanship in its own right. The paper quality and weight, as well as the cover and binding, are magnificent. They just beg you to look inside and never put back it in a box. And once you do look inside, you are captivated and inspired to go make something better than you thought you could before you opened it. Thank you, Chris, for this gift to the woodworking community.
Well said.
Very well said thank you for expressing what I had trouble writing. Thank you Chris and all who help in getting these books out to us. They are something to hand down to our grandchildren. Happy Holidays I got my Christmas gift.
Received mine yesterday.
My wife looks at it and says that $100 was way underpriced for this, I tend to agree.
My book arrived today. I was a little apprehensive seeing the box. Looks like it had a rough trip through the U.S. postal system. Inside the book was in pristine condition; not a ding anywhere. The box did it’s job! The book is beautiful! I’m having a difficult time not getting drool stains on the pages. 🙂
Mine showed up today. After seeing the book, I’m surprised it was only $100! Excellent quality and work!
Mike
Hopefully, one day soon, I will be able to afford a copy of this wonderful book.
As for you true woodworkers out there, Buck up and build your own Custom Wooden Box.
Thank you Chris for all your work, and for caring enough to help educate the masses….
It’s a coffee table book in the sense that it’s large enough to be the table. Super high quality. Great job LAP. I’m going to build that carriage.
Received mine today. Super excited and yes the book is beautiful. Not a complaint but thought I should point out that it might be good in the future to offer a bit more moisture protection for the book. My letter carrier stupidly threw the package over the fence at my shop and it was pouring rain today. I had been checking the usps tracking number on my phone throughout the day for delivery but my package sat out in the rain for about 15 minutes before I got to it. The cardboard was soaked and had just started to wet the inner paper. Some of the pages were wet but no real damage (probably a testament to the high quality materials of the book). Had it sat in the rain for much longer, I think it might have been a tragedy. So just a thought. I know Chris and John do a great job and take great pride in the way they produce and package their products. Can’t wait to “read” the book of plates.
-Jack
I can forgive the low quality of the ‘wood’ used in making the box. It is the four missing scantily clad maidens who were supposed to deliver it that I’m upset about!
What?
If you are going to imagine things, you might as well go big!
Seriously, I’m quite impressed with the book. High praise considering my parsimonious nature.
My package, cardboard box, and I can only assume a book inside arrived over the weekend – but it was whisked away before I could check that the contents had survived the trip! – I pleaded with my wife that I should check that it was ok – she opened it – apparently, although I cannot confirm, that it was ingeniously packaged and okay – and I have to wait ’til the 25th – in the-meantime can you send me the PDF of the book 😉
I also noticed a rather large brown parcel on the front stoop when I pulled into the dri easy. I also have to wait a few long, long weeks for Santa to give me mine.
The book is simply a joy to flip through, well done! As with some others, my “custom box” arrived open at one end and dented all over. However, the book was pristine. Might want to use a stronger tape though, or double up. Many thanks!
Forget the box, what this beautiful book really needs to come with is plans for an oversized book stand. I’ve tried every one I own and they all fall over. This book is far too impressive to keep on the shelf; it needs a stand so it can be displayed even when I’m not reading it (which is basically when I’m sleeping or in the shop trying to build an oversized book stand).
clearly needs a Roubo Book stand
Excellent suggestion! Riven white oak with carving (think Peter Follansbee). I’m on it. 🙂
You don’t know how much the complaints about the boxes made me laugh. After reading this and it being Christmas-time, I was wisked back to when my son was a toddler and when he opened his first presents, he was more interested in playing with the boxes than the really cool things inside the boxes. I even have some pics of him in the box, on the box, with the box on his head, all with the toys right next to him. Too bad he out grew it, would have been a lot cheaper for me to just wrap a box. Hey, now there’s an idea, how about LAP boxes? You wouldn’t even have to fill them. Think of the money saved on printing. No more editing books means more time in the shop and the profit margins would be awesome. The warehouse would love it, no more boxes to fill. AND, you’d make a bunch of people (who really want the box ) very happy. Just a thought.
I was a little concerned when I saw the dented cardboard box on my front porch this evening, but when I opened it, I was SO glad the tome within was shipped in a custom (cardboard) box. The book itself was in perfect condition and big & heavy enough to kill a man…. Not that I’d ever… Well…
It is truly amazing that one [or more] buyers of this wonderful book could have imagined they would get a custom wood box. What kind of woodworker would be willing to pay for a box!? It makes absolutely no sense.
I know you would not, but I wish you could publish their names. We all need to avoid such people. In my business, I’ve dealt with every flavor of idiot. Woodworking is supposed to be an escape from those people.
BTW, loved the book. The shipping box was severely damaged, but the book was unscathed. In other words, things appear to have gone according to plan.
Thanks again.
Anarchist Gift Guide day 3: The Custom Roubo Book Of Plates Box. 😉
The book arrived today at my rural mail box in almost zero degree weather. I grabbed the beat up box and took a deep breath expecting at the very least a bent up book corner. Glad to tell you that the “wooden” box did it’s job. Nice work Lost Art Press folks. The book is beautiful. You are all awesome. Thanks for the great work.
Dosch
Is it really a custom box if everyone who buys the book gets an identical box?
Well said sir, and along with several other off to find a book with a packing case in it.
Is it really a custom box if everyone who buys the book gets an identical box?
Yes.
Because the post office customizes each one.
My copy came in perfect condition. It’s real purty and my sig-other also agrees thats a lot of book for $100.
The cardboard part of the box was pretty much perfect for its job. The corners were dented but no damage made it through to the book.
On the other hand, the tape holding the box together was close to failing. Mine had one lengthwise strip that was no longer holding anything and two wraps that did keep it together but might not have survived another few days in the system
I have shipped literally tons of goods in cardboard boxes so I know what a pain it is to tape them up, but I’d do at least 3 full wraps if it was me paying to replace damaged books.
FWIW, my box and book arrived in pristine condition.
My copy arrived in wonderful condition. I have no idea what I would have done with a custom “wooden” box, other than contemplate how much it had added to the cost and was now useless to me.
My main though after receiving this book, and of course, I have no idea the cost or amount of labor involved, but if after sending us all these beautiful plates of millwork, Lost Art Press doesn’t go on to produce the millwork portion of this set of books, I will be so very disappointed. Selling that volume may cause the need to pander to a slightly different audience, but that audience is out there, and I believe would support the venture.
Wonderful book, wonderful project, please, please don’t stop short of completing the job.
Still anxiously awaiting the arrival of my copy but would like to make one suggestion. Given the quality of books of this type and the price tag that goes along with them, not to mention some of the stories above, I would really love to see LAP offer delivery via UPS. I’ve completely given up on the US Postal Service. Bad enough that they’re slow as all heck, but I regularly see packages/envelopes that are ripped, opened, run over or have sustained some other form of mayhem. I’d gladly pay the extra shipping on any LAP book. I don’t know about the logistics for LAP shipping out via UPS but it would be great to have the option.
By book arrived with it’s custom box torn and tattered at both ends, the tape nearly split clear open and only barely containing the book. The inner paper liner was torn as well. I feared the worst. However the book is in perfect shape, so the box did it’s job and sacrificed itself to save the book. The book itself is awesome.
You could always go here and make your own
http://www.bakerbindery.com/box/clamming_up/intro.html
As others noted, my box also arrived in tattered, torn and nearly open condition. The book itself was flawless. I chuckled at the thought of this being a custom cardboard box. I would also like to see something more than this lowest form of shipping offered. Saving a few bucks to ship a $100 book doesn’t make sense.
He meant to say he’s willing to spend a few more dollars for shipping on a book that you aren’t really making any profit on, Chris, and that he’s very surprised you can offer this book for only $100. Right mazilis?