This is the first book on this subject that feels like it was written by an engineer, not a marketing intern. I really appreciated the chapter on joinery and inspecting a chest before buying it - the part about checking for half-blind dovetails versus machine-cut dovetails is something I've already used twice at auctions. The only reason it's not five stars is that the section on business opportunities felt a little basic for someone who is already in the trade, more of a primer than a deep dive.

Solid information, but I found the tone a bit dry in a few places. The author clearly knows their stuff when it comes to materials well, but I wish they had included more photographs or diagrams to go along with the descriptions of different drawer designs and felt installations. As someone who is just getting into vintage chests as a hobby, I understood the content, but a visual aid would have made the sections on evaluating wear patterns much more useful.

Finally! A book that takes flatware chests seriously. I run a small event rental business, and the chapter on matching chest types to specific use cases paid for the book by itself. I changed my purchasing strategy based on the advice about British silver chest stiffeners and drop-front designs versus standard drawer chests, and my staff says the new setup is much more efficient for transport. The maintenance chapter on handling water rings is also exactly what I needed. This is now my go-to reference.