>> Legacy is about the things that you can pass on.

You can pass on your wisdom... your skills... >> How about this?

>> Air filter.

>> This down here?

Proper tire pressure would be?

>> 35 psi.

>> And, maybe, you can pass on something just a little bit more.

The Ford F-150 -- the proud supporter of "A Craftsman's Legacy."

>> I'm in Ohio visiting H. Gerstner & Sons, a company that's over 100 years old and specializes in handcrafted wooden tool chests, something so special, it speaks volumes about those who own them.

I can't wait to meet the craftsmen that are keeping Harry Gerstner's legacy alive.

♪♪♪ A craftsman battles for perfection, never willing to give in or walk away.

I'm Eric Gorges.

I build custom motorcycles using skills passed on by countless generations before me.

I used to work 9:00 to 5:00, chasing money and titles, and it nearly broke me.

So I started over.

I decided to work with my hands to feed my soul.

Please join me on a quest to uncover the skills that built our society.

We'll discover what drives the men and women who I call my heroes.

We'll learn their craft and maybe even find some inspiration along the way.

There's a part of you in everything you create -- your legacy, "A Craftsman's Legacy."

♪♪♪ I've been so excited to come here because, you know, I'm a metal-shaper, but I've seen the Gerstner chests for so long in my life, you know?

You go here, you go there, and you see them, and they're always regarded as, like, the best you can buy, you know?

>> Right.

>> And it's usually the machinists that have them.

>> Correct.

>> And they've got all their precise measuring equipment in there and stuff.

So I've been really excited to come here.

What can you tell me about the founder of the company?

>> The company was founded by my great-grandfather in 1906.

He was a pattern-maker prior to that, and he was earning the top wage that he could as a pattern-maker, which was six cents an hour.

>> Six cents an hour?

>> Six cents an hour.

>> And this was roughly what time period?

>> 1903-1904.

>> Okay.

>> He went through a four-year apprenticeship, and at the end of his apprenticeship, he got a $100 bonus, which was big back then.

>> Yeah.

>> And he decided to make his own toolbox to hold all of his tools for his pattern-making.

He spent about a year -- evenings and weekends -- perfecting his toolbox, brought it into work, and some of his fellow coworkers looked at it, and said, "Hey, that looks kind of cool.

Can you make one for me?"

So, he started to make a couple of boxes and decided, "You know, there might be a business in this."

So he went to his bosses and said, "I'm making top non-union wages right now.

I want a raise, or I'm gonna leave and start my own company."

They said, "Well, we're sorry."

So he left and he started.

He named the company Gerstner & Sons to sound more established at the time.

But we call it "wishful thinking".

>> Why?

>> Because he ended up having three daughters.

He never actually had a son.

>> [ Laughs ] >> But one of his daughters married John Campbell, who's my grandfather, so that's how the named changed from Gerstner to Campbell.

>> Alright.

And what's your role here?

>> I've been working for Gerstner for 23 years.

I grew up playing around here as a kid, and currently I'm the fourth president of Gerstner & Sons.

>> That's a lot of weight.

>> It is a lot of weight.

>> So, you've walked through this company.

I mean, you've done everything here?

>> When I started, I worked through every position in the company to know how our tool chests were made.

>> What'd you learn?

>> I learned that there's a lot of handwork in the chests, that you can't change one thing without affecting ten things down the road.

>> And what sets your chests apart?

>> We're the only U.S. manufacturer of a wooden tool chest, and the reason for a wooden tool chest is it creates a microclimate, and tools that you put in there will never rust.

>> Oh, really?

>> So, it keeps your precision tools protected and reliable for as long as you're gonna use them.

>> But there's been a lot of changes over the years, right?

>> Not much has really changed.

We changed the methods that we use to make the chests, but the joinery has still stayed the same from when we started.

>> Really?

>> Yes.

>> What about use?

>> The use has changed throughout the years, where most of our chests were going into the tool-and-die shop, now they're going to the home machinist to protect his personal tools.

Over the years, we've had to diversify as the tool-and-die industry has changed.

We've had to adapt, and we find that when guys retire, they start using our chests for guns and knives and fly-tying, so we've tried to come up with lines of chests that are suited for that purpose.

>> See, now, just in talking to you, there's like four chests I need now -- one for my flies, one for my knives... >> Yep.

>> That'd be cool.

So, earlier you used the term "heirloom".

>> Yes.

>> So, these chests were designed to be handed down?

>> When a parent is getting ready to retire, their child is usually halfway through their career, and their grandchildren are just coming through college and about to start a career.

So the grandparent will hand it down to the grandchild to give them a leg-up on what they're starting.

>> I gotcha.

So it'll actually skip a generation over?

>> It will, yes.

>> Nice.

You know, my grandfather's -- he was a cabinet maker, and I actually have his tool chest that he made himself.

That's sitting in my office.

>> Oh, okay.

>> It's actually what the chest I open at the beginning of every show is.

I left it as I received it, so it is full of sawdust, it's got his tools in it, it's got little notes in it, pencils and things like that, and I chose to leave it that way because every time I open it up... it brings me right back to my childhood.

You know, I can remember him saying, you know, "Get something out of the black box," and, you know, I'd go and open it up, and, you know?

>> Right.

>> And you've got some blueprints here, right?

>> I do.

I've got some drawings of some products throughout our history.

We've got some drawings here that are from the '30s on up through the '60s.

An interesting chest that we did is a nice chest that my dad -- it was the first one that he designed, in 1976, and it had a drawer for "The Machinist's Handbook," which was called "The Machinist's Bible," that they have to look up anything.

>> How does it feel, looking at something like this, knowing that this was, like, the first drawing your dad did?

>> It gives me a lot of pride, a lot of sense of history, knowing all the different products that we've made through the years.

>> Does that make you think much about the legacy of the company and your legacy and role with that?

>> It does give me a sense of legacy in building products that can last a lifetime.

>> When I was walking around earlier, I saw this sign over by the drawer area.

>> Yes.

"We claim that we manufacture the best tool chests.

Are you backing up this statement?

Work with us -- not just for us."

>> That's it.

The "Work with us -- not just for us."

>> Right, yeah.

>> I like that.

I like that a lot.

So, what do you think, man?

Do you think we should, maybe, walk around and see if we can find some work to get into?

>> Yeah, I'd love to get your hands dirty and have you help us.

>> This building is truly amazing.

It's everything I thought it would be.

>> We're gonna take you on a tour of the shop... >> Okay.

>> ...and we're gonna show you how we make the drawers, which is kind of the key component of our toolbox.

>> It sure is.

>> Yes.

>> Awesome.

A 1919 Gerstner catalog has the tagline "A place for everything and everything in its place."

For as long as there have been craftsmen, there has been a need to store and preserve their tools.

In 1906, propelled by the popularity of his own personally crafted toolbox, Harry Gerstner founded H. Gerstner & Sons in Toledo, Ohio.

Gerstner's toolboxes have always been known for their quality, utility, and longevity.

Many have been passed down through the generations, filled with stories, knowledge, and memories.

Orville Wright, who earlier made history by being the first in flight with his brother Wilbur in North Carolina, proudly owned a Gerstner's tool chest.

So did our 38th U.S. President, Gerald Ford.

H. Gerstner & Sons is the oldest wooden-tool-chest maker in America.

They continue to produce many of their original chests, while, at the same time, creating a series of designs that fit the lifestyle of new collectors, all with the same level of craftsmanship the company was founded on.

>> This is where we start all of our production.

The main species of wood that we use are gonna be walnuts, oak, cherry, poplar, and hickory.

So we take the lumber here, we cut it all down to a rough length for all the parts of the boxes, then we move onto the next stage of production.

>> Awesome!

♪♪♪ >> This is our next area of production, where we bring all the parts we just rough-cut.

We add some joinery and we get them ready for gluing.

>> Alright.

So you start off with big-sized boards... >> Yep.

>> ...then you cut them down into smaller-sized boards... >> Right.

>> ...and then you glue them up?

>> Yes.

>> Why do you do that?

>> Well, if you start with a big board and you use it, it's gonna warp.

So we cut it down into smaller pieces -- we'll alternate the grain to minimize warpage, and then we'll glue it back into a panel for use.

>> And he's clamping them all together.

>> Yes, he is.

>> That's probably one of the coolest clamping machines I've ever seen.

>> Yeah, it's a lot of fun to use.

Let's head on to machining the box parts.

>> Alright, cool.

>> Well, this is our next area of production.

This is where we do all the machining on the parts for the outside shell of the chest.

>> Really?

>> Yes.

>> And you've got a CNC machine there.

>> Yes, we did.

We invested in that in 1999.

Prior to that, we did everything on table saws.

>> Oh, really?

>> Yeah.

>> So, just an army of table saws, and that one machine replaced it?

>> We had permanent setups, and we had saws that we would change for the different cuts we needed.

>> Nice.

That's got to be a lot more, uh, accurate.

>> It is.

It's -- the repeatability and the accuracy has gone way up with that.

It allows us to have better construction for our chests.

>> Very nice.

>> So, you ready to get your hands dirty?

>> Absolutely.

>> Well, let's go show you how to make some drawers.

>> Alright, cool.

>> Okay.

♪♪♪ So, Eric, I'd like to introduce you to Bert Wilson.

He's one of our master craftsmen and helps train our new employees.

>> Nice.

Nice to meet you.

>> Yeah, nice to meet you.

>> So, what do you got going on?

>> Well, we have a whole table of parts here for our drawers.

>> Oh, okay.

This is one of your drawers here, right?

>> Yeah, that's one of the drawers.

>> And you got a whole bunch of equipment behind you.

>> Yeah, we've got a series of saws here that we use for the joinery and the grooves on the sides and the bottoms of the drawer.

>> Yeah.

Now, is each piece of equipment set up for just one operation?

>> Yeah, we try and leave the equipment set up for -- we call it a "permanent setup".

So, each machine will do that function.

So we can just walk up to it and start running parts through.

>> Oh, right, right, right.

So, you'd start at one end and just work your way down the different machines?

>> Yes, that's correct.

>> 'Cause there's a lot going on here.

And this is poplar, right?

>> It is.

We use that on all the drawer sides and backs for our chests.

We use poplar 'cause it's lower cost, it's a very stable wood, and holds an edge very nicely.

>> It's easy to get, too.

>> It's very easy.

>> So, uh, you think you got time to show me how to use some of this stuff?

>> Oh, absolutely.

We've got a whole table of parts here that we're gonna have you run through that machine.

>> Oh, I'm not gonna do all your work.

Maybe a couple I'll be happy to do.

>> Yeah, that would be great.

>> Alright, man.

Cool.

Well, let's get to it, man.

>> Alright.

♪♪♪ >> Mind if I try?

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ And now we're in sanding.

>> Right.

>> So, what's going on here?

What kind of sanding machine is that?

>> This is a stroke sander, where the operator is gonna be moving the table back and forth with his hand while he controls how much he sands the chest with a block of wood.

>> That sounds like it takes a lot of technique.

>> It does.

It takes a little while to master.

>> I would think so, yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> So, from here, where do these chests go?

>> Once we've sanded all the joinery flush, then we take it over to drawer-fitting.

>> And each drawer is fitted?

>> Each drawer is hand-fit to each chest.

>> Nice!

That sounds pretty cool.

>> Well, let's take you over there and see how you can do.

>> Alright, cool.

>> Alright.

♪♪♪ >> So, we've got a chest here... and a set of drawers.

>> That's right.

>> And you just got done numbering everything.

>> Right, uh, one of the reasons that we number the drawers are so that this set of drawers gets into this box.

>> So, from now on, this is a married set.

It's not gonna get separated or anything like that because we're gonna actually spend the time to hand-fit each drawer in this chest.

>> That's right.

♪♪♪ >> Now, why is it important to start with them all in to begin with?

>> Um, what it's gonna do is it's gonna allow us to see how much fitting's gonna be required.

It just gives us a brief overview of what we're gonna have to do to make the drawers fit in the cabinet.

>> Okay.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Alright, there we go.

>> Alright, well... >> What do you see?

>> Well, what we're gonna end up doing is -- you can see that there's no gap here, so what we're gonna try and do is put the gap in so it's nice and even, and then we're also gonna come in with a gauge and we're gonna make sure that we have the proper side-gap so that expansion/contraction won't interfere with the function of the drawer.

>> Sure, sure.

'Cause we don't want the craftsman not to be able to open up the drawer during the wintertime or summertime, or whatever, when the humidity changes, right?

>> That's right.

>> Okay.

>> Once we get them out, then we can start the fitting process.

>> Okay.

♪♪♪ So, we'll start with number one?

>> Yeah.

>> So, what's the first thing we check for, the side gap?

>> Yeah, what we're gonna do is take the gauge, and we're gonna make sure that we have enough side gap in the drawer.

>> Okay.

>> So, that looks pretty good there.

So, now, what we're gonna do is we're gonna start sanding the top edge of the drawer.

We're gonna remove the saw marks, or the tooling marks, so that it's nice and smooth, and then we're gonna even up the gap all the way across.

>> Is there a gauge we use for that, or just eyeball that?

>> No, it's just eyeball.

>> Oh, wow.

Okay.

Well, why don't I watch you, and then maybe I could try another one.

>> Alright, no problem.

Put more on that side.

Good.

We have a little bit of bounce in there.

That's telling me that... it'll help cancel some of it out.

Now we're just rocking front to back.

Take number 2...

But it was hitting the bottom.

So now we're starting to come in a little bit.

Then we'll introduce this drawer in... kind of see where we're at.

Now, at this point, you think, "Well, I've got two options.

I could take off here, or I could take off here."

Best thing to do is take off the bottom of this.

>> Close to... >> Yeah, and we've got additional overhang.

Downstairs, I had mentioned we flush it to the top.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm trying not to take off any more there.

Want to give it a try?

>> Sure.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ So, we got a stack of felt here.

>> Yes, we do.

>> This is, like, the signature of Gerstner chests.

>> That it is -- the green felt.

>> Has it always been green?

>> It's always been green, yeah.

>> And what's the purpose of it?

>> Well, the felt helps aid in the wicking of moisture away from the tool, and it also creates a padded liner.

The drawer bottoms used to have metal in them, and the last thing you want to do is put a metal tool in on a metal drawer bottom.

>> Sure.

>> So, it's like a cushion.

It keeps the tool protected.

>> So, we're gonna line all these drawers.

>> Yes, we are.

>> And you've got a glue machine there.

>> Yes, a hide-glue machine.

>> Alright.

Well, maybe I can give you a hand?

>> Okay, fantastic.

>> Alright.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Now, that's beautiful.

The craftsmanship is amazing on these.

>> Thank you.

>> Just wonderful.

And I see here we've got one from... >> This is a vintage 1940s/1950s era.

>> Really?

>> Yes.

>> So, people send them in to you guys for restoration?

>> Correct.

We'll get chests sent in for either repair, replacing old parts, or fully refinishing them.

>> And who handles that?

>> We've got one main craftsman that does that.

Paul Martin is a master craftsman.

He does all of our restoration and repair work.

>> So, what can you tell me about this chest?

>> What I can tell you is this is a family heirloom.

>> This one is, yeah?

>> Yes, it came in with a letter, and the fellow tells us that this belonged to his great-uncle.

His great-uncle bought it in the late '40s and worked all of his life with this.

He died and left it to his son.

His son used it in work.

Recently, he's died and left it to the nephew.

The nephew sent it to us to be restored.

>> And, now, with that type of job, what will you do?

>> Well, typically in a restoration, I'll start with any broken parts.

Sometimes they fall off a bench, there can be any number of mishaps, they could be through a fire, perhaps a flood -- there's a lot of water damage -- things happen.

So, the first thing I'll do is fix any broken parts -- cracks in the side, missing pieces, backs need to be replaced, tops need to be replaced.

In some cases, they're actually missing a drawer.

So, I'll re-create those pieces using the authentic wood, the finishes, the colors, and my goal is to set it up so that you can't tell which drawer is the new replacement drawer.

>> Sure.

So, you'll patina it or antique the material so that it has the same age range, right?

>> Right.

I'm not satisfied until the fellows who work here can walk past it and I say, "Which drawer did I fix?

Which drawer did I replace?

", and they can't tell.

>> That's nice.

>> That's when I know that I've done it well enough.

>> Sure.

>> As much as I can, I like to use the original tools that made the box in the first place.

>> Man, you talk about legacy and heritage, right?

Not every company has that opportunity.

That's... That's truly a gift for y'all.

>> It is.

>> Right?

I can't thank you all enough for having me out.

>> It was a pleasure.

>> What a wonderful time.

>> Thank you.

>> And it was an honor for me.

The Gerstner name is iconic, and, like many handmade items, something worth cherishing for many generations.

It was truly an honor for me to visit the craftsmen behind this name and discover firsthand why they've been around for over 100 years.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Legacy is about the things that you can pass on.

You can pass on your wisdom... your skills... >> How about this?

>> Air filter.

>> This down here?

Proper tire pressure would be?

>> 35 psi.

>> ...and maybe you can pass on something just a little bit more.

The Ford F-150 -- the proud supporter of "A Craftsman's Legacy."

>> To discover more about "A Craftsman's Legacy" and the craftsmen we feature, please visit our website.

And you can also follow us on social media through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.