My New Trunk

When Jean and I went to Brushy Creek earlier this spring one of the very cool things he had and I didn't was a period trunk.  Jean had all his clothes neatly packed in his trunk.  It took seconds to stow and seconds to unload, and everything he was going to wear was all in one place.  Very nice.  It is a leather covered barrel top trunk decorated with brass tacks.  He bought it at the Pacific Primitives a few years back and it's been his main method of re-enactor clothing storage both in camp and at home.  To say I was envious would be putting it mildly.  But finances conspired to keep me from purchasing one for myself.  This year however my Uncle Sam decided that I had paid him too much last year and he, and my accountant, thought it would be a good idea to return some of it.  Flushed with my newly found wealth I made up my mind to take the plunge and dive into a new trunk from the folks at The Trunk Shoppe.

I had been such an admirer of Jean Baptiste's trunk that I was sure I wanted the barrel top style.  I had been to the Trunk Shoppe's Web site hundreds of times trying to decide what color and lining to choose and knew exactly what I would order.  That is until I went to their Web page prepared to actually make the call.

While I was there looking at the barrel top trunks for the umpteenth time I happened to notice, for the first time I might add, a little red oval on the left side of their home page just below the table of contents.  Inside, in cream colored letters it said, "Click Here for Items Ready to Ship."  Hmmm.  Interesting.  No waiting for a custom order.  I give them the money.  They give me the trunk.  Sounds like the way business used to work.  I am intrigued so I click on the red oval and see before me an array of some of the most beautiful trunks, chests, cases, and boxes around.  All up to the same exacting standards of craftsmanship and historical accuracy displayed on the rest of their Web site.  I see one I want and even though it is a Saturday afternoon I pick up the phone and punch in their telephone number.  To be completely honest I expected to get an answering machine so I wasn't surprised when it happened.  I dutifully left my name and phone number and thought I'd get a call on the following Monday or Tuesday.  So I went back to the keyboard to work some more on a piece I'm doing about Robin and my trip to New Orleans in April.

I was wrong.  It was only a few hours later that the phone rang and I found myself talking to a very personable and thoroughly enjoyable woman.  She turned out to be Katie Freede, one of the two principles of The Trunk Shoppe.  The other is her husband Steve, maker of fine historical artifacts.  Katie and I spoke for quite a while that Saturday afternoon and she made me feel like an old friend of the family.  In the end, and after much pleasant conversation, I decided not to buy the barrel top trunk after all.  The one they had ready to ship was going to be too small for my purposes, but they did have a saddleback trunk looking for a good home.  The size was right, the price was right, so I did the deal.  Katie told me it would ship out on Monday morning and would probably make the journey from Colorado to California in four or five business days.  That meant I would have my very own hand-made, historically correct, personal clothing storage by the end of the week.

The Trunk Shoppe label

True to her word, and due in no small part to her experience with United Parcel Service, the trunk arrived on Friday around noon, in excellent shape and looking even better than it had in the photographs on their web site.  But you've been reading this almost as long as I was waiting.  Let's take a look at a saddleback trunk from The Trunk Shoppe.

The Trap Door closed

What makes a saddleback trunk a saddleback trunk is its lid.  It is in essence a flat top trunk with a leather "bag" attached to the lid. The space inside the bag is accessed through a "trap door" in the underside of the lid.  The door is held in place with a stout piece of wood run through leather straps.  While one was travelling the bag was stuffed with bed linens, night clothes, and other soft items to create a pad atop the trunk.  This could then be used as a comfortable place to sit while journeying.  Upon arrival it would assume its place in the home as a piece of furniture and was frequently passed down from generation to generation.

The Trap Door open

The interior of my trunk, including the "bag," is lined with fabric.  In this case a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) pattern which is unfortunately no longer available.  At each end are forged iron handles that allow it to be lifted comfortably.  The joint between the lid and body of the trunk is protected by a scalloped leather dust seal wile the corners are encased in brass sheeting.  The bottom plate is reenforced with sheet brass plates and there is liberal use of brass tacking for decoration.  The lid is secured by a keyed hasp lock which incorporates a swing-away brass plate to protect the keyhole.  The shell is constructed of solid hardwood which is then covered with leather.  The bottom has two hardwood rails to protect it from moisture and anything it sits on from scratches.

Dust seal and handles

Tacking detail

Keyed hasp lock

Detail of bottom strap

The craftsmanship is exquisite throughout.  It appears there is no detail too small to escape Steve while he works.  The lining, the seals, the brass strips and tacking are all immaculately done.  And measuring as it does at 26"x 14"x 13" there is enough room to hold all of my present supply of re-enactor clothing except for my footwear.  And, I suppose, if I were only to pack those clothes I would actually wear at my next rendezvous or gathering the boots and shoes would find a place inside as well.  Even though currently priced at $495 plus $35 for shipping it may seem a bit on the expensive side I can assure you it is one of the great values in today's re-enactor gear marketplace.  This is an item that my children are jostling for already, and I'm only 53!  Besides, now it's Jean Baptiste that is eying my trunk with just a touch of green.---JBW

Lock and key

The Trunk Shoppe may be contacted through their Web site or via email at

Top of page

Send email to: webmaster@armoryhill.com