Elderwood Academy’s Hex Chest

A standard in the hobby community’s unique take on the dice vault.

A bit about Elderwood Academy

Elderwood Academy is a U.S. based maker of customizable Tabletop Gaming accessories. There product categories seem to be ever expanding in fact at the time of this writing they had just added Deck Boxes to their catalogue. Perhaps the most unique aspect of Elderwood Academy’s products is the degree of their customizability, as every part and parcel of their products can be picked from a modest selection of choices. This particular Hex Chest had the ultimate in customization, but the company actually offers a bit more on their other products. The Hex Chest can be customized in the following ways: Wood Type, Engraved Art, and Interior Style, but many of their products also offer a wide choice of leathers, felts, and other options to create more contrast, and more uniqueness.

First Impressions

This hex chest was purchased from Elderwood Academy, the same way any of you would, and so my first impressions obviously have to start there. The site is quite easy to use. For as modular as their items are, putting together the exact item you want is fairly intuitive, with just a few simple clicks, to pick your selections. I went with Cedar for the wood, Generic Art, because I wanted to try their custom art shop, and a beehive interior. The only thing even slightly confusing is that there is an upcharge if, like me, you choose the generic art option. The upcharge is actually an entirely different item that you’ll need to add to your cart. That item can be added to your cart from the “Custom Art Workshop” that’s found in their webpage’s footer. Select the art option for your particular item and you’re good to go. My guess is they do it this way because purchases of that specific item notify the art department. Which is the next step in the process. I sent the image to the right to their info email, and Shae in turn let me know she had forwarded it to the “art lady.”

48 hours later I heard back from Betsy, who sent me two proofs, to see what I’d like done. They are below.

I also was given the following information:

“Betsy from the Elderwood Art Team here! I've made 2 proofs with the custom art you've sent us. I've found a border from our art catalog that has a fey feel to it, combined it to your art, and inverted the image so the fairy and dragon will pop when engraved. Let me know which one you would prefer or if you would like to see any changes to either proofs (like a different border). “

I was a big fan of their creation, and gave them the approval on the proof on the right. All that was left was to wait. I got notification that the project was completed and had shipped 16 days later. 16 days for a custom engraved project personally strikes me as reasonable, but it is something to note. Planning and vigilance is going to be important if you have a due date for this, such as the recipient’s birthday.

How about when it arrived?

Well, it came shipped in it’s own little red velvet bag (inside of a shipping box of course) that was branded with the Elderwood Academy. The aroma of the cedar had already begun seeping through the bag, making it hard to wait. Upon pulling it out I was greeted with this sight to the right. It’s an exceptionally attractive item, and what surprised me the most was that there were no burn marks on the wood itself. The knotty portion of the wood that made up the left side of the lid was certainly darker than one would expect, but definitely didn’t show the characteristic blackening that you see so often with laser engraved items.

Pop it open!

Which is a touch easier said than done. As you can see off to the left, there’s only two sets of magnets, but the chest itself is pretty seamless, making it tough to get a grip. Additionally the magnets are pretty strong. This thing isn’t going to pop open just from dropping it, it seems. But you also can’t be super gentle with it, or you won’t open it at all!

Does it Work?

Yes! I have found some dice that won’t fit. Jumbo dice, Polyhero themed dice, they exist. But your favorite set is going to fit. GameScience, Chessex, WizDice, even your precision milled titanium dice will fit in the seven slots. This obviously rules out, 8 or 10 piece sets. However, if it’s time for your favorite set of typically sized dice to ride to your next RPG session in style, this is probably your single best bet. And remember, there are other options available, if you have an extra matching D20, or D6, maybe even one of each, going with the open interior might solve the space issue. And ultimately: it’s cool! Isn’t that what we look for when we buy items for our Tabletop RPG sessions? We want items that: 1. Spark Conversation, 2. Serve a functional purpose, 3. Inspire our gaming, 4. Leave us in awe of the workmanship. This easily does all four of those things. And it’s convenient. Ladies are gonna have trouble tucking this into a pocket, but it will easily fit into gentlemen’s front pockets. It slides right into a purse without taking up much space. And if, like me, you’ve repurposed your computer bag into a D&D bag, it slides nicely into the mouse pocket, easily letting you have your favorite set of dice wherever you have to go.

How much will it set me back?

The one photographed will cost you about $80. However, half of that comes from the Custom Art option. If you like any of their dozens of stock images, your price will range from $39-99 based on how exotic you want your wood to be. For a wooden dice vault, that’s actually very reasonable, especially since the shape is more conducive to carry than typical dice vaults. Throw in the choice of wood, and wide selection of engravings and you’ve got yourself a steal.

Are there any reasons not to get this?

The only one I can think of is if you don’t believe in sets of dice. If you’re the kind of person who gets their dice, by scooping from barrels, or buying factory seconds by the pound, you’ve probably got no use for this. BUT! Never underestimate the usefulness of having seven polyhedrals in your pocket, which this is perfect for. You never know when you may need to roll initiative!

How about as a gift?

This is going to be one of my top choices for gifting to a tabletop RPG player. Especially if you’re buying for someone who plays, even though you don’t. People actually tend to be very personal about many aspects of RPGs, and it makes sense. They spend time crafting a character often drawing it, at least coming up with a visualization, and so it certain custom items, such as minis can be a tough gift to get right. For similar reasons, people are very personal about their dice. They always welcome new sets to their collection, but their appreciation will often be skewed by the successes or betrayals of those polyhedrals. But this has very little drawbacks. And it’s beautiful enough that someone with no understanding of the game it’s designed for can appreciate it.

Check out this and more items like it at Elderwo od Academy’s Website.

And check out more photos of this particular Hex Chest below: