Quality. Craftmanship. Honesty. Integrity. Traditions
that last a lifetime... and often, many more. That's the legacy that
Harry Gerstner left. Tool chests that Gerstner made are often still in
the hands of the families that originally bought them. They've been passed
down from generation to generation.
In 1884, a son, Harry, was born to Herman Gerstner. A few year later, Herman introduced Harry to woodworking and the seed was planted. At 17, he left school and started a woodworking apprenticeship to become a pattern-maker. His starting salary? Just six cents an hour. After completing his four year apprenticeship, he was earning 10 cents an hour, and received a $100.00 bonus. According to his bio page, his 10 cent/hour wages were quite respectable in his home town of Dayton, OH. at the time.
As the story goes, he worked his first year as a master pattern-maker by day, and designing and building his first tool box by night. He needed some way to store and care for his own tools. Upon completing it, a friend thought it was remarkable and asked Gerstner if he could build one for him. Coworkers also thought the boxes were very well crafted and better suited to their trade. There weren't any other chests like it being offered by anyone else. Before long, Gerstner thought there may be legitimate demand for his tool chests. So, in 1906, at the ripe old age of 22, he took his $100.00 bonus from his apprenticeship and started his own tool chest company. His first orders came out of evening door to door calls on friends, peers, and coworkers.
Gerstner called the company "H. Gerstner & Sons". He did so for several reasons. He did so in honor of his father, Herman Gerstner. He did so because he thought it sounded more "established." And ultimately, he wanted it to be a family business... he did so in the hope that he would one day have his own sons to bring into his business. As family businesses go, his did well. Initially, Gerstner and Sons provided jobs for Harry, his father Herman, his two sisters, and his two brothers. And, although sons weren't to be, Harry, and his wife Emma, did have three daughters. Today, H. Gerstner & Sons is still a family business, and many of Harry's descendants still work there. Harry Gerstner passed away in 1972 at the age of 88, but his legacy lives on!
Form, fit, function, serviceability, durability, quality... all are values that seem to waning in today's "cut corners, slap it together" world. But, not at Gerstner! Harry's name went on the outside, so he put it all in the chests he built, and he passed that on to the family behind him. Today, whether you're buying a time tested model "off the shelf" or sending in requirements for a one-off, custom made tool chest, H. Gerstner & Sons tool chests are still made in America, still family owned, and still the finest chests that you can buy anywhere in the world.