Workshop

When James Ernest created Tak, he also discovered woodworking. He needed to design and build the game’s earliest prototypes, and no other medium would do.

What started as a necessity became a new magical playground, as James crafted pieces, boards, and accessories for some of his own favorite games.

Now his obsession has produced far more objects than one person needs. So from time to time, we add some handmade items to our web store, in an attempt to get this stuff out of the basement.

We’re sure this will only encourage him.

The items below are handcrafted by James Ernest, in the sense that they were made with the finest woodworking machines that a game designer’s budget can afford. Everything is made in limited quantity, sometimes just one or two pieces. So if you see something you like, grab it!

A couple of caveats: We currently ship only to US addresses. Also, these items are handmade from wood. so they will have imperfections and character, and you should treat them like anything else made of wood. Except trees. Trees you should treat differently.

Maple and Canary Game Boards

James Ernest has just finished eight new 6×6 game boards in maple and canarywood. Some of these boards have a few quirks, so they are all individually named and listed at the shop.

The 6×6 game board is perfect for many of our games including Tak, Jardín, and Prudh.

Learn about them in the Shop.

Lejano Game Boards

James Ernest recently became obsessed with these unique 5x5 game boards. The design uses a single color of square, separated by thin lines of a contrasting color.

Nicknamed Lejano, after the city in northwest Sierin, these boards are perfect for games including Tak, El Oso, and dozens of traditional and modern abstract games. 

Our first assortment of Lejano boards features a mix of different unique boards, as James experiments to find the perfect process. All of these boards are unique, and they will go fast!

Lejano 5×5 Game Boards in the Shop

Linos Piece Set

A limited run of handmade Linos pieces in maple and walnut.

These “standard” sized pieces are 4.2 cm long by 2.1 cm wide, hand-cut and lightly finished with food-safe oil and beeswax.

This set includes twelve playing pieces, a 16mm die, 25 scoring coins, and a handy carrying bag. Everything you need in a happy lil’ kit!

Purpleheart Tablero Boards

This is a standard-sized board for Tablero di Berona, made from purpleheart and maple. The board is rougly 9.25” x 7.25” x .325”.

This item comes from a limited run of eight, and is available with or without the pieces for Tablero di Berona.

More Items Coming Soon!

What handcrafted wooden game accessories would you like to see next? We are always eager to find new uses for the smallest scraps in our wood pile.

Please Support Us on Patreon

We have a Patreon page, as you might expect, and you can help us immeasurably by joining our cadre of Hermit Crabs, or our vanguard of Coconut Crabs. If you love what we do, and you want to support us, please become a patron today!

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