What wood are tool chests usually made from?

Pine dominates. It appears in 38 of 63 titles on Sellingantiques, which makes it close to definitional for the category. Hardwoods form a smaller group. Mahogany, oak, elm and teak all turn up, along with pitch pine named separately from plain pine, and these sit in the upper half of the range.

Why are so many listed as trunks?

Dealers use chest, trunk and box interchangeably for the same object. Trunk is the single most-used alternative word, appearing in close to half the titles. So a search for tool chests that skips the word trunk misses a large slice of what has come to market.

How old are these chests?

The dated field is dominated by Victorian and the vague "19th century", so more than half carry no closer date than a reign or a century. Of the 17 listings with a clean year, the range runs 1850 to 1920. Two sit in the 1920s and nothing later appears. A couple of titles claim circa 1840 or early 19th century, but the dated field puts them in the loose 19th century bracket.

Which trades are named on tool chests?

Carpenter and joiner come first, then the maritime group. Shipwright, boat builder, ship's and seaman's chests together make ten titles, the largest named group after the woodworking trades. Cabinet makers account for nine titles, often with a fitted interior stated. One-offs include a farrier, a railway worker, a merchant and a Masonic pine chest.

Do tool chests come with their tools?

Rarely. Almost all are sold as empty carcases. One Victorian mahogany and pine cabinet maker's chest is titled with at least 165 woodworking tools, and it sits near the top of the range. It is the only sampled example offered as a working kit.

What does a fitted interior mean?

It means internal tills, trays or compartments built to hold specific tools, rather than one open void. A till is the sliding tray a joiner kept his edge tools in, and one title names a candlebox, a small lidded compartment inside. Titles saying fitted interior or well fitted appear from the middle of the range upward, and the top cabinet makers' chests are described that way.