Artisan Name: Pembrokeshire Boxes - Roger Sztencel
Description: I am Pembrokeshire's only full-time box maker. Self taught I produce heirloom pieces from indigenous and exotic timber, including jewel, music, keepsake and puzzle boxes.

Profile: I came to Pembrokeshire from Leicester in 1992. After 20 years in the I.T. industry I left my 'proper' job in 2002 to work with fine woods, making high quality boxes. I am Pembrokeshire's only full time box maker.
I love working with wood. The sight, smell and feel of freshly milled hardwood is like nothing else I know. Sometimes finding just the right piece is like a geologist discovering a geode in an unassuming pebble, and the aroma of the timber evokes memories and mind pictures of the living tree.
I use a range of hardwoods, ethically sourced, to create individual hand-crafted and hand-finished boxes. Inlay is sometimes used for enhancement and oils or pure waxes are used to finish the pieces. All fittings are solid brass and boxes are lined with cotton velvet.
The nature of working with wood imparts an element of uniqueness, with no two boxes ever being identical, so each one is an original.
Each takes many hours, in stages, to create, from timber selection to final finishing, and I take pride in creating heirloom pieces that can be passed on to future generations - perhaps the ultimate recycling of a scarce and precious resource.
Box sizes and weights are nominal as I work to the wood and not to a factory-like uniformity. Each takes some 7 to 14 days to finish.
I hope you enjoy what I do, enough to want to own a part of it. Should you be interested in a bespoke box, I'll be more than happy to discuss this with you.

Location: Wales
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