In many years of woodworking, I’m not sure if I’ve found greater satisfaction than with the first dovetailed box I made. Building it, however, was nerve wracking. I puzzled over the angles and spacing. While sawing, I forgot what was waste and what was not. When the joints looked right but didn’t go together, I was sorely tempted to reach for a hammer. But was I thrilled when I got the box together in the end.

This is a really simple, unadorned box, and excellent as a first dovetailed project. It’s also useful for “male jewelry.” I have one on my dresser. It holds a jumble of cuff links, two watches, a miniature compass, three tie tacks, ticket stubs from a 1985 Tom Petty concert, two jackknifes, and a broken ink pen. If you don’t need such a box, well, then it also makes a great gift.…