We’ve had a lot of comments from clients about the fact that we build wooden coffins. There is really nothing new about furniture makers building coffins. Remember the westerns from the 50’s and 60’s? All the bad guys got shot and were buried on Boot Hill in a plain pine box.
In the real old West, the local furniture maker was probably the guy that built the coffin. The barber was likely the undertaker as well. So maybe it’s not so unusual for us to build coffins.
It all started with a friend who is a funeral director. He was unable to find a plain pine box coffin for a family that requested one. That prompted him to ask if we could build one. My answer – sure we can. In his experience many folks wanted to be buried in a plain pine box. So that is what we build. He and I decided to make an old west style “toe pincher” coffin, and to keep it simple.
My design is a coffin, not a casket. To understand the difference, think about the old west movies and Dracula movies. A coffin is narrow at the head and foot, hence the nickname “toe pincher”. While a casket is rectangular usually with a hinged lid.
Our Boot Hill coffin is as simple as they come, all wood, solid pine, with no interior lining. It is made without any metal or mechanical fasteners and with no animal hide glues. During the design phase, I decided it should be large enough for the remains of someone 6’6″ and we weight tested it to 400 pounds. There is even room for boots and a hat. Our coffin can be used for any type of burial. It meets the requirements for Orthodox burial, can be used for cremation, and also meets the needs for Green burial.
Remember I said everything old is new again? This is where Green Burial comes in. Back in the 1800’s when the furniture makers were building similar coffins to ours, there was no embalming, no fancy burial vaults, and burial happened pretty quickly. That is the “new” idea of green burial. Green cemeteries are popping up all over the country. They are requiring coffins that are made of 100% biodegradable materials. Our Boot Hill coffin fits that requirement perfectly.
Here are photos of our Boot Hill coffin. It is available with a solid one piece lid, or a half couch lid. Half couch is the funeral industry term for a lid that can be open at the head for viewing. Both our lids attach with a unique tapered dowel that requires no tools to secure the lid.
We can make custom coffins from any species of wood, with a custom finish, and with or without handles. Here is one that was ordered using solid quartersawn oak, with a hand carved cross on the lid.
One final thing I almost forgot to mention, a Boot Hill coffin is way less expensive than those polished mahogany, brass adorned, shiny caskets the funeral home wants you to buy.
