You’ve been working hard on a fine box, and now it is time to put on the hinges. If you slip up on this delicate task—whoops!—there goes perfection, and there goes your box. Andrew Crawford, one of the world’s finest boxmakers, helped design an elegant hinge that’s less risky to install: the smartHinge. The stop is built into the hinge, unlike others with curved stays that require an additional mortise. Rout shallow mortises with a 5⁄16-in. downcut spiral bit using a fence and a stop, and you’re done. They look elegant, and work precisely. SmartHinges aren’t cheap, so you may not want to use them on just any box. But if you are attempting to make the finest box, what is the price of perfection?

Average Price:  $65