Both the left and right side of the fly boxes are milled from the same piece of hardwood which highlights the natural symmetry inherent to wood. This is most obvious in the end grain (top & bottom) of the boxes.
The boxes have 44 quarter inch rare earth magnets to hold flies firmly in place. These eliminate the need for ripple foam and will hold any small magnetic object such as nippers or bodkins in addition to flies. The magnets are much slimmer than ripple foam allowing more room for thicker fly patterns without making the box bulky. Flies can be pinched and pulled out of the box from any angle and unlike ripple foam, there is no risk of the barb getting buried deeper or tearing out a hunk of debris. Putting flies back in the box is simple too, just get the fly near the magnet and let physics do the rest. Once the fly is in contact with the magnet, it will stay put until you move it. Wind gusts, dropping the box, rattling around in luggage… the flies will not move.
The boxes have a center pocket that can hold small items such as weights, strike indicators, matches, etc.. The doors for the center pocket slide in dovetailed channels. Eighth-inch rare earth magnets hold the sliding door in either the open or closed position so that the doors can not accidentally slide completely out of the box. The magnets provide an affirmative ‘click’ when the doors are slid open or closed.
The same eighth-inch magnets in the sliding doors engage each other as the 2 sides of the box are closed. The magnets provide enough strength to secure the box closed but can be easily opened by pushing your finger in the thumb scoop.
The thumb scoop provides an easy way to separate the two sides of the box. The box can still be opened with gloves on, and thicker fingered anglers won’t have any trouble getting to their flies.
The sliding doors are precisely milled to fit exactly into the dovetail channel in the box. The doors have a dimple providing traction for your thumb making it easy to slide in & out. I use a wax lubricant on the surfaces that slide so the doors glide smoothly along the dovetail channel.