Wooden table with a Shaw-Walker card index on it surrounded by a copy of Norbert Wiener's Cybernetics book, a pile of index cards, a black fountain pen, and some chrysanthemums in a vase.

Vintage wooden desk top Shaw-Walker 11 inch card index for 3 x 5″ cards

I’ve been watching the secondary market for used card indexes for a while and finally caved and purchased a vintage wooden desk top Shaw-Walker 11 inch card index for 3 x 5″ index cards. It was dusty and dirty and in reasonably good shape, but with some cleaning and some wood polish, it’s in much better shape.

Close up of the black and gold lettered Shaw-Walker Logo on the front of a 3 x 5 inch card index

I removed the original tacks on the bottom which appeared to have once held down some red felt. I cut out a new rectangle of green felt and reattached the tacks so that the index won’t scratch up my desktop. The dovetails are in good shape, but it seems like in a year or two some of the joins may need to be re-glued.

In all, for a small $10.00 investment, it’s a stunning addition for my zettelkasten card collection. Compared to some of the cardboard and metal options out there, it was half the price, but is far prettier and infinitely more durable.

Of course I’ve got a strong preference for 4 x 6″, so I’ll be on the look out for something bigger, but this was just too good a deal to pass up. Perhaps I’ll use it like a Memindex or a related productivity tool?

Oblique angle on a Shaw-Walker 11 inch 3 x 5 inch card index View from the back of the wooden card stop mechanism on an 11 inch card index. Close up of a reddish sticker on the bottom of a wooden card index. View of the bottom of a Shaw-Walker card index featuring two slats separated by a metal rod.

 

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Chris Aldrich

I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment industry with expertise in representation, distribution, finance, production, content delivery, and new media.

12 thoughts on “Vintage wooden desk top Shaw-Walker 11 inch card index for 3 x 5″ cards”

  3. @ryanrandall Thanks for the reminder. I’d looked at that box one upon a time, but only for storage for my Field Notes subscription which I’ve put on hold, not going through them like water like I used to. They might work for 3 x 5 cards, but I think they might be too small for 4 x6. They’re a bit on the expensive side for the size, but I’ll add them to my bigger list shortly: https://boffosocko.com/2022/12/26/the-ultimate-guide-to-zettelkasten-index-card-storage/
    The Ultimate Guide to Zettelkasten Index Card Storage

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