About Us
Spools mission is to bring people together through high quality, portable games that turn any setting into a place for connection.
Whether in your backyard or on the go, Spools' mission is to create moments that encourage slowing down, laughing, and making memories with the people who matter most.
A childhood of game nights
Some of our best memories are the clicks of dominoes on Grandma’s kitchen table, the clack of mah-jongg tiles on a felt mat, and my dad teaching me the finer points of a backgammon doubling cube. Board games were our family’s language - a way to pause the week, crowd around the table, and cheer each other on (or talk a little friendly trash).
From tinkerer to tile-maker
I grew up taking things apart, then earning a mechanical-engineering degree, designing hardware at big-name tech companies, and falling head-first into 3-D printing. One weekend I printed a chess set, then an entire custom mahjong set. Friends and family wanted their own. Soon, others did too. A passion project turned into Spools.
What we build
-
Mahjong Sets - travel-weight, customizable with your initials or logo.
-
Minimalist Chess & Backgammon - clean lines, magnetic pieces, roll-up boards.
-
One-off commissions - have a wild idea? We’ll prototype it
How we make our sets
3D printing is at the center of all of our board games. Every chess board takes 12 hours to make, and a full mahjong package can take up to 48 hours per order - before finishing, inspection, and packaging. Our products are small batch crafted creations designed to last and feel special every time you play.
Mahjong's Roots
Mahjong is a game with deep cultural roots, originating in 19th-century China and beloved across East and Southeast Asia. Our tiles feature playful artwork inspired by the structure and spirit of traditional sets, created with great care and respect for the game’s heritage. We’re grateful to the communities who have kept Mahjong vibrant for generations and are honored to share in celebrating its joy. If you'd like to dive deeper into Mahjong's rich history, you can read more here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mahjong
Chess' Roots
Chess is one of the world’s most enduring strategy games, with origins tracing back chaturanga in India around the 6th century. From there it spread through Persia as shatranj, and later evolved into the modern form we know today in medieval Europe.
At Spools, our themed sets play with materials, colors, and whimsical ideas, but the timeless roles of pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, queens, and kings remain at the heart of every design.
If you’d like to explore more of chess’s long history, you can read more here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess
Backgammon's Roots
The earliest known mention of “Backgammon” by name dates to 1635, when James Howell used the word Baggammon in a letter. But variations and ancestors of the game are believed to stretch back nearly 5,000 years to Mesopotamia, with board games found across the Middle East.
At Spools, we experiment with 3D printed materials and twists for travel, but the classic gameplay remains the same.
If you’d like to learn more about backgammon’s long history, you can read more here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon
Thank you for being here
Every order, DM, and review helps grow this tiny workshop into a sustainable craft studio. A human reads every review and email that comes through. More importantly, your purchase fuels the next round of family laughter, spirited strategy debates, and “just one more game?” evenings.
Pull up a chair, and let’s play.
-Keen
Maker, engineer, lifelong board-game fan
Real Reviews from Real Customers
Let customers speak for us
from 32 reviewsI'm obsessed with my custom chess set! I was shocked about how fast the turnaround was for a custom board. The quality is amazing and it looks really nice on my coffee table.
These racks are genius! I love that they go right in my travel bag but are full size!I just traveled to Atlanta and the bonus is full size tiles can be used- even room for exposures on top of the rack- 🙌🙌🙌🙌
Absolutely positively LOVE THEM. 100% Must Have. Solid racks, high quality plastic, not flimsy, worth every penny. I purchased Green Trim, soft green color blends beautiful with Pickleball Mahjong tiles purchased. Travel design coming apart in 2 pieces is brilliant!! They snap together and pull apart with ease, snapped together they look aesthetically pleasing. Other travel racks on the market are 1 long piece (that’s not travel) THESE!! racks are definition of travel. These work well with all tiles, ShopSpools, other travel mahjong and classic/full size mahjong tiles. A well thought process design with quality+++ exceeding expectations on every level. Order processing was immediate, Keen sent an email, order was packed beautifully safe, shipped next day and received within few days. Quality care and service is best of the best right! here! Im not an influencer Im not a social media person, Im a regular person sharing an amazing creator of an amazing product who creates a work of art. Keen deserves HIGH TEN 10/10 stars and Very Highly Recommend.
This is a 100% Must! Have! If you say: I wont use in water or “?” light weight, dont! let this detour you. These Are! Brilliant!! The plastic is solid with a slight textured feel and tiny sheen. Images are vivid, crisp and bright. Whether travel or home these are highest!! quality, worth every! penny! Trust me initially I couldnt wrap my head around plastic/light weight. I emailed Keen 17 times, yes 17 different questions/concerns 1 question was will they crack or break ? Again trust me they definitely wont crack or break, but! Keen offers to replace a tile should it happen. I was still unsure on the fence. Keen answered all 17 questions in explicit detail and answered each question within minutes. I finally jumped in the pool haha and purchased tiles with racks. Everything was packed beautiful and lightening fast delivery. I received within a few days and havent put them down since. They are magnificent, a work of art, amazingly exceeding everv expectation on every level. Quality care and service deserves 100 stars and more. Everyone needs a set. Numerous uses, Easy to carry, Beautiful, Fun, Tons of Compliments and you will! be asked where did you purchase. Before I purchased I wish there were more detailed reviews. My review to Mahjong Community is Run dont Walk. You will be as thrilled as I am now. Im not an influencer, Im not a social media ambassador. Im an average person caring to share my experience and a creator of quality Mahjong Tiles I Very Highly Recommend.
These racks are so clever and lightweight, perfect for travel.
Spools delivered above and beyond. My Mahjongg Travel Tile Set is very high quality with emphasis on highly detailed faces that conform to the standards. The coloring and pool theme is outstanding, perfect for my use when traveling to Mexico. My pool time just went up 10 notches. Floating, light weight tiles. Thank you Keen and Company!
So cute and very very lite!! Love them!
Loved this Mahjong set from day one!! Used it as a travel set and it was so light to pack. Lots of compliments!
I love my travel Majong set! I just received the pool themed one which is fun and colorful, I especially like the 1 ham bird and iridescent shimmer. the travel racks are just what I’ve been looking for because they fit in my purse.
Beautiful set. Really pleasant to look at and feels good in the hands.... It really floats. So we can really play in the pool or lake.... Light weight, and I am surprised how much better that feels for moving the game around -- and for travel....
I love the travel mahjong racks! They are practical (can pull apart snd 1/2 size so fit in my purse) and have fun iridescent border.
These are so cute! I love the flamingo floatie dragons! Playing Mahjong in the pool with friends was such a hit! Just FYI these are smaller than typical tiles, so they didn't fit will in the slots of my floating foam mat, and they are also significantly lighter so feel much different. Doesn't bother me, but I could see purests taking issue.
Fun chess and the color is awesome. The magnets are the perfect strength.
A super cute wall mounted plant holder. I love the removable water collection mechanism, and the material feels sturdy.
Plus, a perfect fit for my (temporary) crochet cactus before I find a more permanent succulent to fit.