Curt Putnam
In my ignorance, I expected that F & P was a more recent invention than the chest and I was hoping to use that as a proxy for setting an upper date limit on the chest.

Th chest sides are cracked split from top to bottom which lead me to think that the builder did not know about F&P. Clearly, that thought process was erroneous. Except for the splits, the sides are solid. Anyway, I drifted from looking solid sides as being the culprit to what could be fastened both fore and aft such that it would crack a solid panel.

I've been advised that the chest has considerable value. Therefore, I am not going to disassemble it to satisfy a mild curiosity which was intensified by all the recent discussion of drawer dividers and blades.

Anyway, I hope that this explains the drift in my vague thought processes.