Longtime watercolorists remember the common use of butcher trays as a palette. But after American butcher shops stopped using these trays, they were virtually eliminated from the market. Richeson imported them from China, and they are as highly functional as ever.

However the tray has two flaws we want to mention. First, many trays have small chips in the upper rim– but because they are not chipped on the working surface, this is simply a cosmetic problem. Second, the bottom is slightly bowed so that the tray is higher in the middle than around the edges. Even with the flaws we think it is hard to beat the value of this tool that will last a very long time.