Täsche Trompf.
Jassen in style.
Jassen is extremely popular in Switzerland and is considered a national card game. Whether at home, on the train to pass the time or at the regulars’ table, Jassen brings people together and is fun. As part of a semester project at the HFTG in Zug, Oliver Müller and Julian Villiger from “Monsieur Bois” set themselves the goal of helping the Swiss “national sport” of Jassen to become more refined and to make it more popular among the younger generation. vonrickenbach.swiss ag was allowed to participate in the development of the noble Jass card holder at an early stage, from the final prototypes to series production.
First there was the idea
The planning and design of the Täsche Trompf began in the 2nd semester of studies 2020 at the HFTG in Zug as part of a semester project. Oliver Müller and Julian Villiger, themselves enthusiastic card players, came up with the idea of launching an original, high-quality, and multifunctional card holder named Täsche Trompf.
The initial financial support from the jury, which was impressed by the idea, made it possible to produce a small series of 100 pieces, which were sold out within a very short time. The demand was so enormous that it quickly became clear that a second and correspondingly larger edition was needed. We, vonrickenbach,swiss ag, together with Julian Villiger and Oliver Müller, were able to develop the product into a series production.
Täsche Trompf – Design and Swiss Quality
While still students, Oliver Müller and Julian Villiger approached us with examples from the first smallscale production of the Täsche Trompf with a request for a larger quantity to be made in serial production. Together, we developed the product further with several adjustments for large-scale production.
However, there were still several challenges that had to be mastered before this was possible. The complexity of the Täsche Trompf did not necessarily have an impact on small quantities, but for series production some adjustments had to be made.
CNC
The product is made from two halves, with very filigree cut-outs on the inside. These cut-outs require the highest precision and repeatability of less than a tenth of a millimetre, as various components, some of which are very small, must be glued in place precisely. This requires high-precision machines, such as our MAKA CR 27 3 Tandem, a solid clamping system, perfect tools, and an optimal milling strategy.
Several components are assembled inside the product, such as aluminum tubes, pencil sharpeners and leather straps, to name but a few. The process of gluing these components in place and joining the two halves of the case together requires a great deal of dexterity. Even a small amount of too much glue can affect the mechanism and make the piece completely unusable.
Finally, with a lot of finesse and a trained eye, the final finishing touches are applied to the case, the surface is treated with a natural oil, and it is packed in its original packaging and sent to the company “Monsieur Bois”, where it is fitted with the French or German Jass cards ordered at customers’ request. There is also the option of having an engraving or logo applied, which gives the Täsche Trompf an even more personal meaning and guarantees to attract attention.
SOLID WOOD COMPETENCES
Solid wood is our passion. Over many decades, we have acquired a great deal of knowledge in the procurement of solid wood. American walnut was chosen as the type of wood for the Täsche Trompf. The wood of the American walnut is not only noble and decorative to look at, but also easy to work with, hard-wearing and thus enhances the high quality of the Täschä-Trompf.
Passion, know-how and state-of-the-art machinery for your ideas
The popular and very stylish card holder Täsche Trompf that leaves nothing to be wished for in terms of high quality, compactness, and beautiful design, manufactured in sustainable Swiss quality, will soon be available again at Monsieur Bois, production is running at full speed.
We are always thrilled to see how ideas become true works of art and are proud to have been able to support Oliver Müller and Julian Villiger in their product development to series maturity. We would like to thank Monsieur Bois for the challenging project, in which we were able to use many of our skills and knowledge and wish you all continued success and a good Jass.
Thomas von Rickenbach
Owner / managing director von rickenbach.swiss ag
