Cribbage boards have been used for hundreds of years, and the traditional design of the board probably predates the game itself. Similar boards have been used to score whist and other card games since before the origins of cribbage in the 1630s. A game scoring board with rows of holes which looks very like a modern cribbage board has even been found in the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Nowadays, antique cribbage boards can be valuable collector’s items.
If you want to find out more about cribbage, we’ll show you the rules, teach you the strategy you need to win, and even tell you how to organise your own tournaments. There are hundreds of questions being asked and answered on the Cribbage Corner Forum if there’s anything that you want to ask about, or just settle an argument!
The cribbage board is normally made of wood, and drilled with a series of holes to represent each player’s score. It is traditionally rectangular, with two tracks of holes going around the outside of the board. There are many other designs, including 3 and 4 track cribbage boards, spiral type boards, boards with unusual or decorative designs, and the most popular modern board design is the ’29’ (which refers to the perfect cribbage hand of 29 points.)
A cribbage board is not essential to enjoy playing cribbage, but it does add to the fun of the game. While you can keep score using pencil and paper, it is much better to use a cribbage scoring board so that you can see at a glance who is ahead and how far there is to go to victory. The cribbage board is also a crucial aid in positional strategy.
Cribbage boards unique designs make them excellent gifts and collectibles, and you can find out more here about what kinds of board are available, where to buy them, and even how to build a cribbage board yourself using free cribbage board templates! You can use it for scoring other card games too.
Cribbage boards for sale
Nowadays it is very easy to buy cribbage boards and crib pegs online, and we have some links to recommended suppliers. If you know of a good on-line source for cribbage boards, email us at help@cribbagecorner.com and tell us.
Hand made cribbage boards
If you really want an impressive gift for a cribbage fiend, how about a hand-made cribbage board? There is a great range of designs available. Here are some of our favourite suppliers:
The Cribbage Guy
My friend David Oakes, aka The Cribbage Guy, makes beautiful handcrafted cribbage boards such as this circular “golden eagle” board. David is a master craftsman and makes a number of unique designs including a “tortoise and hare” non-linear board, and boards engraved with sentiments such as “Congratulations” and “Happy Birthday”. These are amazing boards made from attractive woods such as maple, walnut and mahogany, and something to be treasured for a lifetime. The perfect Cribbage gift! Visit the Cribbage Guy site to see his work.
Enumero Cribbage Boards
Jeff Kent’s handmade ‘Rhea’ board
Jeff Kent of EnumeroCribbageBoards.com makes beautifully-crafted hardwood cribbage boards in a variety of original designs, inspired by themes such as the Tour de France, California ghost towns, and the moons of Saturn!
Maine Metal Art
‘Parallel Force’ board by Robert Peaslee
Maine Metal Art craftsman Robert Peaslee produces these stunning precision machined metal cribbage boards from stainless steel and aircraft aluminium, engineered to look beautiful and last a lifetime. Cribbage boards probably do not come any more unique and original!
Alaska Native Arts
Alaska Native Arts sell hand-carved ivory and scrimshaw cribbage boards.
Amazon.com
Amazon has a selection of cribbage boards and cribbage sets. If you are new to cribbage and just want to get started with a simple cribbage board, we recommend the Fat Cat Cribbage Board.
Buy the Fat Cat Cribbage Board from Amazon.com
Cribbage boards UK
England is the birthplace of cribbage, and many traditional games shops sell cribbage boards and sets of cribbage pegs. Compendia Traditional Games is based in Greenwich, London, and sells five different cribbage boards including an attractive 29 cribbage board. You can visit the shop in person or buy cribbage boards online through Compendia’s web site.
Unique and personalized cribbage boards
The long-standing popularity of cribbage means that there are many interesting and unique cribbage boards around. These are usually hand-made and reflect the interests or preoccupations of the maker. For example, a Boston Red Sox cribbage board!
Personalized cribbage boards make great gifts for cribbage players. Here are some links to sites offering personalized cribbage boards.
Fine Cribbage Boards
‘Mountain Lion’ board from Fine Cribbage Boards
Fine Cribbage Boards of Tacoma, WA supply attractive wooden cribbage boards featuring a variety of art prints, including works by wildlife artist Dave Bartholet. You can also order a personalized board with your own photo.
Extra large cribbage boards and cribbage tables
Cribbage Connection makes folding cribbage tables, ideal for outside play, with extra large holes and pegs which make it easier especially for older players to see and keep score of the game.
Cribbage pegs for sale
Fancy Pegs sell beautiful cribbage pegs made from brass, crystal, gold, hardwood, and even woolly mammoth tusk! These would be wonderful gifts for the cribbage fiend in your life.
How many holes on a cribbage board?
The traditional cribbage board layout has 60 holes for each player, and the winner must go round the board twice and peg out to win with 121. Some larger boards have 120 holes each; one common design has the two 120-hole tracks going down one side, back up the other side and finally down the centre to the finish line.
The original game of cribbage was played to 61 points, and the 121-point game for two players dates back only to the early 1900s. Traditional cribbage boards all feature 60 holes. The earliest known 120-hole cribbage board was patented in 1940 by S.C. Eddy.
Types of cribbage boards
Cribbage boards vary greatly in price depending on the materials used. Some manufacturers sell 4 track cribbage boards which make it easier to play three player cribbage and four player cribbage. Of course you can use a four track cribbage board for playing the regular game as well.
Traditional materials are popular; ivory, bone and horn cribbage boards are available although these tend to be much more expensive than the normal wooden board. A scrimshaw cribbage board is made by carving whalebone or walrus tusks, and can be a very attractive cribbage accessory, but make sure that the raw materials come from legal sources.
You can even make your own cribbage boards using a free cribbage board templates. This is a fun project for anyone interested in woodworking and crafts.
Vintage cribbage boards
Antique scrimshaw cribbage board from 1911
Vintage cribbage boards can be extremely valuable antiques. An antique cribbage board could be worth thousands of dollars, though some very attractive 19th-century cribbage boards can be bought for $100-200 in local antique stores. Try also
Century cribbage board
The “Century 715 continuous track cribbage board” was made in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, sometime in the 1960s or 70s. It was an elaborate three-track board, and with many extra holes for recording skunks, legs, and so on.
More on the Century 715 cribbage board in the Cribbage Corner Forum.
Collecting cribbage boards
Some people are much more interested in collecting cribbage boards than playing the game of cribbage itself! Bette Bemis, founder of the Cribbage Board Collectors Society, has written a series of fascinating articles at the American Cribbage Congress web site on collecting cribbage boards:
History of cribbage boards
If you are interested in the history of cribbage boards, you might enjoy this book:
Cribbage board museums
The Horatio Colony museum in Keene, New Hampshire, has a wonderful collection of over 70 vintage cribbage boards, including Japanese and Chinese carved ivory cribbage boards, bone boards made by 19th-century prisoners of war, an English cribbage board that folds out to become a writing desk, and a board carved from a whole walrus tusk!
Horatio Colony cribbage board collection
Online cribbage boards
You can use this online cribbage board to keep score using any Javascript-enabled browser, including your iPhone!
Cribbage Boards
Custom Cribbage Boards are made from wood and quality-made and very affordable for the holidays.
cribbage board
hi there im 43 and my god father jim naples taught me how to play cribbage when i was real young well he is dying from cancer just found out last night at the most he has left is 3 months and im trying to think of something to get him for christmas so i was wanting to get a personnel cribbage board made for him in his honor he is the biggest new england patriots fan i know so i was wondering if you could design 1 in the shape of a football field and have the patriots logo on it and if so how much do you think something like that would cost if you could get back to me it would mean the world to me HAPPY HOLIDAYS JEFF RECTOR
Just surch for Patriot
Just surch for Patriot Cribbage boards and they come up — price 29.99
Cribbage tables home made custom made to bless him. Mine are
very large, 48 ” about 3″ thick, 16-22 inches wide and stands about 30 inches high, I spend about 30 hours on each, they are very solid and I think I can mail them cheaply if I can sdisasemble them for shipping. I hav about 9 made and ready for sale, couple I just sold to denver for $225 or 250 each and they paid the shipping of about $60 if I disassemble and pad and wrap. get to you in 3 o4 days, depending on where you are, I will try to send you pics if I can get your email. My phone is 406-560-4419. They are durable and very solid not a cheap toy, they may weigh 60 or 70 lbs which ever you choose or smaller ones for 50 lbs. be sure to mail me your email, I am David and I have good references and am trustworthy so we will get er done, I also might be able to custom make them for your dads pleasure ok, My name is David and I am in Hamilton Montana call me, I can do the New england, Patriot scene for him. I poly many coats over it so it is durable, he would love it, custom made if it is possible and not to spendy
cribbage
NO way Hello Jeff Ray here
Cribbage looks like the
Cribbage looks like the perfect example of vintage board games. Please do consider creating a group for fans of it on Sophistigames.
Japanese elephant ivory
I have an elephant ivory cribbage board in its original box. It is labeled inside:
KITA SHOJI KK
Tokyo Japan
“This ivory carving is gauranteed made out of genuine elepahnt tusk”
Does anyone know what the value might be and how would I go about possibly selling it?
Thanks, Jim
Ivory Cribbage Board Kita Shojikk
I have the same cribbage board in box, all pegs not damaged. Were you able to find out a value. I wish to sell mine asap. Any offers on yours?
Cribbage
Can you send me a picture. I am looking for a board my parents had from Japan.
Ivory cribbage board
Hi,
I have the same board in the case. Did you every find any thing about them?
john talcott
jktalcott@gmail.com
19 board
I’m looking for a board that is in the the shape of 19. I saw one in Canada this summer but it was not for sale. It was a factory made item but I did not get the manufactures name. Any help would be appriciated.
Dave
Antique Walrus Tusk Cribbage Board
My 93-year old mother has an exquisite Walrus Tusk Cribbage Board (Alaska c. early 1900s)she wishes to sell. It measures 25-1/4 inches long from end to end and 1-3/8 inches high by 2-5/8 inches wide on the flat end. It is in pristine condition, with no chips or cracks and has 4 original cribbage plugs and stopper, all of ivory. There three carved ivory walruses on the top and ivory feet on the bottom.
Can anyone refer me to a collector or site for posting this item.
walrus tusk
hi if any one replied to your message would you let me know what they told you i have a antique walrus tusk cribbage as well
if not no problem
thank you
larry sprinkel
Antique Walrus Tusk Cribbage Board
Larry,
I had no takers, only individuals who wanted to sell a cribbage board to me. Apparently, these walrus tusk
cribbage boards are only terribly valuable if they are handmade and signed. I’m told that my mother’s is both machine and handmade; it is not signed. Still, it’s a beautiful thing, quite old and somewhat rare – just not
rare enough. Perhaps you can do better with yours.
Good luck,
Judith
Antique walrus tusk crib board
I have a pelowook handcarved walrus tusk crib board excellent condition, would like to sell, if you know of any leads please let me know. scott
Any luck selling your tusk
Any luck selling your tusk board? Do you have in mind a price? Please contact Dusty at melfamey@yahoo.com.
Thank you
Large Unique tournament cribbage tables for sale,
totally awsome tables for sale, possibly custom order, various lengths around 40-48 ” long, 12-25 inches wide, 2/ 31/2 inches thick or 1/2 logs tops possible, made with casters, braSS handles, wood 31/2 inch pegs with carryinf pouch, the best table on the market, build heavy and super solid. Poly finish amostly georgous red fir, but that can differ. Pcs do not do it justice. contact me at david_frankforter@yahoo.com for more info. Just roll up a chair and cut for deal, totally water proof easy to care for , durable
Cribbage Board For Sale
I have a nice walrus task cribbage board I wouldlike to sell. It is made by famoous crver Carl Pelowook. Signed by him and just awonderful carving. I can send anyone a picture of it and maybe someone knows where I might sell it. It is a great piece of art. Thank You
Crib Board
I happened to be reading this webpage and noted that you have a crib board for sale. Please send me a picture I am interested.
Hedgehog Board
I have an iron Hedgehog Cribbage Board. It is black, with a red painted base, and gold vitorian style lines and art work painted on playing fields, and sides.
Where is the best place to sell this item? Are there any forums that I should post on to make sure cribbage board collectors get a to see this awesome board?
Thanks
Tim
Can be viewed
I anyone is interested in viewing this, it is at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130715525315?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_2358wt_1270
Iron cribbage counter
Hi Tim
Unlikely as it is, should you have this board still I would be most pleased to purchase same. Shipping could be either direct to the UK or to my pal in D.C.
PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP.
Many thanks, Bill
A new twist on an old game
That’s right, it’s time to play FOOTBALL CRIBBAGE!! This is the real deal, not just another football field with team logo and a crib board around the sidelines. With FOOTBALL CRIBBAGE you get to play football using cribbage to power the game. It’s got all the plays and strategies of a football game and you get your crib fix too. FOOTBALL CRIBBAGE is easy to learn and never the same game twice. I love this game and play it with my friends all season long, all the way to the super bowl. It’s a must for crib players and football fans of all ages. So shuffle the cards and get ready for some FULL CONTACT CRIBBAGE!!
how do
are these crib boards for sale if so where would I find it on the internet
To jean
Yes, Football Cribbage games are available at footballcribbage.com or you can contact me directly at footballcribbage@gmail.com. It’s two great games in one! If you’re a football fan and love cribbage it’s a match made for you. Once you play you’ll be hooked! Looking forward to your reply.
Football Cribbage
Are you still selling these? I have tried sending an email to that address, but still haven’t gotten a response. Please let me know. Also, if anyone has a copy of the rules for this game, please let me know. I have an old cribbage football board, but can’t find the rules. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!
Archive of Football Cribbage Website
Check here for both pictures and some basics of the rules:
https://web.archive.org/web/20141217083651/http://footballcribbage.com/
I have an old McCrillis Horn
I have an old McCrillis Horn Board number C-2. I was wondering if anyone had any info on it.