Spools

Spools is on a mission to bring people together through high quality, portable games that turn any setting into a place for connection. The company was founded in 2025 by Keen Butcher and is based in San Diego, CA.

What do you love most about mahjong?

The community!

Why did you decide to start your own brand?

My grandmother couldn't carry 14 pounds of tiles anymore, and travel tiles were too small to read or too thin to build walls with. So I built premium quality lightweight set she can carry.

What is special about your products?

They're lightweight, full-size, and bold and vibrant to be easy to read. They also float! So people who can't carry heavy tiles or want to bring the full-size game on the go can do so.

Tell us about your design process.

I design and manufacture every tile, rack and pusher in house!

Can you tell us about a business challenge you’ve experienced and how it was solved or handled?

Convincing people my tiles are not foam. I still haven't solved it. They're not foam! They're a hard plastic and great quality.

Provide a quick overview of your customer service policies.

I stand behind the quality, and if something isn't right when you open the box, you can email me and I'll personally make it right. I also offer free 14 day returns and free shipping on orders above $120. I also offer replacement tiles, racks, and pushers at a fair price so if you break one you can get a replacement without headache.

Tell us about life before Spools!

Before Spools, and even today, I play a lot of volleyball with my fiance and spend a lot of time with our 2 dogs, a chiweenie and a wienerdog.

I am a mechanical engineer who's spent the last 12 years designing things like rockets, aircraft, and iPads. My love of design and board games led me to found Spools, which has grown into 4 different games since starting a year ago. 

Check out Spools!