The Smith hive is very similar to the National hive, but uses frames with short lugs which reduces the overall size of the hive. Taking 11 frames, this is reputedly the most used hive in Scotland, where its size and portability make it a favourite.
This hive uses frames 14″wide X x 8 1/2″deep or 14″wide x 12″deep for brood and 14″wide x 5 1/2″deep for Supers, but the frames have shorter lugs. The shorter lugs mean that the handling of frames is slightly more difficult, but the frame construction is stronger as longer lugs are more likely to break with constant use.