Old Tins

jfreedy

So, I've collected way too many empty tobacco tins over the years, and I can't bring myself to throw them away. I know some antique tins are sold to collectors on eBay but what about more recent tins? What about you guys? Do you toss old tins or keep them?

KA9FFJ

If you have the space, why don't you consider making a display tin rack? It would probably make a great decor statement in you pipe storage area and who knows, years from now some of them may be worth a pretty penny...
Also, a box frame might work by stacking the tins on top of each other to display the tops and closing the back... Just thinking out loud...

Bloodhound61

@KA9FFJ has a nice idea. There must be multiple ways of displaying them in a decorative manner.

Personally, I can’t see a small container without thinking how it’d be just right for organizing fishing tackle or bow hunting hardware, packing some bulk tobacco from a jar for a day trip, etc etc. So I hang on to them “just in case”.  I have to be pretty ruthless with myself to get rid of such. 

ocpunk714

I’ve been thinking about doing something artistic since all my tins are new anyway. Maybe do a label collage. A display rack for some might be cool. Still kind of mulling over what I really want to do. They’re just sitting in a box though for now.

jfreedy

@Bloodhound61 said... I have to be pretty ruthless with myself to get rid of such.

I’m exactly the same way. However, we are moving and trying to thin where we can. It’s painful but I probably will get rid of them unless I have a pretty solid reason to keep them. I may use a couple as fly boxes for my fishing vest. The rectangular tins would be perfect with some cut out foam lining the bottom. 

Bloodhound61

@jfreedy, oh my yes.....moving will cause you to rethink how much you want just about anything. 

mseddon

@jfreedy Fly boxes! Brilliant!

AnantaAndroscoggin

I know I've used them to keep small and/or pointy things in my sewing kit inside my seabag.

Charles

I used a couple to make up first aid kits for my car and for carrying in my briefcase.  Also have some in my toolbox to hold small  nails, screws, bolts, and washers.  Also great for housing drillbits.   

I don't save everyone of my tins or cigar boxes for that matter, but I keep some empties around just in case.

Also, I save some tins for their age, style, and artwork as part of a collection of tobaccana related articles.   

Mangoandy

I've been mounting mine along the shelf in my garage next to my tobacco cellar and smoking area. 
The neighborhood kids come by to eat peanuts and sit with me when I smoke and love to choose their favorites.

judandhispipe

I pitch 'em. Too much crap around the house anyway. I don't need hundreds - and I mean that literally - hundreds of empty tobacco tins cluttering up the house.

mustangii

The bigger ones I give to the wife to put knick knacks in. The smaller ones I keep for making char cloth in. I teach flint and steel fire making to young scouts.

RockyMountainBriar

I bought a couple of old tobacco tins off of the EBay.  I have always wanted to get Prince Albert in the Can 😂

The other tin is an old Orlik tin.  Being a person that likes to see how things “tick”, I saw this tin with a weird valve/slide/lock? device on it, I had to have it just to see if I could figure out how it works, what it was for?
It has a kind of “cutter” on the inside that will slide center to edge and back.  I do not think it was any kind of a valve?  I know this is a long shot because I think it is probably older than anyone left here, but has anyone seen how one of these tins “worked”?  I can see the remnants of the tape seal adhesive around the outside, and it looks like it may have been tin soldered around the edge of the can/lid, but I think it may have been to hold the rounded over crimped edge down so it was more sturdy and also not sharp. And not for any kind of sealing.
Anyone out there with knowledge of how this tin “worked”?

RockyMountainBriar

Prince Albert in the Can🙂
I think I have finally determined the “old codger” blend awesome rock hard cakes that I have cleaned out of a multitude of estate pipes.  There was still a bit of tobacco in the tin and the aroma was exactly what I have cleaned out of those pipes.  This is the first Prince Albert I have had the chance to smell.  I have been meaning to grab a pouch or two, but have not found any around here.  I keep forgetting to order some, that and Carter Hall and Grainger, need to get me some of each.  The EBay jamoke that shipped this, shipped it in nothing but a small bubble, bubble bag, no box🤨. It got a big dent in it in shipping, go figure😖. The cheap-assed idiot.  Maybe I’m a dumbass for paying for it and not sending it back…not worth the trouble or the shipping to return it….bastard!

Zouave

@RockyMountainBriar I was told once that if you find a tin of Prince Albert marked King Cut, rather thank crimp cut it's worth somewhere in the $1000 range. Not that I would ever find one kicking around a garage sale somewhere, but I'll keep looking anyway. 

mustangii

Prince Albert was the Tobacco that my Grandpa Elmer Smoked, but he used rolling papers. Die of Lung Cancer. I smoke it in a pipe and don't inhale. everytime I smell it reminds me of my time spent at the farm. I am about 2 years old in this picture.

vtgrad2003

@RockyMountainBriar

Dude, hunt his ass down!

opipeman

I never throw any tins away. I display them in my den in my basement. I've posted this before, but it has been awhile.


No Kings Cut, unfortunately!

ghostsofpompeii

Been scouring antique store and resale shop for old tins to add to my collection, and I can't believe some of the prices vendors are asking for an old empty tin. I did find an unopened tin of Holiday - but the price was $38.00 ... just a little to rich for me at this moment in time. With the high cost of everything that $38.00 will probably buy me a box of spaghetti and bottle of Ragu sauce.

Londy3

@opipeman
Wow. Never as in never ever?

Londy3

@ghostsofpompeii
Spaghetti yes, but not Ragu! Say it isn't so!  🍝

opipeman

@Londy3;
Yep!

RockyMountainBriar

I have not thrown away any of my tins either.  I did give a few Sutliff Reserve tins of tobacco away though.

RockyMountainBriar

I found this old Camel tobacco tin when cleaning mom’s house/garage.  It was my dad’s twin brother, my Uncle Jim’s, he used it for a “piggy bank”.

RockyMountainBriar

Another old metal tin that was in the garage, filled with “floor sweep”…..it looked kinda like tobacco, imagine smoking that petroleum/wax loaded sawdust😖
No, I did not try.  I did wash it out with soap and hot, hot, water.  It would hold tobacco again with no issues…if I wanted to🙂.

opipeman

@RockyMountainBriar;
I'm glad you didn't try the floor sweep. I've always found that it is difficult to get the hydration correct. 

HarryMamassian

That little blade on your Orlik tin is definitely an opener.  In the 60's and 70's, I used to  smoke Rattray's Black Malory and those tins had the blade that cut the tin/lead soldered tops.  Good times.

RockyMountainBriar

@HarryMamassian
Thanks for the info.  Thanks for confirming it for me, and thank you for taking the time to respond👍🏻

KA9FFJ

Purchased 2 old tins of Sutliff.
One was St. George's Blend, the other was Old Vienna for 5 BUCKS A TIN!
The reason they were so cheap was simple: They were both BONE DRY. The vendor told me when I asked him why so cheap. When I gently shook the tins, it sounded like potato chips!
As you all know, there are many ways to rehydrate pipe tobacco, but I decided to go with a tried and true method I've used in the past.
I usually give it 24 to 48 hours, but I'll be giving these at least 72 hours. Did I mention they are BONE DRY!
Anyway, I now have 2 small tubs sealed with a small sauce dish inside semi-filled with distilled water. 
As they say, "Time will tell".

RockyMountainBriar

@KA9FFJ
It’s hard to believe that a Sutliff tobacco would ever dry out, especially the St. George’s.  I had some of that and left it out for days, it never did dry out to where it wouldn’t stay clumped when pinched.  I think I gave it away?  I bought a bunch of Sutliff tobacco tin’s  when I first started this hobby, they were on closeout at one of the B&M Tobacco Row’s.  The tobacco was so moist that the tins had started rusting on the inside.

KA9FFJ

@RockyMountainBriar
I agree. I think it was the combination of age AND the very tiny pinholes I found in the bottom of both tins 😳 that led to its dryness...😬
Oh, and both tins had the tops still sealed...