Hi everyone, not been here long but have been reading old posts for some time now as a guest. I did a search of the forum trying to find a supplier of wooden snuff boxes the type with the flip top lid. I found referrence to them but no suggestion as to where to purchase them. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I tryied all the usual favorites, My Snuff, NicRush, etc but no luck.

E-Bay, The ones with the clover leaf are cool. Look for the ones from France especially. The paper mache boxes are authentic also. Don’t count on either to be air tight though, Good for dry snuffs. P.S. If you get in a bidding war with me be prepared to mortgage your house.

Barber’s in Otley still have a few left. http://www.smoke.co.uk/acatalog/Snuff\\_Boxes.html Last time I was in the shop a few months ago they said there weren’t many left. The only other option is Ebay or antique shops. A couple of years ago Martin McGahey in Exeter told me that the last French maker of those boxes had passed away and no more such boxes were to be found new. He has since sold the last of his stock unfortunately.

thanls ermtony.

It’s too bad these are no longer made. I’d just started looking for a second snuff box, specifically wanting one with hinged lid. I guess I’m off to ebay. Perhaps someone will start making them again, since there is no competition in the market.

Thanks for the link Tony. Placed an snuff order and happy to bookmark it!

It’s too bad no one is making a new wooden flip box. There are a couple nice new wooden snuff boxes in a different style in the same price range at http://www.drechselshop-online.de/tabatieren.htm. Also the tripletech snuff box at nicotine rush is great.

@onefortheroad; Patrick; would you consider a flip top line? Im sure theres a lot of us would like one especially if the Grudgings box supply is drying up?

"@onefortheroad; Patrick; would you consider a flip top line? Im sure theres a lot of us would like one especially if the Grudgings box supply is drying up? " Now the St. Claude snuffbox industry has folded, I enthusiastically support that idea. It would be good to have tight-grained wood such as ebony, rosewood, or burl with dimensions starting at 85x45x20 as per tabatière tradition. Any such box could be improved by adopting the hidden Laurencekirk hinge invented by James Sandy. Here the knuckles of the hinge are made from alternating sections of box and lid with a metal rod passed through them. Such a box would be expensive, but it would be wonderful to revive European craftsmanship before it is lost for good.

The Grudgings boxes, call them what you will, had in effect a Laurencekirk hinge - it was just all brass. That is a superior hinge to Sandy’s wooden one because it won’t split with age which was - in conjunction with the lead paper lining degrading - the main design weakness. Sandy’s hinge was a massive improvement on others of the day but not perfect. Every snuff box with a brass roller hinge I’ve ever owned has been perfect for the job. Adopting them would save a great deal of production time. @PhilipS

hmmmm… something to think about

Patrick, your snuff boxes are beloved of most of us but I think there really is a market for the old style, come on you know you want to…@onefortheroad

Patrick, the very best wood for making your boxes is Padauk! I use mine every day and it’s still like new. My other boxes had to be “overhauled” several times already by using a bit of super glue on the lids. And yes, I would also like to own at least one “old style” box but it’s got to be PADAUK.

“The Grudgings boxes, call them what you will, had in effect a Laurencekirk hinge - it was just all brass.” I’m not a craftsman so will take your word on that, Snuffster. Because of age my antique box with the true Laurencekirk hinge now shows the intertwining sections of box and lid. When new the hinge must have been nearly invisible with the lid shut. Not a grain escapes my Laurencekirk hinged box, however hard it is shaken or fine the snuff. It is both seamless, airtight and the lid is still perfectly flush with the box. “That is a superior hinge to Sandy’s wooden one because it won’t split with age which was - in conjunction with the lead paper lining degrading - the main design weakness.” Again, I’ll take you at your word on design, but splits can (and do) occur with brass-roller hinged boxes too (between the wood and rollers) due to age and/or opening it incorrectly. “Adopting {brass roller hinges] would save a great deal of production time.” Undoubtedly. Let’s hope Patrick takes up your suggestion. I’m keenly interested since new quality boxes are now very rare.

I like wooden snuff boxes. Anyone else think this would make a pretty cool thing to keep snuff tins in? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Mini-Pine-Wooden-Traditional-Cantilever-Sewing-Box-/170540285432?pt=UK\\_Crafts\\_Sewing\\_Supplies\\_MJ&hash=item27b4fe3df8

Yeah quite nice. I use polished wooden boxes that hold presentation bottle of wine; sort of cheap wine dressed up a bit, Im sure you can get these fairly easily and they make fantastic snuff storage cases with a touch of class.

There are some pretty cool looking cigar boxes you can pick up at your local cigar shop and probably free too that would make a nice storage case.

I’m not so fancy. I use a bin liner.

Now that you mention it, I have seen many sewing boxes that look like they would make great snuff totes.

Love all flip tops…They clean up well and a little pipe wax take care of lubing and sealing up air leaks on wood edges.A small piece of tape keeps lid tight and shut. Only down fall is toque absinthe has permanently tainted one.
Some told me these boxes were for priest could deliver communion to the sick and bed ridden.But that is hear say not fact?

Here are some rather plainer ones. All except the top left one were eBay purchases, and I don’t think the top right one had ever been used. Snuff doesn’t last long in any except the cloverleaf box - which is my everyday box and hence saturated with WoS Jockey Club! I do enjoy using them all, though.

@basement_shaman - you could try wiping the interior with very diluted vinegar, 1 part to 10, then packing with bicarb and leaving for a few days. It may work, and if it doesn’t then you have lost nothing. I brought a tankard that had been used as an ashtray for years, and that no amount of scrubbing worked on, back to life. A less invasive method would be to pack with an equally pungent snuff that you like and let it gradually overpower the absinthe.

@Snuffster-Thanks for the cleaning tips, I used that method with A coffee Thermos that was alive with nasty old brew that coagulated.

It was the larger one; the top of the lid is adorned with turtle shell and mother of pearl and disintegrating. I suppose the tainting is in the wax coating. I will have to remove the wax first ,more than likely with a scotch brite pad or some 000 steel wool . Old wood is tricky with expansion and contraction I may use {do not eat} Silica gel crystals to sop up the smell. I would hate to destroy an 18th century box. I also could use lava rock course pumice  or activated charcoal.

I will have to put the anise and absinthe in a pewter or alpaca box cause it’s not going in any silver or wooden boxes. I have yet to get any plastic boxes I am sure that would absorb those scents also. I also have one box that is lined with beautiful endangered turtle shell; When I bought it it just said wooden box, man did I luck out.

Love all flip tops…They clean up well and a little pipe wax take care of lubing and sealing up air leaks on wood edges.A small piece of tape keeps lid tight and shut. Only down fall is toque absinthe has permanently tainted one.
Some told me these boxes were for priest could deliver communion to the sick and bed ridden.But that is hear say not fact?

basement_shaman how do you prevent leakage on the corners off the hinged side. i recently bought a flip top wooden snuffbox and it leaks a little like sieve.

@linguist I use Paragon a pipe wax and a cotton swab it helps if you clean the box first, grain alcohol or hy test vodka over 100 proof let dry, apply the wax to the entire box , let dry buff with clean cloth. Let sit a day check for leaks add more wax to trouble areas. fill box with snuff enjoy. If you pinch the box will not need maintenance for a while but if you use a spoon the box will wear down and a harder wax like butcher block wax should be applied and allowed to dry,You can heat your box in a warm oven for a short time this will open the grain and allow the wax to penetrate. As always remove excess wax and buff lightly

thank you for your explanation @basement_shaman . I don’t know if i can find that wax in my small town. I applied very tiny amount of superglue to the hinge. There were 3 holes at the moving part of the hinge where the light comes inside the box. This made the lid tighter as well. Now it is completely airtight. I will use it a few days and check again.