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.