Vintage Sobranie

brpipesmoker

Lurker

Jan 25, 2015

19

1

• Jan 30, 2015

• #1

I've got 3 sealed tins of vintage Balkan Sobranie but only one of them has a code stamped on the back. The other 2 came in a box.
I'd like to know how old these tins are but can't find any clue about it. Can anyone help me out?

 

iamn8

Lifer

Sep 8, 2014

4,248

14

Moody, AL

• Jan 30, 2015

• #2

I'll need a tin sent to me for "carbon dating" where the tobacco shall be smoked... Cough cough... I mean vaporized. Then tested.

 

brpipesmoker

Lurker

Jan 25, 2015

19

1

• Jan 30, 2015

• #3

lol... nice try iamn8, but I'd rather not know the date then....

 

iamn8

Lifer

Sep 8, 2014

4,248

14

Moody, AL

• Jan 30, 2015

• #4

Gah you try to help out a brother of the briar. :wink:

 

mikestanley

Lifer

May 10, 2009

1,698

1,126

Akron area of Ohio

• Jan 30, 2015

• #5

As far as I know, Sobrainie switched to the pouch about 1990.
Mike S.

 

clickklick

Lifer

May 5, 2014

1,700

212

• Jan 30, 2015

• #6

Everyone mentally summon Steve Fallon, aka pipestud, to chime in here. I hope that rust on the bottom doesn't have any pinholes.

 

daimyo

Lifer

May 15, 2014

1,460

4

• Jan 30, 2015

• #7

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Steve Fallon R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Steve Fallon R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Steve Fallon R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

 

jguss

Lifer

Jul 7, 2013

2,470

6,432

• Jan 30, 2015

• #8

At a guess, ~1979-1985

 

jguss

Lifer

Jul 7, 2013

2,470

6,432

• Jan 30, 2015

• #9

By the way, ~1979-1985 is for the loose tin. The two-pack I would peg at ~1985-1991.

 

clickklick

Lifer

May 5, 2014

1,700

212

• Jan 30, 2015

• #10

Jon, does the code on the bottom mean anything in terms of dating?

 

jguss

Lifer

Jul 7, 2013

2,470

6,432

• Jan 30, 2015

• #11

Hi Click. Unquestionably yes; but exactly what I don't know. In this case dating is a function of the label font, the packaging (ie tin vs pouch), and the volume (grams vs ounces).
If I could handle the tins there might be additional indicators which would further narrow the date of manufacture, but 6 year ranges are actually pretty good for this sort of thing.

 

clickklick

Lifer

May 5, 2014

1,700

212

• Jan 30, 2015

• #12

Completely understand. Thank you for the insight.

 

judcole

Lifer

Sep 14, 2011

7,176

33,397

Detroit

• Jan 31, 2015

• #13

I don't know the age of these tins, but I can say that, when I was smoking BSO in the early 1970s, it was still in a canister style tin, not a flat tin.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,405

109,172

• Jan 31, 2015

• #14

@daimyo If Cthulhu joins this forum, I blame you.

 

pipestud

Lifer

Dec 6, 2012

2,010

1,750

Robinson, TX.

• Jan 31, 2015

• #15

By the way, ~1979-1985 is for the loose tin. The two-pack I would peg at ~1985-1991 - jguss

Click to expand...

Now that's the guy you should trust on Sobranie tin dating. By the way, for those of you who may not know, our fellow forum member John Guss, back in 2011, published a report on tin dating not only Sobranie, but other great old classic blends that covered A-Z on how to date tins and contained some beautiful color and black and white photos. Many of the true experts on tin dating (and I am not one), say it is the finest research our hobby has ever seen. Jon is my go-to guy on tin dating and I use his research all the time.
Pipestud

 

brpipesmoker

Lurker

Jan 25, 2015

19

1

• Jan 31, 2015

• #16

Thank you brothers, I knew they were quite old, but really had no idea.
I got these from an old lady whose husband passed away a few years ago and he was a pipe smoker. I also got 1 tin of Davidoff Royalty dating from 1972, 1 Dunhill Royal Yacht and 1 Dunhill Standard Medium.

 

condorlover1

Lifer

Dec 22, 2013

8,051

27,176

New York

• Jan 31, 2015

• #17

'65 Kingsway' that London address will tell you roughly the tins age. These tins are the ones I remember and in fact are the type I opened up and distributed the contents to a few friends in the early part of last year that I believe a certain 'shaintiques' commented on in a post somewhere on this forum about much he enjoyed the stuff. Those are the 2 oz tins and I suspect would have been purchased in 'Duty Free' as that was a top shelf pipe tobacco at the time. Strangely I don't remember the pouches of Balkan Sobranie as when I purchased it in the early 1980s it was always in the white and black tins. I used to buy my Condor in 1/2 oz cube shaped packets which when unwrapped, after you had removed the cellophane and foil paper wrapper you tipped the contents into your tobacco pouch. The other tins I cannot comment on as they look the same today as they did when I was a lad! I hope you are going to smoke them and enjoy every bowl full.