Aging in Tins

[misterlowercase]

I personally preferred the aspect ratio of the taller 2oz tins

Is this because they looked quite like the oldtime cutter-tops?
Speaking of cutter-tops, I would love to see one on the current market, perhaps a limited edition due to the labor?
I'd be willing to pay an extra premium and I think others would too, the tactile experience of opening a cutter-top is intense and rewarding.
Could this be done?
I reckon all it would take is some hand soldering?
It's like 19th C technology, right?
Cutter-tops were packed at atmosphere --- the only possible techno snag would be the neat lids, but I've seen a simplified style which was just a perforated triangle to bend down instead of the more elaborate slider knife, the simple style would do the trick...
Probably though, it's just too much labor?
But man, it'd be a wonderful thing!

 

[glpease]

"All this would take is some hand soldering..." Right. That's all. Instead of the mechanical operation of the tin sealer, which takes just a few seconds, the hand-soldering would take several minutes of careful work. Oh, and whilst it's going on, the tobacco inside the in is being heated up. Not to mention the fumes from the flux and the solder itself being problematic from a health standpoint. (Back in the day, those things apparently weren't an issue. Neither was using mercury in millinery work.)

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Sure, I love the romance of the cutter-top tins, as well. There's something really special about them. They're also impractical as hell, especially with the EPA breathing down the necks of anyone who even thinks about soldering things with lead/tin compounds. (The lead-free solder requires higher temperatures and more caustic flux to flow, so it would be even worse with respect to packaging costs...)

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So, no. Cutter top tins are not likely in our future. And, for good reasons. Though the romance is nice, the practicality isn't there.

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And, by the way, our tins are packed at atmospheric pressure as well...
-glp

 

[glpease]

Wow. I didn't mean the tone of that to be so snarky. Rough day. The point is, cutter-top tins just aren't practical or cost-effective, and even though they're pretty cool, the resulting cost would be absolutely prohibitive. As it is, packaging, both the physical package and the labor involved in filling, sealing, labeling, comprises a significant percentage of the cost of a tin of tobacco. Anything that would increase that doesn't make business sense.

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I still liked the multi-layer, high-barrier bags I used for a 8-oz packaging at one point. The were light, durable, cheap to ship, which is a boon to the consumer and the retailer alike, and easy to store. The contents also held up well after being opened; the top of the bag could be folded over and held with a binder clip. I've still got a few, and all these years later, the seals have held. The film was a laminate of materials that were both gas and water impermeable. It was a fantastic package. Unfortunately, others didn't think so, and they never sold well.

 

[misterlowercase]

::

No worries my good man, I very much appreciate yer honesty Greg, and the response kinda jarr'd me out of a romantic stupor --- I had neglected to equate the health issues, nor the flux heat issues, nor toxic materials.
And I tossed off the idea almost as if it'd be some easy feat to accomplish, which it obviously would not be!
I've had a love/hate difficulty with the romantic aura of glories yore and I've had to try and actively get a grip, attempt to find some balance, while still appreciating things of the past but also being thankful for what we have today here and now.
One case in point is how I recently got myself a great Wayne Teipen billiard that not only smokes like a true champ, but it's also comfortable as all get out, as well as beautifully finished, and I ask myself why I bother with old estate pipes when some of the best pipes ever made are here and now. I tell myself I should save my pennies and focus on artisan makers, but then I'm enticed by the old British stuff, that glowing aura again, and sometimes the surprises that can be had on the cheap, like an Orlik 2nd, a Matchless, which is pretty ugly and has a most uncomfortable stem, but smokes like near-magic --- and on the flipside, a Hardcastle that has an incredible unique sandblast, but was reamed to the back teeth and had a fissure crack running the full circumference of the inner bowl, a huge sad disappointment.
But, back to cutter-tops, they're just so neat and I've seen little talk of how they were actually made or whatever. I do know that they were invented by W.B. Williamson & Sons circa 1887 and at first Wills had exclusive use of the new airtight tins, but other than that, the mystery continues to intrigue me.