Bought an Old Tobacco Tin...

[cthulhu]

I was at a store that was closing down, and they were selling everything. There were some old, beat up tobacco tins, and i picked one up that I thought had nice graphics.
It looks just like the tin this ebay seller has:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/George-Washington-Great-American-Pipe-Tobacco-Tin-Old-/260770973283
Well, I brought it home, and found it was half full of tobacco! The tobacco is a bit dry, but isn't that bad. I wanted to try some (there's a lot of it) and was wondering if there's anything I can do to bring it back to a better condition to smoke.
Also, does anyone have any info on this brand and the type of tobacco it is? The tobacco is a bright golden brown, and smells like brown sugar.
Thanks

 

[marmal4de]

Nice tin, that'll make a great conversation piece!

 

[olderthandirt]

was wondering if there's anything I can do to bring it back to a better condition to smoke.

Bowl and wet towel routine.

Put the tobacco in a largish bowl, cover the bowl with a damp paper towel so the bowl is completely covered but not actually touching the tobacco.

Give the tobacco a stir every couple of hours, rewet the towel as needed.

Jar the tobacco when it's at a moisture content that feels right to ya.

In my experience this is the best route to go.

Some say use distilled water but unless your tap water has a distinct odor I honestly think that's overkill.
Neat tin!

 

[uberam3rica]

i dont know anything about the tobacco, so i cant help you there. i just gotta say thats pretty awesome. id be ecstatic if i found tobacco i wasnt expecting

 

[cthulhu]

Thanks!
Olderthandirt, should I put the tobacco back in the tin? Or would it be better to but it in a mason jar?
I was surprised at how much tobacco has actually in there...the tin is large (coffee can sized), and it's about half full. It still has the tax stamp on it, although part of it is faded. I think it may be from the late 1940s early 1950s. If anyone has an idea on what kind of tobacco it is, please let me know.

 

[docrx]

Jar it!

 

[chopz]

if the label's anything like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_Washington_Cut_Plug_Tobacco.jpeg
then the internets seem to concur that it's an old and popular R. J. Reynolds brand.

 

[cthulhu]

Thanks Chopz!
The link I posted earlier is the exact same as the tin I have. I'm assuming the Tobacco is a Burley, because of the bright color. I've never smelled a tobacco with such a strong sugary sweet smell!

 

[seanz]

enjoy i came across some new zealand made flake from the sixties era and after the moist towellette thing it was a nice smoke .

 

[olderthandirt]

docrx got that while I was out.

Yep, jar it once the moisture is where you want it at.

Don't use the tin for anything that has any moisture at all. That way you've got a great bit of tobacciana that will outlast all of us!

 

[cyndi]

We use distilled water in a spray bottle and it works fine. If we were to leave tobacco out, Carbide would probably murder it then the dogs would eat some then puke everywhere...

 

[olderthandirt]

I have 3 cats, 2 of which would darn sure get into it, little bastards.

When I'm rehydrating some baccy I put the bowl in the microwave. I don't nuke it, it's just safe from the animals there.

 

[cthulhu]

Ha. Funny you mention this...My cat was acting like it was catnip and going crazy trying to get it! I finally got it to a nice moisture level and tried some. It is very light and sweet (reminds me a bit like 1Q) and has a nice sweet room note. After I've had a few bowls of it, I'll update to see if it's more complex.