Brass Sailors Document Container UPDATE from Museum

[Breezie]

Below in the last few post are the UPDATES on this brass container. The first one is from a professional Appraiser and the second one is an email from the National Maritime Museum in England.

Well, I don't know exactly where to start, but as Glenda Goodwitch said, the best place to start is at the beginning. I bought this item online sight unseen, and thought it might be a Civil War document holder, but when it arrived and I saw it, I realized I have NO CLUE what it is.
Here's what I can tell you about this container. It is solid very thick brass, looks hand-made, lid is very tight, only mark is RUSSELL, measures 9 inches long and is 2 inches in diameter. I scratched an area inside the lid as shown in one of the pics.
I've been buying/selling antiques & collectibles just about all of my adult life, and every now and then, I end up buying a pig in a poke. Is this a pig? Any help, ideas, and WAGs would be appreciated. Thanks! Breezie

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I havent found the Russel logo yet but there is a brass/copper container in the upper right of this picture. http://www.russell-scientific.co.uk/

Google is not working right for me I cannot do the searches I want.

 

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[Retired Sarge]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I havent found the Russel logo yet but there is a brass/copper container in the upper right of this picture. http://www.russell-scientific.co.uk/

Google is not working right for me I cannot do the searches I want.

Here is a better picture of the brass container you were talking about. I'm thinking that maybe one of their thermometers came in the tube, like a storage container for it.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[traderoftreasures]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I would hate to buy scientific equipment from someone who can't even get "russell" right. just saying.....

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I would hate to buy scientific equipment from someone who can't even get "russell" right. just saying.....

I concede that unless we can match the Russel stamp, its just a guess. But Im thinking it was probably not uncommon to have machine stamped letters off line. Think about it the 1940's typewriters couldnt even type straight.

I guess it could be hand stamped but the owner would have a special set of dies..

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

Is the inside a different metal....looks like alloy inside.

SS

Why does it look silver inside? Is that solder? Is it copper plated aluminum?

 

[traderoftreasures]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

looks like a homemade solder flux tube that used to belong to russel he probably was tired of bob getting in his flux... lol

I withdraw this answer, after reading the size again 9 x 2 is pretty big

 

[Breezie]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I've emailed with pics the National Maritime Museum and Russell Scientific Instruments. I have also submitted it to a professional appraisal company. I'm hoping between all of us, and all of them, we'll have an answer soon. Judging by all of the pictures I've seen/googled, the one that matches it the best is the sailor's document holder from the Nat. Maritime Museum. Again, thank you for the help. Breezie

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

Does anyone know anything about tube manufacturing?

I took your tip Breezie about the "chicken coop" tube and decided to compare. You can see a big difference in the way it was made. The 1910 chicken coop tube has seams and was soldered. Your brass item is manufactured quite differently and may be a clue. It appears to be well made, heavy wall, maybe machine rolled and/or spun. Do you see any seams? I dont know much about the process but its clearly different. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,198092.0.html

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

Don't know if yours is the same thing, but, back about 7 years ago, I bought a similar "pig in a poke" - it was in a box of stuff that I bought from a bankruptcy sale - the guy did precision metal-working. The box contained several little tools, tiny wrenches, tiny files, tiny screwdrivers, tiny everything, even a couple tiny monkey wrenches and several tubes like the one you have. In the tubes, however, he kept all different gauge sizes of brass strips. Each one had a different thickness in it.

Oh, and the box also contained a tiny set of lettering/number stamps - and his name was stamped on all his little tools, including the tubes. (of course, it wasn't stamped "Russell", it was stamped with his own last name.


Beth

 

[NGE]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

How about the weights that hung from a grandfather clock, filled with sand for winding the clock? just my WAG.......NGE

 

[Dano Sverige]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

They usually have a small hoop on for hanging from the chain.

I think unless someone gets this dead on, then it could practically be anything, as in my next guess!

How about a poor farmers homemade/adapted pencil case for his son Russell? Heavy i know, but if russell was a tad clumsy then a metal one would protect the pencils, rulers,etc and the protractors wouldn't stick out of the sides.
Similar to the hard cases i use for expensive fishing rods (poles).

 

[fish4walleye]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

"/adapted pencil case for his son Russell? Heavy i know, but if russell was a tad clumsy then a metal one would protect the pencils, rulers,etc and the protractors wouldn't stick out of the sides."
,,,maybe correct as long as the rulers are only 9",,hm maybe it's for storing a ladies personal....never mind

 

[Breezie]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

Does anyone know anything about tube manufacturing?

I took your tip Breezie about the "chicken coop" tube and decided to compare. You can see a big difference in the way it was made. The 1910 chicken coop tube has seams and was soldered. Your brass item is manufactured quite differently and may be a clue. It appears to be well made, heavy wall, maybe machine rolled and/or spun. Do you see any seams? I dont know much about the process but its clearly different. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,198092.0.html

BCH, that is an interesting observation. I don't see any seams at all on the lid or the tube. So what does this mean? Breezie

 

[Dano Sverige]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

"/adapted pencil case for his son Russell? Heavy i know, but if russell was a tad clumsy then a metal one would protect the pencils, rulers,etc and the protractors wouldn't stick out of the sides."
,,,maybe correct as long as the rulers are only 9",,hm maybe it's for storing a ladies personal....never mind

We had small 6" rulers as well. Mainly for drawing lines in unlined books to write on. Was just something that crossed my mind that it could have been used for. I've always been one for "adapting" things for my needs lol.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

Does anyone know anything about tube manufacturing?

I took your tip Breezie about the "chicken coop" tube and decided to compare. You can see a big difference in the way it was made. The 1910 chicken coop tube has seams and was soldered. Your brass item is manufactured quite differently and may be a clue. It appears to be well made, heavy wall, maybe machine rolled and/or spun. Do you see any seams? I dont know much about the process but its clearly different. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,198092.0.html

BCH, that is an interesting observation. I don't see any seams at all on the lid or the tube. So what does this mean? Breezie

I dont know. It appears to be very well made.

 

[fish4walleye]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

Now that I've some time to look at this, I wonder if we are missing something, Is the tube possibly lead lined? and not solder, I also think I see where a label(probably paper) may have been glued to the tube ,,2nd image,,or am I getting to technical and this tube was only used for putting the trimmed chicken beaks into to be sold as an aphrodisiac

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

This is the only seam I can see. (red arrows) The piping is seamless and the end appears to be soldered on. It appears to be very precision made. I dont think its handmade.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I also think I see where a label(probably paper) may have been glued to the tube ,,2nd image,,

Yes good eye. I see the round label.

Because it had a label reinforces the theory that its factory made. It also means its not one-of-a-kind and not unsolvable.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

The label appears to have gone over top of "Russel". Could that mean it was stamped by the owner and not at the factory?

 

[Breezie]

Re: This may be the next chicken coup egg counter!

I'm assuming RUSSELL was embossed 'after' it was made, as well as 'after' the paper label fell off or was removed because of the position. The label was oval with the wide area going from west to east (centered)if the container was sitting up, which would be the normal place to put a label. The name RUSSELL, as you can see, was stamped over part of the east end of the label. Breezie