I love the vintage, hand made boxes that the old timers made for their hones. That sort of DIY craftsmanship is on the decline. Post some pics of your old finds.
The nice old box thread
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I’ll start with a India combo I cleaned yesterday.
timwcic
"Look what I found"
I have a few to add to the gathering. One holds one of my largest Hard Arks and the other was a marriage. The original Carbo was evicted to hold one of my best Coticules. Purchased the combo hoping the Belgian would fit. Dropped in perfectly
timwcic
"Look what I found"
This is a over lengthy 14” holding a 8” Yellow Hard Ark. Never had the heart to cut it down. The seller told me is father did the carving in the late 50’s while camping on a Fort Lauderdale beach. Said his kids did not want nothing to do with it, shame. I gave it a good home
I wouldn't cut it down either. That piece is rounding 100 years old, and it was made by hand out of a couple boards with a piece of steel sharpend on a rock.
I feel guilty sometimes when I'm scrapping out the caked oil and swarf from a really old box. A century ago craftsman considered wear and changed construction or materials accordingly to make their handiwork strong so it would last multiple generations with normal wear and if it broke it could most likely be repaired. Not the case today. In our modern and "progressive" times this isn't the way business is approached and honestly many corporate types(not all) would flat out call making a fantastic, durable product, bad business. Things are made to go kapüt in a way they are fubar so you will pay full price for a new one. Anytime I find these types of things in the wild I buy them without hesitation if I need/will use them.
Where I grew up people didn't have a lot of money but they outwork most machines(at the time) and if they made something with their hands they built it to be able to, and expected it to be used by generations on descendents they'd never even meet. I think there is an immeasurable amount of value to this and appreciating thing made this way and striving to make things to this level is something I will always aspire to and try to help my kids appreciate. I'm young and I couldn't be more greatful I grew up in a town that was 100 years behind the rest of the country/state because I actually understand what my things, labor, TIME AND FAMILY are actually worth and truth is priceless!
Thanks for suffering my long-winded diatribe but I'm passionate about these things and the junk and waste I see is getting to me. The moral of the story was... I wouldn't cut it either and I respect your eye for craftsmanship and willingness to put in the extra work to preserve it. Your contributions are priceless(among MANY other) and it has an effect on how the board feels and it's rare to find that dedication anymore if it isnt in a context that isn't solely motivated by selling something.
I think these things we preserve from the past be it whetstones, razors, technique are of the utmost importance, everything throughout history that can be preserve is. If society ever crumbles(as we watch it happen today) our previous and more traditional ways of life will be stones on the path back.
What a PERFECTLY stated thought my friend. I agree completely.
Good to know I'm not nuts even though that's the reaction I usually get. Im younger than 40 and I'm sick of plastic, soulless, garbage and my son(8) seems to feel the same. He has seen, with his own eyes, what the difference is in all different kinds of things and aside from nerf guns he usually wants thing made of metal, especially if he's buying.
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Don't let me scare you, but my little 8 year old boy sounds a lot like yours, except the time flew by and he is now 21, married, and has a mortgage!
I shan't say all I'd like, but so many young people my son's age are so afraid of failure that they never try!
My wife and I knew that we both had learned much more from our failures in life than our successes, so we stood back and let him fall on his face a few times. Hardest thing I have ever done. Not at all hard for my wife: we were raised differently.
I have told him since he was a cub that he should always shoot for excellence. That way if you miss it won't be because you aimed too low.
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This is one I traded from a member, about 50% because I liked the box. It’s a fairly ancient, unbacked coticule, which I’m quite sure predates the antique box by many years.
timwcic
"Look what I found"
This is a home run. One of my best looking box. One of my best looking stone. One of my best finishing stone. One of my favorite flea market finds. This is one of those thing I jokingly say will take with me when I assume room temperature. It holds a Butterscotch Ark and dated Sept 1897 inside the top. Still vividly remember the day I got it all these years later
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Yeah… ok. That is pretty sweet.
I have fancier boxes, but have to start with this old gal. Something about it just says old and beautiful. It also housed a beautiful Fiddich River Stone.
timwcic
"Look what I found"
Nice, searching for a Fiddich for years, one day. Beautiful
I appreciate the work that went into those boxes, but it's rare that I want to keep one. Too many of them smell, have punky wood, or are oil soaked. If the box is sound, clean 'enough', not grimy, etc - I'll keep it but over the years most of them hit the trash can pretty quickly. Anything that would leave a stain, or reek even a bit - it's gotta go. Space is a premium here, those boxes are bulky. For me to keep one around it has to pass muster on all levels. But I do like how they look and the craftsmanship that went into making them is much appreciated for sure.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Japanese maru-ka, someone fitted a paulownia cover for it. Fitted stands are fairly common but the covers much less so.
Best old Charnley Forest stone. Before and after.
timwcic
"Look what I found"
A pair of stone that were loved and made wooden homes for them to live. A Washita and a Charnley Forest
I want to try a Charnley so bad. I have a feeling of love them because I adore novaculite in its many forms. I think in going to buy another LI that's labeled. Mine looks like a hybrid novaculite/slate and I'd like to find a "labeled" one for comparison, because I absolutly love my green rock, one of my favorites.
My boxed Tam O Shanter. The stone is never coming out of the box. Box is too nice and sealed. Sealing the stone to the box too.
Nice thick 6 1/2” x 2 1/4” probably around an inch thick stone. Razor grade. Someone spent a lot of time and effort on a really nice fitted box.
Nice thick 6 1/2” x 2 1/4” probably around an inch thick stone. Razor grade. Someone spent a lot of time and effort on a really nice fitted box.
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Not the prettiest box in the world, but still impressive how they fit it so closely to the stone. Especially since it is asymmetrical.
