As my mother in law digs through the house looking for things to give away (because she has a hard time throwing things away) she came across this leather box that had belonged to my late father-in-law. I assume it's from the '70s. She guilted my wife into taking it home to me. Wasn't too interested and it sat in the garage for awhile until one day I realized I could put it to other uses. But I still don't know what it was for. I know it wasn't for what I'm using it for now. I'm not sure what the slots inside were meant to fit, or the space inside the lid. Anyone recognize it? No label, google image search came up useless.
What was this box for?
- Thread starter pdieten
- Start date
As my mother in law digs through the house looking for things to give away (because she has a hard time throwing things away) she came across this leather box that had belonged to my late father-in-law. I assume it's from the '70s. She guilted my wife into taking it home to me. Wasn't too interested and it sat in the garage for awhile until one day I realized I could put it to other uses. But I still don't know what it was for. I know it wasn't for what I'm using it for now. I'm not sure what the slots inside were meant to fit, or the space inside the lid. Anyone recognize it? No label, google image search came up useless.
I’ve spent time trying to come up with an answer, but I get nothing.
Pendleton made me do all this thinking.
Pendleton made me do all this thinking.
I like it. I really like the use you have put it to!
- Thread starter
- #4
Yeah I was surprised at how well it worked. Just enough room to neatly hold one pack of each of the kinds of blades I stock (though you're looking at my last packs of Dorcos, US Personnas, and white/navy Gillette Platinums, and they won't be restocked, but anyway.)
Still wondering what would have been in that box originally though. It had to be something pretty generic, I'm thinking most of that isn't real animal hide and the emblems on the inside and outside don't even match. Each one of the sections that I have a tuck in has the two thin little slots, I have no idea what would have fit in that.
If I had to guess, I would suggest that each slot would hold a tie tack (as opposed to a clip), or perhaps cufflinks (which, at second glance, seems more likely). Was your late father-in-law a snappy dresser in his younger days?
- Thread starter
- #7
He certainly owned such things, sure. Come to think of it, jewelry box is an idea that makes sense.
I reckon tie bars hooked over the brown strap in the lid, judging by the witness marks, and cufflinks through the slots.
Good figuring @Bakker1964.
Good figuring @Bakker1964.
i did a google image search for - 3 griffins logo - and came across this page of old timey british college book binding stamps - looks very similar to trinity oxford and/or sion college
link - griffins heads (3) | British Armorial Bindings
and this page also has emblems with the 3 griffins and that triangular shape - Mottoes Gallery | British Armorial Bindings
link - griffins heads (3) | British Armorial Bindings
and this page also has emblems with the 3 griffins and that triangular shape - Mottoes Gallery | British Armorial Bindings
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Thanks . . . broken clock . . . I guess it was that "time"
- Thread starter
- #11
Thanks everyone. Appreciate your thinking through this for me. It makes much more sense now.
My skill at blazoning is iffy, but as near as I can make out, the device on the lid would be blazoned something like "On a chevron between three lions rampant, five roundels Crest a griffin sejant erect".
That's without knowing any of the tinctures, since it's a monochrome rendering. I googled for that, but got no hits.
A box for tie bars and cuff links sounds the most plausible.
That's without knowing any of the tinctures, since it's a monochrome rendering. I googled for that, but got no hits.
A box for tie bars and cuff links sounds the most plausible.
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Perhaps a formal attire set: 2-cuff-links and six studs, but that doesn't account for the remainder of the "mounts." Perhaps a generic travelling tie-pin/cuff/stud set.
Definitely for cufflinks and tie clips. i did another google image search for - vintage leather men's jewelry box - and came across these pics of similar cases by a company called - Babcock
google search - vintage babcock men's leather jewelry box - Google Search
this page has almost the same case as yours but i can't get the picture to post - https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-babcock-leather-mens-jewelry-428410001
and here's another one showing the tie clips and cufflinks in the box-
link - Babcock Faux Leather Box with cuff links and tie clips - Circa 1960s-80s
google search - vintage babcock men's leather jewelry box - Google Search
this page has almost the same case as yours but i can't get the picture to post - https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-babcock-leather-mens-jewelry-428410001
and here's another one showing the tie clips and cufflinks in the box-
link - Babcock Faux Leather Box with cuff links and tie clips - Circa 1960s-80s
- Thread starter
- #15
I do agree, mystery solved. The faux heraldry is probably just random to look pretty I'm guessing, because that was a thing in the '70s, but I'm comfortable thinking we know what the box was for. Nice work guys.
Odd that the family couldn't remember what it was for when I got it, my father in law passed away a decade ago and he had stopped using it years before that, my mother in law never throws anything out so she just kept the thing but couldn't remember what had been in it anymore. I don't own a single pair of cufflinks or any French cuff shirts so I never had any need for something like this. My jewelry box is wood and has normal straight compartments to hold my tie tacks and watches.
Odd that the family couldn't remember what it was for when I got it, my father in law passed away a decade ago and he had stopped using it years before that, my mother in law never throws anything out so she just kept the thing but couldn't remember what had been in it anymore. I don't own a single pair of cufflinks or any French cuff shirts so I never had any need for something like this. My jewelry box is wood and has normal straight compartments to hold my tie tacks and watches.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Good work Jay
