Mystery object. Made of sheet brass. To give some idea of size, it is just less than three inches across.
Contents of mystery object. Purpose of mystery object, when made, country of origin,
. and purpose of 'contents of mystery object' please.
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11 comments:
Taking the candle as a clue, is it a tinderbox? The flint and the steel together make the spark for lighting the candle, maybe with the addition of some hay or moss to make enough flame - I'm guessing, can you tell?! As for country of origin, I really don't know but I'll say Holland.
Z - that is brilliant, and I have lost a little bet with myself that Crowbard would come up first with answer. The country of origin is England (I think), but it could be Holland, although they tended to decorate their brassware more than this. It is probably of mid nineteenth century date, because of the folded seam below the handle (I haven't shown the seam - so you couldn't have used that piece of information). Very well done, Zoe - top marks.
The second picture shows a couple of flints, a circular 'damper' to put the glowing tinder out, and a 'firesteel' to strike sparks with the flint (all of which pack away into the tinder box when not in use).
P.s. All of which items Zoe mentions.
Well done Zoe, although I could have supplied some of the answer detail, I think you made a better job of it than I could, even though I've supplied the noble relation with home-made char-linen tinder on occasions in the past.
Very true, and over the years with all sorts of other supplies that I was having difficulties in obtaining. For which brother - my thanks. And Thanks again Zoe -that was a very good sporting effort.
I think I once sent you the formula and methodology for making mercuric fulminate for your percussion caps. I'm assuming you haven't tried it out yet as I haven't heard any seriously big bangs emanating from the East. I hope you have the good sense to lose it, it is terribly unstable stuff.
Hi Carl. I didn't use it because I've some few percussion caps lrft from the early sixties that I'd trust more than any fulminates made by me. But the recipe still reposes somewhere in my blog archives I think. Thanks anyway.
Love to you both - Mike and Ann.
Crowbard would certainly have come up with the answer if I hadn't sneaked in first! I rarely know what your mystery objects are, so I'm pleased I got this one right!
Just out of interest, is there any connection between the noun snuff and the verb snuff?
I don't think so. The snuff (noun) is taken from its snuff box and snuffed (verb) up the nostrils. I think ground medicines were taken in this fashion well before the tobacco plant was imported from the New World. We aught perhaps check this with your uncle Crowbard ? I seem to remember it being said that to snuff (verb) was in use in the fifteenth century.
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