Hi,
It looks like I may be getting a job to make a 14K cigarette
case. Some people obviously have too much money. I don’t smoke
and have only seen cigarette cases in old Betty Davis movies.
Does anyone have any suggestions. I plan on visiting some cigar
shops or antique shops to get an idea or two for a good design. I
might refer this customer to a manufacturer if I knew of one, I
don’t know if I can charge enough to justify doing this job.
Mark P.
WI
Orchid Digest Post:
Re: Making a Cigarette CaseFrom: “Jeff Cleveland” jevfro@hotmail.com
Mark, During my stay in Berlin a few years ago I saw a very
interesting cigarette holder made from sterling. The cool
feature was a self rolling mechanism that would eject a perfectly
rolled cigarette (filter or filterless). I am a big fan of fine
handrolled smokes, some people find this too difficult or
time-consuming. This rolling macine made it easy and was both
elegantly chased and well built.
As to how to build one I’d have to really sit down and think
about it w/ some paper. Nothing too hard to figure out, I hope.
just a couple of cylindrical pieces suspended with a piece of
material that has some flex wrapped around them forming a
‘pouch’. If you don’t know what I’m talking about look at a
roller in a tobacco shop. Then just rig it so the rollers twist
and tighten down when the case is closed. The tough part would
be getting the finished cigarette to pop out a slot in the case.
Also building an attractive shell for all of the inards while
still leaving room for tobacco papers and filters could take some
time. So maybe it is big thing to take on but I think I might
just for fun and if it works I’ll let you know more specifics.
I’m currently taking a month off smoking as to not build up a
physical dependance on nicotine. It’s a fun habit that I hope I
never have to totaly give up.
Jeff Cleveland aka JevFro
1609 N. Water St.
Ellensburg, Washington 98926
JevFro@hotmail.com
http://www.cwu.edu./~clevelaj
From: “Linda Moughemer” moughemerl@crcs.k12.ny.us
Mark This suggestion my not be a very practical one but if you
really want to drool or you’re talking about major money, check
out the catalogue from the Cartier show at the Met (NYC) last
year. You might be able to sneak a look at one in your local
Barnes and Nobel (they had it at one time) or at the nearest
museum shop if your local library don’t have the book. Linda M
From: “ryr” ryr@interport.com
And here my problem is trying to find new uses for the umpteen
silver cigarette cases I inherited from my mother… who died
of emphysema, hence the “new uses” her descendants seek!
Anyhow, most are very thin, rectangular cases holding about 10 to
20 cigarettes (depending on how long a rectangle is wanted)
neatly lined up like bodies on each side. The case opens like a
book (a child’s picture book, since it opens on the narrow end
)-- it is kept closed with a spring latch. Inside, on both
sides is a bar, spring-latched on one end, w. a hinge on the
other (it could be mechanically latched at one end for that
matter… just remember women don’t like to jeopardize their
nails!) which keeps the cigarrettes in place in a row against
the two lids. Those bars, which are of course flat and often
decorative, are usually not directly opposite each other, but
one further up, one further down so they don’t press on each
other when the case is closed. The cigarrettes do get slighly
flattened, but not enough to bother any smoker. The length of
the case, as I mentioned, is determined by how many cigarrettes
you want to hold (remember they’ll be in a double layer: against
the top lid and against the bottom lid.) The width is
determined by the cigarrettes: my mother only smoked nonfilter,
which made her cases useless to me even when I did smoke as I
never got beyond Kent w. filters… boy does that date me…
And the depth is as thin as possible yet still able to hold two
layers of ciggies plus the bars and of course the case itself…
The exterior of the case can be designed in any way desired:
plain, highly engraved, initials only, even settings I suppose.
The interior often has an engraved message from the giver –
engraved in the actual handwriting, with signature, sometimes
date, etc. Other cases are more like very thin boxes, holding
only one layer of ciggies – definitely not for a serious smoker
– the top lifts off. The bottom, however, has to come up
inside the top, all the way to very close to the top of the
cigarrettes or the latter tend to spill out and get messy
whenever opened. These tend to be more an old fashioned design,
in my experience… ours all came from the Near East or Eastern
Europe well before the 30’s and have VERY intricate filligree
designs… Good luck – Ryr
From: Regalite2@aol.com
Sounds like it will require at least 50-75 dwt gold, and 2 days
labor. May be cheaper to find one second hand, and just put a
profit on it. my .02…
hi mark, if one had a hydraulic press, one could make a
reversible acrylic die with the shape of the proposed case and
use it with urethane. then cut the two halves out of the host
sheet, install hinge spring and catch. it would be a good idea
to age harden it. probably a good day and half of work.
years ago someone had brought a sterling cigarette case and
wanted a plate soldered to cover the old initials. oh, what a
nightmare i created. it was age hardened and it rippled like
crazy when i heated it up. i would suggest to myself to rivet
next time.
your pal,
geo fox
Mark:
One of the first things you have to ascertain is what brand of
cigarettes they smoke, what size (cigarettes come in regular,
king, 100’s, 120’s, etc.) It is simply a matter of creating a
long or wide, almost flat, box with hinges and a push-in type
clasp to open. There is usually a Y-shaped spring-type
assembly inside so that the cigarettes do not roll around. You
may find examples in a cigar or pipe shop. Some of the older
ones are quite beautiful - some were enamelled, encrusted with
stones, and some even had built-in cigarette lighters. You may
want to see if the Ronson Lighter Company has a web sight and if
they still make lighters. They may have examples you can look
at. I didn’t think anyone used them anymore and that they went
the way of the telescoping cigarette holders. Good luck.
Iris in Baltimore
hi, Mark
And here my problem is trying to find new uses for the umpteen
silver cigarette cases I inherited from my mother… who died
of emphysema, hence the “new uses” her descendants seek!
Anyhow, most are very thin, rectangular cases holding about 10 to
20 cigarettes (depending on how long a rectangle is wanted)
neatly lined up like bodies on each side. The case opens like a
book (a child’s picture book, since it opens on the narrow end
)-- it is kept closed with a spring latch. Inside, on both
sides is a bar, spring-latched on one end, w. a hinge on the
other (it could be mechanically latched at one end for that
matter… just remember women don’t like to jeopardize their
nails!) which keeps the cigarrettes in place in a row against
the two lids. Those bars, which are of course flat and often
decorative, are usually not directly opposite each other, but
one further up, one further down so they don’t press on each
other when the case is closed. The cigarrettes do get slighly
flattened, but not enough to bother any smoker. The length of
the case, as I mentioned, is determined by how many cigarrettes
you want to hold (remember they’ll be in a double layer: against
the top lid and against the bottom lid.) The width is
determined by the cigarrettes: my mother only smoked nonfilter,
which made her cases useless to me even when I did smoke as I
never got beyond Kent w. filters… boy does that date me…
And the depth is as thin as possible yet still able to hold two
layers of ciggies plus the bars and of course the case itself…
The exterior of the case can be designed in any way desired:
plain, highly engraved, initials only, even settings I suppose.
The interior often has an engraved message from the giver –
engraved in the actual handwriting, with signature, sometimes
date, etc. Other cases are more like very thin boxes, holding
only one layer of ciggies – definitely not for a serious smoker
– the top lifts off. The bottom, however, has to come up
inside the top, all the way to very close to the top of the
cigarrettes or the latter tend to spill out and get messy
whenever opened. These tend to be more an old fashioned design,
in my experience… ours all came from the Near East or Eastern
Europe well before the 30’s and have VERY intricate filligree
designs… Good luck – Ryr