Sardine Cans/Tins

[Andrew Kasmar]

Does anyone currently reproduce sardine cans/tins? I have been looking for some, but have not been able to find any. Any information in this area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

All the best,

Andrew Kasmar

[Spinster]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Andrew,

If what you are looking for is the 'key open' type tins, full of sardines, and ready for a period reprint label, they can still be occassionally found at "Big Lots" .

With the long shelf life, and short supply, laying in a career amount would not be an unreasonable choice.

[CSchneider]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought key-opening sardine cans were patented in 1866. Frustratingly close to our period! I would love to hear that they were around earlier.

Anyway, after a couple of "no" answer from various tinners, I was just about to bug the next tinner on my list about making sardine tins with unattached lids (to be soldered on after filling with sardines just prior to an event, of course!). I've got a prototype of one of the French embossed brass labels you see on dug sardine tins from Civil War sites all the time just waiting for a tin.

-Craig Schneider

[eric marten]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Does an 1866 patent mean they weren't in use before then?

[CSchneider]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Does an 1866 patent mean they weren't in use before then?

Maybe. Anybody have a reference or a dug example? I'm familiar with dug sardine cans without keys and can't find any reference to that system of opening a can on Google Books prior to the 1880s. Everything before that seems to discuss the difficulty of opening the cans and or/any one of a variety of can openers or "sardine openers."

-Craig Schneider

[dixieflyer]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Sadly, I think we're out out luck with this one Andrew. I recently (in the last year or so) found some cans of sprats (sardines for us) in a period correct round, flat can with no pull tab and no key for another period I portray. Viola! Pay dirt! I ordered three cans, just what I needed, so I found an original label, had it copied, etc. I went to order some more in a few weeks, and . . . . they came with pull tabs! Arrrrrgh! Evidently I got the last of the old stock, and the seller still uses the old can on the product illustration. A sweep of the web has turned up nothing but pull tabs on these since. There are a lot of other canned good usable for this impression, but all have become marred by pull tabs.
The world of modern convenience has betrayed us, so we're stuck for now unless someone makes a can, and that IMHO is going to be prohibitively expensive.

[CompanyWag]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

I've got a prototype of one of the French embossed brass labels you see on dug sardine tins from Civil War sites all the time just waiting for a tin.

-Craig Schneider

Interesting. Can you elaborate on this? I had often wondered about the feasibility of doing this myself, but couldn't figure out way without incurring expensive die charges. I have several dug examples from western camps that are still legible.

Paul McKee

[CSchneider]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

It's not cheap (or quick, or easy), but it's doable without the more extreme expense of metal dies. You have an original label, and that's the first of about a dozen steps. Check out Jim Miller's blog at http://jimsfortheloveofhistory.blogspot.com/. Read through all the excellent posts until you get back to early April, and then read his post about reproduction product labels. His process for making the lead/tin foil labels seen on many period cans and bottles is very similar to what I do, both for the sardine labels and a different Wells and Provost label. He explains the process step-by-step with photos.

-Craig Schneider

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

http://www.gma.org/herring/harvest_a...rdine_cans.asp

Not sure how many folks have ever come across this page. Scroll down the photos and there are mid 19th century machines being used with forming wheels unlike any I have ever run across in my years of working sheet metal. Just an example of the tooling necessary for making decent reproduction cans.

Museum is closed last I knew and I was never able to get in contact with anyone up there.

Pat Cunningham

[CSchneider]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Wonderful photos.

The husband and wife owners passed away in 2009 and 2010, respectively. It's a shame, as it looked like a rather interesting place to visit. Wonder what happened to the museum/machinery?

-Craig Schneider

[Boucher42]

Re: Sardine Cans/Tins

Maybe. Anybody have a reference or a dug example?
-Craig Schneider

I have dug a few. But I did not keep them. I hung them in a tree so as not to "find" them again.