the box

[sugarcube5419]

half certain big wull will tell me to burn it, but i really like this box.  Outside of the obvious its old, what do you think of the edges and is that a common thing to do?

any ideas of how old?  hoping all pics will show

[sugarcube5419]

ok the edge pics were too much for one post so here they are

[gg27]

Not sure that I want to wander into another "discussion" about joinery but I've always called these "butter box dovetails"  Out here it's pretty common for mid 20th C boxes.  GG

[sugarcube5419]

yeah i tried to wait out the controversy but that is what made me ask too....I think it adds to what is an ordinary box

[ghopper1924]

I like this form of joinery, and "butter box" is a good name for it!

I've got a portable desk and a commodity box from the 1890s, both with this type of joinery.

[sugarcube5419]

me too--until this one I havent seen it--except on the previous posts made me curious about mine.  Would there be a reason for the four dots on the top?  more decoration?

[gg27]

I don't know when they would have started using that type of joinery, but I would think late 19-early 20th C.  Out west here the only thing we really see them on is old butter boxes brought out here by dealers who shop at the auctions in the eastern US.    GG

[sugarcube5419]

so is butter box a really general broad term because this is huge--

[gg27]

For me it's a generic term.  Whether it's right or not, I don't know.  What size is it?  I think I've seen that joinery on old rattan covered trunks that are stripped down, but that's the wrong shape.  Not sure what that would have been. 

[fancypants]

Looks like an American (american made , that is) Dynamite box to me (1920's-1950's) with a pretty modern lock hasp screwed to it !

[sugarcube5419]

wow=thats an interesting thought--

it is 27 1/2 inches length, 22 inches wide and 17 inches tall

no markings

[gg27]

Looks like an American Dynamite box to me (1920's-1950's) with a pretty modern lock hasp screwed to it !

No kidding "WOW"  never thought of that! 

Sugarcube  What are you using it for?  Just curious.  GG

[sugarcube5419]

when I got it off craigs list from a lady who used it in an antique store for holding items it had a musty smell--I read somewhere to leave it outside for a few days and it seemed to do the trick, now it is lined all pretty with tissue paper, and i use it for storage and blankets--set things on top--its really not cookie cutter

wouldn't it be funny if it was used for ammunition at one time because it's got a killer girl look to it now

[Rauville]

The size of the box equates more to what maybe could have been for wooden matches...or almost anything that was shipped by railroad back then.
It's probably no surprise that those are referred to as "box joints".

(Or maybe even for a typewriter?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Vintage-1926-Wooden-Dovetailed-Crate-For-Remington-Typewriter-12-/261212509901?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd17a96cd#ht_2645wt_1182)

[gg27]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bold the whole thing.   Glad that it's being used for storage & not as firewood.     GG