B.F. Meek & Sons Tackle Box F/S

Bill Muth · Post by **Bill Muth** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:23 am

Missing the inside trays, asking $325 including shipping. Harvey posted that he has the trays available under my post on Joe's Old Lures message board.

Post by **john elder** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:18 am

I'm glad that Meek's reel making skills were better than his calligraphy

Bill: Based on the shape of the lid in the second view, there must be a compartment in there...what does it look like?

SWIM JIG · Post by **SWIM JIG** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:36 pm

cool-thumb USA Bill, please take a magnet to the box, if it dont (stick) it well may be the same thing the East Kentucky coal miners used for a lunch pail< its shaped the same and as same size. The Coal miners lunch pails were made of aluminum and brass for hinges and a brass pin for the hinging, also the clips used to hold the box from opening were if brass! Its a most interesting item, the reason for a non ferious item was so it wouldnt cause a spark and set off menthane gas to cause a explosion, If its what It looks like and all non ferous metal, could you give the mesurments? If its the same as a lunch bucket, My son -in Law would most likly want it to display in his office at his mine. Your ohio Conection on lake erie , Col. M. lorens aka SWIM JIG

Comet Collector · Post by **Comet Collector** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:45 am

You either have a one-of-a-kind or one of a thousand (minus Meeks name painted on in odd style lettering). Wonder why it wasn't inscribed? What do you think Steve V? It diffinately had a hard life.

comet collector · Post by **comet collector** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:49 am

not many lunch pails had locks unless you worked in a PA coal mine.

Harvey · Post by **Harvey** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:08 am

From what I have been told, those lunch box type were made by Falls City of Louisville. I have seen Falls City's, Meek's, A&I, A&F and some unmarked. I have a Shakespeare with a very poor painted stencil in the same place. They were in the catalogues in the teens and early twenties.
"H"

And the ones I have seen are metal.

Comet Collectors · Post by **Comet Collectors** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:36 pm

early lunch pails were metal. Not much plastics until the 50s. I don't believe that one in the pic is stenciled, I could be wrong.

Reel Geezer · Post by **Reel Geezer** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:28 pm

Harvey's correct, except I don't believe Falls City was in Louisville. I have owned three of these Meek boxes, and have also owned several of the same boxes labeled Shakespeare and Abercrombie & Fitch, and maybe some others. I have also found them with no markings on it, just painted black. And they were all manufactured as tackle boxes with trays.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:12 pm

Phil,

Falls City may not have been a Louisville company during the era this box was made, but it did eventually find its way there as a subsidiary of Stratton & Terstegge Hardware Co. (Louisville) which produced a ginormous line of tackle boxes, fly boxes, etc. marked Falls City and My Buddy from the 1930s onward (and probably earlier as well). I have a 1940 catalog showing the very large factory with a huge sign that says "Falls City and My Buddy" on the side, and claiming to be the world's largest manufacturer of minnow buckets and tackle boxes.

I have been told that Falls City had been owned by S&T from the beginning (1890s) but have not been able to verify this as of yet.

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

Reel Geezer · Post by **Reel Geezer** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 9:56 pm

Sorry about that. 90 year old geezers memories aren't what they used to be.

And what in 'ell is ginormous. That sounds almost as good as the word I invented that now finds some use - "wowser". It was first used in the Reel News in a story about a Wheeler & McGregor in it's wooden box.

Post by **john elder** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:01 pm

anyone got one of these boxes that's complete with the innards? and it still looks like there are compartments in the lid...or are my eyes just crossed? (free one, Harvey

)

Bill Muth · Post by **Bill Muth** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:23 am

Interesting stuff guys, very informative. Now somebody buy the freakin' thing. Price drop to $300, shipping included.

I've got a couple of these still in my collection, one like this one and another with the printing on the front of the tackle box (larger letters, different script). Not sure how many variations are out there.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:37 am

Hi Phil,

Oops, got caught up in "student speak." Its a word that they seem to use in every other sentence. Anyway Webster's defines it thusly:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ginormous

Ginormous indeed.

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

P.S. Kudos to coining "wowser". Maybe we can submit it to the O.E.D. as a new English word?

Richard Lodge · Post by **Richard Lodge** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:44 pm

Todd: THanks for the info about ginormous. What a great word! Nice to add a new one to one's vocabulary. You never know when you'll come across a "ginormous" field find or maybe just a "ginormous" tuition bill.
Regards,
Richard

B.F. Meek & Sons Tackle Box F/S

B.F. Meek & Sons Tackle Box F/S

hmmmm! what is the metal?

Are you sure it is a tackle box?

Too much rust for aluminum and...

Lunch pail

Falls City

Ginormous

Broadening my vocab