Help with seal from my grandpa's pipe tobacco glass jar?

mcjohns3 · Sep 17, 2015

Hey there B&B,

I just inherited six of my grandfather's pipes along with a pipe stand that has a glass jar to house tobacco. The seal on the lid seems to be a felt-like material or maybe rubber that's completely dried out. When the lid is placed on the jar, there is no vacuum seal sound and the lid can jiggle around. Does anyone know if there's a way to replace this seal to better preserve tobacco?

Thanks for the help, I'd like to eventually give pipe tobacco a shot in honor of my grandfather!

Hirsute · Sep 17, 2015

Can you post pictures of the tobacco jar and lid? I suspect it has or had some type of rubber gasket that's either dried out and crumbled away or is missing, but a picture would help us figure out what's going on.

Grandpa Pipes · Sep 17, 2015

You're not sealing food so vacuum sealing is not required or desired.

Visit a sewing store to get some felt that you can cut to fit the lid's edge to set the lid on. The seal is supposed to SLOW moisture evaporation not bottle it up so that mildew or rot can't harm the tobacco.

captaincaveman · Sep 17, 2015

When I've seen setups like that, the jar is for temporary storage of what you smoke daily, not for the type of long-term cellaring that calls for a proper seal. You could probably improvise with whatever you're good at and make a decent enough seal for this purpose.

Do post photos.

Hirsute · Sep 17, 2015

Grandpa Pipes said:
The seal is supposed to SLOW moisture evaporation not bottle it up so that mildew or rot can't harm the tobacco.

I'm going to disagree here. Most of the old tobacco jars I've seen have some kind of a rubber seal. It's not a vacuum seal, but it does a heck of a lot more than felt for keeping the tobacco from dying out. And there's really no worry about your tobacco rotting and molding if you put it in a jar. Many of us store our tobacco in mason jars (both for short-term storage and for long-term cellaring), which effectively keep the moisture level the same as when the tobacco went in the jar. Mold is not an issue so long as you put it in clear jars.

driftwood · Sep 17, 2015

Felt can be purchased at fabric/craft stores. It'll have a glued side and a felt side.

Thin rubber may be harder to locate, but likely available online.

If your not a regular piper and not intending to smoke often I would suggest restoring as best you can then using mason jars to store any open baccy you may procure. The mason jars will better preserve the baccy over time.

Pictures would help a lot.

Riff Raff · Sep 18, 2015

Hirsute said:
I'm going to disagree here. Most of the old tobacco jars I've seen have some kind of a rubber seal. It's not a vacuum seal, but it does a heck of a lot more than felt for keeping the tobacco from dying out. And there's really no worry about your tobacco rotting and molding if you put it in a jar. Many of us store our tobacco in mason jars (both for short-term storage and for long-term cellaring), which effectively keep the moisture level the same as when the tobacco went in the jar. Mold is not an issue so long as you put it in clear jars.

+1

Billski · Sep 18, 2015

There are some neat nicknames here.

There's Riff Raff, driftwood, Captain Caveman, Grandpa Pipes.

Deltaboy · Sep 18, 2015

Lets see some Pictures.

Slickside · Sep 18, 2015

Hirsute said:
I'm going to disagree here. Most of the old tobacco jars I've seen have some kind of a rubber seal. It's not a vacuum seal, but it does a heck of a lot more than felt for keeping the tobacco from dying out. And there's really no worry about your tobacco rotting and molding if you put it in a jar. Many of us store our tobacco in mason jars (both for short-term storage and for long-term cellaring), which effectively keep the moisture level the same as when the tobacco went in the jar. Mold is not an issue so long as you put it in clear jars.

+2

It is almost always rubber, more like thin neoprene. I might guess that some kind of rubber gasket material would work.

captaincaveman · Sep 18, 2015

I've been thinking about potential materials, and I thought of one that might be pretty easy to adapt: The rubber collar from a roofing pipe flashing. They're under five bucks at Home Depot/Lowes, and the rubber is already round.

Jim · Sep 18, 2015

Craft stores sell 8x11 sheets of neoprene rubber type material that would work a treat. Photos please.

Hirsute · Sep 18, 2015

captaincaveman said:
I've been thinking about potential materials, and I thought of one that might be pretty easy to adapt: The rubber collar from a roofing pipe flashing. They're under five bucks at Home Depot/Lowes, and the rubber is already round.

That's a good thought. Another one I was thinking of is rubber canning jar gaskets. Specifically the orange rubber rings used with older bail-top canning jars. Widely available in various sizes and food safe.

Grandpa Pipes · Sep 18, 2015

Hirsute said:
I'm going to disagree here. Most of the old tobacco jars I've seen have some kind of a rubber seal. It's not a vacuum seal, but it does a heck of a lot more than felt for keeping the tobacco from dying out. And there's really no worry about your tobacco rotting and molding if you put it in a jar. Many of us store our tobacco in mason jars (both for short-term storage and for long-term cellaring), which effectively keep the moisture level the same as when the tobacco went in the jar. Mold is not an issue so long as you put it in clear jars.

Let's see what the experts have to say about tobacco storage..............

http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-tobacco/pipe-tobacco-storage/

http://www.caes.uga.edu/commodities...3StoringCuredTobaccoToMaintainQuality2013.pdf

Hirsute · Sep 18, 2015

So, let's see. Your first link with the article by Bob Tate suggests exactly what I did--storing tobacco in clean mason jars.

And your second link is about storing cured unprocessed tobacco in barns. Not really on point for our discussion.

Which makes me wonder what's your point?

If you want to know what the "experts" say, here's an article by Greg Pease, who may know a thing or two about tobacco: http://www.glpease.com/Articles/vacuum.html

I also have had many many many bowls of well aged tobacco stored for 30-40 years in glass jars by one of the few Master Blenders in the U.S. And they've been great. Not moldy.

And if you want personal anecdotes, just look around and ask guys who have been doing this a long time what they store their tobacco in. Most of them will tell you sealed mason jars or bail top jars. In fact, read the comments on the first article you linked to and you'll see a lot of its use mason jars.

But I'm not really dogmatic about this issue. I really don't care how you or anyone stores their baccy. I'm just putting this info here to respond and correct what I see as some misinformation. Everyone needs to do their own homework when they start cellaring tobacco and decide for themselves how they want to do it.

Mr. Scruffy · Sep 18, 2015

I think the OP may be talking about something like this:

Grandpa Pipes · Sep 18, 2015

Hirsute said:
So, let's see. Your first link with the article by Bob Tate suggests exactly what I did--storing tobacco in clean mason jars.

And your second link is about storing cured unprocessed tobacco in barns. Not really on point for our discussion.

Which makes me wonder what's your point?

If you want to know what the "experts" say, here's an article by Greg Pease, who may know a thing or two about tobacco: http://www.glpease.com/Articles/vacuum.html

I also have had many many many bowls of well aged tobacco stored for 30-40 years in glass jars by one of the few Master Blenders in the U.S. And they've been great. Not moldy.

And if you want personal anecdotes, just look around and ask guys who have been doing this a long time what they store their tobacco in. Most of them will tell you sealed mason jars or bail top jars. In fact, read the comments on the first article you linked to and you'll see a lot of its use mason jars.

But I'm not really dogmatic about this issue. I really don't care how you or anyone stores their baccy. I'm just putting this info here to respond and correct what I see as some misinformation. Everyone needs to do their own homework when they start cellaring tobacco and decide for themselves how they want to do it.

Getting a little personal here. Why?

This is a discussion board......no?

Sheesh!! :ohmy:

driftwood · Sep 19, 2015

Just a hunch but you asked us all for advice, we have been trying to give you some. We've even been asking for pictures to help us help you even more.

Then you make a post say "let's see what the experts say", sort of a slight in our direction wouldn't you say? You may not know it but many of the guys on here are very experienced pipers that have been at it a long time.

Additionally, the one link you posted mirrored the advice you already received and the other was on a totally separate topic.

Agree des a discussion board, but you asked a specific question on how to restore a tobacco jar.

At any rate, I'm not sure if we can suggest anything further without seeing some detailed pictures of the lid and jar.

ravl10 · Sep 19, 2015

Mr. Scruffy said:
I think the OP may be talking about something like this:

I want one of those!

Borderdog · Sep 19, 2015

driftwood said:
Just a hunch but you asked us all for advice, we have been trying to give you some. We've even been asking for pictures to help us help you even more.

Two different posters. The OP isn't the gentleman that posted the links.

Pictures would be helpful. There are different styles of lids for those old tobacco jars. Some are designed with the seal inside the jar and some have the seal sitting on top of the rim. I think the repair options would be different from type to type.

When I messed with an older jar that didn't seal very well, I just threw in one of those coin humidifiers and kept an eye on the moisture. After a bit you can get a pretty good system for keeping it just right. I don't use it anymore because I smoke too many different blends to bother messing with one oddball jar.

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Help with seal from my grandpa's pipe tobacco glass jar?

mcjohns3

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose

Grandpa Pipes

captaincaveman

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose

driftwood

Riff Raff

Billski

Here I am, 1st again.

Deltaboy

Slickside

captaincaveman

Jim

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose

Grandpa Pipes

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose

Mr. Scruffy

Grandpa Pipes

driftwood

ravl10

Borderdog

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