Nickel-Plated Aluminum Lunch Box

Wherever you are, the work day is not always conducive to an "actual" lunch time. More often than not, sitting down and enjoying your sandwich outside is trumped by a backlog of emails to reply to, which you end up writing between bites. And there's usually an excuse - once you go outside, there's nowhere to sit down, anyway.

Originally developed by a hardrock miner who sat down on his old tin lunchbox for a rest, only to have it collapse right under him, this sturdy, handcrafted metal box weighs less than three pounds and makes a great seat, as well as a container for your mid-day vittles.

Store your lunch in the large bottom compartment of this box, and put your beverage in the top portion which features a removable wire for a vacuum bottle. Then, turn the box on its side and have a seat while you eat. Don't worry, the aluminum siding held together with nickel rivets are strong enough to hold you. When I asked the manufacturer just how many pounds the box could hold, she told me this: 

"I met my Tool & Die guy when they bought property on our lake and when we got to chatting, asking about each others professions and I mentioned my dad's lunchboxes, he said, "Not the aluminum one that looks like a barn?"  Yup, I said.  Then he said, "Well, I'll be darned....years ago I worked for a company that made chain and I looked around for a lunchbox that could carry 75 lbs of chain and I bought one!" 

Keep in mind that when you're seated your weight is adjusted, so this limit will hold most people of average weight.

To polish, use a furniture polish, spray and wipe dry. To clean, wash as you would dishes, with soapy water. Rinse in clear water. 

It's recommended that once washed, the box is opened and positioned "upside down" to dry, so that any accumulated water will drain from the front hasps. This will extend the lifespan of the hasps, since there is a steel spring inside.

Also, a drop of light oil (mineral, vegetable, olive or industrial) in the lower hasp from time to time will extend the life of the internal spring. 

The box will develop "character," just like its owner, as the years go by.

Invented by a hardrock miner who grew up during the Great Depression in Alberta Canada. As a boy he was a resourceful young fellow fashioning rabbit snares out of bits and pieces of material. After leaving home at 17, he worked in the Sudbury mines and brought an old tin box for his lunch. When he tried to sit on the box one day to eat, it collapsed. That's when he decided to build a lunchbox strong enough to be used as a seat.

The aluminum metal is ordered and slit to specific widths needed. Then each coil is lifted on to an uncoiler and the metal is fed through a punchpress to be cut and stamped using the appropriate sized die.

Once the metal is cut, the sheets are stacked in groups of 100. The hinges and handles are then attached with ad hoc riveters. The two top ends are then attached, followed by the bottom. The front hardware is then attached and the wire to hold the vacuum bottle is inserted.

In the finishing stage, the lunchbox corners are banged to close and any sharp edges are hand filed and checked through quality control. Before boxing, each lunchbox is hand polished. 

Please email support@kaufmann-mercantile.com.  We reply to every email promptly. Or call us at 347 529 5122.

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