Cigarette case
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A cigarette case (sometimes called a cigarette tin) is a sturdy container used to store small numbers of
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
s and prevent them from being crushed. A typical cigarette case is a flat box (commonly made of metal) that opens symmetrically into two halves. Each half stores a row of cigarettes, which are often held in place by a spring or an elastic strap. Some cigarette cases are simply sturdy cases used to store standard
cigarette pack A pack or packet of cigarettes (also informally called fag packet in British slang; as in the idiom "back of a fag packet" or "fag-packet calculation") is a rectangular container, mostly of paperboard, which contains cigarettes. The pack is des ...
s.


Types and uses

In modern times cigarette cases are also made of plastic. Some cigarette cases come with additional features, such as built-in
lighter A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...
s or
ashtray An ashtray is a receptacle for ash from cigarettes and cigars. Ashtrays are typically made of fire-retardant material such as glass, heat-resistant plastic, pottery, metal, or stone. It differs from a cigarette receptacle, which is used speci ...
s. Due to the compactness of a cigarette case, being just small enough to conveniently fit in a pocket, they can also be used to store or conceal other small items.


Cigarette boxes

A cigarette box, much like a cigar
humidor A humidor is a humidity-controlled box or room used primarily for storing cigars, cigarettes, cannabis, or pipe tobacco. Either too much or too little humidity can be harmful to tobacco products; a humidor's primary function is to maintain a ste ...
, is a larger case or tin, often stored on desktops or coffee tables. Made of wood, metal, glass, or ceramic, a cigarette box holds a larger number of cigarettes for use by the homeowner and guests. Typical cigarette tins of this type in the United States of the 1920s–1930s stored 50 cigarettes. Because of this, they were sometimes referred to by the nickname "flat fifties".


Fashion accessories and collector's items

Cigarette cases are fashionable accessories within
smoking culture Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...
. As such, they may be made of precious metals, adorned with artistic
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ...
s,
monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
s, and jewels.
Peter Carl Fabergé Peter Carl Fabergé, also known as Karl Gustavovich Fabergé (russian: Карл Гу́ставович Фаберже́, ''Karl Gustavovich Faberzhe''; 30 May 1846 – 24 September 1920), was a Russian jewellery, jeweller best known for the fam ...
, while most famous for his
Fabergé egg A Fabergé egg (russian: link=no, яйцо Фаберже́, translit=yaytso Faberzhe) is a jewelled egg created by the jewellery firm House of Fabergé, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. As many as 69 were created, of which 57 survive today. Virtual ...
s, also manufactured exquisite cases of gold and gems for the family of the
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
,"Smoking Related Collectables"
, originally published in the UK monthly magazine ''What It's Worth?'')
some of which (e.g., those owned by Danielle Steel) are reportedly worth up to $25,000. At the opening of each of his new Broadway productions,
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...
's wife,
Linda Linda may refer to: As a name * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer * Anita Linda (born Alice Lake i ...
, presented him with a cigarette case from Cartier. Each was more beautiful than the last, in gold, silver or leather, many studded with gems and generally styled to relate to that show's theme. Cigarette cases are also collectible items. Common "silver cigarette cases" are most often chrome-plated, although there are silver-plated or polished
aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
cases in addition to genuine sterling ones. The
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, for the purposes of industry statistics, includes manufacturing or adorning of cigarette cases in the category
NAICS The North American Industry Classification System or NAICS () is a classification of business establishments by type of economic activity (process of production). It is used by government and business in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of A ...
339914 "Costume jewelry and novelty manufacturing".NAICS 339914
''Census.gov''


History

Cigarette cases used to be popular with soldiers, and many World War I and World War II veterans (e.g.,
James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series '' Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottis ...
) stated that cigarette cases saved their lives by stopping bullets. In 2003 the European Union witnessed a surge in cigarette case sales, attributable to the introduction of prominent black-bordered warning labels on cigarette packs, e.g., "Smokers Die Younger", etc., by an EU directive in January 2003. Cigarette cases were a way to avoid the invasive labels (another way being various satirical stickers, with slogans such as "You could be hit by a bus tomorrow").


See also

*
Cigar box A cigar box is a box container for cigar packaging. Traditionally cigar boxes have been made of wood, cardboard or paper. Spanish cedar has been described as the "best" kind of wood for cigar boxes because of its beautiful grain, fine textu ...
*
Cigar case A cigar case is a carrier for carrying cigars. The key aspect of a cigar case is its portability, and ease of carrying cigars in jacket pockets, etc. Over the years cigar cases have evolved from a simple wooden carrier to a luxurious tote, fully ce ...
*
Humidor A humidor is a humidity-controlled box or room used primarily for storing cigars, cigarettes, cannabis, or pipe tobacco. Either too much or too little humidity can be harmful to tobacco products; a humidor's primary function is to maintain a ste ...
*
TKB-506 __NOTOC__ The TKB-506 (russian: ТКБ-506) was a small handgun designed to look like a cigar cutter, developed by Igor Stechkin, allegedly on the orders of the KGB. The dimensions of TKB-506 are 11 x 9.2 x 2 cm. Weighing 0.44 kg empty ...
(a Soviet noiseless pistol disguised as a cigarette case)


References

{{Cigarettes Tobacciana Fashion accessories Containers