Question concerning Midget Mason jars

[RED Matthews]

Hi Matt, I haven't done that much study on the jar world, so I have to ask: What was the purpose of the lug? It looks like it might have been for the placement of a special tool for sealing torque on the threaded lid. RED Matthews

 

[cyberdigger]

I've been fondling my lugged lid since Woody sent it to me, and it seems that "special tool" is most likely a human finger.. possibly a thumb..[]

 

[junkyard jack]

A jar wrench would engage against the lug to be used as an aid in loosening up the lid.

 

[junkyard jack]

As far as the Electric jar, was it embossed "Electric", "Trademark Electric" or "Electric Fruit Jar"??? If it's the last one, that's a pretty good jar. []

 

[RED Matthews]

Thanks guys. I figured it would be a handled circular hook type tool with a foot on the inside to turn the lid either way. Much like the wrench I use on my water filter cartridge holder. I just hadn't paid attention to the lugs before.

Regarding the half-pint craze - I know that Ball made a lot of them for special annual meetings of management or stock holders. They also made them for jams and jellies.

Something I have collected are special bottles made for special peoples retirement from the glass industry they worked in and assisted. If anyone sees one - pass it buy me!
Thanks. RED Matthews

 

[jarsnstuff]

Here's a photo of a couple of wrenches for lugged lids. The one on the left is for midget jars.

 

[GuntherHess]

Thanks for posting those tools.
Do you know about when the midgets and lugged lids died out?

 

[RED Matthews]

Neat to get the pictures of the tools. They are what is called a Spanner Wrench in the mechanics world today. Thanks, RED Matthews

 

[jimsears]

The lugged lids seem to have been phased out around 1890. Mason jar caps with glass liners had been patented in 1869, and those made under patent are generally found with lugs. After the patent expired in 1886, several companies began competing to produce cheap caps, and the lug went by the wayside. The Ball Brothers were among the most successful competitors. They began cap production in 1886. A very few lugged Ball Brothers caps are known, and these are highly prized by collectors. Around 1892 Ball advertised a jar wrench that it hoped people would use instead of the "old-fashioned" lugged caps.

The switch from midget to regular mouth pints was probably more gradual than the phasing out of lugged caps, but it began around the same time. Most companies that began Mason jar production in the 1880s produced some midget pints. For example, the Mason Fruit Jar Company began producing jars marked with keystone emblems in 1886, and some of its pints are midgets. A few companies that made Mason jars in the 1890s actually reworked their old midget molds. (I have midget and regular mouth pints from the Nail City Lantern Company that were made in the same mold.) However, it is likely that some other companies continued using their old molds to make midgets throughout the 1890s.

Jim Sears

 

[jimsears]

One thing I forgot to mention: midget pints remained popular in Canada after they had been phased out in the U.S. While I am not an expert on Canadian jars, I believe that many of the machine-made Crown midgets date from around 1910.

Jim