Stories of Cardboard Luggage

[Setok]

Hi, I’ve been a lurker here for years (thank you for all the links and information ), and finally signed up.

I’ve been on the lookout for classically styled suitcases for some time. I simply cannot stand the black nylon jobs and while my Rimowa has worked great, with a suitable amount of dents, I still occasionally search around for other vintage styled alternatives. Especially for carryon duties.

Now obviously there is Globe-Trotter and while they are lovely, they are pretty seriously priced. I stumbled across cardboard suitcases sold by Manufactum. My initially reaction was ‘cardboard???’. After further investigation I discovered that many vintage suitcases were indeed made out of cardboard. I guess you could argue even the Globe-Trotter is a kind of cardboard.

I’ve been searching for any experiences, which brings me here. There is a thread on FL where this is discussed:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/cardboard-luggage.42307/

However, there really aren’t any conclusions. I bought one medium black from Manufactum (at those prices it’s worth a shot), but I’m interested in any anecdotes either vintage or new. While cardboard luggage is mentioned many, many times online in reference to emigrants, workers, salesmen, artists etc, very little is actually being said about how they functioned. Before plastics, they were ubiquitous and affordable, which ironically means little has been written about them — lacking the glamour and exclusivity of Louis Vuitton, and the like. I vaguely remember we used to have one when I was a kid, but as they were so normal, we never made much of it. It no doubt simply did what it was intended to do. I have no idea what happened to it. Now those suitcases have all but disappeared (as new) and, I fear, knowledge of them as well. How were they made? What were the materials like? Did rain destroy them? How did they survive air travel? What kinds of stories are attached to them?

The only two anecdotes I could find was of someone making a trip and regretting not getting one as the more expensive leather suitcase was so heavy, and another grandmother who told the story of one being strapped to the outside of a car through heavy rain and it disintegrating.

So, do any of you have stories or anecdotes to share while I wait for my own one to arrive?

 

[GHT]

Welcome to The Lounge, so pleased that you have signed up after lurking for so long. Cardboard suitcases are still around, in fact a quick check on E-Bay, produced quite an eclectic mix: https://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/1940s-suitcase

The cardboard used in suitcase manufacture was actually shredded first then mixed with adhesive and some other material. (Did you know that wool, wood, leather, metal, plastic, fibre composite - even recycled materials were all common suitcase materials?) It's then kiln dried and finally cut into sections. The corners are protected with triangular shields riveted on. It was, and still is, quite common to overfill the suitcase, when this happened, back in the day, a large leather strap or two were fastened around the outside to give the suitcase further support. My large period suitcase, which is probably cardboard, has been rain soaked more than once, the rain just runs off, there's no obvious deterioration. As for surviving air travel, up until the early 1960's, air travel was exclusive to the very well off and they could afford fine leather suitcases.
If you fancy a go at making a cardboard suitcase, this video is most helpful.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have a couple of cardboard suitcases from the Era - they're really not as flimsy as one might think. They're made of a stiff, thick pressed fiberboard overlaid with paper printed with a fake "tweed" pattern, and have endured two decades of storage out in my dirty, damp garage without obvious damage. The sides of such a case will dish a bit if you store it at the bottom of a pile of junk and probably immersing it in water is not a good idea, but raindrops wouldn't do more than stain it.

Because these cases are glued together, and the hardware seems to be just stamped in place, I don't imagine they'd have held up too well under the gentle ministrations of the railroad baggage-smashers of the day. But as simple overnight bags you'd put in the trunk of your car to visit your cousin in Schenectady, they'd have been fine.

 

[Setok]

Thank you, GHT, this was great. I'm aware, of course, that there are loads of these available on the vintage market, but most people tend to end up using those as interior decoration, rather than for their intended use. Experiences are thus difficult to find.

Great to hear a bit about some of the construction. Do you have experience in comparing cardboard and vulcanised fibre (of the Globe-Trotter kind)?

I realise that back in the day air travel would've been rare, although I imagine railway and steamship porters weren't exactly gentle either. I wonder if anybody has tried using a vintage case for air travel today?

Any other stories or experiences?

 

[Setok]

I have a couple of cardboard suitcases from the Era - they're really not as flimsy as one might think. They're made of a stiff, thick pressed fiberboard overlaid with paper printed with a fake "tweed" pattern, and have endured two decades of storage out in my dirty, damp garage without obvious damage. The sides of such a case will dish a bit if you store it at the bottom of a pile of junk and probably immersing it in water is not a good idea, but raindrops wouldn't do more than stain it.

Because these cases are glued together, and the hardware seems to be just stamped in place, I don't imagine they'd have held up too well under the gentle ministrations of the railroad baggage-smashers of the day. But as simple overnight bags you'd put in the trunk of your car to visit your cousin in Schenectady, they'd have been fine.

Great to hear some of your experiences. I was wondering how they would take a big load on top of them (suitcases are often stacked high). I imagine having something inside might help to avoid some of the bulging. Likewise it is useful to hear water does not immediately annihilate them.

The ones sold by Manufactum appear to have wood lathes and riveted structure, which should also help a fair bit structurally. Interestingly they appear to be surprisingly light.

 

[David Conwill]

Great topic. I've long loved vintage luggage, especially the faux-tweed cardboard cases. I travel with a vintage Luce train case that I have filled with foam and converted into a camera case. It makes a great piece of carryon as it slides right under most airline seats. (Pic from the eBay listing from when I bought it)

I have no good excuse to replace my nylon roller bag at the moment, but I would very much like to hear more about the suitability of the cardboard luggage for future reference.

 

[Setok]

Great topic. I've long loved vintage luggage, especially the faux-tweed cardboard cases. I travel with a vintage Luce train case that I have filled with foam and converted into a camera case. It makes a great piece of carryon as it slides right under most airline seats.

Nice case! How is the cardboard working?

 

[tonyb]

How about roller skate cases sided with brightly painted sheet steel?

Those things were a common sight in my early years, and often carried items other than skates. They were of a size to hold maybe one change of clothes and a toiletries bag, or a small set of specialty tools, or ...

And they were cheap, by both definitions. Plastic handles, simple latches, etc.

I've been on the lookout for one for quite some time, and I come across them every now and then, but they usually contain the skates and are priced to reflect that. One or two will come my way, sooner or later, to join the other pieces of vintage luggage in my modest collection. (And yes, that collection includes a cardboard suitcase.)

 

[3fingers]

How about roller skate cases sided with brightly painted sheet steel?

Two of my sisters had them. I thought the extra room in the case, at least on the ladies version, was for storing the colors of pompons you weren't wearing on your skate laces that night.
I had a cardboard suitcase years ago but it disappeared somewhere along the way. I also had a genuine printed woodgrain cardboard dresser in college. It was surprisingly sturdy.

 

[vitanola]

How about a cardboard suit case serving as a set of traps?

Here's a bit of the Movitone short subject "Nine O'clock Folks", with the Mound City Blue Blowers, featuring Red McKenzie on wax paper and comb, and Josh Billings on suit case and whisk brooms:

 

[1mach1]

How about a cardboard suit case serving as a set of traps?

Here's a bit of the Movitone short subject "Nine O'clock Folks", with the Mound City Blue Blowers, featuring Red McKenzie on wax paper and comb, and Josh Billings on suit case and whisk brooms:

I really enjoyed that @vitanola!

 

[vitanola]

I really enjoyed that @vitanola!

Well, then you will love this 1929 Victor waxing by the Blue Blowers. A young and energetic Gene Krupa on the traps replaces Billings suitcase. Pee Wee Russel plays clarinet, Coleman Hawkins tenor sax, Pops Foster on string bass and of course Red McKenzie on "hot comb", Jack Bland on guitar and Eddie Condon on Banjo. Oh, and Glen Miller plays the hottest break of his life on trombone!

 

[David Conwill]

Nice case! How is the cardboard working?

The cardboard itself is holding up great. The stitching on the leather is going pretty fast, though. I suspect that is more due to the age of the thread than anything.

 

[Setok]

I just received my black cardboard medium sized suitcase from Manufactum last night. It is a beautiful suitcase and the construction is solid and stiff. The cardboard is harder and stiffer than what one would normally find in a box (Apple's laptop and iPhone boxes would be the closest I can think of — though even they feel less subtantial). I'm sure many use these as interior decoration or light storage, but the build to me seems designed for actual work. The biggest surprise is the weight. It's easily the lightest suitcase I have owned, and can be effortlessly picked up with a little finger. Of course it lacks wheels and telescopic handle, which helps keep the weight down. The cardboard is stiff and seems relatively sturdy, although there is already some light fraying around the edges of the cardboard, before the rivets (the package from Manufactum was quite badly packed). I'm not sure if that is common with cardboard suitcases. The cardboard is grey coloured, which means high recycled content. Some pictures of vintage suitcases appear to have brown cardboard, although that might just be colouring due to age.

I do not own, nor have I handled any other cardboard suitcase (or at least haven't since I was a kid). Thus I am unable to comment definitively on the quality of this item compared to vintage ones. The cosmetic finish is not perfect in every detail, and I would be shaking my head slightly if it was priced as a Globe-Trotter — but it isn't. I'm talking about things like the inner lining paper having a few gaps where it is wrapping the wooden structure. That doesn't affect it functionally, and it wouldn't feel completely out of place for a handmade product priced even much higher.

I can't say whether it would manage transport in an airline hold. That would require empirical testing. Then again I've had all manner of luggage coming out torn and shredded from what I can only imagine must have been a monster from some Japanese anime (although my aluminium Rimowa has taken the punishment slightly better than others). This particular one is sized for carryon, which is obviously a gentler affair.

Overall it is a brand new piece of kit from another era. I'd say it's the most beautiful piece of luggage I currently have. Beautiful enough to almost want to keep it out of harm's way. However, I will be travelling with it next week. It will be avoiding the worst of the monsters as I'll be travelling by ferry, but I am not gentle with my clothes or bags, so it will surely get some wear and tear. I almost feel bad about that but hey, it's luggage, and it will now get to be used the way it was intended. You could even argue a bit of patina will give it an air of credibility.

I'll report further after the trip, and hopefully post some pictures later today if I can figure out the best way to do that on this forum. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^
I checked out their website. Looks like nice stuff at good prices.

Still, wheeled suitcases with extending handles make things a helluva lot easier on the weary air traveler. They don't have the style of the old suitcases, but they're considerably better functioning.

 

[Setok]

Here are some pictures. I hope they show up OK.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^
Real handsome piece. Wouldn't mind having one myself.

 

[tonyb]

Just picked up another one today, a fairly large black one with brown leather edge and corner protectors and handle, and rivets. A tad concave on one of the larger panels, but I'm guessing that stuffing it with a couple old blankets would address that.

I'd post a pic, if I could figure out how to do it without using Photobucket.

A label pasted inside identifies its one-time owner as residing at an address in "Denver 16, Colo." which indicates that it dates from between 1943, when those numbers between the city and state came into use, and the mid-1960s, when they were replaced by ZIP codes. And when state abbreviations were further abbreviated to two letters. (ZIP codes and two-letter state codes were introduced in 1963, but I recall them not being even close to universally observed until they'd been around awhile.)

Set me back 22 bucks. Easily worth it.

 

[Setok]

I'd post a pic, if I could figure out how to do it without using Photobucket.

You should be able to do it by hitting 'Upload a File' at the bottom of the reply box.

 

[Setok]

A quick update:

I had the suitcase with me on two short trips last week, one by car and one by ferry. So far so good. This was not the harshest of tests, but I don't tend to be light on my kit. Obviously the biggest drawback is not having wheels and a telescopic handle, and having to do things oldschool, by carrying it around. At that size it's doable, and almost worth it for style alone, but once you go wheels, it really is difficult to go back.

Overall:

+ Looks great. Even the taxi driver commented on it, saying it was very beautiful.
+ Easy to pack as it's a traditional top-loader (rather than the modern clamshell, which I find awkward), and no space is used by wheels and handle.
+ So far the material has held up with light travel use.
+ The metal hinge that keeps the lid open works better than I expected, and is quite smooth and solid.
+ The wooden frame is nice and stiff.
+ Is very light to carry (at least when empty .
+ The metal handle is more comfortable than I thought it would be, and has been solid so far.
+ The clasps are reasonably solid, although the left one is a bit stiff to push in.

- Lack of wheels and handle.
- The straps on the inside are too thin. They would need to be stiffer to keep flat. Also the ends are just cut cotton, so get quite frayed, thus putting them into the clasps is very finicky. Apart from the lack of wheels, this is by far the biggest negative.
- The actual locks are a tad finicky, but so far have worked OK, so not yet a real complaint.
- The build is not 100% perfectly aligned (has that 'hand built' feel) so I need to help it a little bit when closing the lid. A mere minor nuisance.

I talked to my mother-in-law over the weekend, who used a cardboard suitcase back in the day. Indeed she still has it for storage. She used it for travel to Sweden and back on the ferry, but wasn't sure how well it would survive airline luggage handling. She did mention that it lacked the nice wooden lathes on this suitcase.