In this section I will list some of the most common questions I receive about trunks as well as some outrageous trunk myths!. By reading these you will learn a great deal about trunks, and trunk history.

An important word about trunk restorers, and trunk restoration.   This one has really been eating at me, and I believe it is time to share it with you, as I believe it is important information for trunk buyers to consider. Lets start off with a simple word definition (you would think it is simple, but apparently not) The word is Restore, or Restored. re·store, re·stored, re·stor·ing, * To bring back to an original condition: restore a building or car. This is the most abused word used by trunk sellers/restorers. Look on eBay, or many of the trunk websites, and see claims of a "Total restoration!", sometimes with little if anything at all having been done. Understand that most trunks cannot be authentically restored. We no longer have the materials or the processes to achieve this task. If you have a trunk that is in excellent shape, and all it need are handles, then it can be repaired. This however is NOT a complete restoration. That would entail the entire trunk be restored to the way it looked when it was sold. What I am most concerned with is the assertion by some trunk sellers that their trunks are "completely restored". Buyers expect sellers to know more than they do, and expect them to be telling the truth. Many trunk buyers do not know if a trunk is authentic or not, and they rely on the seller to be honest. So, when a buyer purchases an "authentic", fully 100% restored trunk with Pink, and Purple interior, and Gold painted exterior trim, they believe it came that way when new. EBay is a breeding ground for this type of trunk seller, and many trunk sites are no better. One particular site, with a Pirate fixation, is one of the worst offenders yet claims to provide expert information on antique trunks. Yet they would have everyone believe that all antique trunks are "steamer" trunks or nautical or pirate's trunks. I can only laugh (to keep from crying) as I read the words "All Antique Steamer Trunks have been carefully restored and refinished using the same craftsmanship, technique and tools that were used during their original production." They don't provide the correct information about trunk styles or the age of trunks, but claim to be experts!  Purchasing a trunk on eBay or elsewhere that has no interior, no exterior, Gold painted trim (THIS WAS  NEVER DONE!, EVER!) and adding a gallon of Spar varnish, is NOT an authentic restoration. (Spar varnish was intended for marine applications because of its ability to remain elastic as it was originally used on the "spars" on ships. It was NEVER intended for trunks.)"   I don’t claim to a 100% restoration on my trunks, but I do get closer than anyone else. I can honestly say that I have done more to try and restore trunks then any other trunk refinisher. I have re-tinned trim parts, and have had missing parts cast to replace them. I have also tried, more than any other restorer, to accurately reproduce/repair the original interiors of trunks.
Trunk Myths Incorrect, or made up, information about trunks is what I call "Trunk Myths". This incorrect information has been circulating for a long time. There are 3 reasons for this, one is that these trunk stories are romantic, and sound plausible. The other reason is what I call the "Magical World Wide Web" People seen to think that whenever they need some information, they just Google it!, and it magically appears on their computer. Not so, someone actually has to do the research, then put it where you can access it.  When these intrepid trunk owners find no information on their trunk (because there is very little to find) they put their find on eBay, and say how rare it is because they found nothing like it during their 5 minute search of the internet.  Or, they quote a trunk seller who has some good stories, and the myth continues. If you want to find " How The Roman Catholic Church Influenced the Design of Baroque Furniture", you will find reams of information. Trunks? Not so much. Why? Time. It takes many, many hours of searching to get even the smallest bit of information. Information that can be called a fact, not a story. Oh, and then try to tell Mr. trunk owner that his "Rare Pre Civil War Unicorn Covered Hump Trunk" is actually a 1910 Sears catalog Canvas covered model. Good luck! Listen, I could ramble for days, but you get the hint. Sometimes, people would rather hear a great story than the truth, and the truth is hard to get. Oh yeah, the 3rd reason. Common sense. Some people just don’t use common sense. If they did these stories would sound ridiculous. I will elaborate more in the following myth debunking. I spend time each day trying to find new facts about antique trunks. If I say it is a fact it is because I have information to back it up. Also, some myths are so preposterous that common sense is almost enough, and should be. Myth                                                                                                    Round top trunks were made for the elite class, and because of their round tops, these trunks would be loaded last, and removed first. What a load. At first read this story sounds like it makes sense. However, if you dig further you will see it is ludicrous. First, a large dome top can easily weigh 100 lbs empty!, and 200 lbs full. Porters (or baggage smashers as they were called) did not care how much you paid for your trunk, or its shape. They were on a schedule to get the trunks loaded. So, naturally the large, heavy trunks went on the bottom. How you ask? They were put on their front or back, and even on end. What do you think the lock protectors, slats, and cast iron were for? Not just good looks. Round top trunks were made for the same reason anything is made. Looks first, functionality second. A round top trunk looked great, and had more room. And no, it was not only for the "wealthy elite" (who comes up with this garbage) Trunk makers, like any business, had a complete line of goods. These ranged from inexpensive packing trunks, to high priced Dome tops and Sole Leather trunks.
Q. I have seen many trunks (including yours) that are all wooden, and others that have leather, or metal on them. I have even seen a trunk site that calls these "wooden trunks". Were these trunks made this way? A. No. Most times trunks that were covered with leather or canvas are beyond repair. The only thing left to do is remove all of the old covering, and refinish the wood underneath. No travel trunks were produced without a covering of some sort. Weather it be rawhide, leather, metal, carpet, canvas, or Oak slat, all trunks had something on them to protect the box, and for appearance. I have seen these trunk sites where trunks are described as "wooden" or having "wood panels". This is just plain wrong. If a refinished trunk is exposing the trunk box, something was removed. Think about it, a trunk maker would never expose the soft wood box to the elements. It would be like owning a car without a paint job. Your car would rust, and look terrible!
Q. I see many types of trunks on eBay. Some look totally different but have the same name, "Steamer". What gives? A. I too have seen the term "Steamer" used incorrectly.  About half of all people call any trunk a steamer trunk. Many times people will call a wardrobe trunk a steamer. However, a true steamer trunk is a low profile trunk, no more than about 14" high, but can be small or large in length. This was NOT so it would fit under the bed, that is a myth, it was that size because rooms are small and they had a size limit on what you could bring to your room. These items were referred to as On Voyage. Here is a quote from the R.M.S. Aquitania, "Baggage wanted on the voyage must be limited in size to 14 inches in height, 2 feet in width; and 3 feet 8 inches in length." The word Steamer is one of the most misused descriptions.
Q. How old is my trunk? A. This is a huge question, and impossible to answer without pictures of the trunk. However, I can narrow things down a bit. The majority of the trunks that people own today were made between the 1860s and the early 1900s.
Q. My great grandmother brought our trunk over from Ireland. Was my trunk made in Ireland?  A. 99% of the time, no. A huge number of trunks were exported to Europe, and other countries for sale to those immigrating to America. It is kind of funny, thousands of trunks that went overseas for sale came home shortly after, so we did not lose many.
Q. What is the difference between Camel-back, and Hump-back trunks? A. This is one that many, many, people get wrong. There in NO difference because those terms were NEVER used to describe a trunk. The terms Hump-back, and Camel-back are slang (usually) for a cross slat, round top trunk. In searching Patents, and original newspaper ads, I have found NO instance of either term to describe a trunk. The original, correct term used to describe a trunk like that was, Round-top. Also Dome-top, and curved-top, Barrel top (or barrel stave) and I even found a reference to "Convex-top" Look at the ad to your right. It is from 1881 and gives a good idea of the trunk terms and prices. Q. I have a very small trunk, (about 14" long) is it a Salesman's Sample trunk? A. In all likelihood, no. Unfortunately, anyone who has a small trunk (or any other item else for that matter) thinks they have a Salesman's Sample. Myself, and others have done hours and hours of research on this, and have discovered no evidence that any trunk was made specifically for a salesman as a sample. A salesman's sample was usually a very small version of the original. Think of an 8" high stove. A stove salesman would carry this with them from town to town to show store owners in the hopes the store owner would place an order. The sample would have been the very best the company had to
offer, as they would have wanted to showcase their stove making skills. What many people don't know is that as early as the 1860s, trunk makers were making small trunks and selling them as "Toy Trunks". These toy trunks ranged in size from 10" to 24" long, and were paper covered for around 50 cents, (1880s) to "Saratoga" grade, leather covered, with solid Brass locks, for around $3.00. Keep in mind that at that time a nice full size trunk could be had for around $3.00 to $4.00. So, someone who could afford a $3.00 toy trunk for their child was doing pretty good. Then, as now, there are those that can afford opulent possessions. Today, there are a good deal of these toy trunks floating around, and many of their owners are under the impression they have a salesman's sample trunk. People also call these Doll trunks, or Child's trunks,  but in truth they were never referred to those names. Many others believe they have salesman's sample trunk because the makes label in the trunk reads something like this "ABC Trunks. Makers of Trunks, Valises, & Sample Trunks". Many trunk makers made "Sample Trunks". These were trunks made to carry samples. If you were a traveling salesmen, you may have required a special trunk to showcase your wares, whether it be toiletries, Tonic, or watches.
Q. I have a metal covered trunk with a Gold crystal like finish. I have seen these before as well as some with spots on the finish. What is this called, and do you know how it was done? A. This was a very interesting process for ornamenting Tin plate covering trunks. What we call "Crystallized Metal", was originally known as " Moiré Métallique". This is a quote from the "Workshop Companion, 1879" " This method of ornamenting tin goods was at one time very fashionable; but like many other good things it has fallen somewhat into disfavor, probably owing to the "cheap" look given by inferior work. The process consists in various methods of bringing out or displaying the crystalline character of tin."  While I can confirm that this process has been around (in America) from at least 1875, I believe it was done much earlier in France. I am still searching for proof. Crystallized Metal is therefore a chemical process which brings out the natural crystalline structure of Tin, (with acids) that has be applied to sheet Iron through dipping. Pure Tin plate was also used for smaller, less durable articles. Once the Tin has been "crystallized" it is coated with a transparent, colored Varnish. The complete process, (which is quite involved, and dangerous) of crystallizing Tin has been authentically reproduced by myself. I doubt few if any have done this in the last 130 years. However, the crystal portion is only half of the process. The other half is coating the Tin with color. Now remember, you couldn't just run down to the local paint store back in the 1870s. Some base materials you could buy at the local drugstore, but the rest had to be made from scratch. Most all colors were made from some kind of plant, or spice. (which is why companies like East India Trading Co. were so prolific.) Saffron, and Gamboge for Yellow, Spanish Annatto, or Dragons Blood for Red, and so on. Dissolved in a solvent for days to weeks to pull-out the color, the color was then added to Lac (Lacquer), or a linseed type based varnish. These were then mixed or applied as-is to the Tin. The translucent color, with the crystallized base, made for an amazing effect.  There is another finish on trunks that looks like a spotting, or "Mottled" appearance. Other trunk restorers call this "Spots on spots", or "Spots", or some other such name. As near as I can find, this appearance was originally called "Mottled" or "Marbled". While others claim this to be accomplished with paint, it is not. It is again a chemical process done with acids, heat, and chemicals. I am still trying to find data on the "Mottled" process, but it is a very laborious task, and little information so far.