Tackle/Float Boxes - Wood V Plastic

[binka]

This is purely a personal viewpoint and I appreciate others are valid.

Over the years there has been a myriad of plastic float and/or tackle boxes, the benefits of which are endless.

They are lightweight, often with moveable compartment dividers in order to bespoke your fit, and relatively cheap!

So what’s not to like?

Well, for me it’s purely the plastic.

It’s just a soulless material and one devoid of any natural beauty or appreciation of the workmanship which has gone into the making of it, with a million possible clones being produced at little extra effort than that of dialling a quantity button up and checking the machine’s raw materials are kept readily available.

Now wood, on the other hand…

Can be heavy (especially Oak) and cumbersome in respect of the lack of flexibility with regards to compartment dividers etc; unless you’re a bit handy.

But in its defence wood often holds a natural beauty (and often, longevity, which goes on well beyond when those compartment dividers went missing or the plastic hinges gave up the ghost) which far exceeds the requirement of a simple piece of fishing equipment although, on balance, the common sense decision seems to point to plastic every time.

So…

It’s wood all the way for me then

Plastic?

Pah!

What is your preference and why does it float your boat?

 

[tigger]

The wooden ones look far nicer and when I was a kid we all had wooden ones. None of us where interested in the aesthetics of our float boxes back then but they looked great!
Nowadays if I do use/take a tackle box I prefer plastic ones because they're so much lighter and if they get a soaking it doesn't matter.

 

[sam vimes]

No doubt about it, real wood looks lovely. However, the reality is that plastic is lighter, isn't affected by water and is generally more functional.

 

[S-Kippy]

I'm afraid I agree with both my learned friends. I love the look of wood but plastic is so much lighter and easier to maintain.

I have a lovely decorated bamboo float tube but its far too nice to risk getting muddy/wet

 

[maggot_dangler]

For looks you cant beat nice well made varnished wooden boxes and with a bit of thought they can be fairly adjustable .

But for convienence i actually prefere cloth rolls althou i have to make them myself not having a sewing machine it is hard graft .
#

PG ...

 

[markcw]

when I had a Shakespeare seat box I bought the wooden tackle box that
sat inside the rim at the top of the box, It looked great when polished and held a myriad of bits, sadly both items are now gone,
Over the years I have had various seat boxes with drawers and trays so not really needed any boxes for sundry items, my grandson has the Daiwa sb75 that is drawers and trays, I have just sold my preston absolute and bought an old ASI so in keeping with the retro theme it is going to be a wooden float and tackle box to put in the base of seatbox, and keep it polished,
So its going to be a google day tomorrow to find a good one,

 

[thecrow]

Wood for me, the ones I have are not good enough quality to have any weight about them, the last one I purchased was a cheap "artists box" from e bay iirc it cost me £5.99 the contents all went to the grandkids and with a bit of varnish and some foam I already had its a presentable float box that fits my rucksack perfectly.

this is it before it was emptied.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I would agree with the positive points in favour of plastic, but, to my eye hey just don't appeal to me at all; you could apply the word "soulless"

A nice wooden box, well varnished against the elements, to my mind is well worth the extra weight.

Over the years I'd had several plastic boxes and it is usually the hinge that breaks first as opposed to the wooden boxes with brass hinges.

It s the same for me with my fly boxes, while I have few of the traditional Wheatley boxes my main ones kept in my waistcoat have dark bamboo sides and I'd not change them for the world.

 

[flightliner]

To be honest I'm pretty ambivalent, plastic or wood, I have plastic for my specie bits n pieces ,same with my pike and lures.
Where my floatbox is concerned it's allways been a diy job using thin ply for the external frame with the tray inside made of jellatong ( the same timber they used to tap for rubber in Malaya - as was-) which is so very light but strong.
The thing with the float box is that in all the years I,ve looked out for one I have never found one that is suitable for my needs as floats come in so many lengths.The box below the tray houses feeders, differant spools of line, leads and a whole load of other odds n ends.
Overall it's laid out to my exact requirements which does'nt call for any compromises.

 

[binka]

I've recently ordered one of these in Oak...

It bares a startling resemblance to one of the renowned and highly acclaimed Henry Aiken designs of the past...

Either way it has become my Winter project for this year and it will eventually emerge, probably around Spring, as a fully loaded and totally separate, dedicated and independent Perch box complete with several new sets of 'new house style' floats which are currently on the go...

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Either way it has become my Winter project for this year and it will eventually emerge, probably around Spring,

Many years ago in woodworking classes in school I wanted to make something very similar.

Sadly, the daft old codger of a master had ideas about a ruddy footstool . . . .

Still my grandparents at least used the stool . . . .

 

[associatedmatt]

I've recently ordered one of these in Oak...

It bares a startling resemblance to one of the renowned and highly acclaimed Henry Aiken designs of the past...

Either way it has become my Winter project for this year and it will eventually emerge, probably around Spring, as a fully loaded and totally separate, dedicated and independent Perch box complete with several new sets of 'new house style' floats which are currently on the go...

Binka , where is that ordered from? Wouldn't mind one myself

Thanks

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[binka]

Binka , where is that ordered from? Wouldn't mind one myself

Thanks

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Go here Matt, I've had several from him already and I won't rest until I've worked my way through his entire range

100% genuine, reliable and trustworthy and he will bespoke a box for you in the unlikely event that there's nothing to suit in his current range, the craftsmanship is second to none and they are an absolute steal at the price...

My Hand Made Float Boxes - FISHERMANS PARADISE

 

[associatedmatt]

Go here Matt, I've had several from him already and I won't rest until I've worked my way through his entire range

100% genuine, reliable and trustworthy and he will bespoke a box for you in the unlikely event that there's nothing to suit in his current range, the craftsmanship is second to none and they are an absolute steal at the price...

My Hand Made Float Boxes - FISHERMANS PARADISE

I found it just before you posted back ... typical ain't it ?!

I love the look of the traditional boxes as I have broke several plastic ones . Only thing is I'm thinking perhaps the dividers and depth could be altered as I have a float box on order all ready

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[associatedmatt]

Handmade . The chap used to make doll houses

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[binka]

I found it just before you posted back ... typical ain't it ?!

I love the look of the traditional boxes as I have broke several plastic ones . Only thing is I'm thinking perhaps the dividers and depth could be altered as I have a float box on order all ready

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Just tell him what you want and if he can do it, he will.

The only downside is that Oak is a heavy wood, not heavy enough to cause me any problems and I'm happy knowing that it will outlast me.

Well, kind of happy, if you know what I mean

A variation of the same box comes with an additional float compartment, along with other tackle, as opposed to float or float/tackle combined, boxes.

 

[associatedmatt]

Just tell him what you want and if he can do it, he will.

The only downside is that Oak is a heavy wood, not heavy enough to cause me any problems and I'm happy knowing that it will outlast me.

Well, kind of happy, if you know what I mean

A variation of the same box comes with an additional float compartment, along with other tackle, as opposed to float or float/tackle combined, boxes.

I'm tempted to have a go myself . It just finding the correct wood

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[binka]

I'm tempted to have a go myself . It just finding the correct wood

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I would be tempted to go out of my way and see if you could get hold of a bit of Bubinga, it's amazingly tough and hardwearing even when compared to Oak.

Many years ago a major Trent lock was refurbished with Bubinga gates and iirc they gave them a life expectancy of a hundred years and that's some going when much of them are constantly submerged underwater.

Narrowboat builders also use it for glazed surrounds of roof hatches and they don't generally tend to cut any corners.

A nice, natural reddish appearance too

 

[associatedmatt]

I would be tempted to go out of my way and see if you could get hold of a bit of Bubinga, it's amazingly tough and hardwearing even when compared to Oak.

Many years ago a major Trent lock was refurbished with Bubinga gates and iirc they gave them a life expectancy of a hundred years and that's some going when much of them are constantly submerged underwater.

Narrowboat builders also use it for glazed surrounds of roof hatches and they don't generally tend to cut any corners.

A nice, natural reddish appearance too

It's not what wood but finding right thickness in strips as don't have a planing machine but curing down length easy enough just not the thickness .

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[binka]

It's not what wood but finding right thickness in strips as don't have a planing machine but curing down length easy enough just not the thickness .

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If you've got a local, independent timber yard they will likely happily do it for you as long as you are clear on what you want.

Not sure about major outlets which might offer a cutting service, such as B&Q, I would imagine they would do it but I can't see it being cheap with someone like them.

It still might work out well in consideration of the overall cost of buying a bespoke, wooden tackle box though