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Members Only Area => General Discussion => Topic started by: Stewie on December 29, 2019, 10:52:51 AM

Title: What is this for?
Post by: Stewie on December 29, 2019, 10:52:51 AM

Does anybody out there know what this is for please? It has a small decanter which sits on a round glass beaker. The beaker does not have a pouring lip and when assembled their is no gap between the beaker and the decanter. I have been told it is a spirit or wine warmer though it would hold only enough for a single glass of wine. The beaker could not hold a candle as when assembled it would burn all the oxygen and I have tried filling it with hot water but it soon chills. I had wondered if it was perhaps a chiller as the beaker could hold ice? It makes an interesting addition to my glass cabinet but would be interested in any ideas

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: johnfilmer on December 29, 2019, 11:19:39 AM

I can see a use for it, although almost certainly not its intended one.


Fill the decanter with water, pour into beaker when needed, drink and then replace decanter over remaining liquid. This, in our house will prevent the cats from drinking from your bedside glass in the middle of the night!

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: Stewie on December 29, 2019, 11:35:11 AM

I have had a similar suggestion Johnfilmer from some one who tales a drink of water to bed with them.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: johnfilmer on December 29, 2019, 11:45:22 AM

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: DaveTheTrain on December 29, 2019, 06:08:57 PM

It looks like a stacked whisky decanter set.  You do see them them still for sale.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: MartinR on December 29, 2019, 08:17:09 PM

I'd never heard of them before, but I think you're right, see https://www.thegreenhead.com/2016/11/stacked-decanter-set.php (https://www.thegreenhead.com/2016/11/stacked-decanter-set.php) for a modern example.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: Stewie on December 30, 2019, 12:12:41 PM

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, it does resemble the stacked whisky decanter sets that you find on the internet though I only have one glass. That said the glass beaker does seem to be a bit large to drink from so perhaps it is designed to hold water for mixing with h spirit. It reminds me of the single cup & teapot combinations that you can get so I was thinking that its purpose was along the same lines.  :)

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: DaveTheTrain on December 30, 2019, 06:12:03 PM

I believe they sold single glass sets, Stewie.  The sort of thing you might buy as a gift for a whisky fancier (not me, yuk).  Whether they ever got used is another question.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: MartinR on December 30, 2019, 09:50:06 PM

Whisky tumblers are fairly large, but you don't (normally) fill them.  The idea is that you can appreciate the "nose", particularly with a fine, highly peated Islay for example.  If the decanter has only blended whisky in it then you might want to add ice or some mixer.  See https://www.amazon.co.uk/whisky-tumblers/s?k=whisky+tumblers (https://www.amazon.co.uk/whisky-tumblers/s?k=whisky+tumblers) for some examples.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: Stewie on December 31, 2019, 10:27:31 AM

Thank you for the insight MartinR I am not really a whisky drinker but liked the look of the piece. The dimensions of the beaker /  tumbler are 10cm diameter by 11cm depth which made me think it was a bit large for a drinking vessel, a 'wee dram' would barely cover the bottom to any depth? See pictures.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: MartinR on December 31, 2019, 11:32:12 AM

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: Smiffy on December 31, 2019, 12:58:25 PM

"Napoleonic Units" Love it.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: MartinR on December 31, 2019, 01:06:36 PM

Old terms seen in "The Model Engineer" and also heard from other older railway engineers: "Napoleonic units" vs "Christian units".  Quite a serious issue if you are either modelling pre-metric prototypes or are involved in heritage railways where Whitworth threads are fairly standard.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: johnfilmer on December 31, 2019, 01:27:22 PM

Trying to stay on topic while spotting a rich seam ripe for mining, I will start a measurement thread for such discussions.

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: Stewie on December 31, 2019, 03:17:04 PM

How long will it be?  :)

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: MartinR on December 31, 2019, 04:43:43 PM

Don't know, but if I fathom it out I'll tell. ;D

Title: Re: What is this for?
Post by: smiler on January 01, 2020, 05:59:05 PM

Old terms seen in "The Model Engineer" and also heard from other older railway engineers: "Napoleonic units" vs "Christian units".  Quite a serious issue if you are either modelling pre-metric prototypes or are involved in heritage railways where Whitworth threads are fairly standard


Not forgeting the fishermans units  :) :)