Brass Sierra Cup

[themonkey]

Hey everyone!

Don't know where else to put this so feel free to suggest another forum.

I'm looking for Brass Sierra Cups. Long story short, a good friend and backpacking partner used them on the trail with his grandfather. Cups were earned with trail miles, and engraved with an earned trail name.

Jack passed away in 2000 and in his honor we have been holding a "memorial" 50 miler every summer. It would mean a lot to my friend if we could find some brass cups and continue the name and cup tradition with our group.

But I can't find the Brass cups. Aluminum and Ti is all I can find. I understand why, but the point here is sentiment so I don't want to settle for anything other than Brass if I don't have to.

Anyone know who sells or makes them? Other thoughts?

Thanks a million!!

[Alligator]

That's something I've never seen around.

If you don't have any luck, maybe someone like Aaron who makes Brasslite stoves might be able to make you one.

[Lanthar Mandragoran]

That's something I've never seen around.

If you don't have any luck, maybe someone like Aaron who makes Brasslite stoves might be able to make you one.

Oh, yeah, he could manage one.

I tried doing some searching but couldn't come up with anything.

[budforester]

I remember the yellow ones, too; looks like the Sierra Club is making the cups again, but only the silver version. Might you order enough quantity to interest them in a special- order?

http://www.sierraclub.org/store/products/prodcup.asp

[TN_Hiker]

I haven't seen a brass cup in years. I have one given to me over 20 yrs ago by my girlfriend who had it engraved on the bottom. For what it is worth, I married that gal and she has been putting up with for me for 21 years this year. I don't use it much, but do take it sometimes on the trail. The cup that is......

[themonkey]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses.

Pretty sure I'm hitting a dead end. The three surviving cups I know of are all at least 15 years old.

I may give Aaron a shout, but I imagine a custom job will be more cash than I'm ready to drop. Probably worth an inquiry though. Thanks for the tip.

I've scoured the net, and as many retail/mail outlets I can think of. I will keep the search going cause Goonies never say die.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate the help!

Happy Trails.

m

[Lanthar Mandragoran]

This just occured to me, but have you considered talking with an anodizing company to have some of the cheapy aluminum ones color-anodized to a brass like finish? It's not quite the same, but it may be the only thing you can get done...

[Brasslite]

FYI, if you did make a commemorative brass Sierra cup it would have to be tin plated on the inside or you couldn't ever drink from it. Brass is poisionous and should never be used to store food or consumable liquids.

It would be prohibitively expensive to have an individual sierra cup custom made by me, or anyone else. It would have to be "raised" (ie cold forged) from a brass disc. Takes several hours, mostly for the planishing process (taking out the dents). Modern stainless steel sierra cups are stamped in a hydraulic press or spun on an automated lathe, and it takes 1 second to make one.

[themonkey]

Brasslite, thanks for the info!!

Do you know the history of the cups or the use of brass in something like this then? I'm guessing the toxicity the reason I can't find the cup in brass.

Here is a photo of the cup that found it's way into my possession. You can't see it, but the engraving is "Speed" (not my nickname!!), and I do indend to clean it up before it goes anywhere again.
Sierra-Cup.jpg

I'm not a fan of the cup myself. I don't like the size, weight or shape. I love the idea/tradition, it's just not the most practical for me personally. I have used this cup a couple times for the sentiment, but find it imparts a metallic taste to the liquid. Given Brasslite's comments that was probably my poison warning! Whoops. Probably shouldn't have eaten all those paint chips when I was little either. Thanks for the heads up!

Lanthar... that's a pretty cool idea. I may actually look into that. Thanks!!

If anyone happens to see these cups for sale, let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to let this die right here. Man, this is a cool community!! Thanks again everyone!

m

[Valmet]

When I got married I gave one of the brass cups to each of the groomsmans. I had engraved in the botton "just 5 more minutes". I introduced every one of them to backpacking and the first hike they asked, more than once, how much longer and the reply always came back "just 5 more minutes". Still have the cup sitting next to a old stove I used back in the 70's.

[Footslogger]

[quote=Brasslite;356162] Brass is poisionous and should never be used to store food or consumable liquids.

=====================================

Aren't a lot of plumbing fixtures made from brass ? Hmmm ...

'Slogger

[Rhino-lfl]

[quote=Footslogger;356639]

Brass is poisionous and should never be used to store food or consumable liquids.

=====================================

Aren't a lot of plumbing fixtures made from brass ? Hmmm ...

'Slogger

No copper.

[Rhino-lfl]

Sorry, pipes are copper, some fixtures can be brass, but it's just a coating over some other material.

[Alligator]

Sorry, pipes are copper, some fixtures can be brass, but it's just a coating over some other material.

No, some fixtures are solid brass, and sometimes the solid brass has a coating. I don't know about the inside though, that may be coated too.
http://www.shop.com/op/~Castille_790...3?sourceid=298

http://www.shop.com/op/~Blanco_92006...4?sourceid=298

http://centralonlinesales.com/show_Product.asp?ID=1466

I think the idea is to limit any lead in the brass.

[Outlaw]

Sorry, pipes are copper, some fixtures can be brass, but it's just a coating over some other material.

Many potable water lines were either red or yellow brass and were connected to fittings via threaded joints. Most of those systems are obsolete now, primarily due to corrosion, but some are still functioning today, e.g. NYC. In fact, there are water mains in NYC that are made out of wood that were installed in the late 1800s that are still in use today (they don't fail so long as they remain wet).

Go into most Home Depots today and you can still by brass nipples and fittings. Also, many household and commercial water meters are made out of either brass or a brass alloy.

[Alligator]

Shutoff valves are often solid brass too.

[Footslogger]

Shutoff valves are often solid brass too.

===============================

Lots of brass being used around household plumbing, considering it being poisonous.

'Slogger

[Outlaw]

Shutoff valves are often solid brass too.

True, true. Sorry, I had put valves in the general catagory of "fittings."

[jimmyd393]

I, too, am looking or Brass Sierra Cups for similar reasons as you, 5 years ago. Mine was made by "Big Oak" and has a stamped oak tree on bottom. Can't find a place to purchase now. Need 20. Anyone with any ideas of where to find? JD

[vamelungeon]

Brass is not toxic to humans.