Roughneck flasks

[MalcolmAndSheldon]

I was reminded of these for some reason today - in the early 1980s, there was a bit of a craze for having roughneck flask as part of your school packed-lunch setup. They usually had a picture of some well-known character or cartoon on them - I recall Snoopy ones being popular. Star Wars ones were popular too - mine had a picture of Yoda, and looked just like this:

[Clare]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Oh yes! I'd forgotten their name. Do they still make them?

[Richard1978]

Re: Roughneck flasks

I had a Mr T one, & my brother a Superman flask.

One reason they were popular was the lack of a glass liner to break.

[Heather74]

Re: Roughneck flasks

I had an Asterix flask it was a lovley light blue colour with a cartoon picture, but my brothers used it to lauch rockets from on Bonfire night one year and melted it :'(

EDIT found a picture of it





Matching Lunch box, well I say matching i always assumed they came togther

[MalcolmAndSheldon]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Oh yes! I'd forgotten their name. Do they still make them?

From what I can Google, no. Thermos still make kids' flasks under the 'FUNtainer' brand, though - and their classic tartan flask is still going strong, by the looks of things.

[George 1978]

Re: Roughneck flasks

These were different to the Bluebird lunchbox flasks, weren't they? They were a bit wider for a start.

They remind me of those flasks that fishermen keep with them on a Saturday afternoon, with some hot soup or coffee inside it.

In the early 1980s, Heinz tomato soup had this offer on when they had some red flasks of that sort with the Heinz tomato soup logo on - my family had a couple of them at home, festering away in an upstairs cupboard.

(500th post)

[Arran]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Roughneck flasks are a real 80s icon. When did production of them start and finish? I had a few at home in the 1990s and used them mostly for soup and rice pudding.

Were they always produced with a cartoon picture or theme or could you buy plain flasks?

[George 1978]

Re: Roughneck flasks

I suppose that school trips (and lunch time specifically) were the time when you would see who had these flasks - cue youngsters on a bench at the zoo or wherever, eating their lunch. Mind you, packed lunches were sponsored by Bluebird when I was at school.

[Arran]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Were the flasks available individually or only sold with a lunchbox?

I was verbally informed that the 1980s was the decade of lunchboxes resulting from cutbacks to school meals under the Thatcher government.

[Richard1978]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Were the flasks available individually or only sold with a lunchbox?

I'm fairly sure they were available separately as well as with lunchboxes.

[Heather74]

Re: Roughneck flasks

I've read on a couple of websites today that Thermos sold the flasks first then introduced the flasks with the lunchboxes later ��

[Trickyvee]

Re: Roughneck flasks

They were definitely sold separately. I had a bluebird lunch box with matching flask but the flask broke and was replaced with a roughneck. Mine was dark blue with Snoopy on it. I like the embossed 'roughneck' writing on the opposite side of the picture too.

[Arran]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Did the later flasks have a flip-up pouring spout in the lid?

What was that make of flask that had a wide lid and no cup? It could also be used to hold a drinks can.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Mine had a flip up pouring spout and everyone else's did too, but I can see from that photo that they didn't always have them.

[MalcolmAndSheldon]

Re: Roughneck flasks

Mine had a screw-top lid. Though the flask was definitely robust, the tops did seem to have a bit of a leakage problem. Mine did, at any rate.