Launched in the early part of the 20th Century, Hardy Brothers retailed what has become very rare and sought after fly boxes made out of solid Rosewood.
These boxes, the forerunner to the Neroda, all contain 40 x nickel silver leaf springs to accommodate Salmon flies.
Being made of Rosewood, these boxes are all individual and retailed for 11 shillings, 6 pence, which was comparable to alternative japanned examples retailed by Hardy Bros.
The above extract is from a 1911 Hardy Bros catalogue. It mentions an example fitted with felt, which I am yet to see.
Being made of a hardwood, and in a size that could easily fit into a pocket, these boxes are very brittle and broke as a consequence of use. All of these boxes contain the "Hardy" lozenge.
These boxes have now become exceptionally rare and are very seldom seen in the auction environment. If you are fortunate to find one, prices currently range from £1,200-£1,800 and this is for an example without content.
Lovely, I have one without the lozenge, quite fancy a No 2 model !