They should all be the same size and weight for convenient handling. Before the war most cigar boxes were made of wood but today the majority are made of cardboard or fibre board. The wooden ones, will of course last longer but the others will manipulate equally well. We prefer to keep the lid shut with a couple of tabs of adhesive tape rather than a nail. The only other preparation that makes them easier to handle, but is not absolutely essential, is to cover the ends of each box with cloth to prevent slippage.
Some jugglers prefer to have a box made of a light plywood covered with cloth and decorated.
While such a box will wear considerably longer than a cigar box we have always felt that such a box is not nearly as good from a comedy standpoint and also tends to give the appearance of possibly being faked. In the illustrations to follow the boxes are shown as seen from the performer's view. The boxes have been lettered with the words EL ROI TAN so that you can tell from the illustrations when a box is turned over or changes position. Any resemblance between the caricatures and the writer is denied. Body bends over and right hand grasps the right box, left hand grasps the left box, the body straightens up and the three boxes are raised from the floor.