Containers

Wide and clear

On this page11

The archetype's own words Wide, measured Why a narrow neck fails this craft Clear, measured Why clear is not cosmetic here Natural is the useful middle The 101 amber containers are for a different craft A flat base matters as much as the mouth And the lid has to open one-handed So the buying rule is simple References

376 bottles on a wide-mouth brief, and 27 percent clear.

The archetype's own words

"Small dry parts. Wide mouth to get fingers in, clear so you can see what is inside." Two requirements, both about retrieval rather than protection.

Wide, measured

255 of the 646 containers are jars. 376 are bottles, which are narrow by definition. So 58 percent of this shelf has the wrong mouth for the stated purpose.

Why a narrow neck fails this craft

You cannot get a finger in, you cannot see the bottom, and tipping parts out to find one is how parts are lost. A bottle is a liquid container being used as a parts bin.

Clear, measured

175 clear against 141 white, 101 amber, 60 natural and 47 black. The archetype asks for clear and 27 percent of the shelf is.

Why clear is not cosmetic here

A collection of forty containers is navigated by eye. A white jar is a mystery until it is opened, and the label never keeps up with what is actually inside.

Natural is the useful middle

60 containers. Translucent HDPE lets you see a level and a rough colour without full clarity, which for a parts jar is often enough.

The 101 amber containers are for a different craft

Amber protects from light, which almost nothing in this group needs. It is on this shelf because the catalog is shared, not because the craft asked for it.

A flat base matters as much as the mouth

A jar that will not stand on a sloped, cluttered bench is a jar that spills. Straight sided containers also pack into a tray without gaps.

And the lid has to open one-handed

The other hand is holding tweezers or a part. 22 dome lids and 19 lug and twist closures here, which is the quick-opening end of the shelf.

So the buying rule is simple

Jars, clear, straight sided, one size, in quantity. That is roughly 123 containers of the 646, and it is the right 123.

References

The archetype behind this shelf is store-small-dry: 15 to 500 mL, wide mouth, no closure requirement, PP and PET and glass, cold, solid, chunky, scooped, with "small dry parts, wide mouth to get fingers in, clear so you can see what is inside" as its stated reason. Eleven of the twelve leaves are dry parts, so the archetype describes the craft correctly, which is uncommon in this library.

The Davis Pack Supply catalog, measured 19 October 2026. The model parts and paint shelf is 1,136 rows: 646 containers and 490 closures. 5 mL to 2,000 mL with a median of 118; 25 containers at 15 mL or under, 84 at 30 or under, 183 at 60 or under, 336 at 120 or under, 522 at 250 or under. 351 PET, 117 glass, 100 HDPE, 78 PP. 376 bottles, 255 jars, 13 tubs and pails, 2 tubes. 175 clear, 141 white, 101 amber, 61 blue, 60 natural, 47 black. Closures: 288 continuous thread, 32 disc top, 31 child resistant, 26 spouted, 22 dome lids, 19 lug and twist, 14 phenolic, 13 spice caps, 11 liners and sealing discs, 10 flip top.

Written from 16 CFR 1501.4 and 16 CFR 1262, and from the catalog as it stood on 19 October 2026. No cylinder dimensions appear anywhere in this property, because the rule gives them in a figure rather than in its text. Whether a particular part or magnet passes either test is a determination about that article; we sell the container it is kept in. Whether a kit is a children's product is the four-factor test covered in the resin jewelry property.