I really, really need to avoid the Lee Valley catalog and website. The books alone could put me in the poor house, but I saw these

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=44948&cat=1,43326

Has anyone ordered the ones in the aluminum cases? If so, how thick are the cases, and what kind of hinge do they have?

I ordered some of these tins from a different source a while ago to store seeds. They work great for that, but the aluminum cases are fairly flimsy and flex easily. I don't think they would not hold up well to long term abuse, especially if you remove the round containers. That being said, they are perfect for sorting things that will be generally be out of harm's way. IIRC, the hinge is a simple aluminum pin. The ones I bought were these from American Science and Surplus.

The tins are probably a lot thinner than what you're expecting. Your average Altoids tin is of sturdier stuff.

If you have a hobby or art store near you (Michaels in this area), you can something very similar to the tins you linked.

From what I've seen at the store, the lids don't have hinges and are either slip on or screw on depending on the type you buy. However, as mentioned above, there are hinged tins like these out there.