Thread: Wax Seals

I have several, they have been put away for several years... The "wax" can get expensive, depending on what you are looking for...

I started using colored hot glue gun sticks, plus they won't crack or flake off... I heated it with a torch lighter, it's faster to melt and easier to dab rather than drip on the surface. The come in a large range of colors, maroon, silver, gold... You name it it's there.

This is very old school and a great idea...

http://www.just-hold-everything.com/...5/DSC_2783.jpg

1+ for the glue stick variety.
They are more pliable than wax when cool which means that they will not be broken during the travel through the USPS sorting machines.
They need to be mailed in a cover envelope as well, don't ask how I know this...

I thought it was the wax seal for a toilet at first as well.

Originally Posted by ptjeff

They need to be mailed in a cover envelope as well, don't ask how I know this...

So how do you know this... Do you work at the Post Office?

Well...I sent 50 invitations with my pen logo sealing the envelope. Got 45 returned, damaged, and about 3 completely shredded along with a, how do I say stern note from the postmaster. Aparently the wax broke during the mechanical sorting process, and sort of made a mess of the machine when bits and pieces were smeared all over the rollers and such.
I use the glue gun stuff and a second envelope and they arrive just as I sent them.

I've used them and as already stated the wax seal ends up broken of with only a coloured stain on the envelope to indicate that anything was there. I like this glue gun stick idea. Anyone know where to get a hold of them in Australia?
With regards to the respondant who mentioned '...crest is yours...', family crests and coats of arms are not something that is inherited. The crest or coat of arms belongs to the family member who has been approved by the Heraldic society (? forgotton the name of them) and the eldest born child of that person only. Anyone else who can claim direct descent, and therefore has a claim to the coat of arms, needs to reapply for that coat of arms after having made a change or addition to the original design to denote that it is different member of the family and not the original bearer of said coat of arms.


Mick

Sorry to hear about the post... I guess we live and we learn...

If you can do mail order through the USA you can order them online...

I use them regularly. I am also a pen collector and have pen pals all over the world. I use wax seals on all my letters and have had a number of compliments on them. I did recently receive a letter from Spain that had a maroon colored stain on the flap which I assume was a wax seal that did not survive the trip.

I've used candles. The wax is ultra cheap that way, and the dark red looks classy. Just drip a relatively thick layer onto the stationary and press the seal into it. A thick wax layer holds up better to rough handling than a thinner layer. Also, use thick stationary so it has some pores for the wax to sink into, so the seal doesn't flake off easily. With both of these caveats, the wax seals will stand up to rough handling by people, and withstand them flexing the stationary during normal handling or dropping it accidentaly. Bending the stationary at 45 degrees or more will cause the seal to break open though, so I'm not sure if it would go through an automated sorting machine or not.

I did all that with mine some years back and still had them fail...I think modern technology isn't kind to older tech. A wax seal was just that at one stage though, a seal in lieu of the lick and stick envelopes that have changed to peel and seal...


Mick