Thread: Do Rules for Other Antiques Apply to Eshers?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Maybe and maybe not. In the late 1980s a tattoo artist/collector friend of mine sold a rare tattoo machine to another artist for $600.00. The Tattoo Historian, a fanzine of that time, asked the seller if they could print that in their next issue. He allowed it under the condition that they not reveal his name, nor the buyer's. He didn't want anyone to know he was so mercenary as to charge that much for an old tattoo machine.

Fast forward to the mid-'90s and that machine sold for $3,500.00. So markets change and someone can say, well .... a this or a that will never be worth .....whatever. But you never know. I forget, if I hadn't already posted , I use Krylon Preserve It for back labels and "Hard As Nails" polish for end labels. Won't shellac turn yellow and flake over time ?

I am with you on not banking on speculation, all I know is these stones have been going up several times the values of just a few years ago.

Shellac will not flake if applid properly. It holds up for centuries with proper care but I am not advocating it's use on preserving labels. Hide glue can be safely applied over labels as well as to glue them down and it is all I could recomend because of reversability, not for ultimate protection from a rode hard put up wet work stone. I use water judiciously when using my labeled escher and always wipe down gently when done.

Of all materials mentioned I have to say Krylon makes the most sense since it is already used to protect valuable paintings. Of all the modern materials it sounds the least invasive.

The label issue for me has less to do with speculating about value and more to do with historical significance. The label is provenance as is the original box. It is one pleasure to appreciate something old and rare but when accompanied by the commonly associated paraphernalia it is a true delight. Having a pristine Model T is so much better if you have a photograph of the original purchaser, the bill of sale, and the gloves he wore to drive her home. In this regard I can see preserving the label as one would a document which accompanies the stone and box.

Originally Posted by Kingfish

Shellac would indeed be a period correct sealant! If I wanted to remove the hide glue and apply shellac I could without damage. Do it once in a while on fiddle labels that are a couple of centuries old. Hide glue it totaly reversable.

I was not talking about shellac as a sealant but as a glue, in the old days they would burn the alcohol out of the shellac and it was used as a glue.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Won't shellac turn yellow and flake over time ?

Shellac will not yellow, and is uv resistant. Your probably thinking of a amber yellow looking shellac, it comes in a varieties of different colors.

Originally Posted by jaswarb

The label issue for me has less to do with speculating about value and more to do with historical significance. The label is provenance as is the original box. It is one pleasure to appreciate something old and rare but when accompanied by the commonly associated paraphernalia it is a true delight. Having a pristine Model T is so much better if you have a photograph of the original purchaser, the bill of sale, and the gloves he wore to drive her home. In this regard I can see preserving the label as one would a document which accompanies the stone and box.

And would you too be weary about putting a modern irriversable material on the paper paraphenelia surrounding an artifact?

Does it make a big difference in principle from your point of view whether it is a model T or a model Escher?

Originally Posted by Martin103

I was not talking about shellac as a sealant but as a glue, in the old days they would burn the alcohol out of the shellac and it was used as a glue.

I can tell you with fairly reliable certainty based on considerable experience with both materials that the label on my stone was almost certainly put down with hide glue when made or it was reglued at a later date with it. If your labels slip off after getting wet or by soaking it was most certainly put on with hide glue.

Originally Posted by Kingfish

I can tell you with fairly reliable certainty based on considerable experience with both materials that the label on my stone was almost certainly put down with hide glue when made or it was reglued at a later date with it. If your labels slip off after getting wet or by soaking it was most certainly put on with hide glue.

I totally agree about the hide glue, i was thinking is there really an Escher stone collector out there! I know a lot of members here that do have alot of stone but would hate to think that someone has a collection of like 50 eschers to look at and not use.

Originally Posted by Martin103

I totally agree about the hide glue, i was thinking is there really an Escher stone collector out there! I know a lot of members here that do have alot of stone but would hate to think that someone has a collection of like 50 eschers to look at and not use.

They are out there and here too! Really, who by profession or passionate amateur would ever need more than one or maybe two? Anthing beyond that is certainly flirting with collector status. Could a barber ever wear one out in 30 years? I would say not though I could be slightly wrong....

Originally Posted by Kingfish

They are out there and here too! Really, who by profession or passionate amateur would ever need more than one or maybe two? Anthing beyond that is certainly flirting with collector status. Could a barber ever wear one out in 30 years? I would say not though I could be slightly wrong....

I highly doubt that someone could wear out an Escher with normal use, but i remember reading someone on here completely lapped off a coticule with normal use.

All my stones have labels whether they came with them or not, If not I made labels on the computer and attached then with sanding sealer

Some of them that are smaller stones are epoxied to clear Plexi 1/4 inch thick by 3 by 8 so they fit the stone holders better and the Vintage labels show through the bottom...

My purpose is to Identify the stones,,