With all this talk, I ran a search, and nothing. So how do I use the seal/wax? Thanks

Try here:

http://letterseals.com/howtousesewa.html

A quick and dirty explaination.

• First off find two things that you want to stick together, an envelope, some wrapping paper ribbons etc.
• Then using a lighter or candle flame or blowtorch soften a piece of sealing wax until it starts to flow. I try to pull the ends of my wax to a point after use so I can quickly get a piece to melt the next time.
• at this point I use two methods one is with the wax and flame adjust the distance so that a dime to quarter size pool of wax is formed
• or if it's soft press the end and five it a twist- this usually makes an ugle pool but heat can clean that up.
• Give the wax a time to rest- this is totally subjective
• Either breath on the matrix of the seal ( the metal part) or dip it in oil or water or on an icecube or use a stamp pad so you've got a releasing agent.
• Then with a quick motion press EVENLY downward on the wax pool with the seal until there is a nice 'rasied' ring around the matrix.
• give the seal a time to relax- this is totally subjective Although if you can slightly rock the seal it's a good one!
• lift the seal and be amazed with your handywork

Note that the amount of wax pool is for a typical seal- I've got one that is nearly 1-1/2" on a side so the amount of wax is much greater for it. Playing around with the wax and seal will help.

I have also made seals onto aluminum foil so that I did several at a time and then glued them on afterwards. I have also seen a device that looks like an electric donut maker that heats the wax and then you squeeze a trigger to release the exact amount.

Hope this helps.

Kurt

I wish somebody would make a video on YouTube about wax seals, how to use them, a collection, etc.

try this one

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bYkF9ViNUwA

That's a nice technique but I shy away from wax with a wick as you get carbon pieces as the wick burns.

Kurt

the sales-lady in the video was saying that she actually like that, it gives it a more rustic look ... personally, i don't mind that myself, but i think she's trying hard to sell the product!...

...anyways, it was the only video i could find about wax seals (all others were about bathroom toilets wax seals!!!!!)

Yes I think it was more sell than anything else


thanks for digging up the video.

Kurt

At the bottom of the page on that first answer... letterseals... shows video demonstrations....

i got to the icon for the video, but sent me somewhere else?????!!!!!

There are also kits using a hot glue type gun and seal stick so no muss or fuss and instructions come with it. Look in Craft stores, scrapbook stores or on the web under "wax seals" or "sealing wax". Also try J. Herbin Calligraphy supplies. They are a big maker of wax for seals and have been forever. Also HisNibs.com and Pendemonium as well as a place in San Francisco >Atelier Gargoyle (spelled something like that).

is this the place...

Atelier Gargoyle
1890 Bryant St Ste 308c
San Francisco, CA 94110 Map
ph# 415 864-2928

... i live in san francisco, i think i'll check it out!

[/quote]is this the place... [/quote]
Yes, that's the place. Call before you go and take a full wallet - Ward and Linnea are wonderful hosts and you'll come out of there with more than you went in to buy.

Lots of places sell sealing wax and seals. Some places online will even make you sheets of prestamped seals that you can just peel and stick to your document. Those are expensive, though, and just not as fun or necessarily as durable as making your own.

The biggest thing to note, though, is the type of wax you are buying. If you plan to send it through the mails, be sure you purchase a wax that specifies it is safe to mail; otherwise, you'll end up having cracked and pealing seals. Many of the newer "waxes" aren't wax, can dry very brittle, and are mostly for decorative purposes only. Also, many postal offices won't accept the seal on the outside of an envelope because it will mess up their sorting machines. The solution here is to double envelope and ask for hand canceling.

As far as not liking wicks is concerned, some places offer wax beads that you melt in small pots or in small spoon-like tools specifically made for the purpose.

Despite all the talk of the USPS not liking wax seals and charging the 17 cent surcharge, I've never had a problem mailing them at the usual first class rate.

YMMV.

That's actually pretty much the only thing I found on YouTube, but I don't generally believe anything anybody says on those home shopping networks. "Now featuring pre-glued instructions, so that you'll never have to look for them again!" I gave up after I saw someone on a show advertising a generic laptop with very standard features as something that "you'll never have to upgrade, ever." That was a very nice price for a starter set, though.

It would be nice if someone made an instructional video on YouTube for wax seals, maybe also featuring a collection. Maybe that could be a different video. Or a whole series of videos. Video reviews of pens? There's one already available here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sJ8c2ZMsK8U . It wouldn't work as well for ink reviews, though.

I've used wax seals successfully on the outside of the envelope. More recently, I've been using it as flourish under my signature. I completely non-functional use, but how functional are wax seals anyway? I nearly never get a "perfect" imprint because I use the ring that's on my finger, which makes aiming hard, but I think that's part of the charm.

I sneakily melted some wax and stamped (or punched, rather) a seal in the corner of a super-crowded barnes & noble (Union Square in NY), and the woman sharing my table (it was that crowded) looked up, blinked, and said "you do it old style, no?". "Yep." She had also just watched silently as I had my two new bottles of ink and four cups of water and was flushing out a pen to replace the ink.

I think they're still functional as tamper-proofing, at least to a limited extent. You can probably (or at least possibly) steam open an envelope sealed with the standard glue, and then re-seal it more or less convincingly, but I think it would be a lot harder to open and re-seal a wax seal without leaving noticeable damage somewhere. Especially with the more flexible mailable faux-waxes; they seem to stick pretty fiercely.

Do you really *need* extra tamper-proofing on your letters? Well, probably not. But still..