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Do you like/use Letter Openers?

Denny M

By Denny M
in Paper and Pen Paraphernalia

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jjdeal Mint

jjdeal

Posted
Posted

I am also a woodworker and have made my own letter openers! It is not that difficult. After shaping the handle with a plane, chisels, and sandpaper, I start carving the blad and make it thinner and thinner on one side. It is surprising how sharp you can get this to be. I have two that I use regularly, and they work like a charm. Don't have my digital camera handy or I would take a few photos.

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ralphawilson Extremely Rare

ralphawilson

Posted
Posted (edited)

A dear friend gave me this cool Scandinavian letter opener that I believe was from the Museum of Modern Art store in New York.

http://www.ameico.com/cart/products/DE30611.jpg

Any old blade works just as well, but this thing feels extra sophisticated, like my Pilot M90.

Edited by ralphawilson

"The surface is all you've got. You can only get beyond the surface by working with the surface." ~Richard Avedon

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Judybug Collectors Item

Judybug

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I just can't stand envelopes that have been TORN into, leaving a messy, ragged edge! Such violence! :gaah: The uglisest envelope doesn't deserve it. I MUST have a letter opener for the sake of neatness.

 

Me too, absolutely. I even blogged about how much I love my letter opener.

 

Sesheta, that lizard is one of the coolest letter openers I've ever seen!!!

 

Yes, that lizard is cool indeed! I love your blog, GreenVelvet! Just went there and saw your letter opener. What a lovely handle.

 

Judybug

So many pens, so little time!

 

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5642/postcardde9.png

 

My Blog: Bywater Wisdom

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PaulT00 Extremely Rare

PaulT00

Posted
Posted

I have a Dartington Crystal letter opener given to me by my other half. It has a handle which is a piece of glass, with a silver plated ferrule holding the silver plated blade. Sadly I rarely use it since it lives in my office (back of the house, upstairs) and the post comes in the front door and is usually stacked in the lounge by the aforesaid other half, who hasn't yet been able in over 50 years of life to comprehend the concept of an in-tray... hence has a tendency to use the whole house as an in-tray. Also a pending tray. And an out-tray. And a 'shake it all about' tray...

 

Look, there are stacks of mail and paperwork dotted all around a six bedroom house, ok?

 

Sigh.

 

It's a nice letter opener though!

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PianoMan14 Extremely Rare

PianoMan14

Posted
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Usually I just use my pocketknife.

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out!

 

 

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impossiblebird Vintage

impossiblebird

Posted
Posted (edited)

A dear friend gave me this cool Scandinavian letter opener that I believe was from the Museum of Modern Art store in New York.

http://www.ameico.com/cart/products/DE30611.jpg

Any old blade works just as well, but this thing feels extra sophisticated, like my Pilot M90.

Supercool... are you certain any old blade works just as well? because that, to me, looks like the perfect tool for the job.

 

I tend to use one half of a broken pair of scissors, also used for opening parcels and sowing seeds. I used to use the tail end of the letter "om" of my Ganesh-in-a-letter-om keyring, until said tail end broke off. :(

 

I see some Parisian designers had the same idea: http://www.mcachicagostore.org/main/item_detail.php?pid=1076&cat=8 On sale $28! :ltcapd:

Edited by impossiblebird
The impossible bird at 121 years young...
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Philips Mint

Philips

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I use a narrow stainless steel engineer's rule to open letters. As an aside I was always told by family elders that it was unlucky to open a letter with a sharp instrument, eg a knife. (Perhaps it is if you cut yourself.)

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Juicyjones Extremely Rare

Juicyjones

Posted
Posted

I just use my sharp pocket knife. Letter openers are normally so dull..

"If we faked going to the Moon, why did we fake it nine times?" -- Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4447835438_d7314170bf_o.png

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tfwall Collectors Item

tfwall

Posted
Posted

I believe was from the Museum of Modern Art store in New York.

http://www.ameico.com/cart/products/DE30611.jpg

 

 

...or Sing Sing. Reminds me a of shank more than anything.

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Sidney Extremely Rare

Sidney

Posted
Posted

I use a free letter opener from USPS that looks like this one:

http://websitelabels.com/images/thumbnails/zippy103.jpg

"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." - Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President

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Vulcan1066 Rare

Vulcan1066

Posted
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I use a knife that I made myself or whichever pocket knife I have on me at the time.

"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup"

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esterbex Collectors Item

esterbex

Posted
Posted

I have a Dartington Crystal letter opener given to me by my other half. It has a handle which is a piece of glass, with a silver plated ferrule holding the silver plated blade. Sadly I rarely use it since it lives in my office (back of the house, upstairs) and the post comes in the front door and is usually stacked in the lounge by the aforesaid other half, who hasn't yet been able in over 50 years of life to comprehend the concept of an in-tray... hence has a tendency to use the whole house as an in-tray. Also a pending tray. And an out-tray. And a 'shake it all about' tray...

 

Look, there are stacks of mail and paperwork dotted all around a six bedroom house, ok?

 

Sigh.

 

It's a nice letter opener though!

 

:roflmho:I'm only laughing because I remember those days....Now there's just me....a beautiful thing!

But I don't have a nice letter opener....hmmmm....

God is seldom early, never late, and always on time.

~~Larry Brown

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Highbinder Vintage

Highbinder

Posted
Posted

Heres mine;

 

http://www.ronniesunshines.com/images/Opinel%20Knife.jpg

 

Next to my pens and my guitar one of my prized possessions, the one I use was given to me by my uncle when I was an early teen and holds great sentimental value as well as functionality (much like a pen, I suppose)

Platinum 3776 - F, Pilot Decimo - F, TWSBI Vac Mini - 1.1i

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orangos Extremely Rare

orangos

Posted
Posted

Next to my pens and my guitar one of my prized possessions, the one I use was given to me by my uncle when I was an early teen and holds great sentimental value as well as functionality (much like a pen, I suppose)

 

Great that you've held onto it and still use it!

 

I love Opinels -- lost my last one just before check-in at the Channel Tunnel. Realized that it's not like a flight where you can put a knife in hold baggage -- everything's treated as carry-on. So I had a word with a friendly policeman and left it in a phone kiosk for him to 'find' and dispose of. Better than being nicked by security, but it was a shame. Must get another.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png
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BeachBum Rare

BeachBum

Posted
Posted

I use a free letter opener from USPS that looks like this one:

http://websitelabels.com/images/thumbnails/zippy103.jpg

Mine didn't come from the USPS, but it is the same style! :thumbup:

“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.” ― Calvin Coolidge

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krandallkraus Extremely Rare

krandallkraus

Posted
Posted

I don't have my camera here at the moment, but I have an old bamboo letter opener shaped like a large knife with the handle wrapped in multicolored canvas that my mother gave to me when I was 8 years old. She was an avid letter writer and taught me to be one, too.

Phone calls last just minutes, emails get deleted, but letters live forever.

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