I have a few questions about sealing-wax

[Shangas]

Seals and sealing wax have always been a point of fascination for me, a lingering remnant of a bygone age. Once essential additions for all important documents, and now used purely for ceremonial purposes.

 

Is there any substitute to sealing-wax? I've learnt through this forum that candlewax and sealing wax aren't the same, but I read somewhere that the wax used to cover certain kinds of cheese is similar. Has anyone here ever cheaped out and just used cheese-wax instead of the real thing?

 

Another question I had was about paper. When the wax goes down onto the page, it's in a liquid state. Wouldn't this cause the melted wax to stain the page and for the stain to show through to the other (possibly writing-covered) side of the page? How is this prevented?

[inkypete]

Whenever I see the words sealing wax why do I suddenly start humming the song Puff the Magic Dragon?

[Shangas]

Little Jackie Paper,

Loved that rascal, Puff,

And brought him string,

And sealing-wax,

And other fancy stuff!

 

Meh.

[twdpens]

AFAIK there is no substitute for proper sealing wax. It will stain the paper, but the stain is unlikely to show through. NB: when set, it is very stiff and brittle. If sending an item through the post make sure it is well protected as otherwise your recipient will open an envelope full of red powder!

 

HTH,

 

Martin

[fuchsiaprincess]

AFAIK there is no substitute for proper sealing wax. It will stain the paper, but the stain is unlikely to show through. NB: when set, it is very stiff and brittle. If sending an item through the post make sure it is well protected as otherwise your recipient will open an envelope full of red powder!

 

HTH,

 

Martin

 

Hi Martin,

 

What about other 'waxes' that can be bought in various colours, that solidify into a 'plastic'-like consistency (ie. slightly flexible) which is less likely to crack/crumble.

 

Thanks!

 

Regards,

Soki

[Shangas]

I know traditional sealing wax is meant to be stiff and brittle, otherwise it would never have worked for its intended purpose...but how is it that wax, even in liquid state, doesn't seep through the paper?

[Flourish and Blotts]

If you are using a reasonably thick paper (like, for instance, Crane's stationary), you will find that the wax will definitely not bleed through the paper.

 

Some flexible/mailable waxes will bind so tight to the paper that there is no way to remove them. However, they still don't bleed through.

 

 

[Strang]

I use the "Faux Wax" from Pendemonium.com and it seems to survive the mail fairly well. Sometimes the seal comes off but most people say it arrives okay. I think it is probably a polymer more than a "wax" per se. But it works great and I recommend it.

[Rena]

Shangas,

 

It's not really a liquid when it melts, but simply a thick and sticky puddle of melted wax that quickly cools and hardens. I've never found that it stains through an envelope. I use Atelier Gargoyle sealing wax. These remain pliable and travel through today's postal equipment quite well.

[ralphawilson]

A company here in San Francisco (no affiliation) makes a high grade version of sealing wax:

 

Atelier Gargoyle Sealing Wax Page

 

I don't believe there's a lot of wax in it. By the way, they recommend using something like a creme brulee torch to melt the wax as lighters and matches discolor the wax.

[Rena]

A company here in San Francisco (no affiliation) makes a high grade version of sealing wax:

 

Atelier Gargoyle Sealing Wax Page

 

I don't believe there's a lot of wax in it. By the way, they recommend using something like a creme brulee torch to melt the wax as lighters and matches discolor the wax.

 

Ralph,

I guess I'm old fashioned enough to prefer using matches, so I don't use a torch. I like the added dimension the darkened tones add. Since I stir the pool of wax to spread it out and get the shape I want, the dark parts swirl around and look pretty to me. But I understand that some people would prefer the pure color without this effect.

[ralphawilson]

A company here in San Francisco (no affiliation) makes a high grade version of sealing wax:

 

Atelier Gargoyle Sealing Wax Page

 

I don't believe there's a lot of wax in it. By the way, they recommend using something like a creme brulee torch to melt the wax as lighters and matches discolor the wax.

 

Ralph,

I guess I'm old fashioned enough to prefer using matches, so I don't use a torch. I like the added dimension the darkened tones add. Since I stir the pool of wax to spread it out and get the shape I want, the dark parts swirl around and look pretty to me. But I understand that some people would prefer the pure color without this effect.

 

Rena,

 

I'd be with you on that. Though I don't use sealing wax I don't think I'd be worried about the "unpure" look of the carbon in the wax.

 

This brings to mind a poem I just read:

 

Pied Beauty (Gerard Manley Hopkins)

 

 

GLORY be to God for dappled things—

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;

Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;

And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

 

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: 10

Praise him.

 

I'm not religious, but I do like dappled things.

[Rena]

Nice, Ralph. I like dappled things too.

 

 

 

[Moondrop]

Whenever I see the words sealing wax why do I suddenly start humming the song Puff the Magic Dragon?

 

 

Funny, it makes me think of 19th Nervous Breakdown by the Rolling Stones.

 

On-topic, I've wondered for a while if letters sealed with wax could be sent through the mail and now I see that people are doing it.

[ralphawilson]

http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/pics/glass20-small.gif

 

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--

Of cabbages--and kings--

And why the sea is boiling hot--

And whether pigs have wings."

 

Lewis Carroll

 

(Must be my day for poetry.)

[WhosYerBob]

Atelier Gargoyle (http://www.ateliergargoyle.com/) makes the best sealing wax I've been able to locate. Doesn't stain, grips the paper like a tenacious pit bull, doesn't crack and generally survives the post office mechanized handling equipment.

 

Great stuff.

[fuchsiaprincess]

I use the "Faux Wax" from Pendemonium.com and it seems to survive the mail fairly well. Sometimes the seal comes off but most people say it arrives okay. I think it is probably a polymer more than a "wax" per se. But it works great and I recommend it.

 

Thanks! That's what I was after