Hinges : How To Roadtest A Hinge?

Just thinking aloud,
just received the unisafe "peelables" from Dianne,

So how does one roadtest?
a light tip of the tongue?
a slobber?
a dab from the cotton bud?

Apply to sundry duplicates,
12 of each Stanley Gibbons and Unisafe
and leave for 3 days then remove and note differences.

Perhaps I should call in the mythbusters re "peelable"

Rod, I have a few packs of those containing partially clumped wads of hinges. They actually peel off each other fine and still hold the stamps well with a light non-dog slurp. Peeling is fine, tested after about a week.

Cheers BC,
I am looking forward to results,
I like the "grab" of the Stanley Gibbons,
but they do leave a remnant when removed, so not really "peelable"
I find the Dennison (when I have broken down albums)
absolutely superb, but perhaps a little bit too easy
you get the feeling the stamp may just fall off.

I'll post my findings.

Hi Rodney,

The Dennison hinges hold just fine. I've broken down 20 year old collections and the stamps are still on the pages and peel well.

A tip for removing hinged stamps from a page and/or stamp. Rub the back of the page, if possible, with the edge of the tongs or better yet use spade tip tongs. Evidently the slight heat from friction helps release the hinge gum. Do the same on the back of a stamp except rub the hinge itself. This method works most of the time. Note that one does not have to rub very hard.

Another tip. When using a folded hinge moisten just the top half of the folded part and attach to the stamp a little below the perfs. Moisten the remaining hinge about one third of the way up and attach to the page. This way the stamp can be turned over with no problem. When I say moisten I don't mean by licking. If I have to hinge a stamp I use a damp Q-tip or cotton bud to moisten the hinge. It takes no more effort than licking it.

In the case where the hinge is not pre-folded, fold the top of the hinge about one third of the way down and then follow the above.

I am giving these tips because I have seen stamps hinged with the entire hinge attached and one has to cut the hinge with tongs to get the stamp off the page as one cannot 'flip' the stamp.

Jerry B

Rod, please don't road-test your hinges - dodging the traffic could be dangerous.

Too late Stampgal, I have road tested


BTW: I have an uneasy feeling Unisafe and Stanley Gibbons are identical hinges, probably branded at the factory.


Great info Jerry,
will take some of your advice...
but sorry, I am a criminal, I hinge for me only
and attach all my stamp hinges in the middle,
always have done.
No need to see the back of my stamps, but the other advice is fantastic.

Now, on to the TASTE TEST ....

G'Day Rodney,

One reason for not mounting the hinge in the middle of the stamp is that if it has to be removed for replacement, or whatever, it is easier. You do not stand a chance of 'folding' the stamp.

As an aside. The most novel way I have seen stamps mounted has to be the most expensive. The collector cut the lower corners of a glassine envelope, different sizes depending on the item to mount, and hinged that to the album page. That way he had a 'mount' open on two sides and always the right size.

Jerry B

Who wants to look at a stamp THROUGH a glassine -- fuzzy, opaque, and obscuring? And if you turned the album upside-down, wouldn't everything fall out?

Stamp Collectors are curious creatures, aren't we?

Yes that we are Kirk. Rod now really! I'm gonna have to send you lots of stamps to go through cause you really have too much time on your hands.

Dianne

I use "removable tape" works better

Max:

We've had some lively discussions about the "safety" of removable tape used on stamps.

always worked for me

Dianne,
the results are in

SG v Unisafe.

Taste test....identical (tasteless, like my cooking)

Comments:
I think both SG and Unisafe are identical,
with a tiny dab of the moist cotton bud
both hinges grabbed well, after 2 days peeled
(if that is what you call it) off leaving a skerrick of gum
and sometimes a hinge remnant.

A "dab of the tongue" was similar
but more remnants observed.

"slobbered" all hell broke loose
gum from the hinge would migrate to back of stamp
adhering the hinge AND the stamp.
Not good!

BOTH are nothing like the blue dennison hinge
which is in a class of its own.

SG 6/10 unisafe maybe 6.5/10

SERIOUSLY -- thanks Rod for testing and sharing. There's nothing better than an actual usability test from a guy we trust and respect.

KirkS

Thanks rod.

Let me know if you ever want any more. Just another note, an older stamp dealer at our last stamp show suggested I cut the hinges in half. He ment it to save money but what I found is that the stamps actually lay flatter when I do cut them. So far they seem to stay on the page jsut fine.

Dianne