Hinged Stamps And Soaking.

Lately when I have removed hinged stamps from old albums or from circuit books I have just close trimmed the hinge and left the remnant on the stamp rather than wet it to remove the hinge. I'm probably just lazy, but is there any real issue leaving the remnant on the stamp? Of course, if it just "pops" right off the stamp that's great. But I am talking about the tougher hinges.

I prefer to soak the really hard to get off hinges, I have noticed that some tend to make the stamp rust. This is just my opinion and others may have a different opinion.

Roos

I've noticed that some of the older hinges do damamge the stamps when left on. I find some rust marks on stamps in packets that have the hinges left on. It probably take many deades to get to that point, though.

about the soaking, do you soak them in watter or do you soak them with a product?

I soak all my used (or mint no gum) stsmps to remove anything stuck to the back. Often there are repairs there.

Set the water as hot as you can bear with your hand, add a drop of dishwashing liquid, hinges and paper fall off more quickly the hotter the water is. My experience is that it is time in water, not water temperature that will damage a stamp.

Common sense will see stamps on coloured paper soaked separately from others.

No hinge remainders on my used stamps if I can avoid it.

A stamp dealer I knew many years ago would, on mint stamps, rub the end of the tweezers with sufficient speed to create heat that would soften the gum on the hinge and get it to fall off. He would then 'polish' the gum on french chalk crushed onto a piece of glass. Heavily hinged stamps with remainders could be turned into lightly hinged stamps this way.

I have never been able to develop this skill.

@Koen I normally just use luke warm water to soak the stamps off paper or the hinge off the stamp.

Roos

With respect, I advise completely the opposite,
cold water always. Any heat in the water is dangerous.

Scouter

I find that moistening the hinge with a Qtip and waiting a few second then carefully lifting the hinge with my tongs works well. The Stamp dry's quickly and there is no need for flatening.

Dianne