Lethal Or Spade

Hi All

I am just wondering what kind of stamp tongs (tweezers) you prefer?

I have been using the lethal type but just recently bought a pair of the spade type because my lethal is slightly warped over the years. While I can use the spade type ok, I think I still prefer the 'lethal' type.

What are your comments on them?

Chimo

Bujutsu

I use semi-lethal solingen steel ones. Long thongs with rounded tips with are still quite sharp. I once dropped them on a wooden floor and the landed on the tips and stayed stuck upright. Wasn't too good for the tips, but I still use them.

I've got a spade type I love. My wife bought it for me when I started collecting again because she complained all her tweezers kept disappearing.

I prefer "lethal", but use spade when I can't find them.

Thanks all for your input.

Maybe I should start taking my lethal tongs with me and use them in our karatre classes. They might replace the 'shirikins'

Chimo

Bujutsu

I once accidentally took home the lethal(sic) pointy tongs
of the secretary of my stamp club.
(between the pages of an album)
He rang very distressed, as they were his favourites.

I wondered what all the fuss was about,
and bought a pair.
Never looked back, they are simply the best.

Any Tongs, tweezers should pass the Scanner Platen test.

Smauggie I use the same Uni-Safe Solingen Steel narrow rounded tips..i doubt mine would stick in the floor..they can not be too expensive..because I never buy any..but every year when I return from Orapex in Ottawa I easily have 2 or 3 pair more in my bag than I came with !

Of related interest. I read recently that the British Library staff do not now use cotton gloves, and discourage visitors from using them, when handling items in the collection. The reasoning is that the gloves reduce feel and dexterity, and the fibrous material can catch on delicate items, all of which increases the chance of causing damage to the item being examined. They say that clean, dry hands, free from oils or creams are preferable in almost all circumstances when handling books, documents and fragile paper items. I tend towards their method when handling stamps and only use tweezers when absolutely necessary. I find tweezers to be at their most useful when examining a stamp under a lens or to hold back slightly the foil or glassine strip in a stock book when inserting a stamp (by hand).

Terry

Showgard,Solingen #905 round tip.

Showgard 902's which are pretty lethal, although I used to use some showgard's that are only about half as wide as the 902's. Those are REALLY lethal. I never damaged a stamp with them, but when I started examining large numbers of high value stamps that do not belong to me, I went to the 902. I couldn't use spade tongs if my life depended on it! :-)

Hey Bujutsu...I taught Karate for years and it is NOT spelled KARATRE......
Just teasing you my friend...

I have large hands, and have had the best luck with 6" bent-tip spade tongs to handle stamps and a 6" lethal point to open mounts when placing stamps.

LOL - I know you are wert. I type with two fingers and have developed a speed but, unfortunately, I tend to screw up with adding wrong letters. Must be the 'tsuki' punches I give to the keyboard

Chimo

Bujutsu

I have a pair marked MP (encircled) and also marked Germany. It has a rounded spade like tip. I found them in a box lot and they are my favorite.

Bent spade tips for me, they're the best for my storage methods. 102 cards, stockbooks & Lindner T-hingeless albums, all of them are much easier for me to use with the bent end.

I've never understood what benefit you'd get from a tiny point on the end of the tongs ...

Ryan