Question About Soaker Liquid

Hi everyone,

I have a little question.
I soak my stamps always in water, as usual.
Until I saw at my stamp webshop the following bottle with soaking liquid from Lindner.

This bottle costs 12.10 euros.
So my question is, can I soak the stamps off more easily than with just water?

Hope to hear from you guys!
Greetings, Rik

PS.Hereby the picture of this product:

I soaked tens of thousands of stamps with warm water and a drop of liquid soap, works fine for me.Only thing is if they are on a colored paper ,then soak separate .

Thank you floortrader for your message.
But I hope someone has worked with this stuff and can share his experience with me ;)

Greetz, Rik

Except for the super-gummed modern US stamps (and maybe some others), warm water works just fine - been doing it for years. Lindner is doing a good marketing job; maybe the stuff will work on super-sticky gum where water doesn't but for most stamps, I don't think you need to spend that kind of money. You need to develop a technique - like Floortrader says, you have to watch coloured or manilla paper and I find it works best when you do just a few at a time; get them off quickly and give them a second soaking in warm water to dissolve any residual gum and maybe clean them up a bit more.

Haven't seen the soaking/cleaning liquid before. Like others, I just soak in lukewarm water, washing a little afterwards to remove any residual gum. I would be interested to hear of tricks others have found in removing the 'peel'n'stick type stamps as they are a pain to say the least, sometimes coming off the paper but leaving a rubbery substance on the stamp. Have ruined some stamps trying to get this off. Other times, a layer of backing paper comes away with the sticky gum leaving a 'thinned' paper stamp. Any hints would be appreciated.

I use watermark fluid to remove the sticky gum ,its already sitting on my stamp desk and wipe it up with a tissue.

Watermark fluid evaporates so quickly that it seems to me to be as expensive as the Lindner product. I'd like to know also how well it works on the most difficult US self adhesive. If it works well on US C149, I'd be very tempted pay the 12.10 euros price.

watermark fluid is RONSONOL ,lighter fuel about $4.00 for 12oz.

Thank you all for your answers.
So water is still most recommended, reading all your comments?

I think that I stay at water...
Also a bit cheaper

If someone still recommends the Lindner fluid, please tell me.

Hello Rik,
a few years ago I bought this product for separating MNH stamps which had got damp and stuck together. It was advised to me by my stamp dealer who also informed me that he gave no guarantee for success. Right he was ... the gum was seriously disturbed after the treatment. The stamp were only unused afterwards. For soaking used stamps, see above.
Greetings from Germany
Heinz

I saw a bottle of this on the Lindner site, and it has an applicator brush in the cap. Here's the website link and description: (I don't work for Lindner or make money from this link)

http://www.lindner-usa.com/pg5_engl...npflege.html

"removes stamps without water! Gum and existing numbers on the back of coil stamps will be retained if the product is applied from the back of the paper. Used properly, the stamp remover is absolutely safe."

Edit: while I was typing this I see Heinz made the point of this product being used to retain gum.

They also had 2 different mildew removers, a gum remover, a hinge mark remover and a self adhesive stamp remover. For a grand total of about $120 US we could be ready for anything.

Thanks both for your replies.
I don't going to buy this seen all you replies are negative.

But thanks to all of you, for informing me.

Have a nice day, Rik

floortrader. I know Ronsonol is used as watermark detector but it was invented as lighter fluid rather than watermark detector. I would use it but have not found a source for Ronsonol in Guatemala so I have to buy the expensive Clarity brand. Clarity is non-flammable, Ronsonol is flammable and I travel between the US and Guatemala by plane.

Rik, I would definitely try it if it wasn't so expensive. Or if I got some from Santa. I think most of us just can't justify the price when it's easy (and free except for the drop of soap) to soak most stamps.

It would be great if someone came up with a cheap and effective way to soak self adhesives with a high success rate. Without having to rub gum or so on.

It is naphtha, which wasn't invented as a lighter fluid or as a watermark detector. It was one of the earliest byproducts of petroleum distillation/refining. It serves well as a lighter fluid, watermark detector, and for many other tasks, but wasn't invented for any of those purposes.

As far as traveling to the USA, that's simple...just don't bring it. Aside from being a fire hazzard, if you are caught trying to board a plane with it, they will put UNDER the jail. If you happen to need some while you are here buy, it (if you don't need it, wait till you get home). It is sold as "Coleman fuel" or camp stove fuel for around $12 a gallon or as Ronsonol for a couple of bucks a can. It is also sold in paint stores/departments by the quart or half gallon, but I don't know what the price is.




I don't know how it can be any easier. Just water works well. Water with a drop of detergent works even better. Spend the money if you want to.

Thanks Buck49 for the info on Ronsonol. I don't smoke or use lighters so my comment on it being invented as lighter fluid was derived from numerous post on SCF where nearly everyone called it Ronsonol Lighter Fluid, which is also how it is marketed. I appreciate learning that it is naphtha. You may have misunderstood my post on flights between Guatemala and the US. I live in Guatemala and travel to the US on the average of once every two years. I have never found Ronsonol in Guatemala. And after 28 years of flying I am well aware of prohibitions in carrying flammables on planes. That is why I mentioned that I have to buy the expensive non-flammable Clarity brand of watermark detector in the US. But again, thanks for the tip on naphtha. Since it seems to be a common product, I may be able to fine it here in Guatemala.

I googled Coleman fuel and read that it is a mix of several flammables and not straight naphtha so I am reluctant to use it, not knowing how it affect stamps. It is very difficult to find in Guatemala and expensive but I have come across it now and then.