What Hinge Do You Prefer - If Not Dennison ?

OK, I know this topic has been tossed around before but I ask that you humor me with this "repeat"..........

Most agree that the old Dennisons are the best hinge, for both quality and for future removal purposes. But if you could not get any, what brand hinge would you use?

Thank you!
Mobilman44

Aren't all "brands" of stamp hinges made by the same outfit now?

Terry

I think that Prinz Publications in Germany is the only manufacturer of stamp hinges left. I think that Prinz packages the same hinges that they make under different philatelic brands for different stamp supply companies. I liked Peerless hinges from the U.K and Harold Cohn hinges from the U.S. since they were both peelable, but they both no longer appear to be made anymore.

I haven't used newly manufactured hinges in years. Aside from Dennison's which I only use for premium stamps, I use Cohn's Fold-O-Hinge. Another great older brand that is super pealable is Merit which were made (or at least distributed) by Meghrig. I haven't seen any Merit hinges for sale on ebay for a long time now.

Don

I've had good luck with Stanley Gibbons lately, but only because the ones I got don't seem to curl as much as others, and they seem slightly more peelable. It's probably just luck of the draw, because I think they're all made by the same mfr regardless of what the package says.

What about "Supersafe"? Are they any good? Are they no longer manufactured?

Only one company still makes hinges!? That's scary. What if they decide to go out of business or abandon the future manufacture of stamp hinges? It could happen, as demand is low and if it's no longer profitable, most companies would move on to other ventures. Hopefully it won't happen anytime soon.

Anyway, for those stamp hinges that are still available (even on the secondary market, if they are no longer manufactuered) this is one of the best articles written in recent years on stamp hinges and the comparison between brands. It's worth a re-read:

http://digital.ipcprintservices.com...=133838&p=30

I use Supersafe, mainly because they are available locally at Hobby Lobby. They curl (rather badly) and some stick together. Pealability is so-so.

I doubt that they will go out of business because they manufacture many different kinds of stamp supplies besides hinges for many different stamp supply distributors who want their brands put on them.

If I couldn't get any Dennison hinges, I'd definitely go with "Fold-O-Hinge". In my experience they hold up well and are just as peelable as Dennison hinges. If you're patient, they're about half the price of Dennisons. I got 2 packages of 1000 and 2 old merit perf gauges for the low end price of 1 pack of Dennisons.

Regarding "Fold-O-Hinge"......... are they prefolded, or not?

Yes, they are prefolded. Under the name Fold-O-Hinge it should say "folded" and "peelable".

ecmorgan Yes you can still buy "Fold-O-Hinge". They are sold by showguard. http://showgardseconds.com/. They seem to work well and peel fairly easy.

All this talk of hinges makes me want to buy a pack of 1000 off of ebay while they're still available. I don't even hinge, but I feel I should have some just in case.

Worst part is, I had a pack of Dennison, that I think must have had a good 600 left in it that I threw out before I rejoined the hobby in 2009 and learned their true value.

Were the Fold-O-Hinges made by Harold Cohn and Company in Chicago?

Yes.