Experience With Schaubek US Hingeless Pages?

Does anyone understand why Schaubek hingeless pages have these rather large elongated oval cutouts on every page? Does this allow pages to lay flat? Seems this design would weaken pages making them more vulnerable to tearing after long use. This is a sample page of the newer Schaubek/Scott National; sample page is from AMOS Publishing.
I'm researching all the current hingless US albums and like having the Scott numbering and layout, but concerned about this page design.

I think the elongated holes are so we can see the pretty girl in the background

Seriously, I don't know, but I have used those pages for years with no problems, no tearing, etc. And yes, I think the ultimate objective is to help with laying flat. The mounts add a lot of bulk to the album.

Kirk

Kirk,

The girl IS very pretty. And I think you're right about the die cuts allowing pages to lay flat.
I've been researching the available hingeless systems for my US collection and seeing the page samples as they arrive has revamped my some of my initial preferences.

Palo's pages are handsome, but printing color illustrations would make it more difficult to spot "missing" issues. Right now I love the Lindner-T system with the large clear sleeve overlays. Still have a few more samples coming. Linder's pocket approach allows for far easier inserting of the stamps and is more clear than the Schaubek mounts.

I have found it difficult to track down current detailed album comparisons. When I make my final choice, I'll write an overview comparing the album page systems available and post it in online stamp collecting communities. Maybe it will help another shopper in the future.

The pages are cut like this to allow for ease-of-use in older, "springback" binders. That type of binder has no rings but rather clamp down on the pages. The holes allow the pages to (mostly) lay flat.

Brian

For the benefit of those who have never used a springback binder, here's a few pix.










Brian

I found another picture online that shows how nice the aforementioned elongated holes allow for the pages to turn easily and lay flat. Hope this helps ...

Rileysan, thanks for the images! I'm a visual person and images are far better than words alone.

I have decided that in my search for MY best US hingeless album, having a bold black border behind the stamp is much more important than some other album attributes. Reason? The stamps you insert into a Lindner or SAFE album page pop off the page against the black border that surrounds each illustration.
I am beginning to think this presentation issue is actually more important than having Scott catalog numbers on the album pages.

Rileysan, thank you for the tutorial on other album types. I now understand hoe spring back albums work.
I expect to purchase my first hingeless ring binder very soon. I have researched US hingeless albums for over 2 months. I asked questions about the page layouts from numerous manufacturers because online info is scare or incomplete. I have requested page samples from a number of manufacturers, and hope to make a selection soon. I plan to write up my search and album comparisons for reference by future collectors.

It's my pleasure. I learned a lot of lessons about albums the hard way so I feel compelled to share my experiences with the stamp collecting community.

Brian

The die cut lozenges are actually a cost savings over the previous method of binding linen between the page and a thicker piece that is held by the spring. The difference in thickness deals with the issues of a page with stamps on it being thicker than a page without and the linen allows the pages to lay flat. Older high end collections are often found in that type of page/binder. I don't know that anyone is making that style of page any longer.

Billsey

Meet the Frank Godden album:

http://www.stanleygibbons.com/stanl...7945/SG35720

The rather cheaper SG Utile still has linen-hinged leaves.

Geoff