Detecting Watermarks (On The Cheap!)

I love this forum, and the advice which is available to relative novices like me! So, here's another question I'd like to put out there:

I have never bothered checking watermarks on stamps, but my new album often has spaces for multiple varieties of the 'same' stamp, according to the watermark. As someone who never checks them, this is a new area for me but one I need to learn about.

Watermark detectors and fluid seem to be a little pricey. I've read that lighter fluid works, if the stamp is laid on something black. Does anyone have and experience of this, or tips on how to detect watermarks without undue expenditure? (I'm a skinflint, I know!)

Also, what is safe for used might not be safe for mint. Again, any advice would be most gratefully received.

If it makes a difference, my interest is GB, everything up to circa 1970 (ie, pre-decimal).

Ronsonol is best....
WONT HARM STAMPS...even with GUM!!

Looking for a good, cheap solution to watermark a stamp? Search ebay for some of the old black glass furniture coasters. You can use the 'right side up' and place stamp in fluid. I often turn them upside down (flat) and simply place a drop or two of fluid on the stamp.
Don

Great tips! Ronsonol is very much like something I already use, for getting self-adhesives off envelopes.

Great idea to use the coasters. I think I might even have some, somewhere...

I use an old black ash tray for a tray. it looks very much like the coasters 51 showed above. When I have to buy watermark fluid again I will get this stuff...

http://www.ihobb.com/p/WATERMARK_DE...CLARITY.html

I apply it with an eyedropper, under soft light (not bright).

Hope this helps.


-IBFS

If you ever get into using watermark fluid itself then use ceramic or glass like above, or special watermark plastic trays. Ordinary plastic will deteriorate or be eaten way. But it is safe to use for humans though.

Don..Where did you find a chair with 5 legs...
Robert

YUP..Lighter fluid.( Ronsonol )

Ringo, buying a new watermark tray is impossible these days (at least in Europe) as the last manufacturer went out of business over 15 years ago. You could try ebay I guess? Lighter fluid on black glass or ceramic is the best combination, but the back of a black plastic Hagner sheet is just as good. You don't need too much fluid, just enough to wet the stamp front and back.

"the back of a black plastic Hagner sheet is just as good"

Now THAT is a fine idea. I'd never have thought of that. I have plenty of them, and lighter fuel is dirt cheap. Seems I have a practically no-cost solution to try out. Thanks all!

Ringo, I'm the poster child on being a skinflint, but for me what works best after 60 years plus of watermarking almost on a daily basis is as follows:

I'm only going to describe in general terms, because you collect GB up to 1970, and I collect only U.S. up to 1940.

#1 The best I've ever found and cheap! Get your self a black ceramic tile that is gloss black, and eye dropper and a can of Ronsonol lighter fuel. Just position the stamp in question face down and with the eye dropper drop drops of Ronsonol on the reverse of the stamp until the watermark appears. For me this works really good.

#2 Black Glass ash trays or other such Black Glass objects have advantages and disadvantages, but for me the main disadvantage is wasting Ronsonol. In addition the side of ash trays can and does interfere with reflected light!

#3 Sometimes, and my experience is only with U.S. before 1940, do not know if this would work on GB stamp or not. Position the stamp at a sharp angle, view the front and then the reverse side of the stamp. About 50% of the time I get results this way. But maybe only because I have a trained eye for watermarks.

Now a question for you, how were the watermarks produced on GB stamps, I'm guessing in the same way on U.S. stamps?

Dave

Guess I'll turn my black ashtray over the next time I work with the U.S. first Bureau issues, maybe the above is why it was so difficult to see watermarks...maybe not.

Watermarks on Australia KGV's 1914 to 1938 when you get a big bunch of them and they come with more gum on them than the day they were made and dust on them that has turned the stamp grey etc

I soak them in cold water and place them upside down to dry and at some point in the drying process the watermark becomes very clear.

Would tell about a 1,000 stamps a day but there is always 1 or 2 stamps that goes against the grain.Sometimes they are no watermark varieties.

KGV Collector

Very interesting information, thanks.

I'm always interested in this sort of thing. I do not collect Australia KGVs 1914 to 1938, nor any Australia stamps, but it still is interesting!

Thanks

Dave

I know that ronsonol and napthla and camp stove fuel are very similar if not the same stuff. I have used camp stove fuel as a watermark fluid for a while and have not seen any adverse effects. When my ronsonol container runs dry I pry the top off of it and fill it from my gallon can of stove fuel. It runs $12 a gallon which is a little cheaper than ronsonol.

vacuum man, now that is very interesting, never occurred to me that camp stove fuel could be used.

I learn something new everyday, today I learned two things new, guess I can take Thursday off and go fishing!

Dave

A while back people were mentioning a video on youtube of a person using shellite to soak off adhesive off of stamps. Shellite is camp stove fuel down under.