Trouble Detecting Watermarks On Chalk-Surfaced Paper

I'm new to collecting British stamps, and I'm having trouble seeing watermarks on the chalk-surfaced paper stamps. The ordinary paper stamps usually have obvious watermarks that can often be seen even without any special fluid or tray. I have a little black plastic tray and detection fluid, but no matter how hard I look the chalk-surfaced paper gives me trouble--especially the colored paper. Please, does someone with experience in this area have any suggestions?

Some people have reported that a UV lamp can be useful but I cannot confirm that it works in all (or any) cases. Perhaps a combination of watermark fluid plus UV might be tried. Which reign are you having trouble with?

I just tried a few of my chalk-surfaced stamps using my UV lamp, but without success. I used it both with and without fluid, at 380nm and 254nm, in total darkness and in semi darkness. None of these conditions was particularly helpful. In most cases some bit of watermark showed, but not clearly enough to make out whether it was block CA or script CA. These are the stamps I have trouble with, primarily KGV. I just ordered a hand-held digital microscope and it should arrive in a couple of weeks. Maybe I'll have a little luck with that.

Another reply to my own post, in case anyone is interested.

I got the hand-held digital microscope (Celestron), but it did not help for watermark detection. I also just today got a Signoscope T1 and it worked great. I just spent a few hours watermarking all my unidentified BWI chalkys. Now maybe I can finally get a good night's sleep.

In another thread in this forum on watermarks a contributor said he tried a signoscope and found it no better than fluid. Anybody else have experience with a signoscope? They're not cheap.
Don

ddreisba - a somewhat late reply, but here goes anyway:
I can confirm that Signoscope in some cases can positively identify watermarks that are impossible/very difficult to find with fluid. Particularily for chalky paper (as experienced by matossian), for colored paper (British - KGV period) and for those difficult yellow/orange colored stamps. I could not imagine being without my signoscope T1, watermark detection was often quite frustrating without it. That´s my 2c.
(ps -- I do not think a T2 is a good option as it seems time-consuming/awkward in use.)

Thanks, Blaamand. I guess I'll have to get one.

Don