Packet Of Dennison Stamp Hinges With 1972 Date Code

At the left under the tab on the back is the date code 2/72, for February 1972.

These hinges have square corners and are not folded. I fold them in half in small units of two, three or four and cut them in half vertically and use as half hinges because they do not peel well.

They are OK, but they are not the great old Dennisons with rounded corners that I remember from the 1950s.

Interesting. While I doubt most people will actually be looking for any kind of date code on their packets of hinges, it's good to know some of them have those codes -- even if they're a bit hidden!

What's more interesting is that you say these Dennison hinges don't peel well. I was under the impression that Dennison hinges were all superior to other hinges, that all of them peeled well, no matter what their shape (rounded or square) or whether they were folded or unfolded. Can you verify, by which I mean test, that there is a problem with these Dennison hinges?

The reason I ask is that I've done a lot of sampling of hinges, testing about 20 different brands, both modern and older hinges. All of the modern hinges appear to be exactly the same, and I've heard from some collectors that they all come from the same manufacturer which my testing suggests might be true. They all look the same and hold the same. Most importantly, they all peel exactly the same. Or should I say they "don't peel" since none of them peels from an album page (or a stamp!) without pulling paper off with the hinge.

On older hinges, there are differences. Some (like Dennison hinges) peel pretty smoothly. Others leave a very noticeable, glassy looking (it's the glue) hinge mark behind, and a few peel up a little (usually not much) of the paper they're attached to. Older hinges were clearly superior to modern hinges. But that's nothing new, and it's hardly going to surprise anyone.

What I'd like to know about your claim is why you think these Dennison hinges are not peelable? Here's my test if you want to replicate it: I attached twelve (12) hinges in a row to an actual album page like a Scott page. My method was to very lightly lick the top one-third of the hinge the same way most collectors do. "Very lightly" is the key. Or you can use a damp sponge, etc. I waited a few seconds for some of the moisture to evaporate from the hinge and waved it back and forth a few times to help that happen. The idea is that the hinge should be damp, not wet. Then I attached each hinge to the page firmly, pressing down. After all twelve were attached, I labeled the row of hinges with the brand name and left them there to dry for about two days. Then the test: After two days, I removed each hinge from the album page. Each was removed in exactly the same way -- by gently pulling each hinge downward and to the side. It's important to always use the same motion, trying to remove as much of the hinge as possible. That way you don't get rips or tears or parts of some hinges left behind because you tried removing them in a different way.

My results were as I noted above. But my green packets of unfolded Dennison hinges worked as well as all other Dennison hinges, so I'm not sure why you got the result you did. If you're bored someday, try mounting 12 of your hinges in the same manner I did, using very light moisture. Leave them to dry completely for two days, and then gently peel them off. I'd be interested in hearing your description of the results. Then there's the question of why you got those results? A bad batch? Different glue?

I do not believe that is a date code.
Don