Best Place To Buy Watermark Detection Fluid

Lighter fluid. I learn something new every time I visit the site.

Which is probably why I'm visiting nearly on a daily basis.

I have used Prinz water mark detector fluid but found it evaporated extremely quickly. I could only study one stamp at a time. I do use Lighter fluid but notice it has a very minute trace usually 0.1% aliphatic. I asked a friend whether I was correct in thinking aliphatic was some kind of grease, we concluded it probably was. I have never noticed it damage stamps and haven't heard anyone suggest it does, but my Friend got me 50mls of Anhydrous alcohol from his laboratory. This is an alcohol with zero water content. I find it works well and I haven't got drunk on the fumes. I don't think anhydrous alcohol is on sale to the public in the UK but my friend says it is a staple supply in his microbiology research lab and they use many litres. It is of course very inflamable, but so is lighter fuel.

Hello all, this is a very interesting thread to me.

I have a couple of questions, I hope it is OK if I ask here. How does this watermark fluid, or lighter fluid, work? Do you put the fluid into something like a bowl and soak your stamps in the fluid, then take them out to dry? When do you look for the watermarks on the stamps, when the stamps are wet?

I don't know how this works as I have never tried it and I have realized recently that watermarks are another part of examining stamps to identify them correctly. I am still new at this and have never been around anyone who was collecting stamps, this is all new to me - so I hope you don't mind my interrupting with these questions - I have been wondering how the watermark fluid, or lighter fluid, works.

Julie

You put the stamp in a shallow black dish or tray, then drip some lighter fuel on it. If you're lucky, you'll be able to see the watermark - some watermarks remain difficult to see, some colours make the watermark difficult to see, some cancellations create confusion. The fuel rapidly evaporates.

Thank you Geoff, so much. Does the bowl or tray have to be black? Is that how the watermark shows up?

Black provides a good contrast with the stamp, so it's the preferred background. You can also pick up the dampened stamp with tweezers to give yourself a better angle or light from which to see the watermark. I generally find all of this a bit of a struggle, except on the more straightforward issues.

https://stampsmarter.org/learning/G...nFluids.html
Don

Thank you Geoff for your straightforward answer, and thank you Don for pointing to the very helpful information on StampSmarter - I found it all very useful quite informative. Julie

Julie, see here:



But please use tongs instead of your fingers!

like many things, Watermark detection gets easier with practice. I find it almost essential in many cases to know what I might expect to see, rarely do you see the whole watermark clearly so you have to look and match the bits you can see. A really simple thing I learned is that if the watermark looks confused try turning the dish round and looking at the stamp sideways and upside down. Very often you suddenly see enough of the watermark plainly and clearly. if there is a cancel date visible on the front remeber this cannot be earlier than the date that type of watermark was first issued. Very bright direct light also helps, occasionally a magnifying glass helps. Some watermarks are visible to the naked eye without any black dishes or alcohol. Some watermarks are visible against a black background are without alcohol. I find the wetter the stamp is the more chance the watermark will show up. Start trying to identify watermarks on stamps with light colors they usually show more easily.
Have an icepack handy because spotting watermarks is often a headache!

I hope Rod doesn't watch that video - I know how much he hates grubby hands on stamps!

Some watermarks, especially difficult ones like those found on some orange/yellow colored US W/F stamps, can be maddening. You sometimes can only see the watermarks in a very short period on 'flash' which occurs just after you first wet the stamp or more typically right as the watermark fluid evaporates from the stamp. The 'flash' can occur very quickly, often lasting only half a second or so but can help you make the decision. Obviously once you begin looking for a flash, you may have to repeat the process multiple times and only use a small amount of fluid.

I find it really helps my mood to hoover over the top of watermark tray and huff the flumes a LOT, but the headache later on is a drag. (just kidding in the last sentence, do not breathe the flumes, use in a ventilated area.)
I also began testing my lighter fluid for contaminates after once finding 'stuff' (black/brown specs) in the bottom of a bottle. I found this in several bottles, all with the same Lot number on bottom of bottles. I returned them and the different Lot numbered bottles did not have the contaminates. I doubt the manufacturers have tight quality control beyond 'does it work in lighters?'.
Don

I buy my Ronsonol at the local Ace Hardware store. Only $3.49 for a 5 fl. oz. (148 ml) bottle.

I am convinced that 90% of what one learns about a stamp happens during the 'flash'. If there is one thing about philately that everyone should know, but many don't, it's the 'flash' and how useful it is. The 'flash' lasts longer with lighter fluid, and is practically over before it starts with watermark fluid. I often check stamps more than once, just so I can see the 'flash' again, and see if I missed something the first time.