When The Choice Of Tongs (Tweezers) Matters!

SAFE makes them.

Remember that when you buy a bundle of stamps that the seller describes as "untouched".
Yeh, right, untouched my P,Q,R...

I use a piece of paper or a cheap stamp duplicate to lift the sleeve in the stock book.

FWIW, I also prefer the long pointy tongs. I've been collecting for about 50 years and consider myself proficient when using them. I DID start out with the large 'Dumbo ears' tongs - which I think are good for children - because, although clunky, they are probably safer to use with stamps. They are not made specifically for children, and if you prefer that type, then use them. I don't think collectors think any less of someone using the Dumbo Ear variety. Bottom line: use what works for you!

Other than tongs, I've found magnifying glasses and perforation gauges!

I guess, what I'm realizing now, is that the accumulations I find must not have been picked through!!

I haven't sorted my perfins and revenues yet (sitting nicely in Vario pages). I might have a gem hiding in plain sight!

909 six-inch spade tips are my weapon of choice:

I also go with spade tips, I am not handy or crafty and should be kept away from anything pointy.

Ali,
yours same as mine, 15cm PRINZ Solingen (The sword makers)




Indeed, the pointies (referred to as the "Lethals") are for grown ups,
I would not recommend them for kids, like sticking them into their pockets
Mine remain on desk top.
I take spades to bourses for that reason.

In philatelic context, I didn't know what a bourse was! Just learned something new! Don't know if it's because I'm French or because it's a word not used by English Canadians!

« A meeting of stamp collectors and/or dealers, where stamps and covers are sold or exchanged. A bourse usually has no competitive exhibits of stamps or covers. Almost all stamp exhibits, though, do include a dealer. »

(A bourse in my French is a bag of money! Or the stock market. Or a college bursary $$$)

I like the longer pointy ones too. I don't have to use them often on my stamps as I don't mount them into albums, but they're also excellent for placing dollhouse miniatures.

I expect they'll see more philatelic use once I get around to removing some things from paper.

Picture


Showgard #902 - 6" Lethal Tips

Lovely!
with practice, you can pluck an eyebrow hair from a gnat.

It's not the shape of your tip but how you use it.

Can you carry them on airplane?

Well, the nasty pointed tweezers certainly wouldn't have survived the National Gallery's baggage check when I went there a couple of months ago.