Review: Atelier Gargoyle Sealing Wax

[chud]

Atelier Gargoyle is one maker of post-office-safe sealing wax, so I ordered some recently; here are some first impressions (so to speak).

 

First, the seals look pretty good; their appearance is pretty close to that of more traditional wax seals.

 

http://www.chud.net/~chd/images/gar1.jpg

 

They don't feel quite the same though; as advertised, they remain somewhat flexible even when cool, and they feel slightly rubber-ish to the touch. It's probably the flexibility that gives this impression for the most part.

 

I put a seal by itself on a single sheet of paper, and as you can see below, I can bend it in half without breaking it - it returns to pretty much its original shape.

 

http://www.chud.net/~chd/images/gar2.jpg

 

http://www.chud.net/~chd/images/gar3.jpg

 

http://www.chud.net/~chd/images/gar4.jpg

 

These seals also affix themselves to the paper pretty fiercely. Unlike traditional wax seals, which can usually be removed from the paper leaving only a stain, it will be difficult or impossible to remove these guys whicle keeping both the paper and the seal intact. That could be a good thing from a tamper-proofing point of view, but be careful when putting a seal on paper with writing on the reverse -- if the recipient isn't careful, it's very easy to tear the paper when opening the seal.

 

http://www.chud.net/~chd/images/gar5.jpg

 

This page was then sealed; it's the one shown in the first picture above.

 

http://www.chud.net/~chd/images/gar6.jpg

 

As you can see, I was unable to avoid tearing the paper slightly at the top, and if I had been careless I would also have torn it on the other side of the seal, at the circled area. These seals don't break in two; you can tear them in two, or you get carefully get them off the paper -- in this case I did the latter, and you can see at the top that the seal took a layer of paper fibers with it.

 

This is Clairefontaine paper from a pupitre tablet; thinner paper would probably have torn all the way through, and a careless opening process would have as well.

 

Altogether, although I haven't actually tested these through the mail yet, I can tell that they are plenty tough and I'm completely sure that they'll survive just fine with no special care at all. Their main drawback is the tendency to damage the paper when removed -- if you tend to fold a letter and then seal the letter itself, as I did in the first photo, be careful about any writing on the reverse side of that page. If you use them to close the envelope, or to add a seal next to a signature where it needn't be removed, they should be just fine.

 

Because of their slightly flexible tactile nature, I do still prefer more traditional sealing wax in situations where its fragility is not a concern. If you want a more robust seal though, these look pretty good and should stand up to anything the paper can handle.

[umenohana]

Thank you for the review.

 

It seems very similar to "faux wax" from what I can see. I've found that even the most flexible seals get scraped violently off during the mailing process sometimes.

 

Has anyone ever tried the "hand cancel" method?

 

-Hana

[girlieg33k]

I was thinking of getting a few of these but wasn't sure how durable the seal was and how easy it would be to peel the seal off without damaging the paper. Thanks for the review! It answered my questions.

[chud]

It seems very similar to "faux wax" from what I can see. I've found that even the most flexible seals get scraped violently off during the mailing process sometimes.

I'm not familiar with "faux wax" -- is that the glue-gun stuff? I'd be curious how it compares, especially with respect to whether it feels more like harder, traditional wax. I probably won't be buying any real soon though, since I have enough of this to last me awhile (though if someone wants to send me a sample I'll be happy to review it... )

 

These seals are pretty tough, and while I expect it's possible for them to be ripped off in the mail, I think it's pretty unlikely.

 

If it's inside an envelope, I think it's completely safe. I just took the same seal that I show being bent in half, above, and put it on a workbench and whacked it with a hammer six or eight times. I flattened the rim, but not enough to allow the "C" to distort noticably (but I could have if I'd kept at it), and it didn't crack.

 

-C

[Slush99]

Thanks very much for the review. That's really cool!!!

[southpaw]

Thanks for the review. I was mildly thinking of getting some of the faux wax, but after your review, I'll just stick with the original. (Besides, I've found that with the right technique and the right real wax, most seals will arrive intact.)

[umenohana]

I'm not familiar with "faux wax" -- is that the glue-gun stuff? I'd be curious how it compares, especially with respect to whether it feels more like harder, traditional wax. I probably won't be buying any real soon though, since I have enough of this to last me awhile (though if someone wants to send me a sample I'll be happy to review it... )

 

These seals are pretty tough, and while I expect it's possible for them to be ripped off in the mail, I think it's pretty unlikely.

 

If it's inside an envelope, I think it's completely safe. I just took the same seal that I show being bent in half, above, and put it on a workbench and whacked it with a hammer six or eight times. I flattened the rim, but not enough to allow the "C" to distort noticably (but I could have if I'd kept at it), and it didn't crack.

 

-C

Yes, I'm talking about the glue-gun stuff. Following older traditions, though, I use only a tiny amount on the "wax" to seal my letters, so even though the faux wax is rubbery, it may be ripped in half to unseal the letter.

 

The scraped off faux wax was in an envelope, and I guess the machine just ripped through it to attack the poor seal on the inside. I've seen the same thing happen to bumpy stickers on letters, too.

 

-Hana

[umenohana]

Thanks for the review. I was mildly thinking of getting some of the faux wax, but after your review, I'll just stick with the original. (Besides, I've found that with the right technique and the right real wax, most seals will arrive intact.)

Ooh, please share with us this technique of yours!

 

-Hana

[lefty928]

Thank you for the detailed review (great pix). I've wondered about this sealing wax and if the Atelier Gargoyle is still a going concern (no action on the site's "under construction" area ever) and your review was very helpful.

[p-zero]

Has anyone ever tried the "hand cancel" method?

I tried it---& the seal did NOT arrive intact. It was some old sealing wax that someone gave me--real shiny and no flex. Even if letters are hand cancelled, somewhere along the way they still must be passing through some sort of machinery.

[Maja]

Thanks for the review and info, Chud! I appreciate you taking the time to photograph everything

 

Re: paper tearing when removing seal...I guess in olden days they used thicker paper (parchment?) which was less likely to tear?

[southpaw]

Thanks for the review.  I was mildly thinking of getting some of the faux wax, but after your review, I'll just stick with the original.  (Besides, I've found that with the right technique and the right real wax, most seals will arrive intact.)

Ooh, please share with us this technique of yours!

 

-Hana

The technique is nothing special at all, merely not getting an enormous blob of wax as is popular today. Instead, I go for a thinner seal which is less likely to get caught in the high speed sorting machines. IIRC, I actually got the tip from reading a post here.

 

The wax I use is Stuart Houghton which I buy from LetterSeals.com (usual disclaimer). Works much, much better than some cheapo stuff I got of the 'bay.

 

HTH, southpaw

[umenohana]

The technique is nothing special at all, merely not getting an enormous blob of wax as is popular today. Instead, I go for a thinner seal which is less likely to get caught in the high speed sorting machines. IIRC, I actually got the tip from reading a post here.

 

The wax I use is Stuart Houghton which I buy from LetterSeals.com (usual disclaimer). Works much, much better than some cheapo stuff I got of the 'bay.

 

HTH, southpaw

Oh! I already use a tiny amount, too-- I just never tried sending real wax out of fear. lol

 

Thank you.

 

-Hana

[chud]

Re: paper tearing when removing seal...I guess in olden days they used thicker paper (parchment?) which was less likely to tear?

Possibly, but I think this wax also adheres to the paper more strongly than traditional waxes. I can usually get a traditional seal off the paper (either intact if I'm careful, or in three or four pieces if I'm not) without much risk to the paper beyond a stain. You have to be a little more careful with this stuff.

 

This is not to say that it damages the paper beyond recognition every time - not at all, but if your recipient is used to traditional wax seals (or no seals) and just tries to pop this one off any way it wants to come, it will probably take some paper with it.

 

Using less wax for a thinner seal as Hana suggested is probably a good idea too. I habitually use more than is really needed (as pictured previously).

 

Overall, I give it a definite thumbs-up. It's not a replacement for traditional wax; I prefer the more brittle seal in places where it can survive, but the flexible wax certainly has its advantages. I suspect it is more tamper-proof too, not that most of us probably worry about that.

[Bill D]

I have used the Atelier Gargoyle wax to seal envelopes that I mailed to my daughter, and they arrived intact, after traveling from Maryland to Florida.

 

Bill

[a11en]

Very interesting thread. Especially since I'm under the impression that a seal's main purpose was to seal the letter for the recipient to ensure no tampering? This day and age it seems this simple method won't work. Or at least, the seal will remain intact in some manner? [Perhaps Hanna's method of tearing is the closest to the old manner?]

 

Also- the seals are likely still rubbery because they are above their "Tg" or rubbery-transition temperature. [Gotta get my money's worth here from my degree somehow...] I suspect that if you threw that seal into the freezer until it was quite cold, that a hammer would do a nice job of breaking the cold seal. You might only get a single hit though, before it warms up sufficiently to be rubbery again. There are some materials that are rubbery at very very low temperatures, so this may still not work.

 

Intrigued! Now, I just need to find a good place to buy a seal that I like... wish I had money to have a seal made for me.

 

Cheers!

-Allen

 

ps- Thanks for the *excellent* review with pictures! A fantastic job!!

[HDoug]

Well, this might be a solution to the sealing wax problem. I recently received an invitation that was very nicely sealed with what seemed like very traditional sealing wax. But the entire envelope was enclosed within another "mailing" envelope. Of course, this is double trouble, but if one is going through the effort of handwriting a letter and sealing it, putting it in a "mailer" doesn't seem like that big a deal.

 

Doug

[jbaca]

Atelier Gargoyle is a wonderful company. They sell some of the most beautiful seals I have seen expensive yes. They also sell Herbin which is a more traditional wax.

They have a store / studio in the Mission district of San Francisco and sell fountain pens and calligraphy supplies. Additionally they offer workshops in calligraphy and other related subjects.

Edited December 8, 2006 by jbaca

[Jared]

I have been thrilled with my dealings with Atelier Gargoyle. The customer service is excellent, and their products are superb.

 

 

[Treet]

I have been thrilled with my dealings with Atelier Gargoyle. The customer service is excellent, and their products are superb.