How to store brass stamps (for wax seals)

April 27, 2023

I probably own 40 or 50 wax seals. I am trying to decide how to store them.

The real issue is that I bring them to teach kids so it would be nice if it was something I could transport.

Also good if I can group and see what they are.

I will probably build something.

Almost all are similarly shaped, wooden handle on round top.

I am considering handle down brass up. Very deep but lots of top surface area so can see many at once.

Laying on the side. Not deep but more surface area.

Considering how (or if) I want to have a wax example for each stamp.

Thinking I might just need to build some samples, but if anyone has examples... Or just ideas.

April 27, 2023

How to store wax stamps? Clean, of course. Otherwise it is a mess next time you want to use them.

How do you get them?

When I have seen them at B&M shops, they are typically displayed in a wooden case, handle down, so one can see the stamps and select.

Methinks that the best option would be to ask a B&M seller where did they get their case (likely from the maker) or if they would like to part with an unused one.

OTOH, if you get them online, you may not have that luxury... though I would still ask the seller, it may turn out they get them in cases and have a number to dispose of.

Doing it oneself is quite a project, but may be lots of fun for some time.

An alternative is looking at similar items and do the same. E.g. some ink bottles are elongated (e.g. Noodler's or OS'), painting temperas, dunno... so maybe if one goes to a B&M Arts shop they will have boxes for mixing colors, paints, inks, etc... where your seals may fit as well.

Boxes for knitting accessories, or to store jewelry... I've seen many that have many compartments to organize small items whose dimensions (OK, may be not height, but I do not know the dimensions of you stamps) look appropriate.

Maybe a visit to IKEA, the home organizing section?

This one on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Almencla-Storage-Sealing-Personalize-Handmade/dp/B07MH79QWB

seems a good option for storing them on the side, but it is not for many. Though I do not know how many in total you need to store. Might do.

Still, I'd prefer to have them handle down, stamp up for easier selection. Unless yours have a copy of the stamp emblem in the back of the handle, in which case stamp down, handle up might do as well and perhaps be more protective.

Anyway, too many unknown variables, but I think that with a bit of ingenuity you will surely be able to find a suitable solution.

Granted, that might still be easier in the Old World, as there are still plenty of B&M shops and, even better (or worse), plenty of medieval/ancient fairs/places for tourists where one can find all sorts of 'ancient-looking' paraphernalia. Or maybe not and it won't be easier.

But there is a lot of fun in the hunt as well, specially once one starts to get some initial results. Quickly becomes addictive.

April 27, 2023

BTW, you didn't specify if the stamps were one-piece or exchangeable handles plus stamps.

Looking for wholesale wax stamp displays shows this one

https://www.faire.com/product/p_9ojtyps22i

That is another avenue to explore. Boxes for chemicals or drugs might also suit. E.g. eyedropper bottle displays. And for that, test tube grids might as well. Or who knows? even kitchen appliances or boxes for spice bottles. E.g.

https://es.vwr.com/store/product/16095635/test-tube-racks-switch-grid-sp-bel-art

April 27, 2023

Some great suggestions here. Many of these I purchased off Amazon, ebay, Etsy, and similar. All but one have the standard wooden handle that generally screws on.

The most efficient use of space would obviously be to remove the handle and then just store those separately.

For the most part, I can manufacture what I want, I just need to figure out the best thing to build. I will do it with wood. For my fountain pens, I built a cabinet and some preformed stuff for the pens to lay on. Originally, I intended to form the wavelike portion out of wood (using a powered router if anyone cares), but the other was faster and cheaper since i intended to use walnut, which is an expensive wood.

My current thinking is that I will build something close to the test tube stands. I had not considered that I could simply use a "hanging" thing, which is really just a test tube stand that uses the fact that the brass stamp is generally larger than the handle so that it hangs. I think that all of my handles are smaller around than the head.

I probably have less than 50 stamps.

With a custom built holder, I can have a grid (like a checker board) where the first row has an example of the stamp and then the second row has the hole to put the stamp. or I could put the example below it. Currently my largest stamp is 30mm (about 1.18" for those of us not on Metric, like me). Almost all of my stamps are less than 25mm (1"), so I am a bit concerned that the handles may actually be as wide as the stamps, which means that if they simply drop into place then the handle stops because it bottoms out. The other option is to have them simply slide into place as one of the links above has. The only difficulty with that is that I cannot show an example easily (oh well) and if you want the back one you need to pull them all.

I think that my next step is to pull all of my stamps and actually measure them. My "custom made" stamp has very different dimensions that almost all of my others.

The top stamp is the custom stamp out of the UK. The bottom smaller stamp is how almost all of the other stamps are shaped. All of these will easily be able to slide into place if I simply have a way to slide them into place. So if everything simply slides into place, that is easy. if instead I have something that looks more like a keyhole with a cover over the wide part of the hole that can then hold the example stamp, that would work, but, how to lock those samples into place. That might be tricky to do.

April 28, 2023

I'm thinking foam block with holes drilled/cut into it, with hole diameter/depth sized to the stamp handles. You could cover that in a nice felt and put a wood box around it so that it looks really nice. Unfortunately I don't have experience fashioning foam that way, so I can't make useful suggestions on types of foam or how exactly to machine it. But I'm assuming that if you could do that easily, you could probably make a few to try out the size before covering/enclosing it.

April 29, 2023

Three or four tier desk-top shelf with inclined shelves. Seals facing out.

April 29, 2023

Another option if one wants to see it in person, is to look for expositors for essential oils. I just lighted a candle and when I reached for a small bottle of essential oil (12ml) realized it had a diameter similar to stamps. Shops that sell them usually keep them in nice expositors. They might fit. And they are rather more pervasive than wax stamps.

EDIT, OT, BTW one of the bottles fell to the floor. No problem. Didn't break, must be some thick plastic that feels like crystal, maybe poly-carbonate or similar. That led me to ponder: perhaps they can also make nice travel ink bottles if one is to syringe fill cartridges. The ones I have are too thin-mouthed for direct filling. Plus, ink would become scented

May 10, 2023

I have picked up a couple of wooden soda crates from Michael's. Will hold up to 24 bottles of ink (4 x 6 squares), each is about 2.75 inches square. I use them for my inks. Looking just now, I don't see any on their site currently. I got mine at the store near my home.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Runnin_Ute
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May 21, 2023

The box is a very good idea.... and it is something that I could even make myself. Oddly enough probably cheaper if I can find one at Michaels, but if I make one I can choose my own dimensions (and similar). Great suggestion. Thanks @Runnin_Ute