Wax Seal Suppliers

[Meredith S]

One tip-  if you are sealing a lot of letters, the Winter exchange for example, rest the seal on an ice pack to cool it before making the next seal.  When the seal get hot, it sticks to the wax.

I put olive oil on mine every now and then.

[penstaff]

Hi Schin, my, yes, and in a big way-colors in abundance, and bookoo of seals as well as nibs and most anything your heart desires pertaining to calligraphy...and a ton of different nibs: leonardt, Tape, poster, round hand, and many others. As well as markers, fountain pens and different type sets of fountain pens, many different inks including Chinese sticks, etc.
Let me know if I can be of further assistance - it would be wise to combine orders with others to save on postage.
The best,
Harvey

[silverswirlstudios]

Would anyone mind sharing photos of the wax seal stamps they have?

I will post the one I had made of my logo, Maureen. I have other ones that I bought ready made, also.

Wax seals make great gifts!

[silverswirlstudios]

I ordered a custom wax seal stamp from: Stamptitude for the first issue of Dasherie. The design was incredibly intricate and it was only $25! It came from China but arrived quickly and was really nice! I was duly impressed. Especially since I received another quote from a different place for $185!

That's awesome, Erica! My custom one of my logo was $125!

For brides (when I design monograms I sometimes suggest a wax seal), lower priced ones are ideal. Thanks for the tip!

[Merissa]

I have to second Schin's recomendation and give a shout out to Linnea & Ward at Atelier Gargoyle. Their waxes are amazing, beautiful, and smell lovely too! I made a small order a month or so ago and I was so pleased at Linnea's customer service and warmth. I highly recommend them. Also, something I just learned while on their website is that John Neal Booksellers is now offering their wax: http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/s?keyword=sealing+wax if you want to order online.

Check out www.AtelierGargoyle.com for more info and suppliers.

[Leanda]

I just ordered a batch of stuff from backtozero.com. My first time from there so I can't really say what it's like until I receive, but their website is impressively user friendly and modern and their stamp handles come in some great colours! Found them to be much cheaper for custom seals too. Their customer service is good too!

[Mimi]

Maybe I've just seen too many TV shows where it's like dripping all over the place


Found a YouTube video. Is this how you guys do it? Does it take a whole minute to let it drip? And this person made a mess!

I've seen a lot of people use hot glue guns, and colored glue sticks. They seem fairly easy enough AND it's a plus that the colors are gorgeous! 

I just ordered a batch of stuff from backtozero.com. My first time from there so I can't really say what it's like until I receive, but their website is impressively user friendly and modern and their stamp handles come in some great colours! Found them to be much cheaper for custom seals too. Their customer service is good too!

I've heard great things about them, too! I'm looking for a wax seal. Hopefully I can find something from them. I also read that nostalgic impressions is good, too.

[AnasaziWrites]

I would second Schin's recommendation heartily. The people at Atelier Gargoyle are outstanding and the wax is lovely.

Looking at this video, I would make one comment. See how the seal sticks to the wax after impressing it? This can be lessened by breathing heavily a couple of times on the face of the seal (thus putting a little moisture on it) just before dipping it into the hot wax. If you are doing multiple impressions, have a moist towel over a piece of ice to both add moisture to the seal and keep it cool, and rest the seal on it momentarily between impressions. A hot seal tends to stick.

WARNING:  Reading further in this post may tempt you to endanger your purse.

A request was made earlier in this thread to see some of the seals we have. Here are my two favorites.

A couple of years ago, I bought an unengraved  gold watch fob made in Birmingham, England in the year of my grandfather's birth (1894). On one side the stone is bloodstone, the other is cornelian, both common to engrave back in the day. I thought, it would be great fun to have both sides engraved to make wax seals. I was in touch with Schin at this time, and she also was considering having a seal made for her calligraphy business, and we were both looking at Dexter Rings, a small company in England, that did the finest work I had ever seen. After much consideration (due in no small measure due to the price of such work), we both went ahead with the custom seal idea--Schin designed her seal for OpenInkStand, and I chose two of my favorite statues from my collection, photographed them, and sent the photos to Dexter, where master engraver William Wright engraved the stones using my photos as a guide.

I still marvel at his skill every time I use the seals. They are about 22 mm in diameter (so, say the size of a quarter) and have such nice detail. I have my heirloom.

If you are looking for a seal in a hurry or something inexpensive, you won't find it at Dexter. Mine took 6 months to make and my purse was reeling after the exchange. It was, though, worth the wait and the money.

You may visit Dexter Rings at this website if you dare:

http://www.familysealrings.com/

[Mimi]

WARNING:  Reading further in this post may tempt you to endanger your purse.

Thanks for the warning! Those wax seals are masterfully crafted!

[Karen Gray]

I really want to get a custom seals made like the ones I describe in my books. That would be braw
Does anyone know of EU/UK versions of Atelier Gargoyle quality wax?

[Mimi]

I cheat and use the wax seal glue gun. No mess. 

 Erica, where do you purchase your wax seal glue? Are they the regular .44 in or the mini .25 in? Thanks in advance!

[Rachael]

I'm curious about the glue gun wax seals, are they any good? What about sticker wax seals? And how many envelopes will the Atelier Gargoyle wax seal? I've used wax and a seal before, but it was really cheap and burned constantly.

[AnasaziWrites]

@Rachael

I'm curious about the glue gun wax seals, are they any good? What about sticker wax seals?

They may be efficient, but look, as a rule, to my eye, rather "plasticy" (if that's a word).
 

And how many envelopes will the Atelier Gargoyle wax seal?

These seals were done with AG wax. As to how many per stick, that will depend on the size of the seal, of course, how deeply it is carved, and how much "extra" you like around the edges. These seals are 22mm (0.9 inches), and with very little extra around the edge. I get about 20 or so per stick, a little less if you like a generous amount around the edge, as I do, so say 15 or so.

I've used wax and a seal before, but it was really cheap and burned constantly.

I've never had AG was burn. You can also melt it in a spoon made for this purpose or an electric melting pot if you are doing huge numbers of letters. Remember to cool and moisten you seal between uses.

[NevadaDeb]

Thanks to Schin and all who shared the excellence of Atelier Gargoyle wax sticks. They are very pliable and easy to use, and they certainly melt beautifully.

I also love using the little (Bic LIghter size) Eagle Torches, which I found on Amazon. They were about $2.50 apiece, and came 5 to a package, along with a refill bottle of butane. The small torches are not awkward to use, and make wax seals a quick and easy addition to any lovely envelope, certificate, gift package or other project.

I make all the birthday cards for the staff at my husband’s high school, and have gotten rave reviews on the seals. There’s something about a wax seal that makes everyone feel special.

Thanks to Anasazi for sharing the tip on putting olive oil on the stamp!

Thank you all again. I'm having a total blast.
Sent from my iPad

[AnasaziWrites]

Thanks to Anasazi for sharing the tip on putting olive oil on the stamp!

Thank you all again. I'm having a total blast.
Sent from my iPad

@NevadaDeb
Actually, that suggestion came from Meredith. Never tried that myself.
If I'm doing a single seal, I just breath on it (to moisten it) just before I push it into the wax. If I'm doing a bunch of seals, I rest it on a moistened washcloth between impressions, which both moistens and cools the seal.
Wax seals are fun, no?