Andy Pastuszak
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Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591 
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 19, 2021 3:29:42 GMT
For over a decade, I have been using a small paper cutter to cut my stamp mounts. This has worked well for me until you get to stamps over 80mm. Then you need to swing out the extended ruler. The only problem with that is that there is no gauge from about 84mm to 100mm
This became a HUGE PITA for me this weekend.
So I am looking for an alternative that will let me cut my mounts, is easy to store, and is affordable.
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ameis33
Member
What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet
Posts: 546
What I collect: Poland and Italy Republic
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Post by ameis33 on Jul 19, 2021 7:35:43 GMT
I use something like this
Not difficult to find also cheaper...
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jul 19, 2021 10:38:13 GMT
I use a Fiskars rotary cutter. I think I have the pro model, which is about $100, so not exactly affordable. I would definitely go with a rotary cutter over a guillotine, though. |
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 19, 2021 12:31:28 GMT
I did some research last night on mount cutting, and I am deeply disturbed by the number of people that cut mounts with stamps in them.
Two other things I observed:
1. Glenn Stephens (the guy that runs stampboards.com) and Stanley Gibbons do not like split back mounts and claim they damage your stamps, and they prefer top-loading Hawid-style mounts. Has anyone had a split-back mount damage a stamp?
2. Quite a number of sources strongly recommend that you glue the mount to the page with no stamp in it and add the stamp afterwards. Their justification for this is that the moisture you apply to the back of the mount can make it inside the mount and activate the glue on the back of the stamp.
I have never seen any damage to my stamps from being in split back mounts. And I always fix mounts to pages using either a glue stick, or a Tombow Mono permanent adhesive dispenser. Neither of these items contain any water, so they won't get into the mount, and they won't wrinkle the page.
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 19, 2021 12:33:23 GMT
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,700
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jul 19, 2021 13:01:32 GMT
1. I use top loading mounts. Initially I just used split backs and slit lengthwise using a cutter then switched to Hawids. For sizes over 35mm, I just use a split back. I too have read about the concern on split back leaving a mark. I understand the rationale that it could happen but suspect there would be a significant other aspect involved (storage, etc.). Now, if there was some pervasive issue, you would hear about it. This is akin to the concern (overblown in my opinion) about acid in paper. The biggest issue I have seen in purchased collections is excessive moisture on mounts that bleeds onto stamp.
2. I use a glue stick and apply glue to page then attach the mount.
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brightonpete
Departed
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On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Jul 19, 2021 14:09:23 GMT
Stamps getting stuck can be a problem, as I have seen that with some lots I have received. It seems some people seem to think they need to completely soak the entire back of the mount to make it stick to the page! Why for you-know-who's sake do people do that? Good grief! I just lick a very small portion at the bottom of the mount with the stamp inside, and stick it to the page. I have been doing that since I started collecting in the early 70's and have NEVER had a problem!
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jpotx113
Member
Posts: 460
What I collect: USA, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Machins, misc. WW
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Post by jpotx113 on Jul 19, 2021 15:35:43 GMT
I, too, use a glue stick. Just a swipe or two (depending on the mount size) and it sticks nicely to the page. My stamps are in the mount when cut but I am VERY careful and have yet to cut a stamp. I use a small mount cutter that does not have any markings for size reference.
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hdm1950
Member
Posts: 1,889
What I collect: I collect world wide up to 1965 with several specialty albums added due to volume of material I have acquired. At this point I am focused on Canada and British America. I am always on the lookout for stamps and covers with postmarks from communities in Queens County, Nova Scotia. I do list various goods including stamps occasionally on eBay as hdm50
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Post by hdm1950 on Jul 19, 2021 16:03:23 GMT
Oh my, I guess I better get with the program  . I have always been just a scissor man and use pencil marks on the back side to keep the edge relatively straight. Adjusting height is a bit more challenging for long mounts but luckily I have a life supply of mounts in multiple heights so rarely need to do long cuts. I guess if I were adding lots of mint stamps to my collections I would consider something more professional. |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,700
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jul 21, 2021 12:07:51 GMT
A stamp mount cutter makes a great Christmas gift!
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gmot
Member
Posts: 205
What I collect: Canada & French Morocco
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Post by gmot on Jul 21, 2021 12:28:33 GMT
I think the potential issue with split-back mounts is that if stamps are removed too quickly from them, they can get bent, ending up with a crease. I break down a lot of albums for sale, so I prefer top mounts for that reason alone. Can't see any issue while the stamp is in them.
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Jul 21, 2021 14:14:22 GMT
I knew "cutting mounts" had been previously discussed on TSF and a multitude of threads with this subject exist - They might benefit from being together, to cut down on repeats - my 5 cents !
René
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Jerry B
Departed
Rest in Peace
Marietta, Georgia USA
Posts: 1,485
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Post by Jerry B on Jul 21, 2021 15:16:20 GMT
Hi Since the beginning (40+ years) I have been using a Showgard guillotine, the small one. It has an extension bar for the mount width. Unfortunately that type seems to be no longer available. The cutter blade is as sharp as the day I bought it. For larger mounts, I use a Hawid "ruler" made of glass. With the guillotine I never cut a mount with a stamp in it. The other cutter has a "margin" line so , if careful, I will cut a mount with stamp with that cutter. See: thestampforum.boards.net/post/1847Jerry B |
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 28, 2021 2:27:28 GMT
I put the Westcott cutter to use today, and learned something annoying. The metric gauge on the cutter only goes to every 2 mm, and not every mm.
I may need to look at paper cutters available in metric companies to find out something that might work for me.
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 29, 2021 13:52:59 GMT
I ordered the mount cutter from Palo Albums. It's a little pricey, but it looks like it may do what I need it to do. It's obviously just a rebranded paper cutter.
The shipping was a bit high, $10.50.
I'll post a review once it comes in.
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 29, 2021 14:06:00 GMT
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REL1948
Member
Posts: 790
What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, British Empire Postal History, Switzerland Postal History
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Post by REL1948 on Jul 29, 2021 15:23:36 GMT
Hello Andy Pastuszak,
I've been following the threads on cutters, guillotines etc. your new version looks like it will handle just about any size. Very Nice. I've been using the little Showgard cutter for decades. It serves me well.
What I really want to mention though is a huge thanks for posting the address of "Palo Albums" in your post. I never heard of them before so I went to their site. Lo and behold they have specialty album pages for the little British African colonies that none of the other brands cover individually.
I'm simply thrilled, I ordered hinge-less pages for Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland Protectorate plus a Green leatherette binder with the correct labels.
My British colonial stamps have been very angry with me for years, they do NOT like living on stock pages.
I'll post my collections once the pages arrive and I mount the contents. This is a real breakthrough for me, I'd about given up on finding pages for these countries and I didn't want to start anything custom like "Steiner etc."
Sincerely,
Rob 
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 29, 2021 15:34:41 GMT
Palo licenses Bill Steiner's pages from stampalbums.com and adds a fancy border and fonts.
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REL1948
Member
Posts: 790
What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, British Empire Postal History, Switzerland Postal History
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Post by REL1948 on Jul 29, 2021 15:53:23 GMT
Wherever he sources his pages it works for me. They're available hinge-less and that's all that matters. At my age, I don't relish all the time and work involved with custom pages, adding mounts etc. Anytime I can find the pages I need off the shelf, I'm interested.
It's good to have found these Palo pages but I still cut and mount all of my French African colonies by hand, I've never found a brand that covers the individual French colonies with hinge-less options.
Rob
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bobstew617
Member
Posts: 376
What I collect: Switzerland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Channel Islands, Hong Kong (British Admin), PNG, others...
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Post by bobstew617 on Jul 30, 2021 1:24:37 GMT
I'll throw my 2c in here. I have used split backed mounts and have had maybe a handful of issues, only because I used too much moisture on the mount. I wet the mount only at the top.
as for a cutter, I use a Fiskars cutter for my MNH stamps and most of my sheets. I do have a larger cutter just in case that is needed for a really big sheet.
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Jul 30, 2021 3:48:21 GMT
I'll throw my 2c in here. I have used split backed mounts and have had maybe a handful of issues, only because I used too much moisture on the mount. I wet the mount only at the top. as for a cutter, I use a Fiskars cutter for my MNH stamps and most of my sheets. I do have a larger cutter just in case that is needed for a really big sheet. I love Fiskars cutters. The only complaint I have is the gap in the ruler I showed in a previous post. |
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gmot
Member
Posts: 205
What I collect: Canada & French Morocco
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Post by gmot on Jul 31, 2021 12:44:35 GMT
Wherever he sources his pages it works for me. They're available hinge-less and that's all that matters. At my age, I don't relish all the time and work involved with custom pages, adding mounts etc. Anytime I can find the pages I need off the shelf, I'm interested.
It's good to have found these Palo pages but I still cut and mount all of my French African colonies by hand, I've never found a brand that covers the individual French colonies with hinge-less options.
Rob Palo also provides the French African colony pages in hingeless. I have all of them. I'm actually selling off my French Africa (except the common designs & Morocco) so won't need them anymore in a couple months, but have been quite happy with them.
~Greg
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 2, 2021 23:23:32 GMT
The new stamp cutter came in today and it is ALMOST perfect. Why can't anyone get this 100% right?
Anyway, here is preliminary review. First thing, it's a rotary cutter, which is a plus:
And the guide folds forwards instead of sideways, which I also like:
And the ruler has no gap, another plus.
But, it's a bit funky:
So any mount cuts 51mm or less, I can't bump the mount up against the ruler to get a precise measurement.
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REL1948
Member
Posts: 790
What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, British Empire Postal History, Switzerland Postal History
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Post by REL1948 on Aug 3, 2021 0:28:10 GMT
Hi Andy,
Interesting, I ordered one from Amazon right after your post. It arrived today. I haven't used it yet but it looks pretty nice at the price point. I'll probably use it for applications other than stamp mounts; I'm very comfortable with my little Showgard cutter.
Thanks again for sharing. That post has led to $$$ with the Palo folks and their wonderful Album pages. My British colonials are super excited to move into their new homes which I'm told have been shipped already .
Rob
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 3, 2021 1:37:42 GMT
A little creativity and I think my problem is fixed:
Found an online printable ruler and taped it in place. This should work.
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 3, 2021 1:46:57 GMT
And for those people that might be cutting stamp mounts with a hobby knife, I highly recommend the Excel Hobby Knife: www.amazon.com/Hobby-Excel-Blades-Safety-American/dp/B0006O5JHE
This knife is made in the USA, is cheaper than an X-Acto knife, and won't roll around on the table.
It takes the same blades as an X-Acto knife, but is just better than it in every way.
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Post by michael on Aug 3, 2021 6:41:15 GMT
The new stamp cutter came in today and it is ALMOST perfect. Why can't anyone get this 100% right? They did, for me anyway I bought this is in the early 1990s and it has worked perfectly ever since. At the time it was expensive to buy, but amortised over 30 years, very cheap.  |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,700
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Aug 3, 2021 10:54:27 GMT
I have a 50 year guillotine cutter that I used to cut mounts lengthwise to create top loading. The base is solid and heavy. I got a hand me down rotary cutter (Purple Cow brand) and it has all sorts of features (rotary, guillotine, zillion markings, bar to hold paper. etc) but the base is plastic so does not have a lot of heft.
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brightonpete
Departed
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On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Aug 3, 2021 13:04:54 GMT
I don't think I'd get along with a rotary cutter. I'd end up with miscuts all the time. The Fiskars I use is perfect. I can see everything and know exactly where the cut will be made. I can imagine some of you would cringe at me cutting the mounts with the stamp in the mount! I also lick the top/side loading mount with the stamp still in the mount. In the 50+ years collecting (although I did have a 30 year hiatus) I've never had a problem.
The titanium blade has a line in the holder showing where the blade is, so the cut is just to the right of the guide wire.
 (stamp and mount used for demonstration purposes only)
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 3, 2021 15:21:52 GMT
The new stamp cutter came in today and it is ALMOST perfect. Why can't anyone get this 100% right? They did, for me anyway I bought this is in the early 1990s and it has worked perfectly ever since. At the time it was expensive to buy, but amortised over 30 years, very cheap. What if you need to cut a mount wider that 150mm? Does it have a fold out ruler? |
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. I have always been just a scissor man and use pencil marks on the back side to keep the edge relatively straight. Adjusting height is a bit more challenging for long mounts but luckily I have a life supply of mounts in multiple heights so rarely need to do long cuts. I guess if I were adding lots of mint stamps to my collections I would consider something more professional. 
