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| Stamp Collecting Equipment [ ¤¤¤åª© ] |
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Stamp collecting is one of the most basic hobbies one can take up without having to splurge on extensive or expensive equipement. A stamp collector can get by with hardly any equipment at all, save for some of the basic handytools, like a pair of tweezers, that most of us would have at home anyway. There are a number of these tools that will be of help you as a stamp collector, regardless of the skill level you might be at, and a list of them has been provided below. Almost all of them are of low cost and thus, easy on the pocket. In fact, most of them have got a relatively long working lifespan and will therefore last you for several years without you having to worry about getting maintenance work done on them. Some of these handytools are used for examining the stamps in detail and under scrutiny, while others are basically for the handling and storage of stamps.
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| Magnifying Glass |
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 This is used for the detailed and thorough examination of stamps and is not just an aid for those of us who are myopic. ;) Do not underestimate the power a single small magnifying glass can possess. With practice and patience, you can and will be able to spot flaws or mistakes in the stamp's print by simply using this rather understated magnifying glass. |
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| Perforation Gauge |
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 Perforations are "the series of holes between rows of postage stamps in a sheet, that serve as an aid in separation." Henceforth, this gauge measures the number of holes or roulettes (which are slits made in a piece of paper).
Measurements are done per 2cm length of the perforations. It is imperative for one to know that stamps bearing the same design and from the
same issue might have differing perforations. One perforation pattern might be
rarer than another from the same stamp issue. |
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| A Pair of Tweezers |
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 A simple pair of mechanical 'fingers' for handling stamps without getting them soiled or smudged, a definite no-no when it comes to colourfast stamps. You can choose to use stainless steel or plastic makes but you should ensure that the two gripping edges are not sharp enough to cause a tear in your stamps, especially damp ones. Keep in mind that although we could claim that our hands are clean, there really could be traces of dirt or muck that could possibly alter the print on your stamp, however minute the alteration might be. Hence, it would be a good practice to use a decent pair of tweezers when you are handling stamps; it might make you appear more professional and expert-like to your peers too! |
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| Stamp Hinges or Mounts |
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 Stamp
hinges are small pieces of paper subtly coated with gum. One end is gummed
onto the back of a stamp and the end end is gummed onto the album page to hold
the stamp on the page. Doing this will damaged the gum of a mint stamp. The
modern way is to use 'mounts' (pictured on right) to hold stamps onto the page
without damaging the gum. Stamps are inserted into them fully and the mount is
then pasted onto the album page. The front is clear plastic and the backing
can be a choice of either white or black. |
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| Watermark Detector |
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 Benzine, a colourless but highly flammable liquid, is carefully dripped from a bottle onto the back of a stamp in a tray. This reveals any watermarks or faint patterns in the paper. You should be extremely cautious when handling the benzine compound since it is very flammable, so please stay away from fires of any size and kind, matches and lighters. |
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| Chalk-surface Detector |
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| This tool is a basically a small rod-like piece with a silver tip that leaves a mark when used or drawn onto chalk-surface paper. A common usage of this tool would be in the identification of the type of paper. |
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| Johfra Sweat-box |
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 A more sophisticated apparatus for a stamp collector would be a Johfra Sweat-box. It is a box containing a damp pad that is utilized for cleaning hinges or the attached paper from mint stamps without destroying the binding glue. This precise and gentle cleaning action is provided for through the condensative forces caused within the box. |
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| UV Lamp |
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 An apparatus that is becoming increasingly popular in the areas of print detection, the ultra-violet light from the lamp allows for the explicit discovery of phosphorous or fluorescent markings or indicators when the stamp is examined under it. In addition, UV lamps are also commonly used by philatelists in the inspection of stamps for repairing them or for identifying and verifying of forged stamps, a similar usage to that of the detection of counterfeit monies. |
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