If Jessica and Kseniya are taking a break for 2014, I suppose it might be appropriate to announce that the 2014 national Wayzgoose is (tentatively yet) heading for Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where Hamilton Wood Type’s new headquarters will be accessible. It was a delight to have as featured presenters Kseniya Thomas, Jennifer Farrell, and Jessica Spri…[Read more]

Bill,  Yes; thanks. Needleman has obviously ridden this hobbyhorse to bits. A very fine piece showing how the scientific process can be abused.

Bill, Internet Explorer cannot retrieve your citation. Alternative? 

Hi Anne,  I think I may have a solution to that inoperative C&P. Dave & Beth Seat are a couple of very savvy letterpress printers and equipment machinists (who travel around the US continuously), most of whose work involves troubleshooting linotypes and presses including C&P/Pilots. I have just contacted them; they are now working in Portland,…[Read more]

Sonja,  Best source for identifying 20th century American cast type is Mac McGrew’s American Metal Type Faces (etc.) If you have some European cast faces, there are members of APA who can likely identify it if you provide a proof. If you find a stubborn face, I’ll have a go at it.David L. Kent, archivist, Amalgamated Printers’ Association

Jen,  This event should be more widely known. A newbie letterpress printer can be confused by the prices for various presses. When I bought a Kelsey 6×10 in 1980, I paid $150, which included a font of type, cabinet with cases, as well as the press. When Kelsey went bankrupt about ten years later, the price of a Kelsey shot up to $750 and has…[Read more]

Dear Nancy, This is an outrage. Typemetal is quite different from oxidizing lead, and poses no harm whatever to anyone using it. There are numerous studies on the web demonstrating this, and OSHA has acknowledged it. No-one should allow these ignorant troglodytes to toss out lead type (which is actually an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony). The…[Read more]

Jessica,  I can give you a better reply now: In 2005 one of the letterpress giants, Richard Hopkins, cast a font of 117 miscellaneous astronomical and other characters, which he offered at $28.00 postpaid in the U.S. This font is unbelievable; it has all the “squiggly things” a customer might ask about using. Astronomical characters in three…[Read more]

Sarah,  As Mike says, the place to go is Tarheel Roller. Having tried composition rollers from other suppliers (which give a great impression, but do not last too long), I tried a rubber roller from Tarheel, and David produced a perfect rubber roller at a reasonable price. I highly recommend Tarheel for your C&P press; I assume you can send him…[Read more]

Anne, Since you bought the press from Mark Barbour as “working and refurbished”, shoot him an email about this problem, and he will instruct you as to what to do to get the press working. If you need Mark’s email address, email me and I will send it.David L. Kent, archivist, Amalgamated Printers’ Associationchirologe@hotmail.com

Jessica,  I can mail you one, for use with 10 point, if you can provide a mailing address. Might be quicker to acquire one at the LOL conference this week, but if that fails, let me know.David L. Kent, archivist, Amalgamated Printers’ Associationchirologe@hotmail.com