Casting a Superior Seal

REDD — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:13:00 GMT

Nothing finishes off a piece of written correspondence better than an embossed wax seal over the lip of the envelope. One of the oldest formal embellishments in human history, seals were first used in ancient Mesopotamia and passed through a variety of forms on their way to current contemporary usage. Egyptian Pharaohs, for example, were among the first to use seals in the form of signet rings. And before the adoption of sealing wax as the standard letter-sealing material, the ancient Greeks and Romans used a viscous, sticky mixture of organic liquids called bitumin for the same purpose.

It should be obvious to anyone who pays a cursory visit to the REDD website that Robert Redd favored a vermillion seal, artfully crafted to resemble a tomato. It was his trademark, a stamp of authenticity, and a personal flourish—a touch of REDD for his correspondents.

In the spirit of his custom, we've put together a brief how-to for readers interested in learning how to make wax seals of their own.

Requisite materials:

Stamp seal or signet ring of your choice
Sealing wax sticks
Paper or envelope
Cooking oil (for treating non-brass seals)
Flame or butane lighter
Tin foil

Step One: Choose an appropriate seal and wax color. Brass seals have the advantage of durability, and do not require frequent oiling. Wax color can be left to your preference, although crimson or a similar variety of red is the most traditional and commonly used.

Step Two: Get your paper or envelope ready, and clean the sealing surface area. Nothing marrs an otherwise beautiful seal like stray grime, dust, or detritus.

Step Three: Light the wick of your wax stick. It will begin to drip gradually onto your paper surface. Hold it close enough to be able to control the radius of the seal, thus making a more or less concentric circle, but not so close to risk lighting the paper on fire with the wick.

Step Four: Create your seal. Aim for a circular pool of wax about nickel-size. When finished, blow out the wick and set the stick aside on a piece of tin foil.

Step Five: Apply the seal to the wax. Press down firmly and apply pressure evenly. Count slowly to ten, then remove the seal gently in one swift motion. Done right, you should be left with an unbroken, sharply-defined wax seal. Allow to cool for a couple minutes.

Step Six: Deliver with care. Wax seals are brittle, and can break if not handled properly. Send your letter by post in a padded envelope. Or, better yet, deliver by hand.

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Casting a Superior Seal