(FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are your stamps made from?

  • Our stamps are made out of a material called "DELRIN".

What is DELRIN?

  • DELRIN is the non-scientific name for Polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as acetal, polyacetal and polyformaldehyde, which is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts requiring high stiffness, low friction, and excellent dimensional stability.

Why do you make your stamps out of DELRIN and not out of metal such as steel or brass?

  • There are a couple of reasons why we choose DELRIN to make our stamps. We are able to engrave onto DELRIN with great detail, and that detail transfers over onto your finished product.  DELRIN is also extremely durable, it is used in place of metal in products for such items as gears, leavers, spacers, shims, and linkages.However the most straight forward answer we can give to you is, "cost effectiveness". DELRIN stamps cost us less to manufacture, so we can pass those savings onto our customers.

How many times can I use a DELRIN stamp before it wears out?

  • If you are looking for a particular number of strikes, I cannot say, because I have never had a DELRIN stamp wear out. Being a professional leatherworker myself, I can say that I have used stamps made from many different materials (brass, steel, magnesium, aluminum, and DELRIN), and out of those materials DELRIN is the only type of stamp that I have personally never had wear out.

Will DELRIN break if I drop it?

  • DELRIN can break if dropped, but it is very uncommon for one of our DELRIN stamps to break, chip, or even mar if dropped. Not so much can be said for metal stamps. DELRIN is a very light weight material, as opposed to metals that are sometimes used in stamp manufacturing...so if a DELRIN stamp is dropped then the impact on the floor has much less force than a heavier metal stamp. If you drop one of our stamps and it breaks, chips, or mars the image surface; contact us and we will get you squared away.

How do I use one of your DELRIN stamps?

  • Our stamps are intended to be used with a press on properly cased veg-tan leather.

What is veg-tan leather?

  • Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannins and other ingredients found in different vegetable matter, such as tree bark prepared in bark mills, wood, leaves, fruits, and roots. It is supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of chemicals and the color of the skin. This does not include bridle or latigo fat impregnated leathers. Those leathers cannot be properly cased.

What does it mean to "case" veg-tan leather?

  • Simply put to "case" veg-tan leather you simply add water back to the surface of the leather, then allow the leather to dry momentarily until the surface color of it begins to turn back to the original tan/brown look.

OK, I have heard you say your DELRIN stamps are to be used on properly cased veg-tan leather...but how does it work? How do I use my stamp?

  • Our DELRIN stamps are really easy to use. For all of our stamps the process begins the same, you lightly dampen your veg-tan leather with either a spray bottle or a sponge. After the surface of your leather begins to turn back to its natural tan/brown color, simply place your stamp onto the surface of your leather and apply pressure with your press.

So, I can use a press with my stamp?

  • You bet! That is actually the way we suggest for our stamps to be used. Using a press ensures a even amount of pressure across the entire image surface, thus it transfers over to your products more consistently.

What size press can I use?

  • You can use anything from a 1-ton Arbor press to a 18-ton hydraulic clicker press. Just learn your press and stamp before using it on a production piece. Only use that force necessary to impress your stamps image into your leather product. You will be surprised at how little pressure it takes to transfer your image into your leather product.