Hand carved or shop bought??
Devon Dumplings
2006-09-01 19:49:18
We are thinking of siting some boxes in a month or so. As to the stamps, which would people prefer to find -
a stamp which has been hand carved and relates to the moor but due to inexperience is pretty basic
or
a stamp which is shop bought (not a flimsy kiddy one) and gives a good print but not so related to Dartmoor.
I would really appreciate people's imput on this one
Thankyou
Boo Boxers
2006-09-01 19:55:13
Hand carved definately!
Having said that we have 1 box on the moor which has a shop bought stamp in it and is not particularly related to the moor. We put it up there and registered it before we realised what we were doing! However, it is well hidden and I don't think any more than 20 people have stamped the visitors book in the 2 years it's been up there, so not too many people will have found it.
We also put up temporary Christmas and Easter stamps which, again, are shop bought but they go in a different part of the moor each year. The trouble is neither of us are particularly 'arty' and all my attempts at hand carving a stamp have failed miserably.....
Dizzy
2006-09-01 20:02:05
Hi, get a stamp made from one of your drawings. There are many companies that can do it for you.
Paul
The Sly Fox
2006-09-01 20:05:21
When you say shop bought, do you mean the rubbish ones you can buy in places like the Disney store?
Because I think the professionally made stamps can be just as nice. What I mean is, somebody's own sketch or picture made by somebody else. Someone like me really. The thought, artwork and time have still gone into them. I do not think those particular stamps are in any way worse.
Having said that, I do prefer hand carved beauties. But we are not all as talented as Dizzy and the other artists. :wink:
Boo Boxers
2006-09-01 20:07:04
We bought ours from a art and craft shop in Totnes.
Devon Dumplings
2006-09-01 22:33:19
If I were to buy one then it would be a decent one with a 'grown up' picture as my kids would say.
I would prefer to make them myself, and make the picture of something moor related. Eg, I asked my kids what they enjoyed about one particular trip and they said seeing the sheep climbing over the rocks, so I made a stamp of a sheep. I wasn't sure, though, if people would be put off by the basic nature of the drawing, but so far the home effort seems to be the favorite. :)
wooiee
2006-09-01 23:22:37
i'm in the basic hand cut stamp club... but saying that my personal stamp is a shop, or ebay, bought one :oops:
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The Sly Fox
2006-09-04 00:54:59
Sounds good DD.
Home made are definately better. I have one on Calveslake Tor that I made years and years and years ago. I simply cut it into an eraser. It is not very good but I was proud of it at the time :)
Devon Dumplings
2006-09-10 12:35:12
Thanks to everyone who voted! :D
I've decided to make our own stamps and while they may not be top notch hopefully they will improve with practice! I spent some time yesterday carving away at an eraser only for my hard work to be rewarded with a filthy look from my other half when I tipped a heap of debris on the freshly hoovered carpet. It's only a matter of time until he asks "Which do you love more, me or letterboxing?" Hmmmmm :wink:
Will let you know when we site them (next weekend hopefully, can't wait to get back up there).
wooiee
2006-09-10 21:52:22
where are you going to site them??
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Devon Dumplings
2006-09-12 18:55:16
We live in Torbay, so it would probably be in the region of Honeybag/Chinkwell Tors. Just so we can check on them and maintain them regularly.
Dizzy
2006-09-12 22:46:22
If you don't mind letting me know when you site them guys, I would love to find them! I go to the same areas regually to due to also living in Torbay.
Paul
cranmere
2006-09-20 15:57:20
I like stamps of all kinds but there is something special about a hand-carved one. My artistic ability is zero unfortunately.
NUMBER 70
2007-09-01 18:20:31
While we where away in early August we stayed at a place where the owner was a retired letterboxer and he dug his collection of stamp impressions out and we compared notes,
I have to say the stamps 10 -15 years ago had a certain charm about them, you could tell they had been hand cut or 'gouged' out from the rough lines,
There where even a few that had just had the name of the Tor or loaction carved out so you got a white word with a black background in your book
very interesting bloke even offered to walk us to Ducks pool one day
The Dartmoor Pubhopper
2007-09-05 18:56:39
My signature stamp is hand carved. I carved it about twenty years ago from an eraser and still going strong.
Dizzy
2007-09-05 19:15:50
I agree, hand carved stamps do have a certain charm about them. They are one offs and definately unique. I'm in the middle of carving one specially for the meet at the moment and so far 3 hours work has gone into it, I'm only a quarter way done!
I checked my old collection of stamps from 12 years ago and there were many more hand cut stamps then shop bought ones on the moors in those days, let's change that hey.
Dizzy