A new type face

A new acquisition, love it or hate it, in my case I love a little French Clarendon matcho typeface to add to a Fathers Day card, you can see it printed here

Hell-Box Letter Foundry

Another purchase! some fancy corners and rules from Ed at Letterpress Works where he runs the Hell-Box Letter Foundry, in which they take old broken type and smelt it to make new castings. Recycling thats what I like to see! I bought mine off ebay from him and if you have any specimens that you fancy, type, borders etc email him the pic, and if he has the mould he'll make them for you!

He's a very nice man and gave me free postage and if you are anywhere near him, call in I'm sure he'll give your a tour!

Hmm! Getting a urge for a letterpress tour of the counrty

Montotype

Bought a drawer full of this type off eBay which also contained a perpetual calendar which is huge! 72pt! but this has some dates Missing :( The type has been cast on a Monotype Supercaster, the grooves are there to save metal when casting. No idea what type face is yet but it's 48pt on a 60pt body. and complete U/L with numbers, symbols and punctuation. My posty didn't look that impressed carrying it up the garden path!

One of the chases that came with the press

Stephenson Blake Old Style Grotesqe

One of the home made wooden chases with a fabulous advertisement for the local store where the printer originally came from. After a bit of research the type face at the top "THE BEST FOOTWEAR" I found was created by the Stephenson Blake Foundry at Sheffield in 1879. Thanks to Ben at http://www.britishletterpress.co.uk/ for checking in an SB catologue and verifying this for me.

The chases are very delicate, being made of wood it is starting to contract and the lead type is falling out. So one of my next jobs (besides tightening the screws on the chase) is to print the chases asap as there is only so much locking up can be done before they crack!

The chases that came with my press