I have been using 23kt gold leaf for many years and now that they have taken so many things from us in the business, the latest is the quality of the gold. I just started a new pack if loose 23kt German gold and found it works just like the Italian gold which is so thin that is is not as workable. Any bit of leaf that is outside the size used to be able to work with your finger, and have very little waste. Now as soon as you touch it, it falls apart and is useless. I hope this is the last of a long list of good stuff that has been taken from us.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Oh great, I'm just getting ready to order close to a grand worth of gold for a fire truck. I usually use loose but for this one I'm going with patent on the lettering. Most of the truck will be done with roll gold.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
I thought something was odd on the last few books that I bought. Glad to know it wasn't just my imagination.
Posted by stein Saether (Member # 430) on :
Been like that for many years since they went from handhammering to machinehammering and from organic to plastic between the leefs when hammering. I used to order the double-gold quality for the though jobs, now I dont use anything but double-gold. Its slightly more expensive but a lot more handy. If you hold the new and the old gold up against light youll see that the "nuggets" are more visible in the new. Only place it might be a little bit troublesome is when one is mirrorlike-gilding on glass, cause there you dont want it too thick as that will make it harder to get it "cloudfree" and you shurely dont want it too thin or breakable.
Posted by Kristi Percell (Member # 255) on :
Hi Bill,
I would recommend trying the W&B Gold Leaf brand. They are a great American company selling American gold, with great quality.
Their gold is of great quality, lays nice and does not fall apart when handled.
It is the primary gold that we now sell, and use in our sign shop.
They are also Merchants here.
Posted by Rodger MacMunn (Member # 4316) on :
Bill, I agree with Kristi. W&B is awesome. They supplied the gold to the meet in Moose Jaw in 2007 & almost everyone who tried it converted.
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
I can't say enough good things about Urban Billmeier and W&B Gold Leaf. They support Letterheads and sell a fine product at a good price. Some of you may have met him at the Plymouth Walldogs meet. He's also just a heck of a nice guy.....
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I'm on Kristi, Rodger and Sonny's bandwagon. W&B Gold Leaf is the best and you won't find a better guy than Urban Billmeier. You won't go wrong with them. Give 'em a try.
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
Last Month ordered in another pack of Double P from Him and He also searched and threw in one of the last jars of there Gold Leaf Apple Wine Jelly,...Man that is good stuff.
Posted by DianeBalch (Member # 1301) on :
I priced the gold leaf at my vendor, $1052 for a box of 20 books. When I gasped they said for $750, they have 23 K gold leaf from China. I wonder how good that is!. No thank you.
Diane
Posted by DianeBalch (Member # 1301) on :
I priced the gold leaf at my vendor, $1052 for a box of 20 books. When I gasped they said for $750, they have 23 K gold leaf from China. I wonder how good that is!. No thank you.
Diane
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Diane, I tried the Chineese stuff last fall. It was patent, worked fine but it did have more and larger pinholes then I'm used to. I never buy it by the box. I just priced some the other day from my vendor and the difference by the book was only a few bucks, not worth it.
Posted by Doug Haffner (Member # 12445) on :
Urban came to a gold leaf class at Dave Correll's shop and showed some of the hand tools used to hammer the gold. We saw his dedication to the business and how passionate he was about this kind of work. He showed up in Plymouth to say hello last year at the walldog event. I have little doubt he'd quickly respond to any concerns a customer had about the products.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
The last pack I bought from Kristi was W&B and I'm a convert. Great stuff. Yea, it's expensive...but compared to poor quality, it's affordable.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Nice to see all the positive feedback from W&B, like Rodger said he was very generous to us in Moose Jaw and I really like their goods. I haven't done much with Gold Leaf for a long time though, I may just have to get busy selling it!
[ June 15, 2012, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: Kelly Thorson ]
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
I just mentioned this problem at a recent sign camp. The Italian gold was like dust on a sheet of liner. Touch it and it would fall apart. It did not apply right either.
Posted by Kent Smith (Member # 251) on :
I agree...W&B. Great quality and wonderful folks who deserve the support and the business. I have been a fan since 1983.
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
My last two orders were from W&B after being disappointed with some other lesser brand previously. Like quality tools I'll only use quality materials - especially with something like gold. It PAYS to use quality!
I buy it by the box for in quantity it is a lot less expensive than buying by the book. Urban Billmeier and the folks there offer incredible service. Ordered on one day in the afternoon and received it the next morning. First rate product - first rate service.
Almost time to reorder.
-grampa dan
Posted by Gary Boros (Member # 8487) on :
Bill, is the gold leaf that you are complaining about the Manetti brand? Which German brand are you talking about? Just to be clear, you are saying that the German brand is now the same poor quality as the Italian brand, correct?
I've inquired at W&B but it seems that they have a variety of products. Is the product that you are all recommending their Wehrung & Billmeier American XX Deep - Patent? While we're on the subject, does anyone have any particular recommendations in sizing? I've always used LUCO oil based slow size by Leo Ulfelder and it has always been fine, but maybe you know of something better?
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Gary, I was referring to the loose leaf, I never liked to work with the patten gold. I have used a couple of German made gold for many years with no problem. Once when the German gold was substituted, I was given the Italian gold and would never use it again.Some people liked it for glass gilding because it is so thin. Gold size also for years has been great, and agreed by many. LeFranc slow and fast alike, but it has been bought by an American company and now has had the lead removed. It still works well and some people have had problems.
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