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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.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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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.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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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.
-------------------- Stein Saether GullSkilt AS Trondheim Posts: 1183 | From: Trondheim Norway | Registered: Nov 1998
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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.....
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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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.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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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.
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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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
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1695 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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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
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1695 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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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.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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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.
-------------------- Doug Haffner Haffner Signs www.haffnersigns.com 309-338-9570 211 W. Williams Wyoming, Il 61491 Posts: 211 | From: Wyoming, Illinois | Registered: May 2010
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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 ]
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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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.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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I agree...W&B. Great quality and wonderful folks who deserve the support and the business. I have been a fan since 1983.
-------------------- Kent Smith Smith Sign Studio P.O.Box 2385, Estes Park, CO 80517-2385 kent@smithsignstudio.com Posts: 1025 | From: Estes Park, CO | Registered: Nov 1998
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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
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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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?
-------------------- Gary Boros SIGNWORKS STUDIOS LLC Monroe, Connecticut, USA Posts: 264 | From: Monroe, Connecticut, USA | Registered: Dec 2007
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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.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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