Letter Openers

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What do you use to open your mail art? A 19th century engraved letter opener with a carved inlaid alabaster handle? A dull table knife? An overly excited yet always regretful rip with your hands? Your teeth? Join this group and show IUOMA what you use. (Please join if you use your teeth. I couldn't even find a picture of someone doing that on the internet. I may have subconsciously started this group just because I want to see that.)

Members: 21
Latest Activity: Feb 27

If you spring for the bling: A House of Faberge Letter Opener. 25cm, 2400 USD.

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Comment by Mail Art Martha on March 19, 2023 at 7:22am: First of all, Mark, I congratulate you for being a considerate correspondent and leaving a small gap to insert a letter opener. Lots of people do not, even sealing the envelope completely with tape.

I am terrified to cut the content when I need to use scissors.

My technique is different from that of Ilya; I cut a tiny bit of a corner to be able to insert the letter opener and pray to Mercury. (Surely he is the god of Mail Art?)

I shall be back with photos.

Comment by CtlAltDel on March 19, 2023 at 4:54am: I bought this in Udaipur, India

Comment by Coco Muchmore on March 18, 2023 at 9:52pm: I don't know where this one came from. It's been in my desk forever and I use it daily. I ordered a couple similar ones for the studio. I also use an exacto knife or scissors occasionally.

Comment by Maxima Strange on March 18, 2023 at 8:45pm: My most used letter opener. Goodwill find a few years ago.

Comment by Ilya Semenenko-Basin on March 18, 2023 at 7:55pm: @Carien van Hest

Hello, Carien.

You're quite right; there are small workshops in Moscow that sharpen knives and scissors, and they are usually run by Armenians. I sharpen my scissors there, including some very old ones, from the end of the 19th century. Old scissors are high quality steel, that's the point.

Comment by Carien van Hest on March 18, 2023 at 2:51pm: Your scissors still look very sharp, Ilya. Do you sharpen them, now and then?

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on March 18, 2023 at 2:47pm: A number of years ago, I bought this at a museum gift shop in Paris.
Might have been Musée d’Arte Moderne. I really liked it and glad I didn’t hesitate to buy it.

Comment by Pam Chatfield on March 18, 2023 at 2:43pm: @Mark Johnson I know, right? I can't believe it still works. I think after all these years I should treat myself to a new one.

Comment by Ilya Semenenko-Basin on March 18, 2023 at 1:56pm: I open envelopes with old scissors that are at least fifty years old. In doing so, I cut off a very, very narrow strip of paper from the envelope, so as not to spoil the envelope. This is, for example, how I opened an envelope from Carien van Hest with scissors.

Comment by Jokie X Wilson on March 18, 2023 at 11:56am: I use palette knives.

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