Letter locking

This topic about how letters used to be sealed or "locked" before gummed envelopes has been mentioned before, but the 2018 article appears again:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...-letterlocking

The article has links to primary sources.

I was practicing letter locking in high school passing notes without even realizing it ;)
But not this complex. We'd fold our notes lengthwise a few times before tucking it into a little folded triangle.

Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

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Originally Posted by CrayonAngelss

I was practicing letter locking in high school passing notes without even realizing it ;)
But not this complex. We'd fold our notes lengthwise a few times before tucking it into a little folded triangle.

Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

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I sent last year a letter, and it worked. Though I'm in Canada. You should ask Morgaine. She's the queen of letter writing. :)

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Originally Posted by CrayonAngelss

I was practicing letter locking in high school passing notes without even realizing it ;)
But not this complex. We'd fold our notes lengthwise a few times before tucking it into a little folded triangle.

Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

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I used to fold notes just that way too. As for sealing wax, there is flexible wax, like Herbins, https://www.jetpens.com/J.-Herbin-Su...UaAu-_EALw_wcB that works with modern postal equipment. Old fashioned "authentic" sealing wax does not make it through.

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Originally Posted by jbb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CrayonAngelss

I was practicing letter locking in high school passing notes without even realizing it ;)
But not this complex. We'd fold our notes lengthwise a few times before tucking it into a little folded triangle.

Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

---

I used to fold notes just that way too. As for sealing wax, there is flexible wax, like Herbins, https://www.jetpens.com/J.-Herbin-Su...UaAu-_EALw_wcB that works with modern postal equipment. Old fashioned "authentic" sealing wax does not make it through.

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That's great to know! Thanks

I remember being taught letter locking when I was in primary school in the 1950s as part of a history lesson. Just thinking how almost all mail posted today is machine scanned and processed, I suspect using a wax seal may not be advisable. The likes of an embossed sticker or sticky-tape might be a better choice.

Another memory from when 'dinosaurs roamed the earth': My godmother would fold a A4 sheet in half to create a four A5 pages. This became a letter/envelope which she would fold again, seal, address and post.

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Originally Posted by CrayonAngelss

...Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

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My experience has been about 50-50 chance of damage to mail received, the worst arriving in one of those USPS damaged mail envelopes. I have wax and seals, but it's been a long time since I applied a seal to something going into the mail.

I've sent three triangle letters without problem. At delivery of one additional postage was requested to cover a non-standard size!

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Originally Posted by OCArt

I've sent three triangle letters without problem. At delivery of one additional postage was requested to cover a non-standard size!

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Oh man, you've challenged me! This is going to be frustratingly fun for my next pen friend victims.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CrayonAngelss

I was practicing letter locking in high school passing notes without even realizing it ;)
But not this complex. We'd fold our notes lengthwise a few times before tucking it into a little folded triangle.

Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

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Letterlocked postal works in the US. Sent a letterlocked missive with wax seal to my sister late last year successfully.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CrayonAngelss

I was practicing letter locking in high school passing notes without even realizing it ;)
But not this complex. We'd fold our notes lengthwise a few times before tucking it into a little folded triangle.

Does anyone here have any luck with sending or receiving letters with wax seals? Do they make it through the sorter?

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I've never received one with traditional wax from US to UK that successfully made it through without damage (one envelope was even burned) but I've received a couple with flexible wax sent by domestic mail within UK.

Funny enough I received one from the USA to UK only the other week complete with seal still intact

What a fascinating article. Thank you for sharing!