For this month we present another 18th century face, Columbine in 24 point. Like last month’s Harlequin, this is a mid-20th century recutting by John Carroll and is part of the Chas. Broad matrix collection. This little jewel would be a historic addition to your shop. Caps only.
Recast and back in stock are Neuland 18pt, Rustic 24pt, and Border No. 313 (the 6-element classic ribbon design).
Environmental responsibility has always been integral to our operating philosophy at Skyline. All dunnage used in packing type for shipment is repurposed from incoming shipments and other sources (including your packages of printed items sent to the APA Mailer, who’s right here in our town and saves it for us). Our raw material is scrap foundry type from customers and printing equipment dealers. In molten type metal, all impurities—including iron—float to the surface; and some of the alloy elements react with ambient air to form oxides. All of this is agitated to form powdered dross and skimmed from the pot. But along with it comes globs of useable type metal. To reclaim this we have traditionally run it by hand through a screen strainer (what passes through is not thrown in the trash but disposed of at our local scrap yard for a few cents per pound). Screening dross is the worst of all jobs. It occurred to me that it could be handled by some kind of machine—and look what an internet search turned up! Now in service here is this marvelous stainless steel contraption, actually a commercial kitchen appliance made for sifting hand-milled flour. It does the job, and fast.
If you have any antique oak Hamilton cabinetry in your shop—specifically, galley cabinets or strip material racks—the steel number strips on them are most likely illegible in some degree due to a hundred years of age, fading, rust, and grime. Learn how to restore them to new condition in a fresh posting on Skyline’s Best Practices page.