Up for sale is a great Hamilton type cabinet for a tabletop press. 10 matching drawers are filled with type and other letterpress goodies. The metal type ranges in size from 6 points to 48 points and is clean and well organized. The faces vary and are all good readable fonts. One drawer has some wood type and other nice things. There is a monogram set that is 100% complete, a nice little galley, a composing stick, gauge pins, a number wheel, type brush, a handy box with decorations, circular quads for setting type on an arc or curve, small box of decorative hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs, linoleum blocks to cut your own plate, and some odd small plates of various images. There is a sizable amount of metal furniture in another drawer with cast numbers. The cabinet is very sturdy and capable of supporting the heaviest of the tabletop presses out there and keeps a nice assortment of type and odds and ends all in one convenient place. I will not ship this item, but, I am located close to route 95 and you get to visit an beautiful rural town and an interesting letterpress studio. Price: $450.00  Sold, thank you!

Contact:  john.falstrom@att.net

I have just completed restoration on a Cook’s Victor.  It dates from the late 1800’s and the quality is impressive.  It works on the same engineering principal as the Pilot, but,  in my opinion is actually better built.  In their day Victors became such competition to Kelsey, that he purchased Cook’s company and soon discontinued making the press.  That’s one way to beat the competition!    As with all my press sales, there is no shipping.  You must come to my shop to pick up the press.  My shop is 10 minutes off route 95 in a  beautiful rural town.(Lyme, CT.)  When you come, you will get a free letterpress introductory lesson and print on your new press.  You can stay as long as needed to feel comfortable.  Also included is my proprietary combination roller/platen adjusting gauge.  The gauge helps simplify two adjustments beginners often find challenging, inking and impression.   The press includes new rollers which have not been installed as yet.  Get started right, with a high quality press that has been properly restored and adjusted.  One that you will print on before taking it home.  The handle on this press is reversable so righty or lefty can be happy.  The finish on the press is a three step paint process that has a nice soft look much like it would have had originally.  If you are looking for a high quality press and don’t have room for a floor model come take a look.  This is a top quality press capable of producing a wide variety of printed products. (Sold)  contact: john.falstrom@att.net

References are available on request. 

As the title suggests, I have just started a project to compile and publish everything you would want to know about the ever popular Golding Pearl letterpress.  Focus will be on the Old Style No. 3 and Improved No. 11.  If you have a question about either of these models, I am confident I will be able to provide the answer.  Each week, more pictures and information will be added. I am currently working on a pictorial of the differences between early (1877) and late (1890) OS No. 3’s.  Email me your question at:  john.falstrom@att.net :  Click here to begin.

The following presses are available for sale. These presses are not restored.  Save money and learn about the press by getting your hands a little dirty. These are heavy floor models that require pickup.   They do not require much to start printing. Email for more information: john.falstrom@att.net

Jobber No. 6  (8″ x 12″) motorized $800.00  Sold ……….?/?/13

Improved Pearl No. 11  (7″ x 11″) motorized $1500.00 Sold ……….10/10/11

This was an accessory supplied with the Pearl press. The purpose was to speed output by eliminating the need to remove the printed card. After it was printed, it dropped into the first drawer of the base below. You then just had to place the next blank sheet in the press.

This press is under restoration and will be available for sale in a few weeks.  Easy garage pick up in Lyme, CT with 10 minute access from Route 95 Sold

I recently purchased this press and four type cabinets full of type from a nice elderly woman in Waterbury, CT.  The press was in her basement and used by her brother to earn extra income.  I believe the brother had passed away some time ago and hadn’t used any of the equipment since the early 80’s.  A recent episode of American Pickers where a press like this was found prompted the owner to decide to sell it.   It is about as dirty a press as I have ever come across, but, under all that dirt is a really good press. It originally was owned by the Waterbury Buckle Co.  The press is missing the drawers which is often the case, but, a cabinet maker would not have a problem recreating them.  It came with one regular original chase, a spider chase and three sets of rollers.  A spider chase is in the press and creates a smaller centered chase to work in if what your are printing is not large.   The really nice surprise,( and I say surprise because it was so dark in her basement,) is that there are no broken parts, repairs or welds that I can find.  I think that’s unusual because parts are pretty fragile on this press and are often broken.  The date on it is 1890.

A word about the restoration:  This press will be stripped, primed, and repainted.  It will be clean enough to immediately put in any room in your house or apartment.  It comes with a regular chase and a highly unusual spider chase. It will have new rubber rollers, an extra set of roller cores, and be adjusted to be printing ready.  As with all the presses I  restore and sell, it includes my custom crafted roller/platen gauge and an introduction to letterpress lesson if you need it. (Please note, it does not include the ink plate visible in the photos, that is my personal plate from another press) If you are looking for a good looking Old Style Pearl (7 x 11) that is in perfect working condition this may be your press.  During the restoration process I discovered a repair was needed to the treadle.  It has been expertly done and will not break or be noticed visually.  A deposit of $250.00 now will hold this until delivery.  Questions?  john.falstrom@att.net 

The following presses are available “as is” ready for your restoration.  Save money and learn about the press by getting your hands a little dirty.  These are heavy floor models that require pickup.  They may have some repairs made to them from previous damage or require repairs.  This is all part of what restoration is about.  Being handy or having access to someone handy would be advised.  The Jobbers are professional models capable of the best printing.  They do not require much to start printing.  Email for more information: john.falstrom@att.net

Improved Pearl No. 11, s/n 1276 (7 x 11)  $500.00 Sold 3/7/2011

Pearl No. 14,  s/n: 426 (9×14) $300.00 Sold 3/16/2011

Jobber No. 6,  s/n: 2026 (8×12) $800.00 Sold 3/16/2011

Jobber No. 7, s/n: 2736 (10×15) $1000.00 Sold 3/16/2011

Thanks for the tremendous response.  The presses have all been promised to buyers.  We will list more as they become available.

Poco Instructions Image 1 of 4

Price: $1195

This is a Poco “0” by Hacker Manufacturing with a 12″ x 18″ printing area.  It is classified as a cylinder press.  It has been completely disassembled and restored.  All  painted parts were sandblasted.  The bed and the cylinder were soda blasted then waxed.  Sandblasted parts were primed and given two coats of a custom blue-gray oil based paint.  The gear on the cylinder is new.  It was machined by a local machinist and makes the press work as new.  I made a pin wrench on my lathe which is used to tighten the tympan.  I reproduced the original directions and fixed them to the cylinder as it was when originally sold by the manufacturer.  The press is on an original factory metal and wood stand to which I installed casters to allow for easy moment from place to place.  There are handy shelves for paper and ink storage.  The press has its original ink plate.  I will be including a really nice brayer better than the one currently shown in pictures.  This is a  beautiful cylinder galley press that can be used for its original purpose of proofing letterpress projects or can also be used for print making with linoleum/wood block etc.  I will  be including a rubber blanket and tympan so the press will be absolutely ready to use.  This press is in excellent condition and capable of great impression. 

Price $1195.00

This press has been sold.  Look for more as I am always acquiring presses. 

This press must be picked up at our shop in Lyme, CT. 

Easy access from Route 95

Beautiful high quality Pilot style press with a large chase size.  (8″ x 12″)  Will include new rollers, the stand, and be adjusted to perfect printing condition.  As with all my press sales it also includes my exclusive roller/platen adjustment gauge and a letterpress introduction lesson.  The press is complete, no missing parts to locate and capable of the finest work.  This is easily transportable weighing in at about 200 lbs.  Great for a small letterpress shop or the apartment dweller.  Press is believed to be from about 1872 and was made right in New York City.  Probably sold by the Manhattan Type Foundry.  Price is $1895 firm.  Pick up here in our easy to find shop that is 10 minutes off route 95 in the rural town of Lyme, CT.  Contact us here.  This press has been sold-keep looking here as I acquire presses frequently.

This is a 1913 Golding Official No. 12 Map press.  It has a chase size of 8″x12″ for doing almost any size work you desire.  It has a long side handle for great impression strength.  It has been thoroughly cleaned and adjusted to be in printing condition.  It comes with one chase, a set of composition rollers, two sets of trucks, and my newly created letterpress adjustment gauge.  For those unfamiliar, Golding is considered one of the best to own.  They are solidly built and capable of the finest work.  This model is unique in that it works differently than most.  Instead of the platen moving up to the bed, the bed moves down to the platen.  This design was used for printing on large sheets of paper such as “maps” hence the name map press.  Today, it is particularly well suited to the polymer plate user as it can lock up and print large forms and the platen is horizontal right in front of you making it easier to set gauge pins, feed paper, and generally observe what is happening as you print.  I have fabricated new trucks for this press to better match the rollers which are 1.5″ in diameter.  I am including the metal trucks that came with the press as well.  This press is large, weighing in at about 175lbs.  It is however, one of the lightest you can purchase to achieve an 8″ x12″ chase size.  It is on the original board which has a wonderful patina and is often long since gone.  It does not have its grippers, but, on a map press, they are not needed(gauge pins are enough to hold paper).  The price is $1395.00 which also includes an Introduction to Letterpress lesson by yours truly if you are able to take advantage of the offer.  The press is located in my shop in Lyme, CT.  There is easy access from Route 95.     Phone:  860-434-3194  Email:  john.falstrom@att.net  This press has been sold, thank you.

NEW Roller and Platen adjusting gauge!

A word about my new gauge.  As I visit  Briar Press I often read how new enthusiasts have difficulty adjusting their presses.  The two main issues are proper inking, and even impression.  I decided to try to do something about it.  One gauge already existed which is for measuring proper roller height.  It is nicknamed the lollypop because of its shape.  I couldn’t find any gauge to help adjust the evenness of the platen.  I like gauges!  My new dual gauge addresses both of these issues.  On one end is a white lollypop which is used to set roller height for proper inking.  It is very easy to use and the ink stripe you create is very easy to see against the white color.  In addition however, I have added two black platen height gauges that can be adjusted to fit any size platen press up an 8″x12″ or there abouts.  These black pieces are adjusted with the thumbscrew to be in a top and bottom corner of your platen.  You can also adjust them to be in diagonal corners.  You simply loosen the lock nuts on the platen and turn the screw in until you get one side of the platen evenly adjusted against the two black cylinders.  Repeat this on the other side, then recheck the first side.  You do this without ink, chase, or packing on the press.  The cylinders are sized so that after adjustment, and you add a normal packing to the press you are very close to proper and even impression.  It is especially helpful if you want to disassemble your press for cleaning and need to get it back into specs to prevent harming type or plates.  It is made of brass and delrin so there is nothing to rust or corrode.  Purchase your own here.