One of the elements of getting batik stamps from Ghana is that they are often easiest to pack when the handle is not yet put on. It’s usually a pretty simple attachment, and they come apart easily. But when I use them, time and again, I need handles that are more solid. I’ve experimented with making my own over the years, to varying degrees of success. What I lack is a wood shop- but that’s another blog post.

Luckily, my friend Doug has decided I should have the most solid batik stamp handles ever. First he decided they would be made of steel. I convinced him that wasn’t a good idea.

Here are the first round of handles he made:I must admit I was really exciting about this. Except for the butterfly, which was new, all these stamps were in bad shape. It really sucks when a stamp comes apart from it’s handle over a pot of hot wax, especially if you’re in the middle of stamping a piece. These new handles were rock solid.

Then, Mary brought me back even more stamps from Africa (see Titchadshi post) so I brought them to Doug and here’s what he did:

And the beautiful final results:

Thanks doug!