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I have a stamp pad that seems to have given up it's will to be a stamp pad. I have given it a re-inker transfusion but it just has not come back to life. The center has sunken in a bit and it just looks tired. Do ink pads come to the end of their road with no chance of revival? I have never had this happen before. RIP Real Red
__________________ Pia "I am not old and haggard. I am Shabby Chic."
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My SU pads are still going strong...some are over four years hold. I know some people stamps LOTS more than me. Maybe that's why their pads wear out. I've read on other threads that the pads do sink in the middle and die ;). I'm not sure if they can be brought back to life....
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I think they do - I've had some get sunken in the middle (maybe I'm just an aggressive stamper :rolleyes: ??)
I've also had some inexpensive ink pads that I bought for the kids get "fuzzy" - like the fabric surface starts falling apart and then you get inky threads on the images. The kids are pretty hard on stamp pads though (never let a Girl Scout troop use your favorite stamps and inks ;) )
With as inexpensive and readily available ink pads are, I feel they do need to be replaced over time. Depending on the manufacturer, I find some do sink in the middle. Also if you are a stamper who goes to the middle of the pad to ink the stamp each time. Of course the middle of the pad will cave in. Try using the sides/edges of the pad to get the maximum use from the pad.
Why not just replace them when they no longer are flat or when they dry out? Most any store puts ink pads on sale frequently.
I think they do. The way to make them last longer is regular reinking and making sure you use all of the pad, not just one part. Plus, lightly tapping your stamp on it rather than putting a lot of pressure on the pad.
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This thread is well timed as I have had to give up on my black pigment stamp pad just a few days ago. It was an Encore pad so good quality, but after 10 years of card making, and being used to catalogue all my stamps and all my sisters stamps as well, (!) the foam layer on top wore out, and when I went to re-ink it the other day, the layer came off. I still use it as the stamp pad still has a spongy layer, but it doesn't seem to take more inking, and consequently the images come out more gray than black. I have reluctantly ordered a new one!
Stephanie
__________________ To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Chilton Pearce my gallery
Hi Michelle, and thanks for your comments. Your experience ties in with mine very well. I also have dye and permanent ink pads which are fine so far, but they are younger and generally get less use than my black pigment pad. Interesting that you have found the SU stamp pads are not so good. Are they dye or pigment pads?
Stephanie
__________________ To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Chilton Pearce my gallery
I have Stampin Up pads that are 12, yes 12 years old and still going strong. They are dye based "classic" ink pads and I do use them all the time, even for workshops. I reink often and have had no problem. I keep thinking I'll buy new pads, so they are all the "flip style" since my old ones are the old lift up lids, but there isn't anything wrong with them so I talk myself out of it! They are made out of wool flannel with a cotton top so there really isn't anything to break down. I should say that I do store my old style pads upside down since it keeps the ink from pooling in the bottom.
Now the pigment ink pads are made out of a foam product that will break down with repeated use. A little drop of glycerine can bring those back to like though!
If they aren't broke, keep stamping. If they don't work well even after re-inking, consider that you got lots of good use from them and replace! If it hasn't been that long, have your demonstrator call DS and replace them for you.
My SU pads are 10 yrs old and going strong. Some of my other brands have sunken, frayed, and look just plain sad. I had decided that it wan't worth buying reinkers for some of the pads and I just get a new one. There is something wonderful about a fresh new pad.
My SU ink spots looked bad after two years - constant fraying and leaking, and in some cases the pad came off of the holder.
I have some old colorbox pigment pads that eventually went bad - but they were over 5 years old and kept in a rather humid environment. Overall I would say that my pigment ink pads hold up better over time than dye inks. I have the first versamark pad I purchased and it still works great - its about 12 years old.
I would suppose that after some time it is worthwhile to replace some stamps - and I try not to press the stamp in the same place each time.
Do stamp pads just fizzle out over time?
