Here's a couple of English recipes from around 1900
They're taken from the Newcastle Northern Echo's booklet, "300 Secret Trade Recipes"
Black Sealing Wax
3/4lb best black resin,
1/4lb finely powdered ivory black
and 2 oz beeswax.
Melt over a slow fire and form into sticks by rolling on a piece of glass.
Red Sealing Wax
1lb shellac,
3/4lb vermillion or venetian red,
and 5 oz Venice turpentine.
From the Encyclopaedia Britannica (first ed./1771) under 'Wax':
"Sealing wax is made in the following manner: Take one pound of bees-wax; three ounces of fine turpentine; olive-oil, and rosin, finely powdered, of each one ounce: when they are well melted, and the dross taken off, put in an ounce and a half of vermillion, or red lead, finely ground, and stir them together till they are well incorporated: and when this mixture grows a little cool, roll it into sticks, or in any other form. If you would have it black, instead of vermillion, or red-lead, put in lampblack."
"The soft, red, and green-wax, used in large seals to some of our law-writings are thus made: Melt bees-wax over a gentle heat, with such a proportion of Venice turpentine as, when cold, will give it the due consistence: this is determined by repeated trials, first putting in but little turpentine, and afterwards more and more, till by dropping a piece upon a marble to cool, it is found of the true consistence. They then colour it with red-lead or vermillion, or with verditer, or whatever colour they please, the mixture in this state receiving any."
In general, vermillion will look 'brighter' than red lead, which tends to be dull and toward the orange side of red.
John Partrige, The Treasurie of Commodious Conceipts and Hidden Secrets, 1573
To make red sealyng wax.
Take one pound of Wax .iii. ounces of cleare Tyrpentyne in Sommer, in Winter take fowre: melte them together with a soft fyre: Then take it from the fire and let it coole: Then put in Uermylion berye fynely grounde, and Salet Oyle, of each an ounce, and mix them well together, and it is perfect good.
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Black Sealing Wax
3/4lb best black resin,
1/4lb finely powdered ivory black
and 2 oz beeswax.
Melt over a slow fire and form into sticks by rolling on a piece of glass.
Red Sealing Wax
1lb shellac,
3/4lb vermillion or venetian red,
and 5 oz Venice turpentine.
From the Encyclopaedia Britannica (first ed./1771) under 'Wax':
"Sealing wax is made in the following manner: Take one pound of bees-wax; three ounces of fine turpentine; olive-oil, and rosin, finely powdered, of each one ounce: when they are well melted, and the dross taken off, put in an ounce and a half of vermillion, or red lead, finely ground, and stir them together till they are well incorporated: and when this mixture grows a little cool, roll it into sticks, or in any other form. If you would have it black, instead of vermillion, or red-lead, put in lampblack."
"The soft, red, and green-wax, used in large seals to some of our law-writings are thus made: Melt bees-wax over a gentle heat, with such a proportion of Venice turpentine as, when cold, will give it the due consistence: this is determined by repeated trials, first putting in but little turpentine, and afterwards more and more, till by dropping a piece upon a marble to cool, it is found of the true consistence. They then colour it with red-lead or vermillion, or with verditer, or whatever colour they please, the mixture in this state receiving any."
In general, vermillion will look 'brighter' than red lead, which tends to be dull and toward the orange side of red.
John Partrige, The Treasurie of Commodious Conceipts and Hidden Secrets, 1573 To make red sealyng wax.
Take one pound of Wax .iii. ounces of cleare Tyrpentyne in Sommer, in Winter take fowre: melte them together with a soft fyre: Then take it from the fire and let it coole: Then put in Uermylion berye fynely grounde, and Salet Oyle, of each an ounce, and mix them well together, and it is perfect good.
- bill 11-08-2010 9:43 pm