Damon & Peets Letterpress
Please tell me about this press…Damon & Peets 10x13 clam shell?? Is this a good press? Will I be able to get rollers and parts for this press. Since I have been on Briar Press I have never read any comments about this press. I know that there are two in the Museum collections but just want to hear from anyone that has worked or working on one now. Thanks
A Damon and Peets is a very nice press…. capable of anything that a C&P will do. I used a d&P one summer at Printmaker school, years ago.
Parts? No…. I doubt if you will find many parts.
Rollers? Of course you can get them. Call Tarheel rollers. You can possibly use C&P rollers too. Just measure the trucks on the old rollers, and their length and call NA Graphics. They may have some that are adaptable.
kcorcoranr - The Damon & Peets presses in the Museum section belong to me. Sorry we have not put up the information with the presses yet. For an explanation see Where's the Museum and Pin marks?. The information is as follows: the Favorite is a 6x10 press so I don’t think that is the press you are considering. D&P manufactured three sizes of the larger presses, 8x12, 9x13, and 10x15. Check the dimensions of the chase on the press you are considering to see which one we are discussing.
Personally I love this press and did a lot of work on it. I have the 8x12 press. It has three rollers but frequently I only use two and it does a good job. It is more compact than the C&P and I choose some of my equipment based not only on function, but on aesthetics. It has a short throw-off that works in the opposite direction from the C&P. I find it more convenient, but I guess it’s what you get used to. My Damon and Peets catalog states the following: “…there is a dwell on the impression to give the paper sufficient time to absorb the ink…we use steel shafts, steel draw-bar arms and steel pinions instead of wrought and cast iron, and have increased the weight of certain parts where experience has dictated that they were weak…” I can not comment on whether or not this is catalog puffery or a true comparison with other presses of that time period.
As for parts - it is not as easy to find them as it is to find C&P parts, but these presses do come up in the auctions and Classifieds on occasion and sometimes can be purchased for parts. Depending on what is missing, it may be hard to find them quickly.
Should you buy it? Depends on the price and what needs repair or is missing. I have easily adapted some C&P chases to fit my press.
If you are considering purchasing it, I would suggest that you note what is missing and see if any of the dealers in the Printer's Yellow Pages have what you need. It’s a great press.
See Damon and Peets press in the Museum, and below, a scan from the D&P catalog.
Don’t know if this helps.
damonpeets_scan.png
I have this exact press as pictured and it’s a 9 x 13. I’m trying to date it, do you have any idea?