Having a glue stick just for envelopes, flat mailers and letters might seem like a waste but to me they are something that I got turned on to after getting “gum tongue”. We sent out a ton of information packets a few weeks ago and guess who got stuck licking all the seals on the envelopes? I could have used a sponge to wet the edges but no matter how gingerly I tried, I always used too little or too much water so they ended up not sticking or being soaked. I knew that there had to be a better way to seal letters and manila envelopes so I looked through the Office Depot catalog and low and behold, Avery makes a glue stick just for this purpose. I am assuming that these were created for envelopes that don’t have a gummed adhesive to them but I have used them on one that have an adhesive and haven’t had any problems so far. These are a lot like the general purpose sticks that go on purple but dry clear. For all I know, they are the same exact stick with a different name.

Avery Glue Stic For Envelopes
Three .26 Ounce Stick Pack

Avery calls these a ‘glue stic’ instead of a ‘stick’ so it always messes up my Word spell check program. What ever you call them, they are a nice thing to have around if you hate licking envelopes. You can’t go all crazy with them and smear the glue everywhere because it will clump and the excess will seep out from under the flat causing other pieces of mail to stick to it [if you don’t let it dry long enough] or get smashed inside the envelope making it a real chore for who ever is opening it to do so without ripping it to shreds. It works just like any other glue stick, remove the cap, twist the bottom to advance the glue and wipe over the area where it is needed. The nice thing about this is that the glue goes on purple so you can see exactly where you have placed it, it does dry clear but you have to give it enough time to dry completely before you head to the post office. Like I said, if you get an excess of it, it can make a real mess so wipe off as much as possible and make sure you give it enough time to dry.

When I used these on the larger manila envelopes for mailing out thin catalogs it made quick work of the job and gave me a good seal. These are gummed mailers so I could have just licked the tab and flipped it over but I really hate the taste that you are left with. If you are buying these to seal standard envelopes you will want to make sure that you use this only on the adhesive area, if you use too much or it or get it on the inserted papers, it will arrive at the intended’s address glued together. I’d suggest these glue stics [or sticks, which ever spelling you prefer] for anyone that sends out a high volume of mail, is concerned with a solid seal or uses craft or manila envelopes. You can use these on paper envelopes but you will have to be careful not to use too much.

I found these at my local office supply store for $2.59 which is more than what the three packs of regular glue sticks sell for but these are made for use with envelopes. As I said, these could very well be the same exact sticks that are marketed under the ‘all purpose’ line, given a spiffy name and sold for more. I’m not a chemist and they don’t list the ingredients so it’s anyone’s call as to whether these are different or not. Since these are non-toxic they are safe for everyone to use and if you happen to get some on your skin, all you need to do is wash with warm water and soap to remove it. It does come off clothing when you wash it but if you get a ton of it on your shirt or jeans you’ll want to try to get it washed as soon as possible. This is a nice alternative to using tape to seal envelopes and as long as you press the pieces together to create a strong bond, you’ll get something that will be tamper evident so even sensitive documents will be safe from prying eyes.

The Bottom Line

I’ve only been using this for a few weeks but think that it’s a nifty idea for anyone that works in an office or mailroom and hates having to lick a ton of envelopes. These are best for thicker or heavier stock items but can be used on anything that you want to seal. I wouldn’t recommend these for packages because you are going to have to stand there and hold the pieces in place until a bond is created and the glue starts to dry. They work the same as a regular glue stick and have the same drawback - the edges get sloppy and need to be cleaned before you put the cap back on. If you don’t clean the edges then you run the risk of having the caps getting stuck on the sticks. I am still waiting for a company to make a glue stick that has an area on the bottom of the base that you can stick the cap in while you are using it, but hey, I just write the reviews, not design the products.


As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2005 Freak369


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Recommended: Yes