Several years back, I bought a couple of boxes of Impress-O tags… still have to hang them high enough that the deer won’t eat them. Over the last couple of weeks, I’m finding several that have flopped around in the wind enough to break the little aluminum wires that came with them. We had a day with constant 35-45 mph winds, gusting to nearly 70 mph a week or so back… found one of those Impress-O tags that had broken loose from its wire and flown nearly 100 yards across the yard to end up in the driveway.
I’m moving more and more to nailing aluminum tags to the trees with small aluminum nails (and burying one at the base of the tree, on the north side) . Tacked to the tree, they don’t flop around in the wind - and are less attractive to the hooved rats, as well.
I have used impressotags before and I liked them pretty well, but this year I’m trying something new. I laminated little labels that I’m putting inside these key chain labels i picked up at harbor freight.
Since our house was built in 1985, I’ve been using left over pieces of vinyl siding to make all of my tree and vegetable tags. The siding can be cut easily with tin snips into any shape and size. I write with felt tip markers; this is not as permanent as engraved metal tags, but it is adequate for my home gardening purposes.
Some tags are marked using Sharpie pens, but that is only for temporary tags for things like vegetable seedlings. These tags can be reused with a new name, since they fade after a few months. Note that Sharpie Extreme markers don’t last any longer than their regular markers; so, don’t waste your money on them.
I looked for something more permanent than Sharpies and found Lumocolor markers from Staedtler on Amazon. These will last a year or more, which is good enough for me. I didn’t investigate further, but I expect that someone makes a marker that applies a thicker paint-like ink that will last even longer.
An actual paint pen/marker would likely work well. This site appears to have an assortment of different brands and sizes:
If been using
for 2 years now.
It paints. After dryng you can feel what you wrote. It does not seem to fade/degrade outside. But 2 years is to short to be sure.
Has anyone tried Car Touch Up Paint?
So jealous
I got mine from ebay… there are several still listed there (sample above).
There are various models… and i found details online saying the vintage M22 model would work with the metal tapes… aluminum or stainless steel. So I searched ebay for that model and found one decently priced.
Get you one !!!
Good Luck.
On order 
Congrats. I tried vintage before I bought my expensive one, but the tape slipped :(. Probably got a worn out one.
@murky … yes there is that risk if purchasing an older used one.
My seller had stated (like the one above … it appears to be in working condition) and demonstrated that by showing a piece of black plastic tape they had embossed which looked good.
The only problem I have had with mine… was that initally i was applying too much pressure when pumping the handle to make the impression in the aluminum tape… and advance to the next position.
Sometimes on like the letter O or D for example… it would cut out that letter leaving a hole there.
With mine… you have to learn to apply more of a medium pressure to make the character impression and advance.
If you press on it too hard… it will actually cut out some characters.
Could be that the aluminum tape i am using needs to be a bit thicker.
Anyway… as long as i pump that handle with a medium firmness… it makes a great character impression and advances perfectly to the next position.
where did you order the aluminum tape? i moved a dozen trees last weekend and found that i couldn’t read any of the tags. so i have about 80 mixed up apple trees:-(
I think the emboss depth is adjustable too, aside from just modulating hand pressure.
I prefer to use the Stainless tape. Mostly because the hole has much more tear out resistance and I can use thin stainless safety wire to tie it, but also because you don’t get the problem you describe.
Can you post a link?
@ansayre … see image above of my dymo mite… for where I got the aluminum tape.
Sticker on the handle. Web address and phone number listed.
I bought 2… 1/2 inch x 16 ft rolls from them.
@murky … if you will look close at my Shiro tag above… you might be able to tell that the area where i punched the hole for the tag… i folded over the aluminum tape there.
My wire attachment hole goes thru two layers of the alum tape that is folded over (doubled).
Hopefully that last many years.
TNHunter
Cool, and you punched it with the Dymo tool? You also are using a relatively soft and thick wire tie.
@murky … with the new models of dymo mite tapewriter… i think you have a way built into the device to cut off the tape once you are finished embossing… and a tool included on board for punching a hole in the tag.
The new models run around 250.00 best I remember.
No such luxuries with my Vintage M22 model.
But… it does make the tag well…
And a cheap pair of scissors and a finishing nail punch easily cuts the finished tag off and punches the hole.
I gave 60.00 for mine… there were others out there in the 30.00-40.00 price range on ebay.
PS… I asked my wife for the new model for Christmas… and… she FORGOT about it… I got some nice clothes instead. Perhaps next year.
TNHunter