The most permanent marker I have been able to employ for my Amaryllid collection is stainless steel knives, inscribed with a diamond bit,in a dremel mototool.I buy table knives at yardsales and thrift shops. I buy the bits at flea markets and tool companies selling cheap Chinese tools.For plants Iwon't be keeping so long,I use venetian blinds cut in six to eight inch lengths,marked with a carpenters pencil.Permanent, disappeared upon the arrival of the EPA in the USA. Del--- On Wed, 3/14/12, Bill Lee <blee811@aol.com> wrote: From: Bill Lee <blee811@aol.com> Subject: Re: [pbs] 'permanent' markers To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 5:29 PM I use EON metal labels and then generate the labels on clear address labels on my laser printer. I always print two copies of each label (learned the hard way) and put one on the back of the nameplate as well as one on the front. Bug try to keep them away from the path of the lawnmower. Bill Lee -----Original Message----- From: AW <awilson@avonia.com> To: pbs <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Wed, Mar 14, 2012 1:19 pm Subject: [pbs] 'permanent' markers I was reading Alberto's article 'Starting a Bulb Collection II' yesterday nd noticed the statement that 'permanent' markers are not so. Friends of ine in this area have been using the PC printed labels that they attach to eavy vinyl and have seen these last at least five years. These labels do ave the advantage that generating them on a PC ensures that labels and nventory will be maintained consistently (all plant-related data). So, the question I have is: While nothing lasts forever, how long do these permanent' markers actually last? I must be clear - I am not talking about mprinted vinyl tabs, but the imprinted tapes that one attaches to a label tick. I could not see any changes in what my friends (who have a large romeliad coleection) showed me after 5 years. From this I suspect the thick inyl will wear away first. Any comments? Andrew an Diego _______________________________________________ bs mailing list bs@lists.ibiblio.org ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/