Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Share your phonograph repair & restoration techniques here
Post Reply
Lah Ca
Victor IV
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:22 pm

Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Post by Lah Ca »

I was recently given a box of Pathé records.

The few I already had were of a standard 10" size or close enough that they fit into standard sleeves.

The records in the new box were not so accommodating, however. They were mostly 10.25" or 11.25" in diameter. Many came with old Pathé sleeves. Many came with no sleeves.

I understand from browsing the web that there are specialist dealers who sell new Pathé-sized sleeves, but annoyingly, the people who made these claims provided no links, and I could not find these alleged dealers.

And, yes, one can buy tatty old Pathé sleeves on EBay at considerable cost, but ...

But it also seems there is an effective DYI option, here detailed by David Hoehl at TNT USA (note: I had no end of trouble getting the link below to load and had to resort to using a VPN connection with a US IP address.):

https://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diy_sleeves_e.html
Last edited by Lah Ca on Sat May 03, 2025 3:09 pm, edited 4 times in total.

User avatar
Orchorsol
Victor IV
Posts: 1763
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:03 am
Location: Dover, UK
Contact:

Re: Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Post by Orchorsol »

BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?

Lah Ca
Victor IV
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:22 pm

Re: Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Post by Lah Ca »

Ahhh .... yes! Thank you.

Why did I not think of this?

I have purchased from this vendor many times before.

But no matter, the disc-o-file sleeves might as well be sold from a vendor located in a Lunar mare (or sea ;) ) for all the trouble and cost I would now encounter in having them shipped to me.

User avatar
epigramophone
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 5658
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:21 pm
Personal Text: An analogue relic trapped in a digital world.
Location: The Somerset Levels, UK.

Re: Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Post by epigramophone »

Some 10" cardboard covers have enough slack in them to accommodate 10.25" records. Some will even take 10.75" Fonotipias.
Although labour intensive, 12" covers can be cut down to accommodate 11.25" records.

User avatar
Orchorsol
Victor IV
Posts: 1763
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:03 am
Location: Dover, UK
Contact:

Re: Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Post by Orchorsol »

Lah Ca wrote: Sat May 03, 2025 1:47 pm
Ahhh .... yes! Thank you.

Why did I not think of this?

I have purchased from this vendor many times before.

But no matter, the disc-o-file sleeves might as well be sold from a vendor located in a Lunar mare (or sea ;) ) for all the trouble and cost I would now encounter in having them shipped to me.
They're not cheap but they are excellent! I've had a small stock for years and usually reserve them for my most precious and important records.

Here in the UK we get a lot of stout cardboard sleeves (covers) and sometimes for those unusual sizes, I cut them down accurately and use gummed paper tape at the edges. The result looks period-appropriate and I find it oddly satisfying to do.
BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?

Lah Ca
Victor IV
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:22 pm

Re: Pathé-Sized Sleeves

Post by Lah Ca »

Orchorsol wrote: Sat May 03, 2025 4:40 pm They're not cheap but they are excellent! I've had a small stock for years and usually reserve them for my most precious and important records.
Most heartily agreed.

All my disk purchases from Nauk came in these sleeves/covers--smoking deals since most of the purchases were won with a then $3 minimum bid.

I have also bought a number of boxes of the sleeves over the years, as well.

There is no problem with the disc-o-file sleeves themselves or their purchase cost. It is other factors now that make any further purchases next to impossible.

Interestingly, the American Library of Congress used to use and endorse the disc-o-phile sleeves, but that endorsement seems to be gone. Perhaps because the sleeves are not made of acid free, conservation grade paper.

I have donated some recordings of local interest to the Vancouver Museum. My contact there sent me a link for the vendor of the conservation grade sleeves that the museum uses. Ga$p! The disc-o-phile sleeves in comparison are extremely cheap.

Post Reply