The wiper seal is designed to flex out when pressure is applied inside (from compound). The profile is quite different to first generation Ames that you will find on other brands. As long as no lubricants or cleaners containing solvents or penetrants are used the seal should work fine, and provides much less drag. Easier to push, easier to open and close the lid. The nail spotter lid needs to be aligned when fitting a new seal, more so as we only use one spring. We recommend pushing the left sid