I have never heated water to germinate seeds in my life
the wet paper towel should not drip when you hold it up vertically
pay attention to @ifish - he knows what he is doing ! 
improve the quality of your seeds
old seeds can germinate but it depends on where and how they are/were stored
don’t buy more new seeds where you bought them from
I was told at the grow where I buy supplies that seeds shouldn’t be kept in the fridge as it’s not good for them…the guy has no idea
Yeah I mean I spent two weeks in paper towel with no heat… would you not try adding heat at that point?
I’ve probably got 30 seeds spread out in 4 batches right now… some in water, some in paper towel both with and without heat. Nothing under 70 nothing over 85
And about 10 in damp soil under the light at 75.
Feel like I’ve checked all the boxes lmao
The guy at the grow store here told me to put them in damp paper towel in a dark cupboard with no added heat.
I did just that and got 1 out of 4 … the other 3 are still sitting there.
Yeah… they were stored in a closet at room temp for the last 10 years. I didn’t think I’d ever grow again.
Did you check the scuff and not scuffed box ?
No I went with seam cracking … haven’t tried scuffing… they are definitely getting water to the inside… I’ve pulled a few apart and the inside is usually a white mush
I use a nail file or I shave them with a razor blade
Can be fiddly the first few times
But your dexterity will improve quickly
Your just takin off the tiger strips kind off , like the very very thin layer of varnish surrounding seeds ( that’s the seeds waterproofer ) and give the ridge down the side an extra go
They will be super easy absorbent so don’t put directly in water
I’ll try it tonight… the more genetics I can save here the better… I have a really nice platinum huckleberry bred by @99PerCent just under a decade ago… only 5 seeds but I’m saving them til I have this down
Yeah I get it, your breaking down the shell of the seed to allow moisture in easier. I will sit down tonight and give they a shot. Thank you!
Don’t make it too complicated. Seeds do just fine being planted directly into your soil medium. Make sure the medium is colonized with good microbes, through some inoculant like high quality compost or recharge or something like that. Keep it moist but not soaked and a heat pad or a nice sunny spot helps immensely. Unless the seeds are really old or unhealthy this should have an extremely high success rate.
They are between 8 and 25 years old
old seeds, badly stored for sure…
even if you do everything wrong, more than 25% should germinate 
in my experience light doesnt matter much,
i just put a lid on my cups to prevent mold from dust particles falling in, usually not an issue tho if they sprout in a few days.
temp seems to help to speed the process up, just dont overdo it.
overwatering or even drowning is afaik not an issue as i get like 90% germination rate in cups with water on fresh seeds. it might eventually become problematic thou, but as i mentioned, my longest was 9 days and they were alive after swimming for that long. But thats personal experience and maybe i just got lucky, everytime.
if theyre old or thick shelled, and i understood mister potseed proper, you can cut off the rim, or as Natea mentioned here, clip off one end, basicially weakening the shell structure in its strongpoints.
instead of handfiling JP wrote that he uses a rolled sandpaper with the seed inside, just shaking it gently to thin the shell. Seems smart.
H2O2 appearantly softens the shell further.
and i know its a contentious debate hehe, but i did the paper towel back when, sometimes it lead to mold and i presume those hair roots you barely see take damage during removal. Some appearantly skillful forum member whose name i forgot, but who probably is Karate Kid, uses chopsticks to fetch the seeds from the water cup and to place them with perfection, without harming the root. Impressed me.
all just a question how keen you are to sprout these old seeds. 
good luck
I’ve dialed back my expectations… I think my wife is already starting to regret green lighting this operation lol … currently have four sprouts growing. I would like a couple more. I was hoping to get four females for this run.
Might just have to clone the first tops. This is supposed to fun, after all, not stressful af.
Thank you!
@misterbee , would it be possible to send the seeds I won to @spillz907 ?
: )
You don’t need to do that man - i appreciate your and everyone else’s generosity with their time responding to me on here
It’s what this place and it’s members are about : )
I’d be offended if you did not accept them hahaha
Be like bootin me in the nuts
And make an enemy for life with @misterbee
I’m humbled.
I’m gonna plant a pack especially for you and take pictures step after step
Just let me choose one for a sec lol
Your new avatar is making me salty @DopeKiller
Lol I found it in my pics not long ago, and this strain (True Doh) is just beautiful throughout even at sprout stage so I’m deeply sorry indeed but that’s why I’m taking the extra mile to help you