Options for ridding records of static electricity


I am getting back into vinyl, listening to “garage sale” finds and also new albums that I have been picking up. I have a nice old Linn Sondek LP12 with the felt mat. Every time I go to remove a record from the spindle or flip the record, static electricity grabs the felt mat and it sticks like a magnet. I have to very carefully flip the felt mat at the corner with my finger but one of these times I’m going to slip and smudge or scratch a record. 

I’ve seen the “Milty Zerostat” and seem to remember this product from back in the day. I see that it is still made and there is one eBay vendor that has them for $77. Is this my best bet? I thought Michael Fremor talked about these in one of his videos. 

Are there other products I should look at to reduce static electricity on my records? Thanks for any help you can give.
masi61
No Lewm, I was talking about measuring the record. I built my own adjustible bias supplies. I maintain a pretty dry environment and can push the panels a bit harder than the stock bias supplies. The only parts I kept are the two power transformers. I have the probe to make sure the bias supplies are putting out exactly the same voltage. I measure between power supply ground and the bias supply output with the panels connected. They are old Acoustat 2+2s which I have had from new. They spend a few years in another friends system while I played around with Apogee Divas. I got them back after I sold the Divas. I also removed the stock interface and replaced it with a 100 to 1 Sowter Transformer. They are driven with JC 1's. I cross to 4 subwoofers which I built at 125 Hz.
I have a better subwoofer design in my head which I will probably make next Winter. They will use a total of 8 Morel 12" drivers in a balanced force configuration. I also plan on getting a pair of 845's in the hopefully not too distant future. The 2+2s are wonderful but selfish. The treble rolls off quickly off axis. 
An old trash record is on the turntable spinning now with the dust cover up. We shall see if it developes a charge. Afterwards I am going to play the record without the sweep arm to see what happens. As you probably have noticed there are opinions all over the place as to what does and doen't create static on records. I have read that Shure paper many times. Overall I prefer Antin's article. I would like to get this settled once and for all:)
Acoustats are excellent.  Just about the only brand of good ESL that I have not owned, but my dear friend here in Northern VA had them for many years, so I am quite familiar with them.  Acoustat actually originated the idea of using two audio step-up transformers, one for bass and one for treble.  I think they called that the "Medallion" option.  Sound Labs basically borrowed the idea from Acoustat in the late 90s, I think. At first, SL drove one fraction of the panel with a bass transformer and a smaller fraction with the treble transformer, but in recent years, they drive all panels full range with both transformers.  I think Acoustat went down that road, too.  I just have no room in my upstairs listening space, where the gigantic 845PXs dominate, to add anything like the size of the subwoofers you use.  But I have often considered some smaller alternatives.
Seems you've been nudged off the ledge of absolute certainty that the stylus causes static charge on the LP, at least.  That's a good sign.
Ok guys...I had a static problem for years and literally tried every device, carbon fiber brushes, even grounded to the wall outlet, Zerostat etc etc. This past winter I decided to re-clean my 600 + album record collection and decided to do it with a ultrasonic cleaner. Did my research and got a ultrasonic cleaner, a device to rotate 4-albums at a time and made my own cleaning solution utilizing distilled water, 91% isopropyl alcohol, Triton X-100 and  Hepastat 256. The Hepastat is the defining difference static wise. Everything else gave me squeaky clean (LOL...quiet clean) albums , but the Hepastat is a quat and thus an anti static. 
I have been playing my albums (some over and over) on my VIP Aries 3 with a Benz LPS MR for the past 7 months and have not had to brush, Zerostat or anything else to remove static. 
Clean quiet and static pop free...


If any of you are interested in a anti-static brush, I have several for sale.
@suneone,

If you read the MSDS for Hepastat 256 - its an alkaline cleaner with non-ionic surfactant and cationic surfactant - the quat, and ethanol (alcohol) and other ingredients.  Why add Triton X100 non-ionic detergent?  Why add alcohol - what are they doing?  Otherwise, the likely reason you are experiencing continued anti-static performance its because the quat - the cationic surfactant left a thin film  These quats ( Quaternary ammonium cations) aside from killing viruses, have as a film absorb moisture from the air and form a thin water film on the record that changes the record to dissipative - ergo anti-static.  They will wear away eventually.  However, be careful, once you have cleaned with a cationic surfactant - if there is a film and you apply an anionic surfactant - any dish detergent - the anionic surfactant and the cationic surfactant are not soluble and a sticky paste can form.  Being in the groove you are unlikely to see it - but you will see a buildup of gunk on the stylus.  Personally, as I have written in the paper Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Record (you can download a free copy here -  https://thevinylpress.com/precision-aqueous-cleaning-of-vinyl-records/), I am not a fan of any cleaning process that leaves a residue.  But, as my paper says - its A way, not THE way - just make an informed decision, and know and accept any associated risk.

Neil