I'm just back from the Craft and Hobby Industry Show where I played with the new phthalate free polymer clays from Cernit and Kato. These are compliant with the new laws banning phthalates passed by California and the EU.
The G Series from Cernit is fine modeling clay, though a bit soft for my heavy handed approach. It is blendable and has a great deal of post bake flexibility making it a durable product. The old Cernit is going off the market.
The new formulation of Kato is outstanding! A good clay previously is now a great clay--blendable and with a nice firmness to it. I spoke with Robert at length regarding the need for a gray sculptor's clay. He sees there is a need. They can compound it in soft, medium and firm and are looking to do that. The only issue was color. . . how dark should that gray be? We disagreed on that point.
I didn't see the newer formulations of Fimo, but descriptions of its working properties seem to describe a soft, perhaps too soft, blendable clay. Their distribution has been transferred from Amaco to Staedtler.
Polyform hasn't changed any formulas yet, but must be compliant by 2009. They have added a phthalate warning sticker to all of their clays--Sculpey, Super Sculpey, Premo and the new Studio by Sculpey (not a sculptor's clay and not touted as such). Look for a similar lable on ProSculpt.
Within the next two years, all of the clays will have to develop phthalate free formulas. Modeling properties will change, quite possibly for the better. Within the last year, a few smaller EU polymer clay manufacturers have closed their doors.
Look for Cernit's G Series in April and the improved Kato in Mid March.
All the best,
Katherine

I am excited thanks so much. Do you mind if I copy and paste this post in the OG? Or mind stopping by and letting us know about it? I want some of that Kato.

Spread the word.

Wow! big news! i mean i did know about the controversy sourounding pthalates in clays, but i had no idea that the manafacturers were actually considering removing them from the clays altogether! i guess im sort of behind on news from the polymer world. do you know if the end of 2009 compliance date just for the US and Europe or is it completely international? also, does anyone know how this is likely to affect clay prices etc?

Kate

It's kinda strange. Jan 1, 2009 is the compliance date set by the California ban, a law affecting products for children under three. The European Union REACH legislation(Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances)passed June 1, 2007 is an offshoot of legislation passed in 1999 and ammended more than 20 times with each ammendment growing broader in scope, i.e. toys containing phthalates are now labeled as not for children under the age of 14. In Europe, polymer Clay is considered a toy. Manufacturers can see the writing on the wall and have begun to change their clays, label their products differently, or cease manufacture.
A lot of factors affect pricing; I don't know if this will as well.
Katherine

Thank you for sharing Katherine, I'll pass along the info too. :) Any idea if the recent changes made to fimo, as well as the lowered curing temp, were because of this or was that something else?

Do you know of any recent articles/information available, where we can read more about these changes?

Another question, if I may... re: grey clays.
Whenever I ask anyone about it, I'm sure people think I'm nuts ;) The compleat sculptor in nyc has a sculpey in grey, it is soft, not the same as the Firm. I am guessing they have it made specifically for them since I have never found it elsewhere. Have you seen it? It's not important really, I know many mix their own or like the firm but wonder if thats also because they don't know that it exists? :/

Thanks for the information Katheryn. I would love to try the new Kato clay. I am just now getting around to trying the Cernit and Fimo that I have had sitting around for over a year. LOL. I like working with Prosculpt and Premo so much I just never got it out to use it. Now I will have to try the new stuff. If the new Cernit is any softer than the old stuff, then I know it is not for me.

Hi Katherine,

I am getting ready to order some of the new Kato. I have never used Kato period so this will be fun. I plan on experimenting a bit to see the color and at that time I will also see if there is a moonie or plaquing problem. Have you noticed a need to make it more opaque? Just curious while I anxiously wait for it to get here.

I've only experimented with a very firm sculptor's gray and a softer caucasion flesh. Initially firm, they blend beautifully after slight kneading and respond well to an alcohol brush down. For example, blending seams by stroking the edge of the applique with the tip of a knitting needle, followed by a brush down with alcohol produced a strong, seamless surface. Not as color faithful as the original Kato (they darken one to two values on a 21 step scale), these new colors have shown no plaques in the test sculpts that I have done, but my test sculpts are too small to determine if that's a problem. I don't know how the new Kato accepts paint. There is a vitreous (glassy) luster after baking, but brushing down with alcohol (91%) knocks it back to a matte sheen, and brushing down with acetone produces a flat finish. Because it's one of the most flexible clays after baking, I doubt breakage will be a problem. I've yet to test effects of multiple baking.
In short, I really, really, love this stuff. (Hey! I used adverbs...twice; that's a high mark from this gramatically obsessed sculptor).
Hope this helps,
Katherine

When I get it I will do some experimenting with the multiple bakes and take pictures. I will post here when I am done. Thanks so much for sharing what you know.

Remy

BTW, what does a 21 step scale mean?

The glossy surface worries me a bit but I will try what you have shared to fix it. I also have that Golden Polymer UV matte sealer and I love it. Some one once told me it was so matte that you couldn't tell where it was applied sometimes and that is the truth! It knocked the gloss right off of something I painted in the water mixables with no adverse effects...it may have slightly changed the color of the paint but not much.

http://www.lithcoproducts.com/prods/stouffer_greyscale.htm

21 Step Grey Scale

Thanks I will check it out.