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| What are the main manufactures? |
| The main polymer clay manufacturers are Fimo, Cernit, Sculpey, Premo, Creall Therm, etc. The first brand of polymer clay, Fimo, was invented in Germany, during World War I. A German doll maker was looking for an alternative to porcelain, and in her quest, invented Fine Modeling material, or FIMO. Polymer clay began to catch on as an art medium in the early 1990s. By this time, polyform products had begun manufacturing American polymer clay (the Sculpey and ProMat line of products.) |
| Each brand of polymer clay has inherent characteristics that make it most suitable for certain applications. For instance, the more resistant brands hold their shape well in detailed cane work, but they can be more difficult to condition. Some easy-to-condition clays become brittle after baking. Sculpey is easy to condition and is also strong and flexible after baking. It has a tendency to become quite soft after repeated manipulation. Kato polyclay is both extremely strong and flexible when baked. It is easy to condition and its color does not change or darken regardless of how many times it’s baked. One of its best features is that it never feels sticky or too soft, even after being worked for long periods of time. Fimo Classic is more difficult to condition than Kato but is also great for caning. It holds detail well and is very strong after baking, but without much flexibility. Fimo Soft is easier to condition than the classic variety but it is not as strong and durable after baking. |
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