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Where have all the humbrol enamels gone ?


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Hi,

As above - used to be the only reason to visit hobby craft but they don’t do them anymore - seems they only do plastic kits and revell acrylic .

 

Visited my local model shop - same story , very few in stock and can’t find 33 black anywhere ?

 

Have they ceased making enamels or is it a supply ( lack of ) knock on from covid ?

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It may just have been de-listed by Hobbycraft, ours had no Humbrol and very little Airfix but shelves full of Revell and Tamyia last week. 

 

Supplies at other stockists do seem to be hit and miss though, of enamels, acrylics and aerosols. 

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33 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

I recently found the same problem so I just ordered it online from a model shop.

Looked at that but some of the postage is eye watering , can't recall if RM can't take paints so has to be a courier 

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Some Humbrol colours seem to be out of stock in many places (including No. 33) so I assume that there is a general shortage. I wonder if lots more people have been purchasing due to Covid. 

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14 minutes ago, bazjones1711 said:

Just buy Poundland Matt black , bigger tin @ 250 mm iirc , all for a £1.00 !

Not gonna be using that on my respray 47 ! But could be alright for general use 

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Cheaper elsewhere though. Only £1.80 in most retailers.

 

I normally sling a few into anything coming by courier from one of the retailers. Hattons, Kernow, etc. Especially ones that are doing free P&P over a certain amount. They can push the value over the minimum cost. 

 

Stock has been a bit sporadic recently. They seem to come into stock and then disappear. So I think it's more demand out weighing supply. Most smaller retailers will only get a few of each colour so if you have a run on people wanting matt black then it's going to take a while to catch up. I'm waiting for a few myself.

 

Don't forget Airfix kits have been flying off the shelves during Lockdown according to the press. I wonder how many tins of paint will never be opened.

 

 

Jason

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I've just ordered the Humbrol enamels that I personally needed from Squires Tools of Bognor without any problems. I didn't ask for 33 Black, so I've no idea if they've got that colour in stock at the moment.

Squires' prices for Humbrol are more expensive than some other suppliers, and they have a minimum £15 order. On the other hand, there's no extra charge for postage and packing, which can be quite significant with other firms. As Squires have a very full range of modelling materials etc, I can usually find an excuse to buy fifteen quid's worth of stuff from them.  The usual disclaimer applies: I don't have any connection except for being a satisfied customer for several years, and I do like their customer service.

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9 hours ago, Gilbert said:

Antics Bristol had a lot on Friday....I stocked up...

Man ! I was in Bristol on Thursday , apparently a five minute walk from antics....but I didn’t even know they they had a branch there TBH 

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When Humbrol production switched to China and quality became 'variable' I switched to Revell enamels.  My recent trip to Hobbycraft (not been for a long time) showed that this was no longer on the shelves, only the acrylics.

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At work I import craft paints by the container load. The entire industry is struggling because lockdown one demand was many times higher than expected, supply was then constrained as raw materials and manufacturing was constrained as lockdowns, non-essential closures and COVID secure production techniques slowed down production everywhere.

 

Just as it seemed to be getting somewhere the snow bomb hit Texas in February and constrained raw materials from the oil refineries all over again for many brands...

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4 hours ago, shipbadger said:

When Humbrol production switched to China and quality became 'variable'

 

Didn't it just. I was reminded of this only last night when my old tin of Humbrol silver had finally become a bit 'clumpy' for detail work and I was relieved to find I had a new one in stock.........until I opened it. It looked more grey than silver and that's exactly how it painted. Completely different (and useless).

Oh for the days when one could pick up tins of Humbrol, including authentic railway colours, almost anywhere at pocket money prices and two coats would cover almost any underlying colour........

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The screw top acrylics were made in China, still available but could be old stock. The flip top acrylics and dropper bottles are made in the UK as was the last tin of enamel I bought (ironically, 33). 

 

The aerosols are even more hit and miss and not available by post. 164 dark sea grey appears to be discontinued as an aerosol which is a real shame. My other hobby is cold war jets and I hate airbrushing so my staples are 163, 164, 165 and 167 - only two of those are now available in rattle cans and not in general craft shops. I might have to get some made up. 

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44 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Isn't it made in some place in the distant Far East called Manchester though?

 

Production was brought back to the UK about ten years ago.

 

 

 

Jason

Just checked my newly-opened tin of Humbrol silver, as I don't know how long I've had it - quite right Jason, 'Made in the UK'. So I stand corrected on the source of this particular tin, but unfortunately judging from this example repatriation didn't appear to change anything, it's still useless.

 

IIRC it has been suggested in other threads that current safety regulations have impacted on the formulation of enamel paint. Probably true, and just something we'll have to live with...........assuming we can actually buy any enamel paint!!

43 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

 

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