Agfa Neutol WA

ChuckP · Apr 26, 2009

Does anyone know if Neutol WA is still available? I have been buying it at Freestyle for awhile but now they no longer carry it and don't appear to be getting it back. Maybe they were selling some leftover stock. I thought another company was going to take over producing some of the Agfa chemical products. Did that ever happen? Or did that company also go under?

Uhner · Apr 26, 2009

Adox Adotol WA is made from the same formula as Neutol WA according to fotoimpex.de

mwdake · Apr 26, 2009

I too bought mine from Freestyle, and yes it seems to have gone.

I guess I will have to mix my own, in the Darkroom Cookbook there is a formula, ID-78, that is supposed to be very close to Neutol WA. I should mention Ian Grant provided the formula so thanks to Ian.

Also, I think there are other formulas out there that are supposed to close.

ADOX Fotoimpex · Apr 26, 2009

ADOTOL WA

We have ADOTOL WA out since January. It is made by the original former Agfa factory and 100% identical. We have small bottles of 1,25 Liters available and professional 5 Liter containers.

Best regards,

Mirko

http://www.adox.de/ADOX_Chemie/page45/ADOTOL/ADOTOL_WA.html

Renato Tonelli · Apr 27, 2009

I just received three bottles from Freestyle. It's good to know that ADOTOL WA is the same.

Ulrich Drolshagen · Apr 27, 2009

You may get it here too: macodirect.de

Ulrich

Sal Santamaura · Apr 28, 2009

Ulrich Drolshagen said:
You may get it here too: macodirect.de

Ulrich

Researching that link reveals Maco cannot ship chemistry to the US.

However, I've received some email messages concerning Neutol/Adotol WA from FOTOIMPEX, including Mirko, the latest one arriving this morning. It says:

"...From our understanding, Freestyle is temporarily out of the 500ml Neutol WA but should still have the 1.25 Liter bottles available. They should be restocking these items shortly, at any rate, any unavailability is only temporary.

They do plan to purchase Adotol Liquid WA from us as well, and it is very likely that both products will be available from them for some time before the Neutol finally runs out completely. We look forward to supplying both Adotol WA and NE to the US in the future..."

Indeed, Freestyle has already put up a new Neutol WA page

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/9421-Agfa-Neutol-WA-1.25-Liter?cat_id=301

that indicates it expects to have 1.25-liter bottles in stock by June 5.

ChuckP · Apr 28, 2009

So as I understand it the Neutol WA being sold is old stock still left over from when Agfa was in business. The Adotol WA is the same formula being produced by a new company using the old Agfa equipment. Freestyle will be again selling Neutol WA (in 1.25 lt) by June 5. Neutol WA will continue to be sold only until the leftover supply runs out. Adotol WA will also be sold by Freestyle. Both may be available at the same time for awhile but eventually only the Adotol WA will be left.

So if they are both available at the same time which one should you buy?

Sal Santamaura · Apr 28, 2009

ChuckP said:
So as I understand it the Neutol WA being sold is old stock still left over from when Agfa was in business...

That's not correct. The first firm that purchased Agfa's chemical business continued to produce and market this product using Agfa labeling under license. This stock was made fairly recently.

ChuckP said:
...So if they are both available at the same time which one should you buy?

I'm not sure Freestyle will actually sell the Adox-labeled product at the same time as the last batch of Agfa-labeled Neutol WA. If they do, it really won't matter. Both are the same developer made in the same plant.

Renato Tonelli · Apr 28, 2009

I'm confused: will the Agfa Neutol WA continue to be made?

Sal Santamaura · Apr 28, 2009

Renato Tonelli said:
I'm confused: will the Agfa Neutol WA continue to be made?

Yes, the same exact product is continuing to be made in the same plant, but it is now being sold in Europe by Maco (and will be sold by Freestyle when stock with the label "Agfa Neutol WA" runs out) as "ADOTOL WA." No more production will be labeled "Agfa Neutol WA."

Renato Tonelli · Apr 29, 2009

Sal - Thanks for the clarification.

RobertV · Apr 29, 2009

Please let me explain the details about the current situation concerning Agfa Neutol WA developer:

1. Fact is, that there are no more products with the label "Agfa Neutol WA". There is only still some stock (240 bottles with 500ml) of original labelled Agfa Neutol WA, special packed for the US market. This stock is in the warehouse of Maco Photo Products in Hamburg/Germany.

2. The chemical plant in Vaihingen/Germany (former Agfa, then A&O, now Connect Chemicals) is producing the developer with the original formula of Agfa Neutol WA. This developer is completely identical to Neutol WA, the same product.
Different companies are buying this developer at the chemical plant in Vaihingen and offer it to the market under their different brand names.

3. For over a year now Maco/Germany is offering this developer (original formula, made in the original plant in Vaihingen/Germany) as "Print WA" , "made as Agfa Neutol WA". Bottled in 1,25 and 5 litres.
Since its presentation this product has been regularly imported by Freestyle. Currently a new delivery with photo chemistry and with this developer is shipped to Freestyle.
Therefore Freestyle will soon have enough stock of "Print WA" (original Agfa Neutol WA formula), made in the original plant in Vaihingen, packed by the photo chemistry specialist compard KG, Germany.

So, don't worry and enjoy your prints with this fine developer.

Best regards,

Robert

ChuckP · Apr 29, 2009

I understand it now. Thanks everyone for the clarifications.

Agfa Neutol WA

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