Forte Dead Again?

KenM · May 26, 2005

Folks, I just got off the phone with a photographer friend today, and he was told by the local camera store dude that Forte has closed - this time for good. Now, my friend was called under the context that "Hey, I've got some paper here, and you should buy it because Forte has closed again - this time for good", but I in no way suspect that this guy is just trying to unload some paper.

Has anybody heard anything to confirm this?

Personally, this doesn't make any sense - why would somebody buy Forte, restructure, and then reopen, only to close a few months later? If their business skills are that bad, perhaps they shouldn't be in the business of buying questionable businesses.

I'm hoping that this is just bullcrap...

David Henderson · May 26, 2005

Silverprint in London had a delivery on Monday

Aggie · May 26, 2005

can I say that is a good way for a salesman to dump some paper he wants to move fast. Forte is not gone.

Bob F. · May 26, 2005

I doubt some "local camera store dude" would be the 1st with this news if it were true. He is probably simply 3 months behind with the news and is still talking about the original troubles...

Thanks for the head's up David - I tried to buy some Polywarmtone FB to try out 6 weeks or so ago and Silverprint said they would be getting a new delivery sometime around now (I like the RC version but it's very slow - too slow to be useable for me - if the fibre version is as slow, it will be a pity).

Cheers, Bob.

Eric Rose · May 27, 2005

There are to many other good if not better papers out there to get excited about whether Forte is dead or alive.

msage · May 27, 2005

I talked to the rep that handles Forte and he has the word that they are having labor troubles and may close for good soon. I hope not, I like there paper!
Michael

Tom Stanworth · May 27, 2005

Eric Rose said:
There are to many other good if not better papers out there to get excited about whether Forte is dead or alive.

I dont agree that they are in no way unique as you suggest. There are no other papers that I know of which are:

1. As cold as polygrade
2. Have the same 300g museum base as Fortezo and PWT, tho I think some of teh very expensive berggers come close.

They are far cheaper than papers such as bergger

IMO the forte papers are wonderful and I am of the opinion that PWT and fortezo deserve legendary status. They may not be every day papers, but when I decided to print up some box portfolios of the kids, PWT was to me, the obvious choice.

I think they would be agreat loss. They are old school and look like it which is part of the appeal.

Peter Schrager · May 27, 2005

Forte?

If forte is out of busines then how come everyone(B+H etc.) has the paper back in stock?
And in case you didn't know it Forte makes the Bergger paper(which is also in stock) for them in their factory, While there may still be some problems I understand that the Government of Hungary may take over the factory if needed to save the company. I have a friend in the travel business who communicates with Hungary on a daily basis; I'm going to call this morning and see if she can dig up some FACTUAL information. In the meantime buy the paper......
No offense but all you doomsayers had to do was click on some of these merchants websites to see that Mr. Salesman was full of sh....
Regards, Peter

titrisol · May 27, 2005

:rolleyes:

noseoil · May 27, 2005

Ken, it sounds like you need to find a different salesman. If this is his idea of selling, don't buy a car from him. tim

Eric Rose · May 27, 2005

I agree with you Tom when it comes to the museum weight warmtone polygrade. I really like that stuff. But in this day and age I have found it best not to get to attached to any brand in particular. Especially not to develop such an identifiable look using one paper that if it's discontinued I would be hooped.

ChuckP · May 27, 2005

I can live without Polywarmtone but what to use instead of Fortezo? Not sure why but I'm always picking it when I print on several papers. Any other graded warmtones out there? Bergger is probably made by Forte and similar to Fortezo. Insignia is gone.

fhovie · May 27, 2005

I ran out of Fortenza and B&H was out so i ordered some J&C classic - It has almost exactly the same tonal range in grade 2 and it is very hard to tell the difference - (except it is a couple dollars cheaper. )

Maine-iac · May 31, 2005

KenM said:
Folks, I just got off the phone with a photographer friend today, and he was told by the local camera store dude that Forte has closed - this time for good.

Has anybody heard anything to confirm this?

Lots of rumors out there; the one that seems to make the most sense to me with the on again/off again availability is that Forte is operating episodically upon receipt of pre-paid orders of a certain size. In otherwords, if B&W or Freestyle places a pre-paid order for xxx boxes, then the factory goes into operation to fill that order and then shuts down again. If that is true, then the labor problems are obvious; no one has steady employment, so how do you keep your workers?

In view of Agfa Photo's imminent demise, perhaps more orders will be coming for Forte. We can only hope.

Larry

Forte Dead Again?

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