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Raw chemical source in UK

Jarin Blaschke

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May 30, 2013
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378
Location
London and wherever
Format
Multi Format
Hello:

I'm an American in the UK for a few months and would love to get some printing done while here. For my bigger negatives, I contact print with chloride paper and Amidol. For enlarging 6x7, I mix Ansco 130. Artcraft in the US has been out of English Amidol for untold months, so I figure perhaps I can get it while here! The only somewhat exotic ingredient needed is fresh glycin for the 130 and the rest is more typical such as metol, hypo, benzotriazole, etc etc.

Can anyone help me with any leads??

Thanks!
Jarin
 
I don't know of another UK online photographic retailer which sells as broad a range of chemicals as Silverprint. There is Wet Plate Supplies too (http://www.wetplatesupplies.com/raw-chemicals.html), but they don't sell either of the ones you want as they are more focused on alternative process chemistry.

Prices from the real (i.e. original) chemical suppliers (Sigma Aldrich, Fisher, Acros, Alfa Aesar, Fluorochem, TCI etc) tend to be much cheaper than photography stores, but they unfortunately will not sell to private customers.

I just checked Sigma (the original supplier for that amidol) and it is about 1/3rd of the price. If you order 100g it is 1/5th to 1/4th the price, depending on supplier.
 
Most of my chemicals, which regrettably came at much lower prices than the stores mentioned, I've bought on ebay.co.uk.

Most, if I remember correctly, came from Poland and other bits of Europe. Delivery was fast, chemicals are good and prices are excellent.

BTW, I still prefer to support mortar shops where possible, if there is only a slight difference in prices, but the chemicals bought were MUCH lower and it would have been silly paying way more, when I could get them from the above mentioned.

Terry S
 
tezzasmall said:
Most of my chemicals, which regrettably came at much lower prices than the stores mentioned, I've bought on ebay.co.uk.
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This is certainly an option too, and I did consider mentioning it. However there will always be a risk involved (however minor) in going via this route. Without being able to trace the chemical to a reputable supplier (and without access to analytical tools nobody outside of industry or academia has) there is no knowing what its purity really is, or in the worst case whether it is actually the correct chemical at all. The risk is pretty low that you get swindled, but at the end of the day a white or off-white powder in a bag could be anything. Caveat emptor.
 
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Suvutlar in Hamburg/Germany is your best bet;He ships to the UK and has everythng you'll need.
 
Jarin Blaschke said:
It looks like Sigma could ship Amidol to me directly?
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No. They will only sell to verified companies and institutions, not to individuals. I only mention Sigma et al to illustrate how unfortunately steep the markup by many third party sellers is.
 
Jarin Blaschke said:
Who/what is this entity? Do you have the contact info?

Thanks,
J
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Suvatlar are the go-to supplier of raw chemicals in Germany and much of Europe. If you send me a PM, I can send you their price list as a PDF. Alternatively, contact them direct:

CG-Vertrieb: Fototechnik Suvatlar – Simrockstraße 178a, D-22589 Hamburg. Mobil +49 173 / 60 11 77 2. Email: fotosuvatlar@live.de / fototechnik@suvatlar.de

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de
 
Alan Johnson said:
IIRC I called either Moersch or Foiotecnik Suvatalar regarding a photochemical not on the price list and they found some and supplied it.
IDK if they might find amidol.
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here is Suvatlar's list:
 

Attachments

  • SuvatlarPreisliste_online_Okt2016.pdf
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Jarin Blaschke said:
... and Amidol is priced 4x more than it's already premium price in the US....
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I ordered Amidol from this Russian online shop to Germany two years ago: http://antrazoxrom.ru/node/1235

Since Amidol is not a particularly restricted chemical, I had no issues with customs clearance and it should not be a problem to import it to the UK either. If I remember correctly, I paid about 30€ for 1kg Amidol and on top 40€ for postage and bank transfer fees. They have increased their prices now, but with RUR 6 per gram, yes that is indeed only GBP 0.075 per gram or GBP 75 for a kilo, you don't have to order much for a significant saving over the Silverprint prices.

The Amidol I got from them contains insoluble impurities, so I have to run the developer through a coffee filter, but except for that, it works just as it should.
 
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