It was made in Spain before too. Speedball wasn't aware of any formula change at the factory, and is investigating.

Just heard back from the Spanish Speedball representative...

Apparently a few months ago, some crazed itinerant lunatic wandered up to the factory, yelling out "Is this the alburgue? Is this the alburgue?". Well, actually, that was what they were later able to determine based on the Security Camera footage, but because of his poor accent and terrible command of the Spanish language, what they ACTUALLY thought they heard was "My squirrel needs grooming! My squirrel needs grooming!". Needless to say, the Speedball employees gave the transient a wide berth.

This did not daunt the seemingly homeless man, who was later described by a witness as "unkempt, befuddled, wearing a dirty floppy hat and fingerless gloves, and carrying all his worldly possessions in a shoddily constructed homemade backpack". Note: that sentence sounds a lot more lilting in Spanish. He entered the factory, calling out to the now fleeing workers "Is my cheeseball fluffy enough for Carmen Sandiego?" (later translated: "Is this the alternate path for El Camino de Santiago?").

Security footage shows that the hobo set up "camp" (a moldy bedraggled tarp) near one of the vats of Pink Speedball formula. He then pulled from his decrepit knapsack what appeared to be some sort of rudimentary incendiary device, made ostensibly out of soda cans. Horrified bystanders watched helplessly as he set the device on the floor, and proceeded to light 78 matches in quick succession in a futile attempt to ignite the contraption. But then... tragedy struck. Forensic investigators have since examined the device and have stated that it's mere existence defies all known laws of physics, and that there is no POSSIBLE way that it could EVER be used for any combustible purposes, and yet... such was the will and determination of the demented derelict that he was eventually able to light the infernal machine. A bolt of bluish-green flame shot up 30 feet, engulfing the (fortunately fireproof) ceiling of the factory, but unfortunately setting off the automatic sprinklers. The water from the sprinklers poured down on the miscreant and all his worldly goods, which he quickly gathered up, looked about sheepishly, and scurried out of the factory, all the while *nodding* and muttering something about "didn't even get a tampon..."

Anyway, Speedball claims that the water from the sprinklers got into the Pink Stuff vat and altered the formula, which is why it isn't as good as previous batches. They also say if the EVER figure out who that mystery vagabond was they will... Sorry, but I can't translate the rest on a public website.

This sounds like a fun game of LTC clue!

I think if you take a good piece with you to the store, you'll be able to compare.

This makes total sense but can you imagine how we look to the clerks and customers when we do this?

No, this hobby is not strange at all!

hee hee hee hee

KuKu

Horrified bystanders watched helplessly as he set the device on the floor, and proceeded to light 78 matches in quick succession in a futile attempt to ignite the contraption.

Whew. For a second there, I thought this story might have been me! But I carry a lighter, not matches, so I'm off the hook. =)

But I do have to admit.... that story does sound suspiciously similar to something that did happen to me on the trail!

-- Ryan

For a second there, I thought this story might have been me!

Whoa! That thought had never even crossed my mind!

Before buying the last two sheets I bought, I would agree with you on this. However, the last two were actually a much darker pink, and they were the lousy stuff. When I saw them I thought for sure I was getting two older sheets, but so such luck!

Darn. Well I hope my luck lasts one more time since I picked up a darker piece for someone else.

This makes total sense but can you imagine how we look to the clerks and customers when we do this?

I'm sure I've looked strange on more than one occassion. ;) What's one more time if I get some good pink.

I laughed so hard after reading the crazy pilgrim story, I literally am still drying my tears. Thanks, Wassa!

Bend about one inch of the corner back, if it holds, it's good; if it cracks; it's bad.

Hey, that looks like it might work.

So far it appears this idea of folding one corner over seems to work well. I have four 12 x 6 slabs here, two were purchased fairly recently and two have been around a few weeks longer. When this whole discussion of the "new pink" arose, I set aside a slab I had been cutting stamps from (a 5th one, now used up) and went ahead and opened one of the new two. It sucked, and I am ashamed to report that one stamp carved from the stuff was sent out and quickly planted even though I knew it was substandard. I have now decided that no more stamps will be carved from new pink; it'll be returned to Michael's if SWMBO can convince them to take it back. If not, it'll be thrown away.

To test, grab about an inch of one corner and try to fold it completely back on itself. With the new pink, the stuff rather suddenly bursts, opening a big tear. The corner comes completely off. With the old pink, you try to bend it the same amount and realize that you can't, you're already applying way more force than it took to rip the new pink, and the good stuff just doesn't wanna bend that far. I did push one of them far enough to stress the rubber so that it turned a lighter color of pink along the fold, but it still didn't rip. Of course, I won't be carving that piece, even though it looks kinda like I could.

And, importantly, the test seems to work equally well with slabs that are still in the cellophane wrapper with a layer of white cardboard on one side. Gotta bend the corner toward the cardboard side, obviously, so you can watch tears open up in the side you can see. But the cardboard doesn't seem to interfere with the folding, and neither does the cellophane.

Here's something ironic: Of the older two slabs I have on hand, one of them wasn't in a wrapper. It had been somewhat abused sitting on the shelf, with the wrapper removed, some dings put in the rubber, and one edge all chewed up. SWMBO took that one up to the counter and talked them into taking half off before we applied our 50% off coupon, meaning we got it for 75% off. Now that slab turns out to be one of the good ones, and perhaps the last of the good ones before the shipment of new pink landed on the shelf. I'm so glad I have it! It'll give me a few more stamps to carve before I run out of material to work with.

Meanwhile, if the slabs on the shelf don't pass the corner folding test, they're gonna stay on the shelf. And, of course, if there's a slab there that the corner has already been folded and cracked, I don't even need to test it myself. No idea how long it'll be before good pink is available again, expecially if the new pink just sits and rots on the shelf so they're disinclined to order any more in.

If good pink is gone for good, I'll be buying OZ Kut and trying to figure out how to make it work for me. I won't be buying any more of the new pink.

They will take it back, though without a receipt, they will only give you 1/2 regular price (which was what I paid, so I didn't care.) Just took 2 back yesterday. Hoping they leave them off the shelves, as I explained they were defective. I figure if we all do that, Michael's will send them back, and since they have all those refunds to give, they'll be able to get the new stuff that much sooner and give Speedball even more incentive to fix things, assuming they don't just restock.

I carved a stamp today with the good pink stuff -- and remembered why I enjoy carving. I had really been in a carving funk for a month or so since I started in with the new pink. Nuthin' seemed to be coming out well. It took all the joy out of it.

This first carve back with the good stuff was a remake of a stamp I had just finished the other day with the new pink. Even SWMBO could see why I was unhappy with the new pink. At first glance the images look pretty much the same, but look closer and you can see the differences in detail. More importantly, the recarve just looks better, cleaner, clearer. The one on the new pink looks "blotchy" by comparison.

And no chunks fell out.

Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that SWMBO managed to return those two slabs of defective pink stuff, including the one that had several stamps cut out of it. We included one of the stamps with the return, which elicited a "What's wrong with it? That stamp is beautiful!"

The bad news: Remember how I mentioned that SWMBO had talked them into taking 50% off on a dinged-up slab, so we ended up getting it for 75% off? Well, they brought that purchase up on their computer, and only gave us a 25% refund -- on both slabs, neither of which was the one we actually purchased for that price! Aaaaargh!

Later, she mused that she should have come back later. Apparently their computers keep the purchases over the last 60 days. Since the dinged-up slab was purchased a couple of weeks before the defective slabs, if we had waited just the right amount of time we could have gotten our purchase price refunded -- 50% of list price on each. I dunno what would have happened had we waited longer still, until all the purchases had fallen off their records. Full price refund? Kinda doubt it.

It's all good as far as I'm concerned, though. We got a few bucks back on that cr*p, and if we hadn't I would have just thrown it out.

Remember how I mentioned that SWMBO had talked them into taking 50% off on a dinged-up slab, so we ended up getting it for 75% off? Well, they brought that purchase up on their computer, and only gave us a 25% refund -- on both slabs, neither of which was the one we actually purchased for that price! Aaaaargh!

I don't understand why they didn't just give you back the price that it showed on your receipt(s).

Because we didn't have a receipt. I toss receipts after the credit card bill checks out.

Glad you were able to return for something at least. My local store has two sheets of the crap pink. I told the manager about the problems the company was having and asked her to return it and order more. She agreed and took it off of the shelf. Today I was back in and it was back on the shelf, so I asked her why. She said the company told her their was nothing wrong with their product so she couldn't return it. So, I then asked if I opened it and it was bad if I could return it. She said if it was opened I would have to return it to the company, not them. So, if I want any pink, I have to pay for it ahead of time and wait 2-3 weeks. It would be a gamble if what I paid for was the new or old pink. Grr...

I came home and wrote Bud on how frustrated I was that the company told the manager that their was nothing wrong with the product and that he hadn't offered to replace the three sheets I sent him, or any of the other bad sheets I had purchased. Maybe I am small potatoes only buying about 50 6 x 12 slabs a year, but I can tell my friends and stop buying that 50.

I keep trying OZ, but I am not any less frustrated with that product either, I just can't get the knife to stop slipping, cutting my stamp or myself. I want to love it, I do, but it just isn't knife friendly for me.

I really liked orange for gauge carving, but actually wasn't a fan of it for the knife. I bought tons of PZ though! <3

I hope the company comes through for all of us! They should be recalling their bad batch and making sure just the good stuff was on the shelves!

This is just a general reply to the board because someone told me about the pink stuff discussion, not a reply to any specific person...

Someone just told me about this discussion about pink stuff. I buy mine at Jerry's Artarama and it's just fine. The sheet I got recently is fine and it's always been fine in the past. No problems and no complaints.

The two stamps in the second link were both carved with the sheet of pink stuff I got at the end of December. (quick and crappy coloring on the second one!) I have been getting it there for a long time now because the quality has remained consistent, they always have plenty of it and I am willing to deal with their shipping charges. Those carves were acetone transfer on Artarama pink stuff.

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/

http://pinkstuffexample.blogspot.com/

I got a big sheet of bad pink stuff from Jerry's on Jan 2. :(

I bought a 6x12 sheet at Michael's right after Christmas and it was good. Hopefully they have gone through all the bad stock? Has anyone else gotten good material recently?

I too bought a 6 x 12 sheet at Michael's about two weeks ago. It's the good pink stuff. Hopefully more will get on the shelf soon.

i bought two small sheets and a large sheet at Michael's about 5 days ago (ran out of OZ and needed more carving material quick) and all three were just fine.

~tigs (busy getting stampy for Valentine's Day)

I got a big sheet of bad pink stuff from Jerry's on Jan 2. :(

bad how?

MM

Missmoon..... The sheet of pink stuff that I bought was way too soft and crumbly :( the worst part was that I looked at all of their stock and felt like I bought a good piece. I was very bummed. A week later I got burned by a piece from Micheal's too. I am not having very good luck with the pink stuff.

There was a bad batch of pink stuff recently. It was crumbly and sometimes even had blue beads of rubber in it. Apparently you've gotten slabs of it from two different suppliers lately.

The pink stuff in Michigan, in Battle Creek, is finally back to good stuff! :-D. A certain aMAZEing frog showed me how to "check" before buying a slab. It's worth repeating, in case you hadn't already heard this "test." Carefully unwrap one end of the slab. Bend the corner back --far! If it doesn't crack and just bends back nicely, it's good! If it cracks, breaks or reacts wierd ...it's BAD! If anyone working there asks and it's a "bad" batch--tell them the store needs to return it to the manufacturer for store credit. If its a GOOD piece, have that coupon ready and buy JuST the piece you opened! Note: we were buying 2 slabs (one each) and ....one slab WAS bad and he other was good! So don't assume anything. Try before you buy. ;-D

Carefully unwrap one end of the slab. Bend the corner back

This is exactly what i did before i bought the recent pieces from Michael's here in NC. Worked for me.

~tigs(at least you don't have to gnaw on it, like pearls)

Note: I found that you don't need to unwrap the corner. You can perform this test with the wrapper on! Bend the corner back towards the side with the cardboard, which allows you to watch the other side for cracking and splitting.