No More Slavich Paper From Freestyle

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Now there's good news! I had been contemplating Slavich Bromoportrait as a graded paper for some time.

- Thomas

[brianmquinn]

I could be wrong but I was under the impression that when you order from Digital Truth many (but not necessary all) of your items actually ship from Freestyle. Why else would they sell Legacy Pro items for the same price as Freestyle?

[Michael W]

I could be wrong but I was under the impression that when you order from Digital Truth many (but not necessary all) of your items actually ship from Freestyle. Why else would they sell Legacy Pro items for the same price as Freestyle?

I bought some Varycon paper from DT earlier this year & it arrived in a Freestyle box with a Freestyle packing slip. Postage was cheaper than if I had bought direct from Freestyle! I assumed that DT was some kind of re-seller.
Hopefully with the Slavich they are stocking it as it would be frustrating to lose access to an interesting emulsion.

[VaryaV]

I had the same thoughts as well, that they were using Freestyle Distribution in NM. I suspect that may be the case because it doesn't make sense to me, why FS would discontinue it and DT would pick it up if it was based on cost entering the country... and no one in Europe seems to carry it that I can find (???).

I still have not received a reply on the email I sent yesterday. I hate to foot the cash right now as I have already spent to much this month at FS but I do need to have a stock of #2,#3 Unibrom to last me for some time. I just hate to be losing options for film/paper processing. It's getting depressing.

[VaryaV]

Sadly, it looks like this is it for the Slavich papers in the US..... Email received from Digitaltruth:


The availability is dependent on the importer bringing it in to the US. At this point I do not believe that it will continue to be imported, but there is no way to know for sure and the importer could also change.

Many thanks,

--Jon Mided

Managing Director
Digitaltruth Photo Ltd

[MaximusM3]

Sadly, it looks like this is it for the Slavich papers in the US..... Email received from Digitaltruth:


The availability is dependent on the importer bringing it in to the US. At this point I do not believe that it will continue to be imported, but there is no way to know for sure and the importer could also change.

Many thanks,

--Jon Mided

Managing Director
Digitaltruth Photo Ltd

I was afraid of that. I don't think Digitaltruth really stocks much and relies on outside sources to fulfill orders. The problem is obviously at the source (importer) and, considering the sort of grim situation for paper, I doubt that there will be much motivation for someone else to pick up from where Freestyle left off. If they can't make it happen, I don't think anyone else could or would want to. I hope I am wrong because I really love the paper. I did stock up at Freestyle but it is not making me feel any better...and it was an expensive way to go.

[artonpaper]

I've never tried the Slavic paper, but I mourn the demise of any good paper. Just thought I'd share this formula: Manly Redevelopment Toner for blue black tones. I don't have any examples scanned at the moment. I've gotten very deep cool blacks with Forte Warmtone.

Bleach
Copper sulfate 50.0 g
Sulfuric acid 10% 65.0 ml
Sodium chloride 50.0 g
Water to make 1.0 liter

Developer Solution
Metol 10.0 g
Sodium sulfite (anhyd) 33.0 g
Sodium carbonate (anhyd) 33.0 g
Water to make 1.0 liter

Use the bleach and developer undiluted. I've never saved it, so I'm not sure about its shelf life. Wash well between bleach and redeveloping. And I would definitely contact the manufacturers regarding the Slavic paper.

[Tom Kershaw]

The Slavich paper I bought about 2 1/2 years ago showed several defects on one pack out of three. I have stuck with other brands since. Another tip: Don't bother with the new version of Oriental Seagull. There were some rumours a while ago of an ILFORD / Harman connection but I don't believe this as the quality is not up to the usual standards.

Tom

[ridax]

In my tests made a decade ago, I found the bleach could be of any type (copper, dichromate, ferrocianide, etc., etc.), and the print tone was mainly influenced by the 2nd developer. Methol, Amidol, Hidroxilamine (sp?), and FeEDTA give cold tones, and Phenidone, Hidroquinone, Pyro, Catechu (sp?), etc., give warm tones. Also, Bensotriazole is an effective suppresser of the warm-tone, and being added to the solution, gives cold tones even with Hidroquinone. The exact 2nd developer formula may be whatever you want (I even never measure the amounts), as the 2nd development is done in daylight. But: keep the sulfite concentration at a minimum or sulfite would dissolve some of the silver and weaken the image. Besides, it's usually better to make the developer somewhat diluted to have better control (you stop the redevelopment as soon as the tone is right, then rinse and fix your print).

Silver Chloride (as AZO) and Chlorobromide (Fortezo, Bromportrait) papers are more sensitive to the developer variations and readily change tone if you just change the 1st (and only) developer, without any bleaching+redevelopment. Silver Bromide papers (Brovira, Bromofort, Unibrom, etc.) are more stable in tone regardless of the 1st developer formula, but they too readily change the tone when bleached and redeveloped. BTW, that's why this bleach+redevelopment method way invented, as far as I know...

... I used to avoid Slavich papers back in the 1980s with all my hart. IMHO, Slavich used to be the worst photo paper manufacturer in the USSR. But now there is little choice really...

[Ken Nadvornick]

The availability is dependent on the importer bringing it in to the US.

I'm fairly certain that Slavich wants to sell more of their product. And I'm equally certain there are darkroom practitioners who want to buy more of their product. I, too, have several packages of Unibrom 160 in my own darkroom. I originally gave it a try after Freestyle stopped stocking Kentmere Bromide.

Unfortunately the way things are set up in these distribution networks, all it takes is for any single entity crowded into the middle to decide they no longer care, and the deal is off for everyone. The manufacturers must want to make it, the shippers must want to accept it, the carriers must want to move it, the importers must want to import it, and the retailers must want to stock it. And, of course, the users must want to buy and use it.

But if there is only a single broken link anywhere in that chain...

Ken