Good to know… all about latex!
Here is extensive information about latex made by various manufacturers. This is latex from the roll, so it is not about the dipping technique that is used to make gloves, socks and stockings, for example.
All the latex that we sell is 'natural' latex, it is made from latex from the rubber tree. So we do not sell synthetic latex. We buy latex from various manufacturers and factories all over the world and we also make latex sheets ourselves by hand.
Different latex results per manufacturer
Each manufacturer uses its own recipes, comes up with its own colours and processes it into latex sheets using its own specific methods and techniques. That is why the end product is always different per manufacturer. Sometimes the latex is smooth on both sides, sometimes it is smooth on one side and a little rougher on the other. Sometimes the latex feels a little stiffer or a little more flexible, while the thickness is still the same.
Talcum powder
To prevent the latex from sticking together, there is always a layer of talcum powder on the latex. There are also major differences in talcum powder. Sometimes the talcum powder is white and really powdery, sometimes it is a bit grey and can feel a bit ‘sandy’, but that is also just talcum powder.
Smell
And the smell of the latex also varies per manufacturer. This is due to the pigments and other additives used. Some pigments are liquid, some pigments are in powder form. Metallic pigments smell different than neon pigments etc. But after washing the latex with a good detergent, all latex smells the same again.
Width
The widths per manufacturer also vary. Some manufacturers have machines where the latex is cut to 92 cm, or to 100, 110 or 130 cm etc.
Thickness
Latex is made in various thicknesses. Super thin 0.10 mm up to 3 mm thick. But… no manufacturer gives guarantees regarding the thickness of the latex. It is possible that you have bought a piece of latex with a thickness of 0.40 mm, which feels thicker or thinner. This is also due to the production process. There can be a deviation of approximately max 20% in a sheet and per batch. No manufacturer will take back latex if the thickness is slightly different.
Incidentally, you cannot measure latex yourself with a sliding caliper. A sliding caliper is fine for hard materials but not for soft materials such as latex. For latex, you need a thickness gauge. These are available in both analogue and digital versions. An analogue thickness gauge is preferred because it is more precise than a digital thickness gauge. And it is important that the thickness gauge is calibrated at least once a year. You cannot calibrate yourself, you must have it done by a professional company that can calibrate measuring equipment.
Colours
The colours are also always different per manufacturer, because each manufacturer has its own recipe to make a certain colour. So 'red' latex will look different with each manufacturer. Latex is made in large quantities. A mixture with pigment is used per 'batch' (dye bath) and that results in a certain colour. If the manufacturer makes a new 'batch', the same 'red' colour can still be slightly different. That is why there are often ‘batch numbers’ on rolls. You may have seen that before when you buy wallpaper. You should also pay attention to the ‘batch number’ so that all rolls of wallpaper come from the same dye bath.
So if you order red latex from producer A today, and you order red latex from producer A again next week, it could be a different shade of red. No producer will take back latex if the colour is slightly different.
Number of producers
Many consumers and fashion designers think that there are only two producers of latex worldwide, but that would of course be a bit crazy. Because if those two producers were to close, then no one would be able to make latex clothing anymore… that is of course not the case. There are many latex producers. That is why LatexRepair has been buying latex worldwide for many years.
And you can easily combine latex from different producers. After all, it is still just latex, and you can simply stick latex from different producers together without any problems.
Prices
Every producer/manufacturer and supplier uses their own prices. And that is of course logical. Because the costs are different in every country. Different taxes, different costs for packaging materials, storage costs, energy costs, insurance costs, personnel costs, rental of containers, material costs such as pigments, maintenance of machines and so on. Sometimes the latex is made on rolls of 50 meters. These have to be unrolled and rolled up again into rolls of, for example, 10 meters or even smaller into rolls with only 5 meters of latex. And you cannot just buy latex directly from a factory as a consumer. So there are wholesalers and intermediaries, who then sell it to smaller parties and who then sell smaller sizes to consumers (and they also have various costs such as packaging, transport, personnel, storage etc.). All these costs are on top of the material costs. And of course everyone also wants to make money on the entire process, the profit margin. And the profit margin is also different per producer, manufacturer, wholesaler and intermediary. All in all, there is a lot involved before you have a meter of latex in your hobby room.
Handmade latex
The latex that we make ourselves by hand is made with a completely different technique than the latex from the large factories. We cast all the latex. Making latex by hand is very labor-intensive and completely different from the technique in the factories with the large machines. And of course we also use our own recipes, pigments and techniques. So our latex feels and smells different again. You can also simply stick our latex on the latex that is made by factories.
Quality of latex
As you now understand... there are many factors why the latex differs per manufacturer in terms of color, smell, finish, size, price etc.
But is that bad? No! Because really bad quality latex is not sold anywhere. Sometimes it seems bad quality but often the garment is not put together properly. It can then tear at the seams, or it is sold as size 'M' but in your country it turns out to be a size 'S'. Then you try to put on that too small piece of clothing with great difficulty, but of course that doesn't work, with the result that it tears. Latex is extremely strong, even thin latex is super strong. But it often breaks due to too much tension or because it is handled incorrectly. So there is no such thing as 'bad' latex, only poorly made latex clothing and objects!
Consumers and fashion designers who make latex clothing sometimes do not realize that the failure to assemble a latex garment is often really due to themselves or the glue used, etc.
Because if you do not read the instructions for use of glue, for example, or use old glue, or start diluting glue, or use something other than thinner, or the latex is chlorinated, not cleaned properly, or it is really old latex, or latex that has been frozen, or dried out or... etc. Anyway, there are many possibilities why the latex does not stick. But in 100% of the cases it is not due to the latex but really to other factors.
Phew, a lot of information…
That’s right, a lot of information, but it’s always good to know something about the materials you’re going to work with and in this case… latex! Have fun making your own latex creations!
All the latex that we sell is 'natural' latex, it is made from latex from the rubber tree. So we do not sell synthetic latex. We buy latex from various manufacturers and factories all over the world and we also make latex sheets ourselves by hand.
Different latex results per manufacturer
Each manufacturer uses its own recipes, comes up with its own colours and processes it into latex sheets using its own specific methods and techniques. That is why the end product is always different per manufacturer. Sometimes the latex is smooth on both sides, sometimes it is smooth on one side and a little rougher on the other. Sometimes the latex feels a little stiffer or a little more flexible, while the thickness is still the same.
Talcum powder
To prevent the latex from sticking together, there is always a layer of talcum powder on the latex. There are also major differences in talcum powder. Sometimes the talcum powder is white and really powdery, sometimes it is a bit grey and can feel a bit ‘sandy’, but that is also just talcum powder.
Smell
And the smell of the latex also varies per manufacturer. This is due to the pigments and other additives used. Some pigments are liquid, some pigments are in powder form. Metallic pigments smell different than neon pigments etc. But after washing the latex with a good detergent, all latex smells the same again.
Width
The widths per manufacturer also vary. Some manufacturers have machines where the latex is cut to 92 cm, or to 100, 110 or 130 cm etc.
Thickness
Latex is made in various thicknesses. Super thin 0.10 mm up to 3 mm thick. But… no manufacturer gives guarantees regarding the thickness of the latex. It is possible that you have bought a piece of latex with a thickness of 0.40 mm, which feels thicker or thinner. This is also due to the production process. There can be a deviation of approximately max 20% in a sheet and per batch. No manufacturer will take back latex if the thickness is slightly different.
Incidentally, you cannot measure latex yourself with a sliding caliper. A sliding caliper is fine for hard materials but not for soft materials such as latex. For latex, you need a thickness gauge. These are available in both analogue and digital versions. An analogue thickness gauge is preferred because it is more precise than a digital thickness gauge. And it is important that the thickness gauge is calibrated at least once a year. You cannot calibrate yourself, you must have it done by a professional company that can calibrate measuring equipment.
Colours
The colours are also always different per manufacturer, because each manufacturer has its own recipe to make a certain colour. So 'red' latex will look different with each manufacturer. Latex is made in large quantities. A mixture with pigment is used per 'batch' (dye bath) and that results in a certain colour. If the manufacturer makes a new 'batch', the same 'red' colour can still be slightly different. That is why there are often ‘batch numbers’ on rolls. You may have seen that before when you buy wallpaper. You should also pay attention to the ‘batch number’ so that all rolls of wallpaper come from the same dye bath.
So if you order red latex from producer A today, and you order red latex from producer A again next week, it could be a different shade of red. No producer will take back latex if the colour is slightly different.
Number of producers
Many consumers and fashion designers think that there are only two producers of latex worldwide, but that would of course be a bit crazy. Because if those two producers were to close, then no one would be able to make latex clothing anymore… that is of course not the case. There are many latex producers. That is why LatexRepair has been buying latex worldwide for many years.
And you can easily combine latex from different producers. After all, it is still just latex, and you can simply stick latex from different producers together without any problems.
Prices
Every producer/manufacturer and supplier uses their own prices. And that is of course logical. Because the costs are different in every country. Different taxes, different costs for packaging materials, storage costs, energy costs, insurance costs, personnel costs, rental of containers, material costs such as pigments, maintenance of machines and so on. Sometimes the latex is made on rolls of 50 meters. These have to be unrolled and rolled up again into rolls of, for example, 10 meters or even smaller into rolls with only 5 meters of latex. And you cannot just buy latex directly from a factory as a consumer. So there are wholesalers and intermediaries, who then sell it to smaller parties and who then sell smaller sizes to consumers (and they also have various costs such as packaging, transport, personnel, storage etc.). All these costs are on top of the material costs. And of course everyone also wants to make money on the entire process, the profit margin. And the profit margin is also different per producer, manufacturer, wholesaler and intermediary. All in all, there is a lot involved before you have a meter of latex in your hobby room.
Handmade latex
The latex that we make ourselves by hand is made with a completely different technique than the latex from the large factories. We cast all the latex. Making latex by hand is very labor-intensive and completely different from the technique in the factories with the large machines. And of course we also use our own recipes, pigments and techniques. So our latex feels and smells different again. You can also simply stick our latex on the latex that is made by factories.
Quality of latex
As you now understand... there are many factors why the latex differs per manufacturer in terms of color, smell, finish, size, price etc.
But is that bad? No! Because really bad quality latex is not sold anywhere. Sometimes it seems bad quality but often the garment is not put together properly. It can then tear at the seams, or it is sold as size 'M' but in your country it turns out to be a size 'S'. Then you try to put on that too small piece of clothing with great difficulty, but of course that doesn't work, with the result that it tears. Latex is extremely strong, even thin latex is super strong. But it often breaks due to too much tension or because it is handled incorrectly. So there is no such thing as 'bad' latex, only poorly made latex clothing and objects!
Consumers and fashion designers who make latex clothing sometimes do not realize that the failure to assemble a latex garment is often really due to themselves or the glue used, etc.
Because if you do not read the instructions for use of glue, for example, or use old glue, or start diluting glue, or use something other than thinner, or the latex is chlorinated, not cleaned properly, or it is really old latex, or latex that has been frozen, or dried out or... etc. Anyway, there are many possibilities why the latex does not stick. But in 100% of the cases it is not due to the latex but really to other factors.
Phew, a lot of information…
That’s right, a lot of information, but it’s always good to know something about the materials you’re going to work with and in this case… latex! Have fun making your own latex creations!