A Guide to buying Green Stuff. Points to consider before you make your purchase.

Green Stuff is manufactured in either ribbon form - sometimes called tape - or in cylindrical tubes. Up until the end of 2004 both ribbon and tubes were manufactured and available in the USA. Green Stuff ribbon also was and still is manufactured in the UK under license. However by the end of 2004 Green Stuff was only available in the USA in its tube form.

It is possible to buy Green Stuff ribbon worldwide through a number of well known miniature manufacturers whose sculptors use Green Stuff when sculpting the originals for miniatures manufactured by these companies. These well known miniature manufacturers quite often stock Green Stuff ribbon most commonly in a card backed blister pack in six or eight inch lengths.

While Green Stuff has a potential shelf life of up to two years it is important to note that when bought in a blister pack off the shelf from a hobby store, there is no way of knowing how old your Green Stuff is. The Green Stuff will have been manufactured and packaged in the factory, shipped to the reseller where it is most likely held in stock until needed, sometimes via a distribution company (third party where it may also have been stored for some time) before being sent in small numbers to the shops and retail outlets that sell it to you, the hobbyist, when you need it. Again it may have spent quite some time on the shelves in your local store before you come to use it.

The manufacturer usually produces and ships Green Stuff within two weeks of receiving payment for an order. Needless to say buying direct from the manufacturer requires a significant investment of cash and involves purchasing a large quantity that by far exceeds what even the most ambitious sculptor could hope to use. While buying direct from the manufacturer is an excellent way to ensure the freshness of your Green Stuff, it is not a viable solution for most sculptors and hobbyists.

Most Sculptors prefer Green Stuff ribbon because the proportions of blue hardener to yellow filler are one third blue to two thirds yellow, while in tube form the ratio is a fifty-fifty split, being equal parts of blue and yellow putty.

Wherever you choose to buy your Green Stuff from, look for the following characteristics to help you know whether the Green Stuff you are using is fresh or not…

Firstly, Green Stuff Ribbon or Tape sold in clear plastic boxes like that photographed below will have been manufactured in the USA prior to the end of 2004 and it will most likely be reaching the end of its useable life.

Green Stuff sold in shops will probably have been stored for quite some time either on the shelf or in a warehouse. The warmer the shop, the sooner the Green Stuff will age. Never buy Green Stuff that has been on display near a window or in direct sunlight as this too will shorten its shelf-life.

Be cautious when buying Green Stuff that has already been partly used, is second hand, or sold in a Blister that has been opened already. If it looks like its been chewed up, well crumpled or has been lying at the bottom of someone’s bits box, it will probably have allsorts of dust, fluff and dirt clinging to it. Once contaminated in this way it is really only good for the bin. Don’t waist your money on it.

When you mix your Green Stuff together make sure that the blue part is not too hard, fresh Green Stuff has the texture of fudge or bubble gum, becoming more like chewing gum the older it gets, and like nougat or toffee when it’s almost too old to use.

If the blue part is hard and feels like plastic the chances are it’s close to the end of its usable life. If its like this when you bought it and warming it in your hands for a few minutes does not soften it up enough to mix it with the yellow filler, return it and ask for a refund.

Check that the yellow part does not have a skin formed on it. When you pull at the yellow filler it should feel sticky and tear easily. If there is a skin it will break into small pieces that won’t mix in and leave your Green Stuff feeling lumpy. The blue hardener is more ‘stretchy’ than the yellow filler won’t have a skin, it just goes harder over time until it’s too hard to mix.

If there are hard lumps where the blue ribbon is in contact with the yellow ribbon, your Green Stuff is old. Sometime the hard lumps can be cut away and the outside edges salvaged, however you will probably find that the yellow part has formed a skin by this time and this skin will form hard yellow lumps in the final mix, rendering the putty useless for all but the most basic tasks such as filling or bulking out.

Once you have bought Green Stuff, keep it cool and sealed in an airtight bag or container to preserve it.

For more information please read my guide on Keeping your Green Stuff fresher for longer

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