Fimo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fimo is a name for a brand of polymer clay made by Eberhard Faber. Though other brands of polymer clay exist, Fimo is the best known, to the point where it has almost become a generic term for the substance. The material comes in many different colors; there are many finishes to choose from, and even a softener to use with it because it can be hard to work. It is used for making many things, including jewelry, accessories, and small trinkets. Once shaped, Fimo is baked in a standard or toaster oven for about 30 minutes at 110°C to harden it. Once baked, it can be cut, drilled, painted, sanded, sliced thin. FIMO was first a plastic modeling compound brought to the attention of German dollmaker Kathe Kruse in the late 1930's as a possible replacement for plastic compounds that were scarce from war privation. It was not suitable for her doll factory use, and she turned it over to her daughter Maureen Kruse, who was known in the family as "Fifi". FIfi's MOdeling Compound was later sold to Eberhardt Faber and is marketed under the name "FIMO".
Since the original product, Eberhard Faber has introduced new forms of Fimo - the Fimo of the early 1990s is sometimes called classic Fimo. Fimo Soft is easier to condition but not as strong as the original classic Fimo.
Other brands of polymer clay include Sculpey, Premo, Promat (which has been discontinued), Kato Polyclay, Cernit, Friendly Clay, Formello and Modello.
