Tamiya enamels. Opinions?

Good question I guess. No one ever mentions them in build articles anywhere----maybe in Tamiya mag.?I don't read that one....but I've noticed eveyone Uses Tam. acrylics and every place sells them, but few sell Tam. enamels---Tamiya itself offers them though on thier site. Likey the price kept them from taking off with Testors and Humbrol enamels so cheap---I have Testors & Floquil myself.

Having never seen their enamel line in the LHS, I've always thought they were mythical, like the Golden Fleece or the Holy Grail.

I don't use enamels of any kind, as I prefer the easy soap and water cleanup of acrylics.

Hi Bill,

I'm not all that surprised that you haven't seen them at the LHS. From what I can determine, they're only available in certain markets, which don't include Canada or North America. 

Possibly the labelling regulations have something to do with that, as the only English on the labels is the brand name, colour name and Tamiya's address.

We've had them in LHS's here in Australia for over 20 years, so someone must be buying them, but as I mentioned above, I've rarely seen them discussed.

Phil_H

Hi Bill,   ONLY BILL?  I responded didn't I?

I'm not all that surprised that you haven't seen them at the LHS. From what I can determine, they're only available in certain markets, which don't include Canada or North America.   Wrong-I can order them if I want them

Possibly the labelling regulations have something to do with that, as the only English on the labels is the brand name, colour name and Tamiya's address.   Wrong again- That garbage they pull in the U.K.  The U.S. doesn't prohibit foriegn languages on products(or stick you with a VAT either)

We've had them in LHS's here in Australia for over 20 years, so someone must be buying them, but as I mentioned above, I've rarely seen them discussed.

Sorry if you felt left out Indy, I was replying directly to Bill's post.

As far as I am aware, Tamiya America does not import the enamels and I can't find any reference to them on their website. If you can order them from a domestic US retailer or web store, they may be a "grey" import.

What I meant about the labelling being almost entirely in Japanese was that the labels do not carry English safety/health/handling advice nor do they carry any indication of the constituents of the paint. Even here in Australia, the acrylic line carries the name and address of the US distributor (Tamiya America) while the enamels do not. After all, we are talking about a product which more than likely "contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm"