Is clay as big a rip-off as it seems?

A

acohen100

New member
Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff for detailing. Used it on my fiancee's car with a horrendous finish and it's like new now. But for god's sake, it's CLAY. Next to air and water probably the most abundant sybstance on the planet. These guys are packaging it and selling it for $15-$20 a chunk. There has got to be somewhere else to buy clay without getting hosed as a "detailing enthusiast." I mean the stuff get's dirty pretty quickly.
 
If you use the clay bar semi-annually like I do, it can be used many times if stored in a plastic bag. It's that initial one that wipes it out in only one try.
 
There's more to it than you might think. There are basically two contenders making the products we use: KEL and AWC. Both companies have valid patents using two different technologies, "plastic" and "elastic". Both organizations are actively seeking to enforce their patent and defend their technology. So, we are paying a premium for their legal battles.



Detailing clay is not a product mined from the earth. It is manufactured from synthetic materials. A lot of money went into the original research of "plastic" clay in Japan. AWC imports plastic clay from Japan made under their patent design (may begin making it in the USA soon, if not already). KEL developed the "elastic" clay technology and manufactures it in the USA for its customers.



db
 
Ok i suppose that's fair. Assuming that it's not all just marketing hype and you couldn't just go to an art supply store and buy some artist's clay and have it do the same thing... May be worth a try.
 
DavidB said:
There's more to it than you might think. There are basically two contenders making the products we use: KEL and AWC. Both companies have valid patents using two different technologies, "plastic" and "elastic". Both organizations are actively seeking to enforce their patent and defend their technology. So, we are paying a premium for their legal battles.



Detailing clay is not a product mined from the earth. It is manufactured from synthetic materials. A lot of money went into the original research of "plastic" clay in Japan. AWC imports plastic clay from Japan made under their patent design (may begin making it in the USA soon, if not already). KEL developed the "elastic" clay technology and manufactures it in the USA for its customers.



Give the time saving and results provided by detailing clay, I think the cost is justified. Like every other technology, the price will adjust with demand.



db
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Snatchface said:
Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff for detailing. Used it on my fiancee's car with a horrendous finish and it's like new now. But for god's sake, it's CLAY. Next to air and water probably the most abundant sybstance on the planet. These guys are packaging it and selling it for $15-$20 a chunk. There has got to be somewhere else to buy clay without getting hosed as a "detailing enthusiast." I mean the stuff get's dirty pretty quickly.
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"Hosed?" Mother's Clay bar system is $14.99 and includes clay, the QD and a small bottle of cleaner wax.



To me, that's very reasonable. That bar should last and be worth its price 10 times over if cared for properly.
 
I went to Pep Boys and did not see the CLay magic thing. I wound up buying the Mother's set which included all that other crap I didn't even need for $17 and one measley 2oz bar of clay.
 
David that's the same info I found out....but just like all technology. the price will fall after more people use it and the lawsuits end...

Snatchface...there really is not a good markup on clay, but sellers carry them as a convenience to their customers..:bigups
 
Snatchface that Mothers Kits is an amazing deal at $17 ( I can get it for $14) The clay works great, the QD works very well and don't underestimate the mothers cleaner wax. This kit should give you about 4 cars depending on size.
 
You don't clay every time you wash your car, so for $10-$15 you can clay your car 3-4 times a year. The benefits are definitely worth the cost.

I use both the mother's and claymagic kits, love both of them.
 
No different than synthetic oil vs. dino oil. $1.99 a quart vs. $8+ a quart. Some people choose to use synthetic, some don't. But it costs what the market chooses to pay. If everyone bought clay, it will be cheaper. But very few people can be bothered to even wash their cars, much less clay. So detailing clay, which is man-made, will continue to be expensive.



As for using clay, as natural clay from the earth...you can try it, if you want to end up wetsanding you car. Clay is a plastic deforming fine grained type of soil. Geologists (I am one) grade these earth media from gravel to sand to clay. Think about it. That's like taking fine sandpaper to your car. Would you do that 4 times a year?:nixweiss
 
My fiancee thinks that I'm crazy. I pay $17 for a chunk of clay, I pay $8 for air in a can (compressed air to clean the computer). She's offered to sell me dirt at half-off :D
 
I'm with Spilchy and others: To me, the Mothers and ClayMagic kits are a bargain. The only thing that gets my goat is that you can't easily buy the clay bar separately. I have more Mothers lube than I will use this year, because the only way to buy the clay is in the kit. Thank goodness, David is selling the claybars separately! :up
 
Snatchface said:
I went to Pep Boys and did not see the CLay magic thing. I wound up buying the Mother's set which included all that other crap I didn't even need for $17 and one measley 2oz bar of clay.
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Snatchface - sorry to read you don't think our clay is a good value, or for all the other "crap" that comes in the box. For the average consumer, it's what's needed to do the job right.



If you want to try the clay from an art store, have at it. It's not the same product, but I'd suggest you see for yourself.



That "measley" bar is adequate to do 3-4 average sized cars, so on a cost per use basis, I think it's fair.



Clay is a fast, efficient way for the consumer to remove embedded contaminants from paint surface without removing paint. I have yet to find a another product which does it faster, easier, or safer.
 
I agree... clay does an awesome job for the price, but for some reason my clay gets so wet/soft it falls apart after about a car and a half. I use clay magic, is this normal? Am I using too much lube?
 
The Mothers kit is good. The QD that comes with it is good stuff, and the wax is supposed to be decent (hey, you can always find uses for it). The 80 gram bar also converts to 2.82 ounces, which isn't so bad after all....





Porterhouse, it's still not certain why this happens sometimes, but maybe try not to fold in too much moisture into the clay. I've noticed it seems to get a bit softer if you do this.
 
Porterhouse said:
I agree... clay does an awesome job for the price, but for some reason my clay gets so wet/soft it falls apart after about a car and a half. I use clay magic, is this normal? Am I using too much lube?
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Used to happen to me every car. Bought another bar - same thing. I have been perfectly happy ever since with the kit that contains all that "crap". That crap qd is awesome:up
 
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