Originally Grade 6, relabeled grade 5 in the early '80s, the paper is LONG
out of date (probably was when I bought it) but seemed as good as ever
when I used it three years ago, ditto when a friend used it with her
students this year (perhaps from being so contrasty to begin with). She
said when they toned the prints, which several did, they got some color in
the paper base, which could either have been from bad print hygiene or
from age-fogging of the paper, or both. She thought they might prevent
this by a brief bleach before toning, but possibly not. Otherwise the
paper is good as silver, she said, and is buying a bunch more.
I got this paper when Brovira changed US distributors in the early '80s
and didn't want to ship its stock on hand back (to Germany?) or transship
to another warehouse here. They sold off carloads through Porters Camera
store and Camera Barn. I paid $14.95 per box for the 11x14 and $13.95 for
the 8x10 at Porters. I was printing only Sabattier effect at the time and
used a LOT of paper (sometimes almost a box a night, in the days when I
could stand on my feet for 14 hours at a stretch and not notice it). But
when I laid the stuff in I hadn't anticipated the switch to gum printing.
(If I could see into the future I would have focussed more on things like
Intel, IBM, and Apple, anyway.)
They have NOT been refrigerated, though stored in a giant unused freezer,
hence perhaps spared some daily temperature fluctuations, for what that's
worth. I loved the paper, which tones beautifully in many
manifestations,including a halochrome-like toner, but does NOT change
color with selenium toning, unless it's been solarized, & then gets a
great color split, the reversed parts going red-brown, the rest staying
black, although developer & other processing details affect final color,
too. (It was my yen for selenium "purple" led me to home-brew toners,
including boiling selenium with sulphide, a marvelous color -- but another
story of course.)
The back of the paper has a very faint "Agfa" printed on it, visible in
good light, which in fact I never noticed til someone pointed it out.. It
does not come through in contacting, and I've long used the prints as
paper negatives, for contacting to lith film -- in fact the doubleweight
seems not much more problem than the single, contrary to popular belief.
(I've read that doubleweight is supposedly better, the extra thickness of
fibre cancelling itself out, though I haven't a clue if that's correct.)
My time for doublewt exposure was ca. 20-30 seconds at f4 for 11x14 though
empty negative carrier.)
A minimum of two same-size boxes per order please, to make the packing
(not my favorite sport) less onerous. By the time I get orders & questions
OFFLIST, I should have some figures from UPS on shipping. My first guess
would be about $6-$7 to the heartland for a 2-box package. (Doubt it's
worth trying to send outside the US. Sorry.)
Price of all weights and sizes is the same ($9). As I recall, the original
cost of the two sizes was nearly same; the value seems similar and I'm
past my bookkeeping-tolerance just counting boxes. For what it's worth, I
used to think the singleweight, though harder to handle, printed more
beautifully and wondered if the emulsion was thicker. (Probably just one
of those existential mysteries, like gum speed under Starphire.)
ALL PRICES are PLUS SHIPPING (shipping cost to be discovered).
I have available:
Fibre Glossy Dblewt 8x10 (100 sheets) 5 boxes $9/box
Fibre Glossy Singlewt 8x10 (100 sheets) 9 boxes $9/box
Fibre Glossy Dblewt 11x14 (50 sheets) 37 boxes * $9/box
Fibre Glossy Singlewt 11x14 (50 sheets) 26 boxes $9/box
There are also two boxes of Brovira Speed, which is Resin Coated paper,
8x10, same grade 5, same finish ("Extra hard white glossy"). I've never
tried it, haven't a clue whether it's still good. Maybe RC doesn't keep as
well as the fibre. But if anyone wants to take a chance (for paper
negatives?) I'll add a box to any order for $4.
THERE ARE ALSO 8 packages (red cardboard envelopes) of 25 sheets each of
the same Singlewt Fibrebase Glossy (old #6, new #5). Can't remember what I
paid for them, but will add one to any order for $2.
Naturally you're welcome to buy more than two boxes at a time, or to try
two boxes & buy more if I still have them (which I hope I won't -- gotta
clear the decks).
Questions, orders, shipping prices, etc. OFFLIST!
*I think there's another case of 10 boxes of 11x14 FB Dblewt *really*
buried in a closet. If I can excavate, it's also for sale.
Judy