Near Clear Notes & Care

Near Clear is a type of skin safe platinum cure silicone that arose and became popular in the indy toy scene late 2021. It produces a beautiful clear or "jelly-like" appearance when used with minimal pigment.

Near Clear is similar to the standard silicone used by TWH, but there are a few quirks about this product we want to make sure people are aware of before deciding to purchase one of these toys!

 

Please note the following regarding toys made of Near Clear silicone:

1) They will hold marks from storage, fingernails, etc. much more readily and marks are usually permanent.

NC toys should be stored away from corners and pointy objects to avoid cosmetic surface blemishes. 

 

2) Boiling may discolor the toy slightly over time and may alter the firmness of the toy.

A few minutes of occasional boiling shouldn't be issue, but testing from other shops has shown that Near Clear will yellow or discolor with repeated/extended boiling. The toy may also significantly increase in firmness.

As an alternative, consider a 10% bleach 90% water solution if you'd like to sterilize your toy outside of regular washings. (NOTE: NEVER boil bleach!)

 

3) NC is more likely than other toys to show stains or naturally discolor over time.

Near Clear is a new product at time of writing (Dec 2021) and we don't have long-term info on how it's clear form will age, but it is suspected that it may have the potential to yellow over time. We don't know for sure, but we want to make sure no one gets a nasty surprise!

The clarity of the silicone also means that any stains taken on during normal use will be more noticeable.

 

4) The firmness and texture is slightly different from our regular silicone. 

Near Clear mediums (45 Shore Hardness) are slightly softer than "normal" mediums (50 Shore Hardness).

Near Clear softs (31) are slightly firmer than "normal" softs (30).

The difference isn't drastic, but a silicone connoisseur will notice!

 

5) A few small bubbles on the bottom of bases are considered NORMAL and are not considered flops.

This exclusively refers to bubbles on the flat underside of the base, not visible when the toy is standing normally. They do not impact the use, safety, or appearance of the toy and are a side effect of the silicone's properties when being poured (extra bubbly!).

 

Certain squishies may display a bubble on the underside of protruding parts (moth merchant antennae, slavermaw squish wings, etc.). This is not considered a flop.

We do our best to minimize bubbles, and toys that exceed our acceptable range of cosmetic bubbles will be flop discounted.

 

6) Near Clear takes extra work and costs on our end and so the toys are priced higher.

We hope the results are worth it!