When exactly did Pactra paints leave the modeling world?
I haven’t used (or seen) them since the early 80’s. I remember I preferred them to Testors because I thought the Pactra flats were much flatter.
What became of them?
There’s heaps of alternatives to Pactra paints!! And if I recall, they came in those tiny little bottles that had about enough in them to paint the lettering on the sidewall of a 1/20 scale F1 car…
Model Master enamels, Tamiya acrylics, Gunze, etc etc etc are all pretty good paints - I’ve not really had any problems with any of them. They’re all good these days.
I usually find it easier to “adjust” the sheen of a model by sprating a mtt, semi gloss or gloss over the final weathering job - I don’t worry about initial matt or gloss of a paint.
Cheers’
LeeTree
I seem to recall that Pactra was aquired by the Testors-RPM group and just “asimilated” into the product line (resistance is futile…) and VOILA! Pactra no more. As a kid I remember the Testors vs. Pactra battle, usually the purchase decision was based upon which was carried by the store you shopped in or who had a special color you wanted. I remember Pactra doing the special “Ed Roth” colors for many of the Revell kits so if you wanted a “correct” Tweetie Pie you bought Pactra. It seems to me that Testors was more prevelent and more commonly available. Also the big box stores carried one brand or another. Here Twin Fair had Pactra and Grants had Testors. Your choice of paints was more likely based on where your mother shopped, and by extension where you were taken, than which brand you prefered!
Rick[:D]
Yup! Mom certainly was a big influence in that department!
I was talking about modeling when I was a kid, LeeTree. Heck, I didn’t even know what a final flat clearcoat was in those days! I just knew that Pactra flat black was twice as flat as Testors flat black, and at the time, was duly impressed. These days, I use mostly Tamiya and Gunze. Testors is pretty scarce here in Japan!
Ah, yes! PACTRA FLATS! PACTRA 'NAMEL![:)]
After all this time since their demise, I’m still using many of them that I bought way back when. They had colors that are not available today from anyone, i.e. Khaki, Flat Roof Brown, Mustard. I even use them to mix with Testors once in a while. No problems.[;)]
Other than the small spray cans, they were available in three other sizes: the small square plastic 1/3 oz. bottle, the round 2/3 oz. plastic bottle, and the larger round 15 cc glass bottle.
The only bow-wow that I can recall, was their Clear Flat and Clear Gloss. They yellowed like crazy after only approx. one year.[xx(]
Pete
I just plain miss Pactra. Especially their dope for flying models!!! [:p][:p][:p][:p]…[xx(]
Fade to Black…
Still have some of the bottled Pactra flats-black, bronw, OD, Medium Green. I sure do miss ‘em. J-Hulk had it right when he said that they were a tad better than Testors’. Testors had the color variety, though. Oh, well… 
- Ed
I still have a Pactra Aircraft Model Paint kit Acrylic Enamel. The set includes 9 water-based paints, 3 brushes and organizing tray. The box is dated 1996 Testors Corp. and the bottles look just like the little Testors paint bottles. Even the little label on the back of each bottle reads like a Testors paint bottle.
So I guess that even as late as 1996, Testors was still using the Pactra brand name.
I don’t remember the 2/3 ounce plastic bottle or the 15cc glass bottle but I do remember the old Pactra 'namel in the little square bottles. I always thought they had the better color selection than Testors, but Testors was what I usually bought because there was no store within easy walking distance that carried Pactra. (This was in the '70’s when I was too young to drive.) I remember Pactra having some really bizarre colors such as Hot Pink, Orchid and Exotic Purple. A model train club that I visit once in a while still has a few ancient bottles of Pactra 'namel floating around in their workshop.
I loved those little faceted, crystal-like bottles!
Flat Roof Brown…now, there’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time…
[quote]
Originally posted by J-Hulk
I loved those little faceted, crystal-like bottles!
Flat Roof Brown…now, there’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time…
The Flat Roof Brown was the best for painting dark brown leather aircraft headreasts and early sports car seats.[;)] When dry, just burnish it slightly with an old piece of t-shirt or flannel and it will look exactly like leather!
Pete
The Pactra name is still around; Testors uses it for their R/C car paint line. I used a lot of Pactra as a kid in the '70s because…the hobby shop a few blocks from home (I practically lived there) carried it. But they had only a bare-bones selection–none of the exotic colors. [:(] I remember using Testors fairly regularly, too, of course depending on when mom was running errands near a place that sold it and I could tag along.
Back in those days, I found that the relative quality of the two products wasn’t nearly as significant my tendency not to mix any paint too well before I applied it and the way I daubed it on that made it look like it had been applied with a toothbrush or Q-tip. My how I’ve grown up!
Oh yes, I still have some Pactra Turquoise, lavender, and silver. I wonder if any of it’s still good…
Testors did indeed purchase Pactra some time back. I used to prefer Pactra, those square bottles were works of art, but I think it was the color selection I liked best; I don’t really recall there being any significant difference in quality or ease of use. the Testors web-site still lists some Pactra paints, but in a very limited selection of acrylics and laquers - no enamels, I believe. I never see Pactra in the stores, but I think they cater to the RC scene for the most part.
i am in possession of a box of nine little bitty bottles of Pactra that have 10cents on the labels. The bottles have never been opened, and still look fine. They date back to the 1950s.
Sniff. I miss my Pactra, too. Snarf, snarf
Why am I hearing Barbara Streisand singing in my head?
“Memories, like the corner of my mind…” [:D]
Mike
PACTRA was founded by Alfred L. Davenport Jr. a Honored WWII U.S. Naval officer (1921-2010).
I had the privilege to know this fine and exceptional gentlemen. He was very dedicated to the hobby. PACTRA produced the finest paints, as well as the best BALSA I ever took to my hands.
In 1972 I first took in my hands the PACTRA International range of colors. I was amazed of the fine spray lines and full and smooth coverage I could get with these super colors.
Then all stopped around the late 80’s or early 90’s if I remember well.
I remember Alfred L. Davenport Jr. telling me, that one morning, all of a sudden, he was informed that TESTORS acquired the majority of the shares of PACTRA and we has dismissed from president. His words were, that he lost all the efforts of his life, he lost his company, in one night.
TESTORS then bough, Floquil, Polly-S and became the monopole of US made hobby paints.
Now they damped all these fine products, as they succeeded the final goal. Kick the competition out of the market. Not that good for all of us, the dedicated modelers.
Actually these brands produced paints for the real enthusiasts. This is a small market share for a big company like TESTORS. It is peanuts for them. On the contrary if these brands were still in small “hands”, they could still be in the market and make all of us, the models specialists, happy
Pactra Authentic International colors were a favorite of mine! I don’t know how “authentic” they were, but the military color choices were superior to Testors. Does anyone remember the color “Weather”? The stuff with a little brown pigment in whatever they used for a liquid carrier? I loved the stuff, even though you could just as easily thin down some brown paint and get pretty much the same result. I also really liked the large sized, squat, round jars for sloshing color on my bigger 1/72 models. Back then, you could swab a kit with a thinner based wash and not worry too much about the underlying paint from dissolving, unlike today.
I used a bit of Pactra back in my model car days, mid-60s, I’d say. And, I used their Nato Brown I believe it was called, for the dark color here:
It was great paint iirc. Too bad it’s gone now.