View Full Version : Pinnacle Poly Clay
Has anyone else used both the Pinnacle Poly Clay and the Sonus Ultra-Fine? I have about 7 or 8 different clays, but no two clays are as similar as these two... I cannot tell the difference other than the color.
I wonder if they use the same manufacturer and/or same specs? They come in the same size and wrapper...hmmm.
Ryan A. Gelardi (RAG)
Magic Mobile Detailing
Sonus says they developed their own clay, but I know there are a very limited number of actual manufactures...so I figured there was a good chance they are actually identical...anyone?
Atrocity79
05-20-2006, 04:16 PM
I just ordered ordered some of the Sonus Ultra Fine. I hope its enough to clean my car as Ive never clayed this particular car before.
GearHead_1
05-20-2006, 05:41 PM
Pinnacle claims that their product is manufactured exclusively for them. They make the same claim for products like Souveran. There is a thread about this over on AutoGeek right now.
Sonus makes it sound the same way...but I think their is only a few actual makers. In any case...they are the same size, texture, density, etc. as far as I can tell.
GearHead_1
05-20-2006, 06:27 PM
Sonus makes it sound the same way...but I think their is only a few actual makers. In any case...they are the same size, texture, density, etc. as far as I can tell.
No arguments here.
Bobby G
05-21-2006, 04:46 PM
There is ONLY ONE manufacture of clay left in the world. As a result, the price of clay is going up.
A few of us private label clay from the manufacture, specifying color, content of abrasive, size of abrasive, softness of the clay, etc. There are a number of factors that go into a private label clay.
I can only speculate why the owner of the Pinnacle brand decided to use green when we (Sonus) selected green as our color many months earlier. <shrug> It IS NOT the same formulation.
More information here: http://www.guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=61
wytstang
05-21-2006, 04:49 PM
David why is it down to 1 company making clay (if you know)??
chml17l
05-21-2006, 08:00 PM
It seems that AG/Pinnacle are really touting the fact that this "new" clay will not remove existing paint protection no matter how often it is used. IMO this is nothing but irresponsible marketing hype and people over on DC are already falling for this "hook, line, and sinker." :rolleyes:
There is no magic clay that enables you to clay as often as you want and never have to reapply paint protection. Clay is an abrasive and can`t selectively remove contaminants on/in your sealant without also removing some amount of sealant, too.
As far as their prices are concerned, the Sonus clay is definitely the better value.
LynchMOB
05-22-2006, 05:43 AM
Just to clarify, regardless what Pinnacle claims..... They do have 2 different clays Poly Clay(yellow) & Ultra Poly Clay(green). I have tried niether but this discussion kind of confuses the 2 different clays. The Ultra Poly Clay is what supposedly doesnt take off wax. I will admit to ordering some Ultra Poly Clay just to check it out. With that said the only other clay I have used is the Sonus, which works very well for me, Thank You.
gbackus
05-22-2006, 06:16 AM
David why is it down to 1 company making clay (if you know)??
Automagic lawsuits, that`s why.
Setec Astronomy
05-22-2006, 06:26 AM
Automagic and their new owner, ITW, have successfully protected their numerous patents on clay against competitors. I have posted links to the patents before, but, as DavidB alluded to, the patents cover many, many variations in clay formulations, enough to allow for unique formulations for all the sellers.
Bobby G
05-22-2006, 08:04 AM
Automagic and their new owner, ITW, have successfully protected their numerous patents on clay against competitors. I have posted links to the patents before, but, as DavidB alluded to, the patents cover many, many variations in clay formulations, enough to allow for unique formulations for all the sellers.
This is exactly correct. AWC, originally patented detailing clay and the clay process. They defended their rights very agressively in court. When ITW purchased AWC, the primary asset they bought is the clay patents and the relationship with the manufacturer.
100% of all clay manufacturing is in Japan through one company. Some companies go directly to the manufacturer and pay a licensing fee on every bar made, while others buy direct from ITW.
Regarding the name "Poly Clay", this was a name given to the Kucala "elastic" clay. The way the patent holders argued their clay products in court was "plastic" vs. "elastic".
The elastic clay no longer exists and it can no longer be manufactured.
db
Bobby G
05-22-2006, 08:10 AM
FYI... with the new ownership of AWC, and the lawsuits over clay complete, the price of clay has gone up significantly. If you find a good deal on clay, I suggest you snap it up.
TigerMike
05-22-2006, 08:20 AM
The elastic clay no longer exists and it can no longer be manufactured.
db
And this is a complete shame. This was some of the best detailing clay there was, IMO. Sometimes the world makes progress, and other times we take a step backwards. Unfortunately, for consumers, this is a step in the wrong direction and the removal of a great product that was at our disposal. Nothing like some good ole corporate greed...
Personally, I may just start finding alternative sources of contamination removal. They can have their price hikes and monopoly....