chavant
Chavant, founded in 1892 and a division of Smooth-On, Inc., manufactures professional oil-based modeling clays (Plasteline) for fine arts sculptors, transportation and product designers, special effects studios, and military/law enforcement ballistics testing under NIJ/ASTM standards, distributed globally via authorized retailers and direct US e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1892
- HeadquartersFarmingdale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What chavant does
Chavant, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-incorporated manufacturer of professional oil-based modeling clays founded in 1892 by Mr. Claude Chavant and currently operating as a division of Smooth-On, Inc. The company produces Plasteline — non-drying, reusable clays formulated from petroleum oil, waxes, fillers, and plasticizers — in both sulfur-based and sulfur-free variants across multiple firmness grades (Soft, Medium, Hard) and specialty formulations. Its product portfolio spans Fine Art Sculpting Clays (Alien Clay, NSP, Le Beau Touché, Clayette, Contour, PRIMA, CASTILENE, Sculptex, Renaissance, Professional Plasteline, DaVinci Italian Plastilina), Industrial Design Styling Clays (AutoStyle, AutoStyle 2, J-525), Utility Clays (Jolly King, Fill-It), and Ballistic Testing Clay (Roma Plastilina No. 1).
Chavant serves four primary end-markets: professional and educational fine arts sculptors; transportation and product designers in automotive, marine, aerospace, and consumer goods; special effects studios in film, television, and theater; and military and law enforcement agencies that use Roma Plastilina No. 1 for body armor and helmet ballistic testing under NIJ Standard 0101.07 and ASTM E3004. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales via direct-to-customer e-commerce (operated through the Smooth-On website, restricted to the contiguous 48 US states) and an extensive international network of authorized distributors, including BLICK Art Materials, Reynolds Advanced Materials, and more than 20 specialty partners across 18+ countries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set by individual distributors and retailers, and the company does not publish enterprise contract terms or ARR data.
chavant firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- chavant
- Legal name
- Chavant, Inc.
- Website
- https://chavant.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1892
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chavant, founded in 1892 and a division of Smooth-On, Inc., manufactures professional oil-based modeling clays (Plasteline) for fine arts sculptors, transportation and product designers, special effects studios, and military/law enforcement ballistics testing under NIJ/ASTM standards, distributed globally via authorized retailers and direct US e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where chavant is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Farmingdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
chavant business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Clay Product Sales: One-time sales of oil-based modeling clay products. Products sold in various forms including blocks, billets, bars, and wedges in different sizes. Available through direct website ordering (USA 48 states) and authorized distributors worldwide.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Products sold through distributors without published pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
chavant product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chavant manufactures professional oil-based modeling clays (Plasteline) used by fine arts sculptors, transportation and product designers, special effects studios, and military/law enforcement agencies for ballistic testing. The company offers a broad portfolio of sulfur-based and sulfur-free clay formulations, including the industry-standard ROMA Plastilina No. 1 used for ballistic testing, and distributes globally through specialty resellers.
Product overview
Chavant is a manufacturer of professional oil-based modeling clays for art and industry, founded in 1892 and now a division of Smooth-On, Inc. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of clay products organized into several categories: Sulfur-Free Sculpting Clays including Alien Clay™, NSP™, Le Beau Touché™, Clayette™, Contour™, MONU-MELT™, PRIMA™, CASTILENE™, and Sculptex™; Sulfur-Based Modeling Clays including Renaissance™ (formerly Roma Plastilina™), Professional Plasteline™, and DaVinci™ Italian Plastilina; Industrial Design Styling Clays including AutoStyle™, AutoStyle 2, and J-525; Utility Clays including Jolly King™, Fill-It™, and Fill-It HTR; and Ballistic Testing Clay (ROMA Plastilina No. 1). These oil-based modeling clays serve sculptors in Fine Arts, Transportation Design, Special Effects, and various industrial applications. The products range from soft, pliable clays for detailed artistic sculpting to harder formulations for industrial design and machining.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Alien Clay: A precision sculpting medium used for variety of sculpting and fabrication applications. Sulfur-free, silicone-friendly, meltable, and castable.
- Contour
- NSP
- Le Beau Touché
- Clayette
- MONU-MELT
- PRIMA
- CASTILENE
- Renaissance
- Professional Plasteline
- DaVinci Italian Plastilina
- AutoStyle
- J-525
- Jolly King
- Fill-It
- Sculptex
- Roma Plastilina No. 1
Products and services
- Alien Clay™
- NSP™
- Le Beau Touché™
- Clayette™
- Contour™
- PRIMA™
- CASTILENE™
- Sculptex™
- Renaissance™ (formerly Roma Plastilina)
- Professional Plasteline™
- DaVinci™ Italian Plastilina
- AutoStyle™
- J-525
- Jolly King™
- Fill-It™
- ROMA Plastilina No. 1
Quantifiable outcome
- Roma Plastilina No. 1 is the global standard for ballistic testing, specified by NIJ Standard 0101.07 and ASTM E3004
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use chavant
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
chavant technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
chavant partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered major and standard.
- BLICK Art MaterialsmajorNational art supply retailer with physical store locations across the USA. Sells Chavant clay products through retail stores and website (dickblick.com). Phone: (800) 828-4548.
- Reynolds Advanced MaterialsmajorIndustrial supply distributor with locations in Tempe AZ, Allentown PA, Orlando FL, Atlanta GA, Chicago IL, Detroit MI, Denver CO, Dallas TX, and Seattle WA. Specializes in serving special effects, industrial design, and commercial operations.
- Rowe Advanced Materials (Australia)majorAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Australia with locations in Richmond and New Zealand (via roweadvanced.co.nz). Website: roweadvanced.com.au
- Barnes Products (Australia)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor with 8 locations throughout Australia. Website: barnes.com.au
- Alec Tiranti Ltd. (United Kingdom)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving the United Kingdom with locations in London and Reading. Website: tiranti.co.uk
- Feroca (Spain)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Spain with location in Madrid. Website: feroca.com/en
- Coast Fiber-Tek Products Ltd. (Canada)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Canada with location in Burnaby, BC. Website: fibertek.ca
- MP ArtWare (Germany)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Germany with location in Spaichingen. Website: mp-artware.de
- Sculpture Supply CanadastandardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Canada with location in Toronto, Ontario. Website: sculpturesupply.com
- The Compleat Sculptor (New York)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving the New York area. Location: New York, NY. Phone: (800) 972-8578. Website: sculpt.com
- Form X (Netherlands)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving the Netherlands with location in Amsterdam. Website: formx.nl
- Gordon Harris (Paintbox NZ)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving New Zealand with locations in Auckland and Hamilton. Website: gordonharris.co.nz
- Douglas & Sturgess (California)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving California with location in San Francisco. Phone: (415) 421-4456. Website: douglasandsturgess.com
- Freeman Manufacturing (California)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving California with location in City of Industry. Phone: (800) 321-8511. Website: freemansupply.com
- Burman Industries (California)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving California with location in Van Nuys. Phone: (818) 782-9833. Website: www.burmanfoam.com
- Sial (Canada)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Canada with location in Laval, Quebec. Website: sial-canada.com
- Pearl Impex (India)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving India with location in Delhi. Website: pearlimpex.co.in
- Ferba (Italy)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Italy with location in Lissone. Website: ferba.it
- Mouldlife (United Kingdom)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving the UK with location in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Website: mouldlife.co.uk
- Fibre Glast Development (Ohio)standardAuthorized Chavant distributor serving Ohio with locations in Brookville and Avon. Phone: (800) 821-3283. Website: fibreglast.com
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
chavant competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Reynolds Advanced Materials: Major US distributor of specialty sculpting, mold-making, and casting materials — and an authorized Chavant distributor. Comparable as a distribution-side counterpart that also sells competing modeling clay, mold rubber, and casting brands to industrial designers and SFX studios.
- WEDCO (Sales Group): Supplier of industrial modeling clays and specialty industrial materials to transportation design studios, automotive clay modelers, and aerospace prototyping operations. Directly comparable to Chavant's AutoStyle and J-525 industrial design clay lines in target use case (clay modeling for vehicle/aerospace design), though WEDCO operates as a distributor/agent rather than manufacturer.
Direct peers
- Van Aken International: Long-standing US manufacturer of modeling clay products (Plastalina, Claytoon) for art education, animation, and hobbyist markets. Competes with Chavant in fine arts and education segments, particularly at the lower price/lower firmness tiers.
- Sargent Art: US manufacturer of art materials including modeling clay, targeted at educational and consumer channels. Overlaps with Chavant at the lower-firmness, price-sensitive fine arts tier and competes for art-supply retailer shelf space.
- Polyform Products (Sculpey): Leading US manufacturer of polymer clays (Sculpey, Premo, Soufflé) used for sculpting, jewelry, and fine art. While polymer clays differ chemically from Chavant's oil-based plasteline, they target the same fine-arts sculptor and hobbyist customer and compete for share of the professional modeling materials budget.
- Monster Clay: Manufacturer of premium oil-based modeling clay widely used in special effects, fine arts, and industrial design. Directly competes with Chavant's sulfur-free portfolio (Alien Clay, NSP, Le Beau Touché) for the same professional sculptor and SFX customer base.
- AMACO (American Art Clay Co.): Established US manufacturer of pottery, ceramic, and modeling materials serving art education and professional sculptors. Comparable as a long-tenured US specialty materials brand selling through art supply distributors (the same channel used by Chavant).
Broad incumbents
- Smooth-On: Parent company of Chavant and a large US specialty materials manufacturer of silicone rubbers, epoxies, urethanes, and casting materials. Comparable because Smooth-On manufactures and distributes the same end-user categories (industrial design, special effects, prototyping) through overlapping channels and shares operational infrastructure with Chavant.
- Staedtler (FIMO): Global German writing/art materials manufacturer whose FIMO brand is one of the most widely distributed polymer clays worldwide. Competes indirectly with Chavant for fine arts and hobbyist clay share through mass-market and education channels.
Emerging players
- Klean Klay: Niche oil-based modeling clay marketed toward professional sculptors and industrial designers as a sulfur-free alternative. Directly comparable as a competing formulation targeting overlapping fine arts and industrial design customers with Chavant's mid-tier products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
chavant social profiles
Digital presencechavant financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
chavant leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
chavant funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
chavant M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about chavant
What does chavant do?
Chavant manufactures professional oil-based modeling clays (Plasteline) used by fine arts sculptors, transportation and product designers, special effects studios, and military/law enforcement agencies for ballistic testing. The company offers a broad portfolio of sulfur-based and sulfur-free clay formulations, including the industry-standard ROMA Plastilina No. 1 used for ballistic testing, and distributes globally through specialty resellers.
Is chavant a public or private company?
chavant is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was chavant founded?
chavant was founded in 1892. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is chavant based?
chavant is headquartered in Farmingdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does chavant make money?
One revenue line is on record: clay Product Sales.
Who are chavant's main competitors?
Others on record are Reynolds Advanced Materials and WEDCO (Sales Group). Direct peers are Van Aken International, Sargent Art, Polyform Products (Sculpey), Monster Clay and AMACO (American Art Clay Co.). Broad incumbents are Smooth-On and Staedtler (FIMO). Klean Klay is listed as an emerging player.
Does chavant have an API?
No public API is recorded for chavant.