Testor Corporation

Testor Corporation, also known as Testors, is an American hobby-products manufacturer based in Rockford, Illinois. The company is best known for paints, cements, adhesives, brushes, cutting tools, and related accessories used to assemble and finish scale model kits. Its products have historically served plastic-model builders, wooden-model enthusiasts, craftspeople, and younger hobbyists, and have been sold through hobby shops, toy stores, hardware retailers, department stores, and other consumer channels. The company traces its origins to 1929, when it developed from an adhesive business associated with Axel Karlson. The original adhesive, known as Karlsons Klister, had initially been intended for repairing women's stockings but found substantial use among cobblers. After the business came under Testor's direction, the adhesive was renamed Crystal Clear Household Cement and marketed for broader household repair applications while retaining its footwear-related customer base. This repositioning helped expand the business beyond its original niche. By 1936, Testor had broadened its product range with hobby model cement and butyrate dope, a coating used in model construction. The company's chemical expertise became the foundation of its long-term identity. It also became a founding member of the Hobby Industry of America in 1940, reflecting its position within the organized American hobby-products trade. World War II created severe shortages of chemicals and other raw materials needed for Testor's principal adhesives and paints. To remain in business, the company diversified into wooden static aircraft models and later into flying models made from balsa wood. A major factory fire in Rockford on February 1, 1944, destroyed the upper floors of the company's main building and damaged production equipment. Despite losses reported at the time as exceeding $200,000, Testor constructed a larger replacement facility in less than a year and resumed operations. After the war, Testor returned to producing glues and paints, including products formulated for the emerging market in plastic models. The company's small square glass paint bottles became widely distributed in the United States during the 1960s and were a familiar product in general retail as well as specialist hobby stores. As plastic kits displaced many wooden models, Testor expanded through acquisitions, purchasing IMC and Hawk Model Company in the early 1970s and acquiring Italian kit maker Italeri later in that decade. These transactions gave Testor a broader presence in plastic scale-model kits in addition to its established finishing materials. Testor also pursued partnerships and licensing arrangements. In 1949, it reached a joint-marketing agreement with Duromatic Products involving McCoy hobby engines and Testor model aircraft, with the products designed to work together. From the late 1980s onward, Testor worked with several die-cast and model companies, including Bburago, Jouef, Racing Champions, Lincoln Mint, and Maisto, often reboxing products for the model-kit market and for less-experienced builders. The brand's most famous cultural episode came in 1986 with its hypothetical F-19 Stealth Fighter model kit. Designed using publicly available information before the F-117 Nighthawk was officially known, the fictional aircraft became a highly visible interpretation of stealth-aircraft technology. Although its design differed substantially from the real aircraft, the kit influenced video games, toys, and other popular depictions of stealth fighters. Testors' current portfolio is centered on model-making and craft supplies. It includes enamel, acrylic, and aerosol paints; adhesives; brushes; cutting tools; and products sold under the Testors, Model Master, Spray Chalk, and Testors Craft names. The brand is part of RPM International and remains associated with scale-model finishing and assembly products marketed in the United States and internationally.

Testor Corporation was established in 1929 in the United States and developed from an adhesive business connected with Axel Karlson. The original product, Karlsons Klister, had been created for repairing women's stockings but became especially useful to cobblers. When Testor took over the business, it renamed the adhesive Crystal Clear Household Cement and promoted it as a general-purpose household repair product. The repositioning broadened the product's potential while preserving its established footwear market. In 1936, Testor expanded beyond general-purpose adhesive by introducing hobby model cement and butyrate dope. These products established the company's enduring connection with model building and reflected its broader identity as a chemical-products manufacturer. In 1940, Testor was among the founding members of the Hobby Industry of America, an industry association for hobby-parts suppliers and manufacturers. The Second World War disrupted the company's access to the chemicals required for adhesives and paints. Because Testor was not primarily a war-production contractor, it faced shortages of key raw materials. The company responded by entering adjacent parts of the hobby market and producing static scale models of popular aircraft from pinewood. These models sold well enough to help the business survive the restrictions on its traditional product lines. On February 1, 1944, a fire at Testor's main Rockford facility destroyed the upper two floors of a four-story brick building and damaged manufacturing lines and equipment. Fire and water damage together were estimated at more than $200,000. Testor rebuilt rapidly, completing a larger plant in under a year. After the war, the company resumed substantial production of its trademark glues and paints, including adhesives designed for plastic models. Wartime surpluses of lightweight balsa wood also allowed it to produce flying wooden aircraft models and sell raw balsa to custom model builders. Testor expanded its commercial relationships in 1949 through discussions between Nils Testor and Charles Miller of Duromatic Products. The resulting joint marketing arrangement paired Duromatic's McCoy hobby engines with Testor model aircraft, and the companies designed their respective products for interoperability. During the 1960s, plastic became the dominant material for many commercially sold model kits. Testor's paints and glues were adapted to this changing market, and its square glass paint bottles became common in a wide range of American retail outlets. The company initially concentrated on chemical supplies and wooden models rather than plastic kits, but the market shift eventually led it to expand through acquisitions. In the early 1970s, Testor purchased IMC and Hawk Model Company, two established plastic-kit manufacturers. Later in the decade it acquired Italeri of Italy, broadening its model-kit portfolio and international reach. Between 1984 and 1987, Testor sponsored Adventures in Scale Modeling, a television video series produced by WSWP-TV. The half-hour programs demonstrated detailed model-building techniques and included on-location segments showing the real subjects represented by the models. From the late 1980s onward, Testor also worked with die-cast and model companies such as Bburago, Jouef, Racing Champions, Lincoln Mint, and Maisto. These relationships commonly involved repackaging products as model kits, often targeting younger or less-experienced builders. The company's best-known individual product was the F-19 Stealth Fighter kit, released in January 1986. Testor used open-source intelligence to create a speculative design before the public introduction of the F-117 Nighthawk. The fictional aircraft was not an accurate representation of the eventual operational aircraft, but it became an influential popular image of stealth technology. Its visual elements, including canted fins, overlapped with features later seen in real stealth aircraft, and the kit inspired depictions in video games, toys, and other media. Testor's modern product identity is focused primarily on model and craft consumables rather than on complete kits alone. The portfolio includes enamel, acrylic, and aerosol paints, adhesives, brushes, cutting tools, and related accessories. These products are sold under the Testors, Model Master, Spray Chalk, and Testors Craft brands. The company is based in Rockford and operates as part of RPM International, with products made in the United States and marketed to customers internationally.

• 1986

  F-19 Stealth Fighter kit released

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Testor released a speculative F-19 Stealth Fighter model kit based on open-source information before the F-117 Nighthawk was publicly introduced.

• 1984

  Adventures in Scale Modeling begins

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Testor sponsored the start of Adventures in Scale Modeling, a video series about detailed model construction produced by WSWP-TV.

• 1970

  Expansion through model-kit acquisitions

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  During the early 1970s, Testor acquired IMC and Hawk Model Company, expanding its presence in plastic scale-model kits.

• 1970

  Italeri acquisition

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Later in the 1970s, Testor acquired Italian model-kit manufacturer Italeri, adding an international source of plastic kits.

• 1949

  McCoy engine marketing partnership

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Testor and Duromatic Products agreed to jointly market McCoy hobby engines with Testor model aircraft and to make their products interoperable.

• 1944

  Rockford factory fire

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  A fire severely damaged Testor's main facility in Rockford. The company rebuilt with a larger plant and resumed production in less than a year.

• 1940

  Founding membership in Hobby Industry of America

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Testor became a founding member of the Hobby Industry of America.

• 1936

  Expansion into hobby chemicals

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Testor introduced hobby model cement and butyrate dope, beginning the product expansion that connected the company closely with scale modeling.

• 1929

  Company founded

  [1]Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Testor Corporation was established in the United States and developed from an adhesive business associated with Axel Karlson.

A practical, widely distributed hobby brand focused on the construction, painting, finishing, and customization of scale models. Its positioning combines accessible consumer packaging with products intended for both beginners and experienced model builders.

• Model paints

  Testors Enamel Paints

  Solvent-based enamel paints for coloring and finishing scale models. Testors enamel paints became especially recognizable through the brand's small square glass bottles, which were widely distributed in American retail and hobby channels during the twentieth century.

• Model paints

  Testors Acrylic Paints

  Water-based or water-cleanup acrylic paints intended for model finishing and craft use. They provide an alternative to the brand's traditional enamel formulations and are used for detail work, general color application, and hobby customization.

• Spray paints

  Testors Aerosol Paints

  Spray-format coatings for applying paint to model surfaces and other hobby projects. Aerosol products extend the brand's finishing range beyond brush application and are suited to broader, more even coverage.

• Model adhesives

  Testors Adhesives and Cements

  A range of glues and cements used to assemble scale models and perform household or craft repairs. The category reflects Testor's original adhesive business and remained central to its identity as plastic and other model materials became more prevalent.

• Model paints and finishing supplies

  Model Master

  A Testor-associated line focused on paints and finishing materials for scale-model builders. Model Master products are positioned toward detailed model finishing and complement the broader Testors range.

• Craft supplies

  Testors Craft

  Craft-oriented paints and accessories extending the Testor name beyond traditional scale modeling. The line addresses general creative and decorative projects as well as hobby applications.

• Craft and marking products

  Spray Chalk

  A Testor-associated spray product line used for temporary or decorative marking and craft applications. It represents the brand's expansion into adjacent consumer hobby categories.

• Scale-model kit · 1986

  F-19 Stealth Fighter

  A fictional 1986 aircraft model kit depicting a hypothetical American stealth fighter. Although its design did not accurately reproduce the later-known F-117 Nighthawk, it became a prominent cultural interpretation of stealth aviation and influenced subsequent toys, games, and model designs.

• 1984Adventures in Scale Modeling

  United States

  Testor sponsored a half-hour video series devoted to detailed scale-model construction. Produced by WSWP-TV, the program combined instructional modeling segments with location filming related to the subjects being modeled.

  Outcome. The series ran through 1987 and reinforced Testor's role as an educational and practical resource for hobby modelers.

  Source

• 1986

  Launch of the F-19 Stealth Fighter kitProduct launch

  Background

  Before the F-117 Nighthawk was publicly introduced, information about a possible American stealth aircraft circulated through open sources. Testor used those clues to create a speculative model design.

  Action taken

  The company released a model kit depicting a fictional F-19 Stealth Fighter in January 1986.

  Aftermath

  The kit became one of the best-known examples of a speculative defense-related product and influenced popular depictions of stealth aircraft, despite differing substantially from the actual F-117 design.

  Source

• 1970

  Acquisition-led expansion into plastic model kitsM&A

  Background

  The growing importance of plastic kits challenged Testor's historic emphasis on wooden models and chemical supplies.

  Action taken

  Testor acquired IMC and Hawk Model Company in the early 1970s and later acquired Italeri in the same decade.

  Aftermath

  The acquisitions expanded Testor's model-kit portfolio and strengthened its participation in the plastic scale-model market.

  Source

1. 1Testor Corporationen.wikipedia.org