Silicone is measured on the durometer shore hardness scale. What most indie sex toy makers consider as an "extra firm" toy is still within the "soft" category on the durometer shore hardness scale, so most makers generally agree on the range of supersoft to extra firm silicone when referring to toy making specifically. Some makers do not adhere to this same colloquial firmness scale though, so it is always important to check the actual shore hardness of the silicone if you don't wish to purchase something that is either too soft or too firm for your personal preferences.
Saturn Sun Studio adheres to the scale of:
- 00-20: supersoft
- 00-30: soft
- 00-50: medium
- A10: firm
The durometer shore hardness scale can also be slightly misleading - there is a large gap between 00-30 and 00-50 on the scale, while 00-50 and A10 are almost on top of one-another. However, I personally find it difficult to tell 00-30 and 00-50 apart sometimes, while 00-50 and A10 are immediately distinguishable from one another to me because of how much firmer and more rigid A10 silicone feels, despite how close they appear on the scale.
Something to keep in mind is that the thinner/smaller a toy is, the softer it will feel and vice-versa. A medium firmness toy in a squish size may feel a lot more flimsy and squishy than the same toy in the next size up, also in medium firmness. Similarly, a large toy in medium firmness may feel like it has much less give and squish than the same toy in the next size down, also in medium firmness.
Another factor is pigment. A highly pigmented toy can feel slightly firmer than one that is unpigmented, so not all toys will feel exactly the same depending on the pigments used. Most people will not notice the difference, unless they are very sensitive to the firmness of their toys.
Some shops go all the way up to A20 or even A30 in firmness, which are much firmer. Saturn Sun Studio has no interest in producing toys that firm at this time however.
We do not yet pour anything in nearclear silicone, but it also has it's own firmness scale.
- NC 00-31 (also known as NC31 or nearclear soft) is slightly firmer than soft (00-30). It can apparently vary from barely firmer than 00-30, to feeling noticeably somewhere between soft and medium firmness, depending on batch.
- NC 00-45 (also known as NC45 of nearclear medium) is a confusing one, when placing it on the durometer shore hardness scale. It is 00-45, but is it generally agreed upon that it feels firmer than 00-50 (medium) silicone. From my own personal experience I would place it as feeling somewhere smack-bang in the middle of 00-50 and A10, but it can apparently vary slightly in firmness much like NC 00-31, depending on batch.
Nearclear pours are often slightly more expensive, as the material itself is more expensive and it can be more difficult to work with.
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