It's a sticky situation! (Pritt Stick)

Member Name: B_O_M_B_A_

Product:	Pritt Stick
Date:	18/08/08 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great sticking power and it won't get you messy

Disadvantages: A few other competitive brands andis not heavy duty

1969 saw the creation of one of the most incredible devices by man, o yes ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about the glue stick. It was created by the German company Henkel after they studied the twist up ease of Lip stick applicators. I have to admit I find it much easier and less messy simply rubbing the stick along rather than squeezing a bottle of PVA and sending white sticky glue all over the place. It was released in 38 countries world wide and by the year 2001, 121 countries had access to it. Leading on from that came the Power Pritt which was the first solvent free multi-purpose glue stick that would stick anything from wood to glass, this was released in 2003.

Glue sticks are solid adhesives encased in a plastic cylindrical casing that can be held by the user and applied without the need of touching the glue; this allows the users hands to stay relatively glue free. The Pritt Stick tube comes in three sizes, the 10g, 20g and 40g tube. Glue sticks can be any size but in order for the twist action to work the casing must be cylindrical.

The 10g tube that I am reviewing is actually very simple and easy to use, the tube is mostly white with a black twister at the bottom. There is the Pritt logo and then Stick written at a slant all the way around the tube just below it. Just below the lid are the words Quick, Easy, Clean & Washable. I would agree with all of them, the glue does wash out in a standard wash cycle so it makes it a great choice for children both at home and at school.

To use the stick simple lift the lid off which has a small lip which holds it in place, I personally have never had any trouble removing a lid or placing it back on. You then turn the black area at the bottom of the tube anti-clockwise to make the glue rise up until it breeches the top of the tube. You then simply apply the glue to the surface you wish to seal and run the stick along, once you have finished turn the black are clockwise to retract the glue and re-apply the lid.

The glue has a very mild and natural smell to it; although it should be stated people should never sniff any kind of glue, even if it does not contain solvents. The fact that Pritt Stick does not again makes it a safe choice for children. I should stress though it must not be given to children under 36 months, mainly because of the nature of the product and the small parts it contains such as the lid.

Obviously the Pritt Stick should not be used to glue heavy duty items, it simply hasn't got that kind of strength and I would advise Unibond's 'No more nails' for any non office based work. I haven't however had any problems with any of Pritt's glue sticks, every tube has always twisted and glued perfectly. I would advise anyone to purchase the product although there are many other own brand glue sticks out there. The prices for the different sizes of Pritt Stick from Ryman's are listed below as of 18.08.2008.

10g - £1.29 (4 pack for £3.99)
20g - £1.99
40g - £3.29

Summary: Great for children and adults alike!