Pattex Wood Glue Economy (Mitiplast)

This is the wood glue the Nairobi trade calls “Mitiplast” — miti being wood. That name is a local nickname, not the name on the bottle: the pack reads Pattex® Wood Glue Economy, carries the Henkel logo, and carries the Kenya Bureau of Standards Standardisation Mark SM#17471. Henkel makes Pattex in Nairobi alongside Ponal, Pritt and Tangit. We have put both names on this page so that whichever one you know it by, you find it.

It is Henkel's economy grade and it sits below Ponal Professional in the same maker's range, at roughly 45% of the price per kilo in the 1 kg size. That is what the grade is for: high-volume, everyday wood work. Furniture workshops, fundis, school and site carpentry, and hardware shops selling off the shelf. Being straight about the difference: Henkel does not publish what, if anything, separates the two in chemistry or in water resistance — only that one is its professional line and the other its economy line, and “Economy” is Henkel's own word on the pack. The pack's side label carries Henkel's instructions for open time and for cold or hot pressing with presses or clamps, and tells you to stir well before use.

Sold by the full carton in 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg. Two honest notes. The pack is labelled as a wood glue, so ignore the listings elsewhere that claim it also bonds metal and plastics — Henkel does not say that. And as with Ponal Professional, Henkel publishes no EN 204 water-resistance class for it; the figures printed on the pack's side label are not legible in any photograph we can find. If you need the open and press times, ask us and we will read them off a physical pack for you. The photographs here are of the 500 ml and 1 litre bottles. We have no photograph of the 250 g pack: the supplier's own 250 g listing carries its 1 kg photograph, and the label in that picture reads 1000 ml.