Cosplay tip: Contact cement, the cosplayer's glue

For a cosplayer, gluing is just as important as priming. While there are plenty of primers on the market to choose from based on your mood, color preference, or budget, it’s not that simple with glues. Most of the time, you’re looking for something that actually holds. Finding a high-quality glue is like discovering the Holy Grail. And at imago, you can already find one such gem.

Contact cement is a type of adhesive that you can apply with a brush, creating a high-strength, waterproof, and durable bond. The glue adheres to most surfaces, such as EVA foam, wood, fabric, leather, and many others. Contact cement is highly flammable, so you must use it in well-ventilated areas. Don't snack or smoke while handling it. I also don't recommend inhaling it enthusiastically. It can cause dizziness, and it definitely doesn't smell like violets—not even the rotting ones.

Recently, imago added Cosplay contact cement from a Belgian Cosplayshop to its range. It’s the same type of glue used by the popular cosplayer Kamui. Although I had just fallen in love with Studio Range Contact Cement from Poly-Props, I ran out quickly (I only had a small tin), so I reached for this continental brother.

The Contact Cement from the Belgian shop is almost identical to the Studio Range one. The consistency is the same, and it strings the same way. It seems to smell a bit stronger, but that’s a common phenomenon with these chemical "bouillabaisses." It also takes a little longer to air out. But we’re still talking about 5-10 minutes, and the bonding result is 60% stronger than anything I’ve ever managed with super glue, silicone (hot glue gun), or standard contact adhesives. After 24 hours of curing, you have a bond that requires brute force to break, and you will definitely damage the object you're gluing in the process.

As mentioned above, contact cement can be applied with a brush. I don't really recommend it, though. You'll ruin your brushes and make a mess. A bottle with a resealable cap works best for me. The plastic bottle is soft and smooth, so you can easily peel the dried glue off its surface, and it doesn't clog. Thanks to the narrow neck, it doesn't stink up everything around you. You always work with just a small stream of glue instead of an open tin. This also ensures the glue lasts longer because you aren't constantly opening and closing the container.

Even though Cosplay contact cement costs over 500 CZK, compared to cheaper alternatives, you're paying for quality that scales with the price. While standard adhesives quickly lose their potency and "give way" over time, contact cement holds. That extra 200 CZK saves your nerves, time, and ultimately your wallet, as you can be sure you won't be facing constant repairs.

author Eva Lassler