Sculpey is one of the oldest names in polymer clay, going back to the late 1960s, and it is made in the United States.

Premo is the Sculpey line most working clayers settle on. It is firm enough to hold fine detail, strong once cured, and flexible rather than chalky — the combination that lets it do the techniques the softer clays cannot.

What it is built for: caning and millefiori, mokume gane, Skinner blends, and any piece where a thin element has to survive being worn. Sculpey positions it as their clay for exactly those techniques, and Ginger Davis Allman calls it “an excellent all-purpose polymer clay” and “certainly one of my top picks.”

Worth knowing: Premo is strong and it flexes, but it is not endlessly bendy — flex the same spot over and over and it will eventually tear. For something that has to bend repeatedly, Sculpey Soufflé is the more forgiving choice.

The color range is the widest of any Sculpey line, and it includes the metallics and pearls that make blends worth doing.

Baking. Sculpey cures at 275°F (130°C). Give it a full 30 minutes for every ¼ inch of thickness — a half-inch piece wants an hour, and there is no penalty for going longer at the right temperature. Underbaking, not the clay, is the usual reason a finished piece turns out weak and crumbly, and most home ovens run well off their dial, so an oven thermometer is the single best thing you can add to your setup.

• Sculpey reference: PE1 5042
• Line: Sculpey Premo
• Color: Black
• Best for: Caning, blends, detail, pieces that must be strong
• Size: 1 lb

Sculpey is sometimes spelled “Sculpy” — same clay, and you are in the right place.