16mm film

[Clive Casey]

Good afternoon fellow forum members. I have got a 16mm print of A Sot In The Dark on 2 1600foot reels, one plastic and one metal. When I opened the box it had an acetic acid smell coming from it, which I assume is vinegar syndrome.
Is there any point in keeping it or should I just bin it. I only bought it from a dealer in the UK during Covid, and wasn’t aware of any smell then.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Regards and seasonal greetings to all.
Clive

[Maurice Leakey]

Clive
What stock is it on?
Note that Agfa stock has a distinct smell of its own, but it's not VS.

[Clive Casey]

Hello Maurice, Thanks for the reply. Reel 1 just says Kodak safety film positive where as reel 2 says 74359 Kodak LT14. I’m afraid it doesn’t mean anything to me.
Regards, Clive

[Maurice Leakey]

Clive

The stock just marked "Kodak" didn't have a very long life and is now very prone to fading.

If your film smells like a fish and chip shop with a strong vinegar odour I am afraid it probably now has the dreaded Vinegar Syndrome. If this is so, it can contaminate other films which are near it. it must be binned immediately.

You can keep the spools (give them a good clean). If they were in cardboard boxes they will also have absorbed the VS. Bin these as well.

[Clyde Miles]

clive existing prints with vs don't contaminate other films, as long as it plays with no bad warp
keep it, i have many prints with vs smell i purchased many years ago and all still good, sure i've
had prints that went serious vs and warp that i had to dump. it's just lucky that it keeps, best

[Clive Casey]

Thank you Maurice and Clyde for your input. It doesn’t have any warping at present, but I will keep an eye on it and keep it away from my other films.