Bakelite is the trade name for the phenolic resin patented by Dr. Leo
Baekeland in 1907. Today, the term "bakelite" is used to refer both to
Dr. Baekeland's trademarked plastic and to the other phenolic resins produced
in the early Twentieth Century, such as "Catalin" and "Marblette".  During its
heyday - the 1920s through the 1940s - Bakelite was marketed as " the material
of a thousand uses" with good reason: it was produced in a myriad of guises and
used in virtually every aspect of modern Twentieth Century life.

I am frequently asked what distinguishes Bakelite from other plastics.  The
answer is "quite a lot!" Firstly, Bakelite has a solid weight that is lacking in
contemporary plastics. Also, there are no seams in Bakelite products, since
they were either cast or molded. What most makes Bakelite special, though, is its
luster and its wonderful coloration - with shades appropriately known by such
names as "cherry", "tangerine", "lime" and "butterscotch", Bakelite truly has a
rich and edible look.

How Can I Tell if it's Bakelite?

There are various popular (and some very ill - advised) methods to test for
Bakelite. Let's start with the "don'ts" first. Never, never, never use a hot pin to
test a piece of Bakelite (for the distinctive formaldehyde smell that is released
when heat is applied to a phenolic resin); you may determine that the piece is
Bakelite, but you will have irreparably damaged it.  It has also become popular in
recent years to use Dow's "Scrubbing Bubbles" to test for Bakelite (if you dab
this caustic cleanser on a piece of Bakelite, your cloth will turn a yellowish color).
Again, you may pass the test, but "Scrubbing Bubbles" is extremely abrasive
and with repeated use will damage and strip your Bakelite. So how can you test
for Bakelite? I strongly recommend "Simichrome", a German polish manufactured
for use on chrome and other fine metals; it may usually be found at antique and
 high - end hardware stores. Believe it or not, Simichrome is not only the best way
 to test Bakelite, it's the best way to polish and protect it too. To test Bakelite,
apply a very small amount of Simichrome to a soft cloth and rub it on the plastic -
if the cloth comes away colored yellow to brown, the plastic is Bakelite. (To
clean or polish Bakelite, buff with a clean, soft cloth after the initial application).
It should be noted, however, that no testing method is foolproof; laminated
Bakelite,  for instance, will not pass any of the above tests. In such cases, there
 is no substitute for experience: get to know the look and feel of the various
 types of penolic resins.

Patricia Keilty

Some of my favorite books about Bakelite (and other plastics) are:

o Art Plastic, by Andrea DiNoto,
   New York: Abbeville Press, 1984;

o The Plastics Age, edited by Penny Sparke,
    New York: The Overlook Press, 1993;

o The Bakelite Collection, by Matthew L. Burkholz,
     Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1997;

o The Bakelite Jewelry Book, by Corinne Davidov & Ginny Redington Dawes,
    New York: Abbeville Press, 1988;

o Bakelite Jewelry, by Tony Grasso,
   London: Quintet Publishing Limited, 1996;

o Bakelite Jewelry: Good, Better, Best, by Donna Wassertrom & Leslie Pina,
   Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1997.

Now you can purchase these and other  of my favorite books about Bakelite
and other Collectible Jewelry right here at PE Kei Design.  Click here to
visit our book store.

Some web sites about Bakelite you may find interesting:

http://bakelite_world_2001.tripod.com

http://www.bakeliteandplasticmuseum.org

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