How the great brand handbag that changed the world Identifying a counterfeit bag Buying Bakelite

How the great brand handbag that changed the world

Identifying a counterfeit bag

Buying Bakelite

Bakelite has become a generic term used indiscriminately to describe almost any product made from thermosetting plastic materials.  The trademark for Bakelite dates from 1926 and consists of three lobes containing the capital B.  It was inspired by the amalgamation of three companies: Baekeland’s general Bakelite company, Condensite and Redamanol.  The logo was modernized in 1956, and the Bakelite era was from the 1920s to the 1950s.  For care and storage, follow the tips for plastics opposite.

1)      Bakelite is heavier than other plastics such as celluloid and Lucite.

2)      Look for the brand name Rialto; this New York company produced and exquisite range of Bakelite, Lucite and plastic handbags in the mid twentieth century.

3)      If possible before buying, open and smell the bag; if you detect a chemical odour, the bag may deteriorate further.  Bakelite does have a distinctive shellac-type odour.

Caring for Plastics and Other Polymers

When you buy, it is important to check the handbag for signs of chemical deterioration: distortion, odour brittleness, stress crazing (fine cracks), an oily bloom on the surface or corrosion of metal fittings.

 If deterioration is evident later, isolate it from other items in you collection.  It is better to acquire a product slightly physically damaged with say a chip or a crack-than one that is chemically deteriorating. Try to ascertain whether or not the bag has been exposed to a harmful environment in the past.