Chloe Zhang
The world of vintage plastics is a colourful place, with collectors and enthusiasts always on the lookout for new pieces to add to their collections. With the advent of this wonder material in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a new era in product design was ushered in, and plastics soon found their way into a plethora of products, from jewellery and toys to electrical fixtures and plumbing parts. Identifying vintage plastic items is an integral part of collecting and authenticating vintage collectibles, and there are several ways to determine the era and material of a piece.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bakelite | Relatively heavy, clunky, and has a distinct sound when two pieces are clinked against each other. No seams or mold marks. |
| Catalin | Heavy, clunky, and has a distinct sound when two pieces are clinked. No seams or mold marks. |
| Celluloid | Thin, lightweight, prone to surface cracks and yellowing, and flammable. |
| Casein | Has a smell of burnt milk when put under hot water. |
| Lucite | Slick, fairly lightweight, and aroma-free. |
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What You'll Learn
Identifying celluloid
Celluloid is the trade name for a plastic that was widely used in the 1800s and early 1900s to make pins, fountain pens, buttons, toys, dolls, figures, and many other products. It was commonly used as an ivory substitute, to create a cheaper version of items such as toiletry boxes, billiard balls, handles, and backings for hand mirrors, combs, and brush handles. Antique celluloid tends to be much thinner and lighter in weight than other period plastics. It is prone to surface cracks and yellowing and is also flammable.
- Visual inspection: Celluloid tends to be much thinner and lighter in weight than other plastics from the same period. It often has faint, tightly drawn lines intended to make it look more like ivory. However, not all celluloid has these lines, and colored celluloid does not have them.
- Transparency: Antique celluloid is often transparent or translucent. You can often see right through the plastic when held up to a bright light, even if it is dyed.
- Smell test: The easy and reliable test for celluloid is to place it under hot water for a few seconds, then smell it. Alternatively, you can rub it vigorously with your finger or a cloth to get the smell. Celluloid smells like camphor, similar to mothballs or ping pong balls.
- Feel: Celluloid feels like plastic, and vintage plastic scales are often made of celluloid.
- Back-door method: If you are examining a celluloid mirror, the mirror glass itself may be beveled around the edges and heavy, especially for older pieces.
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Bakelite and Catalin identification
Bakelite and Catalin are trade names for closely related antique plastics that are often collected today in the form of old-timey radios, jewellery, toys, and more. Bakelite was made from 1907 to 1927, while Catalin was produced from 1928 to the 1940s. Both are phenol formaldehyde resins, but they have distinct differences due to their different manufacturing processes.
Appearance
Bakelite usually comes in dark colours, typically black or dark brown, and was often used for utilitarian purposes. It is opaque and has a waxy and slippery feel when highly polished. On the other hand, Catalin comes in a wide variety of colours, including bright colours and marbling. It is often translucent, and has a greasy feel.
Sound
Bakelite and Catalin are both heavy and clunky, and they make a distinct "clunk" sound when two pieces are tapped together.
Smell
Both Bakelite and Catalin give off a distinctive phenolic odour when heated. The hot water test is a standard method to identify these plastics. When a piece of plastic is placed under hot running tap water, the heat releases a formaldehyde-like scent. Alternatively, you can rub the plastic vigorously with your finger or a cloth to generate heat and, consequently, the smell.
Polish Test
The common metal polisher called Simichrome polish can help identify both Bakelite and Catalin. If you rub a Q-tip with Simichrome polish on either plastic, the polish on the Q-tip will turn yellow.
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Casein and its uses
Casein is a protein found in milk that gives milk its white colour. Casein comprises around 80% of the total protein in cow's milk, while whey accounts for the remaining 20%. Casein is the primary emulsifier in milk, helping to mix oils, fats, and water. It is found in milk as a suspension of particles called casein micelles.
Casein has a wide variety of uses. It is a major component of cheese and is used as a food additive. Sodium caseinate is a very efficient emulsifier and is used to stabilize processed foods. Calcium caseinate is also used to increase calcium content and decrease sodium levels in food products. Casein is also believed to neutralize capsaicin, the active spicy ingredient in chilli peppers.
Casein-based glues are formulated from casein, water, and alkalis. Casein glues were popular for woodworking, including for aircraft, and are still used in certain niche applications such as laminating fireproof doors and labelling bottles. Casein paint has been used since ancient Egyptian times and is still widely used by scenic painters.
Casein protein supplements are also available and are taken by mouth to improve athletic performance, diabetes, liver disease due to alcohol consumption, and other conditions. However, there is no good evidence to support these uses, and it is not known if it is safe for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Casein protein is also not suitable for those with a milk allergy.
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Recognising vintage Lucite
Lucite is the name of a popular early form of plastic that is still used today. Lucite was widely used in the past to make a variety of objects, from plastic toys to jewellery. Its versatility as a material is due to its natural transparency, which can be altered to become opaque or translucent, and its ability to be dyed many colours, moulded, and embedded with objects.
Vintage Lucite pieces can be identified by their style. Look for marble grain, clear Lucite with objects embedded, confetti, or moonglow. Lucite is also usually lighter in weight than Catalin, another type of plastic. It has a slick feel and is fairly lightweight. Lucite is also odourless, so if you put it under hot water, rub it vigorously, or poke a hot pin into it, it will have no smell. On the other hand, Catalin, Bakelite, and celluloid will have a chemical smell, with the latter two smelling like camphor and shellac respectively. Casein, another type of plastic, will smell like burnt milk.
Lucite is also known as thermoset, which means that once it is set, you cannot melt it down and reshape it. Lucite is shinier than Bakelite and does not patina, so you never have to pay extra to have it polished to get a vibrant or translucent rainbow of colours. Most vintage Lucite bangles will not have seams.
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How to identify Bakelite
Bakelite is a type of early plastic, created in 1907. It was developed by Dr. Leo Baekeland in the early 20th century and is known for its ability to cool rapidly once heated, maintaining its solidity despite temperature changes. This material was widely used during the Art Deco period, from 1909 to the 1940s, for creating affordable and fashionable jewellery. Here are some detailed methods to help you identify Bakelite items, especially jewellery:
- Visual Inspection: Bakelite items are often displayed behind glass, allowing for a visual inspection before handling. Look for a yellowish patina on the white sections of the item, as pure white Bakelite tends to develop this colour over time. Additionally, authentic Bakelite items will not have any seams or mould marks.
- Sound Test: When two genuine Bakelite pieces are gently tapped together, they produce a distinct, heavy, and low-pitched clacking sound. However, this method may not be as reliable due to variations in the size and weight of items, so it should be used in conjunction with other tests.
- Rub and Sniff Test: Rub the surface of the item vigorously until it becomes warm, and then smell it. Authentic Bakelite will emit a formaldehyde-like odour due to the presence of formaldehyde in its chemical composition.
- Hot Water and Rub Test: Hold the item under hot water for about 15 seconds, then smell it. Similar to the previous test, Bakelite will give off a formaldehyde scent when heated.
- Seam Check: Inspect the item for seams, especially in the case of bracelets. Bakelite bracelets should not have any seams on the inside. However, items made of stacked layers of different colours may have seams due to the assembly of multiple components.
- Hardware Inspection: When examining a brooch, look at the pin back. On genuine Bakelite brooches, the pin back will be embedded or riveted, not simply glued on.
- Chips and Wear: Bakelite items that have been carved may exhibit small chips along the carving and scratch lines inside the carved areas. These imperfections are evidence of the tools used to create the design. If the carving lacks these scratch lines, it may be a modern reproduction.
It is always recommended to use multiple tests to increase the accuracy of your identification. Additionally, when purchasing vintage Bakelite items, inspect pictures closely, read descriptions thoroughly, and don't hesitate to ask questions if you have any doubts.
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