Bakelite is mentioned in the antiques market, people think about Bakelite jewelry, such as this bracelet. Given it adorned famous people, and received coverage in Vogue Magazine in those early days, it was an exciting new material to wear and show.
Bakelite was invented in the early 1900s by a Belgium-American chemist and inventor named Leo Hendrik Baekeland, in Yonkers, N.Y.
Known as the world’s first plastic, Bakelite transformed how things were constructed, and forever changed the concept of technology, chemicals and materials.
Bakelite was named after Baekeland and was a polymeric plastic made from phenol and formaldehyde.
Bakelite was thermosetting, which means it did not melt with heat, and for this reason, it was a great nonconductivity barrier for electrical components and systems.
In this way, it was used in insulators, telephone components, radios, and other machines and parts that needed heat-resistant properties.
The earliest uses as an industrial agent were moldings for bushings, non-conducting parts for telephones, radio parts and electrical devices of all kinds.
Sockets of light bulbs and tubes also saw the use of Bakelite.
Because of its chemical properties, it could be molded very quickly, thus decreasing production time drastically.
It was used in molds because it remained smooth, retained shape and was resistant to heat and scratching.
The original Bakelite was dark brown and darker colors, due to chemical compositions.
The automobile and electrical fields also used Bakelite due to the heat-resistant properties, and such things as distributor caps, insulators, radiator parts and electrical components that required reduced heat or low-conductivity were used.
It was a miracle product that could be molded and fitted for many uses. It was also, of course, used in many products that we have grown to love and collect, such as toys, kitchenware and more.
Bakelite was even used to copy billiard balls, once made in ivory, because when Bakelite balls clinked together, they sounded like ivory hitting ivory.
It found uses in pipe stems, buttons, musical instrument mouth pieces, gun handles and even poker chips and guitars.
If you think of anything that could become plastic instead of metal or other materials to save money, simply think of moldable, versatile Bakelite.
In the 1920s, Bakelite became very popular in the use of material for jewelry, and designers were excited about the new design possibility the moldable material brought.
Usually, when Bakelite is mentioned in the antiques market, people think about Bakelite jewelry, given it adorned famous people, and received coverage in Vogue Magazine in those early days, it was an exciting new material to wear and show.
Bakelite saw war duty. During World War I, Bakelite took on important roles in the Liberty Motor, wireless radios and telephone systems, and propellers for airplanes. In World War II, it saw uses in pilot goggles, telephones in the field, and even patriotic buttons and wartime jewelry and toys.
It was once even considered in the use of making coins, due to metal shortages, but that idea never came to fruition.
Due to brittle properties and cost, Bakelite was finally replaced by more economic, hardier products that could be produced with less cost, safely and with more long-term continuity and structural integrity.
Bakelite is still used today in some automobile manufacturing, electrical components and necessary thermoset, heat-sensitive items in the land of industry.
Today, collectors around the world get excited about the term “Bakelite” for nostalgia purposes, “first plastic” concepts, and the collection of retro or unusual pieces of jewelry, or tangible goods, such as radios, telephones and household, unique items.
Bakelite started out as a necessity of industry, but formed into beautiful creations as well, with unique flare and a hardy shelf life.
Next time you consider collecting an early 1900s antique, review Bakelite for value and interesting flare.
