James RickardWhat IS Bakelite
June 12th 2011 01:44
If you have an old reel lying around and you think it's a hunk of junk because it made from plastic, it may be highly collectable because that old plastic may be Bakelite.
A lot of people know Bakelite is some kind of rubbery plastic but are at a loss to know much about it.
A lot of people know Bakelite is some kind of rubbery plastic but are at a loss to know much about it.
Bakelite was one of the first plastics to hit the market a little over 100 years ago and one of the first to be made from synthetic components.
Although products made from Bakelite were once thought of as "junk," they are now very popular among collectors. In fact, unscrupulous dealers try to pass off common plastics as Bakelite. One method to thwart this charade, is called the "Hot Pin Test." Using this test, you find an inconspicuous area of the object in question and jab it with a red-hot pin. True Bakelite gives off a distinctive odor as it melts,which some people ay is similar to the scent of burnt human hair. Personally, I think it's more petroleum scented but, the bottom line is that you will know it when you smell it. A less obtrusive test is to rub an area very quickly. Once friction begins to build up, see if an odor permeates the area you are rubbing.
Aside from fishing reels, other uses for Bakelite included jewelry, radio bodies, and electrical components.
Today, Bakelite can most readily be found in brake shoes for your vehicle, saucepan handles billiard balls, and it's still used for electrical components where heat my be a problem. One of the coolest uses I found is the use of Bakelite in Soviet heatshields for ICBM warheads and spacecraft.
Penn used Bakelite side plates on some of its old reels like this Surfmaster and the Peerless. You can also determine the age of these reels by the color of the Bakelite handle knobs.
Remember to take the hooks outta yer pocket before ya sit down!
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