[Patrick]

I am of the Bekelite generation and grew up with Bakelite as the only plastic material. Friends of mine still collect Art Deco Bakelite objects such as radios, ash trays, lamps etc. Bakelite was heat moulded. The heated mould melted the surface of the material, making it shiny and giving it a more intense colour. Thicker material was sometimes not heated all the way through. Over the years, formaldehyde evaporates, leaving the material more brittle. When it breaks, the inside material looks chalky and has a lighter colour. If and when the shiny (when new) black surface of the grips wears of, the inside looks much lighter - almost like filler. Patrick