Butterscotch question

[Hex]

I seem to remember reading that the older butterscotch brushes were made from
white Catalin or Bakelite and the butterscotch coloring came about from ageing and exposure to light and/or hand oils.

So, is it still possible to get this material and have a brush made so that it would age in the old manner ?

Or what would you suggest ?

thanks

[rodeo]

It's no longer made. (died out soon after WWII) Everything you may want or need to know can be found and read here:

http://reviews.ebay.com/Bakelite-amp...00000000748322

[Rudy Vey]

I have an old NIB Made Rite brush that was never unpacked or used. The butterscotch color is very light, not so dark like other brushes with exposure to light are. One can find some smaller diameter catalin rods, but these are only good for smallish pens (NOS catalin in several colors was available and was sold some time ago for pen makers at a very high price - I did not get any because of the prices they wanted).

[Groat]

I find it a very interesting proposition that plastics can be made more aesthetically pleasing by an aging process. The only time (that stands out in my mind) that I can remember plastic discoloring is on my old NES and SNES game consoles, but that was due to a fire retardant put into the plastic. It also made them ugly as heck, like they had been in a smoker's household for 30 years.

[Hex]

I used to smoke a meerschaum pipe that gradually turned darker with the oils from my hand and the smoke.

It was brittle though, so probably a poor choice for a brush handle.

We need to invent a new material