Apr 15, 2017
It's reassuring when the things you read align with what you've been thinking! When chatting to Anna Ploszajski for her podcast "Rial Talk", we discussed smell tests for bakelite, and whether you are smelling formaldehyde or carbolic acid. Having worked in a dissecting lab where the smell of formaldehyde is everywhere, I agree that that distinctive "bakelite smell" seems more like carbolic acid. Tony Grasso, in his book "Bakelite Jewelry: A Collector's Guide", seems to agree with me! You can listen to the "Rial Talk" podcast "Bakelite" on SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/user-498848420/bakelite