This 25 OT is a little ODD....

[jxr1197]

I know Bonite was in heavy rotation in Ulster catalogs but the only Schrade reference I can think of is the 300 series knives. Maybe there were others. I’ve always thought of Meerschaum in the same light as Bonite or Staglon, or even the jigged plastic covers they would call Stagged in the catalogs – a clever way of not saying plastic. As far as I know Meerschaum wasn’t used to describe real bone. It’s Schrade so of course there’s going to be an exception. At the 1959 sales meeting (Dec 1958) the 2OT was introduced to the sales force and they did call it Meerschaum Bone – but that wasn’t something that made it to the catalogs or flyers. Ironically at that same meeting they announced that they were doing away with plastic handles and going back to genuine bone. Boy, were they wrong about that!

[Meridian_Mike]

I think you have hit on another good point Roland.
By saying "meerschaum bone" the buyers were expecting "BONE" even though the first word "meerschaum" is actually a soft rock. SO.... it really looks like the term Schrade used for the "plastic" with the dark brown tone had to be dropped because it was deceiving.
Then the term "bonite" came along with is also somewhat deceiving.... There is no bone in bonite....LOL.

Food for thought!

[Meridian_Mike]

Good work Jason!

[jxr1197]

By saying "meerschaum bone" the buyers were expecting "BONE" even though the first word "meerschaum" is actually a soft rock. SO.... it really looks like the term Schrade used for the "plastic" with the dark brown tone had to be dropped because it was deceiving.
Then the term "bonite" came along with is also somewhat deceiving.... There is no bone in bonite....LOL.

Food for thought!

A lot of that should be looked at in the context of the day. The 1950s was HUGE on plastics and space age technologies. I don't know that consumers would feel led astray by the product names - but hey, I wasn't around yet so what do I know? Bonite came before Meerschaum and here's something interesting about it. Bonite is a pseudo word made up in a marketing meeting. The most common use of the 'ite' suffix is in mineral names which is interesting because they made up a 'mineral-y' name for plastic and then moved onto Meerschaum which is a real word that also happens to be a mineral (magnesium silicate). Coincidence or conspiracy?

[Meridian_Mike]

Excellent thoughts Jason!
It is fun to sit down and try to think like the marketers (and consumers) of that time.