Posted 3 years ago
AnythingOb…
(1778 items)
I am probably one of two people left on the topside of Planet Earth that would now truly remember what this item FIRST was and where it originated, the other being my Father and his memory would be decidedly iffy. :-) He's the one that actually gave it to me even, in the mid-late 1970's.
IT IS an original sales demonstration "sample" of DuPont's then brand new kitchen countertop material "CORIAN". Between the Formica plastic laminates that ruled the kitchen from the 1950's into the 1970's and various "granite" and "ceramic" materials that have become so fashionable today, CORIAN pioneered their way with the first "solid surface" product -- in that it was the same stuff (color) all the way through, so in theory even the worst surface scratching and wear (even if somewhat intentionally) could be 'refinished' by a polishing and/or grinding method. (vs. complete replacement needed even if you'd just scrubbed the pattern off the surface layer of your Formica with Comet Cleanser, by the sink) It was a successful product, making its way into high end homes and commercial environments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corian
This piece, of the 19mm thickness, is 6" square. Each edge is shaped with one of the three available stock bevels and fourth standard square edge, the option and availability of those bevels was also a selling point vs. plastic laminates. Pic 3 is the backside. If one looks *very closely* at pic 4, the originally pencil written words "CAMEO WHITE" can still barely be seen -- the factory color name of the sample.
I know all this because I remember roughly when Dad gave it to me and exactly where. It was at the office where he worked, I'd went back there with him after dinner one night to help him clean out a closet or something, and he gave it to me with another handful of samples and small things otherwise on their way to a trashcan. It *had* been previously used in the kitchen cabinet *showroom* downstairs from 'Dad's office', which in fact was the 'Corporate Office' for a then quite successful if modest chain of small-town lumber yards -- in the days before the big-box home-center monstrosities we have now, that's where people went when they wanted to build or remodel (or repair, or etc. etc.) their stuff?!!
I recently came across it in a box where I'd stashed it, I've used it as a kitchen trivet/cutting board (which it is perfectly made for!) in the past thus it is now a little dirtier and actually does have some scratches, but I'm good with it as is. :-) It'll find its way back to being used for things again soon, no doubt?!