Glossary of Collectible Teddy Bear Terms:
Arctophile - A Teddy Bear Collector
Hug - A group or collection of Teddy Bears
Acrilan - US trade name for an acrylic fibre invented by Chemstrand Corp, Alabama. First introduced commercially in 1952; later woven into plush fabric for use in the stuffed toy industry.
Acrylic Plush - Fabric woven from acrylic fibres that are synthetically produced; the chemical acrylonitrile makes up 85% of content. Acrylic was invented in 1934 and was developed in the post World War II period for fibres such as Acrilan, Courtelle, Dralon, and Orlon, and other products such as paints. Acrylic fibres are fine and downy, making exceptionally soft and warm fabrics such as synthetic fur.
Air-brushing - Painting by means of an airbrush - a device for spraying colour over a surface using compressed air, which enables an artist to work quickly and produce an even finish. Originally called an aerograph, it was first patented in Britain by US born Charles L Burdick in 1893. It is used in the stuffed toy industry for applying nontoxic liquid dyes.
Steiff Leo Lion showing off his airbrushed paw prints on his pads. His mane and tail tuft are also an example of tipped mohair plush.
Alpaca Plush - Originally imported from Bolivia and Peru, this plush is woven from alpaca yarn, spun from the long, strong fleece of the alpaca - a small llama. Extremely soft and woolly, it was often used to make baby toys.
Art-Silk Plush - Artificial Silk, a synthetic material originally used in the manufacture of rayon stockings and first used on teddy bears in the late 1920's. It is created from regenerated cellulose (wood pulp or cotton) which is chemically dissolved to form a viscose solution, then passed through spinnerets followed by mineral acid baths to produce a fibre.
Vintage Petz Germany Teddy, made from Art-Silk Plush.
Burlap - Also described as hessia, a coarse, woven textile made from jute or hemp, used for making teddy bears in the very early years.
Celluloid - A semi-synthetic plastic composed of cellulose nitrate and camphor, which was first patented in 1869 by brothers John and Isaiah Hyatt in the US. It was particularly popular in the toy industry during the 1920's and 1930's, but was later banned because of its high flammability.
Composition - Also known as "compo", this is a mixture of various substances (similar to papier-mache) including plaster of paris, bran, sawdust, and glue. It was used primarily in the doll and toy industry from the mid-19th century. While wet and still plastic, it was pressed into molds and left until it hardened, when it could be painted.
Cotton Plush - A low quality plush, popular in the stuffed toy industry during and soon after World War II, woven entirely from cotton.
Vintage Elsa Sturm Germany cotton plush baby bottle holder c1950's.
Cotton Waste - A refuse yarn from the manufacture of cotton introduced as a stuffing material during World War II when kapok was unavailable. Such fillings were also known as white art wool, flock, and "sub". From the 1960's, waste from synthetic fabrics was also used - the darker the colour, the lower the grade of stuffing.
Distressed Plush - A plush, either alpaca or mohair, specially treated to resemble antique teddy bear fur. The distressing process was invented in 1986 by Jack Wilson of the House of Nisbet in collaboration with Norton (Weaving) Ltd of Yorkshire, using a 1904 carricule or velvet-crushing machine. Distressed plushes have become popular among bear artists and manufacturers attempting to produce old-looking bears.
Dralon - Trade name for an acrylic staple fibre invented by the German company Farben Bayer AG at Dormagen near Leverkusen. Naturally a light cream colour, it is woven and dyed into plush fabrics chiefly for the upholstery industry. It proved popular in the stuffed toy industry from the 1960's for both fur and pads as it is washable.
A Steiff Dog made from Dralon Plush.
Dual Plush/Tipped Mohair - Refers to plush pile dyed with two colours, also know as tipped mohair. The process of tipping mohair involves laying the plush fabric out on a flat surface, brushing the tips of the pile with a contrasting dye, and leaving to dry. Dual plush was particularly popular during the 1920's.
This Steiff Perri Squirrel shows the Tipped Mohair colouring. Only the tips of his mohair are dark brown.
Excelsior - Mid 19th Century US trade name for fine wood shavings, or wood wool, used for stuffing upholstery and later, teddy bears.
External Jointing/Rod Jointing - A primitive rod jointing system in which the ends of the rods running through the body of the teddy bear are sometimes visible at the shoulders and thighs. Both arms, and both legs will move at the same time with this type of jointing system.
This Japanese Vintage Teddy has a Rod Jointing system. Both arms move up at the same time. Also an example of Art-Silk Plush.
Foam rubber - Another term for polyurethane that has had pockets of inert gas introduced during its manufacture to form a light, foam like material used in upholstery, cushions, and for artificial sponges, as well as stuffing in the toy industry since the 1950's. It could be molded to fit inside the outer casing or chopped into small pieces, sometimes described as polyurethane foam chippings/chips/granules; shredded polyurethane; granulated foam rubber; latex foam, plastic foam; or synthetic foam stuffing. Trade names such as "Fairy Foam" (Britain) and "Sani-Foam" (US) have been patented.
Glass Eyes - Originally made for taxidermists, blown glass eyes originating from Britain or Germany were introduced into teddy bear manufacturing around 1908. Early examples tended to be of clear glass with opaque black pupils; the backs were painted with brown enamel paint to appear lifelike. Translucent amber glass with black pupils was one of the most popular designs for teddy bears' eyes.
A modern example of glass eyes in this Limited Edition Merrythought Teddy "Little Bear". Glass is cool to the touch and the eyes are often more rounded in the back than plastic eyes.
Googly Eyes - Also described as "Goo-Goo" eyes in the doll industry, this style of large, round, and staring eye was used from the early 1900's and throughout the 1920's, copying popular caricatures on postcards or in cartoons of the day. The term refers to bulbous opaque glass eyes with askance pupils. Sewn into a bear's face, they could be turned manually to give new comic expressions, or they were set in sockets like those of a doll, to give a rolling action.
Growler - An internal voice-box activated by tilting the toy, introduced to the teddy bear c1908. Although modernized since, the mechanism's principle remains the same: weighted bellows force air through a reed, emitting a "growl". Pre-1930's examples consisted of hinged wood and oilcloth bellows with lead weights, a metal reed (sometimes with a double reed to create a two-tone growl), and cardboard pipes, all contained in a cardboard tube with gauze protection at each open end. In the 1930's the slide tilt growler was introduced, with a weight consisting of a round tablet of bisque (unglazed porcelain) with the reed enclosed, joined to spiral oilcloth bellows. Upon tilting, the mechanism slid up and down in it's cardboard, tin or plastic container, with a perforated speaker at one end.
Gutta-Percha - An inelastic natural latex produced from the sap of the tree of the same name, native to Pacific Rim nations like Malaya, and first introduced to the west in 1843 by William Montgomerie in London. Easily heated and molded, it was used for teddy bears' noses in the first half of the 20th Century. Sometimes the artisan's fingerprint can be seen on the nose.
Teddy showing an example of a Gutta-Percha Nose.
Joggle Eyes - Introduced after World War II, these eyes consisted of flat, white, plastic rounds with a clear plastic covering, each containing a loose, small black circle representing the pupil. The pupils move in various directions to produce comical expressions when the bear is tilted or shaken.
Kapok - A stuffing material popular in the stuffed toy industry during the 1920's and 1930's, and still used to some degree after World War II because of its many ideal qualities. It is light, resilient, resistent to water, buoyant, and hygienic. The name derives from the Malayan word kapoq, an off-white vegetable fibre or fruit hair found in the seed pods of the tropical tree Ceiba pentandra.
Modacrylic Plush - Woven from modacrylic fibres similar to acrylic fibres but with a content of only 35-85% of the chemical acrylonitrile.
Sears Vintage Jointed Winnie the Pooh Sears-Roebuck 100 year Anniversary Teddy Bear made from modacrylic plush. Very soft, brightly coloured with a slight surface sheen. Pooh was made in Korea in 1986.
Mohair - Derived from the Arabic word "muxayyar", meaning "cloth of the goat's hair", the term originally referred to yarn or cloth made from the fleece of the Turkish angora goat, although today it is generally a mixture of wool and cotton. In 1830 some angora goats were sent to South Africa, which is now one of the biggest mohair producers.
Nylon - The first completely synthetic fibre. Nylon was invented by chemist W.H. Carothers in the labs of the DuPont Company of Delaware in the USA. It was first introduced commercially in 1938 after 11 years of research. Also known as a polyamide, it is produced using amides, chemicals similar to those that make up proteins in animal fibres derived from the petrochemical caprolactum. Nylon is tough, lightweight, and elastic, and since World War II has been used extensively in the toy industry. Brushed nylon is treated on one surface to give it a rasied and soft textured nap.
Oilcloth - A cloth treated to render it waterproof; also a name for leathercloth, also known as leatherette or by trade names such as Rexine or Duxeen.
Orlon - US trade name for an acrylic fibre registered by the DuPont company in 1948, and first employed commercially in 1950. Orlon is frequently used in knitted fabrics such as imitation fur and in carpets as well as in the stuffed toy industry.
Pile - Vertical threads which stand out from the surface of a fabric. Plush can be described as shaggy or short pile. Pile in the loop form is known as "terry".
Plush - From the Latin word "pilus", meaning "hair", and the old French word "pluche", meaning "hairy fabric". Plush is a cloth with a cut pile on one side, which is longer and less dense than velvet. It is usually woven, often by weaving two cloths together with a pile warp common to both, which is cut afterwards. Since World War II cheaper plush made from sythetic yarns has been produced on a knitted backing.
A Plush Teddy Bear by Ideal Toys Corp, USA, appropriately named "The Original Plush Teddy Bear", produced in 1978. He also shows airbrushed paw prints on his pads.
The Ideal Teddy's stuffing is made from "chopped nylon fibres", an example of the switch from "cotton waste" stuffing to synthetic waste.
Polyester - A synthetic fibre that uses oil as the raw material, and was invented in 1941 by J.R. Whinfield and J.T. Dickson at the Calico Printers Assoc in the UK. It's registered trade name in Britain is Terylene. In the US it is known as Dacron. It is often mixed with natural fibres to make easily washable woven fabrics, or to make strong sewing threads, or a wadding known as fibrefill, a type of stuffing.
Rayon - Term used generally since World War II for artificial silk. Since that period, modifications to equipment and chemicals used in the manufacturing process have resulted in a variety of rayons, such as viscose, acetate and triacetate.
Rexine - A trade name for a leathercloth or imitation leather used in upholstery and bookbinding, it was listed in the 1915 Trademarks Journal as belonging to the British Leather-cloth Manufacturing Co Ltd (later Rexine Ltd). Rexine is formed by covering a woven cloth with several coatings of cellulose nitrate. The term is often used to describe the leathercloth used on British and Australian bear pads from the late 1930's to early 1960's.
The Rexine Pads on this English Teddy are showing wear.
Rubber - Originally commercial rubber was based on a natural substance, the milky viscous liquid or latex obtained from the tropical tree. During World War II, synthetic rubbers were extensively developed, and various types based on different chemicals are now produced for use in industry, including toy manufacture.
Safe Eyes - Plastic eyes, each with an integral shank forming a screw and secured with a washer behind the plush; also referred to as "safe-lock" or "screw-lock" eyes, the recommended method of applying stuffed toy eyes by toy safety standard laws worldwide.
A Teddy made by Wendy Boston of the UK. Tagged as a "Playsafe Toy", Wendy Boston was the firm who invented the first locked-in Safety Eye for their plush toys in the early 1950's.
Satin - Originally described a silk fabric with a smooth glossy surface produced by a warp faced weave. Now a term also used for other textiles resembling satin, but not necessarily of silk. Satinized fabric is that which has been treated to imitate satin.
Sealing Wax - A man made wax that was originally used for sealing documents, it was also employed in the early years of teddy manufacturing, particularly in Germany, for making realistically molded noses. Malleable when hot, it cooled to a hard finish, but was unsatisfactory as it often cracked.
Shanks - The shaft or hook, usually of wire, protruding from the back of a glass or plastic eye, used for securing it inside the head. Later plastic eyes often had integral all-in-one shanks.
Shoe Button Eyes - From the 19th to early 20th Century, boots and shoes were often fastened with buttons. Being readily available, and usually black and globular, they made perfect eyes for early teddy bears. The buttons were made from molded wood pulp, resembling compressed paper; metal hooks were pushed into the flat backs.
Penny, an early c1908 Bing Teddy Bear with Shoe / Boot Button Eyes.
Sliced in Ears - Term referring to a low cost method of securing ears to a teddy bear by cutting or slicing holes in the sides or top of the head and pushing in the gathered edge of the ear; no stitching is required.
Squeaker - Internal voice box, used from the earliest days of teddy bear manufacturing, made from two rounds or ovals of cardboard or wood held together by a strip of oilcloth to form bellows, containing a coiled spring. When squeezed a rush of air caused the internal or external reed to vibrate, producing a squeak. Any old piece of cardboard, including photographs, was used for their manufacture. Post World War II versions of the squeaker use the same principle but with soft vinyl bellows that are often in the form of a concertina.
Swing Tag - A paper, cardboard, metal, or plastic tag usually bearing the manufacturer's trade name and/or bear's name and attached by thread either around the neck or arm, or sewn into the chest (also known as a chest tag). Often lost or removed, it is thus named to differentiate it from the more permanent fabric label usually sewn across a pad or into a seam.
A modern Red Plastic Swing Tag by Hermann Teddy Original.
Velvet - A woven silk fabric with a short, dense, and smooth-piled surface.
This Steiff Okapi Antelope is made from Velvet. The nap (pile) is a little worn on this vintage fellow.
Velveteen - A fabric like velvet in appearance, but woven from cotton instead of silk, which makes it less expensive to produce. Steiff trade name "Trevira Velvet".
A Sears Roebuck Vintage Velveteen Winnie the Pooh, made in Japan and stuffed with Wood Sawdust.
Wood Wool - Long, fine quality soft wood (such as birch) shavings, originally a packing material for delicate objects but also used in upholstery and taxidermy. It is the traditional stuffing material for teddy bears. Arriving in large bales, the material must be pulled apart and stuffed manually using rods. Also known by the trade name "Excelsior".
A very old c1940's Steiff St. Bernard Dog on Wheels. He needs some TLC, however, the break in the mohair fabric on his leg shows the Excelsior or Wood Wool Stuffing inside.
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