Cobra brand
Cobra Green Cleaner
for webbing equipment, belts, gaiters etc.
No 3 shade
Manufactured by Blyth & Platt Ltd of Watford, England
Photo: Nick Wall
Photo: Nick Wall
Photo: StigRoadie
Photo: StigRoadie
Cobra Khaki Cleaner
for webbing equipment, belts, gaiters etc.
Manufactured by Blyth & Platt Ltd of Watford, England
Blyth & Platt Ltd were an old manufacturer of boot polish who were bought by Chiswick Products Ltd on October 1st 1928 (bought from parent company Lever Bros). The company carried on trading as a company from their Watford premises until 1953. Reckit & Sons Ltd in a gradual process of company acquisitions and mergers, begun in at the turn of the 20th Century, acquired many well known brands such as Nugget, Wren, Cherry Blossom and Cobra and which were eventually reduced to the Cherry Blossom brand and the Reckitt Benckiser manufacturer we know today.
There was also an Australian company Blyth & Platt (Australia) Ltd who marketed Cobra boot polish on the other side of the world. Their adverts featured a character named Chunder Loo of Akim Foo who was so popular that an illustrated book “The Adventures of Chunder Loo” was published in 1916. The character’s name became a nickname in World War One (sometimes abbreviated to Chunder) and it is suggested this was the origin of the use of the word chunder for being sick (as rhyming slang – Chunder Loo = spew).
More information about Chiswick Polish Co Ltd here: Chiswick Polish
This interesting and thorough web site also shows the manufacturing process of tins, polish and packaging as well as an insight into how manufacturers cared for their employees in those days.
and Cherry Blossom brand here: Cherry Blossom
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The Cobra trade name was registered in France in 1929 (a renewal of 1919)
No. 6269. – December 16, 1929. – - Blyth & Platt Limited in Watford (England). – (Renewal of trademark N ° 3520 of December 19 1919.)
Products: pastes, creams, polishes, soaps and polishing other soaps, liquids and powders, polishes, ‘Heel Ball “and other preparations polishing and cleaning materials for these preparations, polishes, dyes for leather and wood, grades and other similar Condoms for leather.