Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 10:58:17 +0000

From: Jim Rader jrader[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]M-W.COM

Subject: Re: doppkit



The word Dopp is a trademark of the Buxton Co., a manufacturer of

men's leather goods located in Chicopee, MA, a town just north of

here (i.e., Springfield). Our files don't indicate when the

trademark was registered, and I haven't tried to find out, but

registration existed in 1982. According to the Buxton Co.'s website,

the firm was founded in Springfield in 1898 by a Buxton family.

Unfortunately, the site has no information on the history of the Dopp

kit.



The "Style" section of the Aug. 1995 issue of Playboy illustrates a

Dopp kit and states in the caption that "[it was] developed by

Charles Doppelt around 1919." Take this for whatever it's worth.



Our cite files do not show generic use of _Dopp kit_ before the

1970's. I suppose that earlier occurrences might not have been

marked by editors here because they recognized it as a trademark,

though it surprises me that nothing turns up.



Jim Rader