Monday, October 12, 2009

Just For Men: Dopp Kits

A Dopp kit is a small toilet bag, made of leather, vinyl, or cloth, that is used for storing men's grooming tools for travel. Common items kept in a Dopp kit are deodorant, a razor, shaving cream, comb, shampoo, nail clippers, scissors, toothbrush, toothpaste, and cologne. The name derives from early 20th century leather craftsman Charles Doppelt, a German immigrant to the United States, who invented his toiletry case in 1919.
The kits became widely known during the Second World War when they were issued to GIs (= members of the U.S. armed forces). Doppelt's company was purchased by Samsonite in the early 1970s.
Dopp kits were once a common gift given to adolescent males as they ascended from boyhood to adulthood.
Although the term was originally a trademark, it appears to have at least mostly become generic, and the US Patent and Trademark Office lists the trademark as abandoned.
In England the item is known as a "sponge bag".

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