Kharkene

and

KHARKENE is the registered trade mark of “Nugget” Khaki Cleaner made specially for Khaki Webbing Military Equipment. A liquid cleaner that WILL NOT RUB OFF. On sale everywhere in convenient pots, complete with sponge.

The New Zealand 1942 adverts of the liquid Kharkene make play of the Nugget trade name, very well known in that part of the world of course. However, the block Kharkene product illustrated is not branded Nugget but ‘from the makers of Cherry Blossom’. Chiswick Polish Co, the owners of the Cherry Blossom brand, had entered into trading arrangements with Nugget Polish Company in 1919, formalised into a full amalgamation ten years later. This being the case, until more cross referencing information come to light, it is not possible to accurately date the illustrated box except to say it is after 1917, the date when numerals were added to London postal districts.

This varient of Kharkene is of the standard Khaki shade. Interestingly it varies from the box illustrated previously by the omission of reference to Cherry Blossom and the addition of the reference to the overseas division of Chiswick. This company disappeared on the takeover by Reckitt’s in 1953 and had probably been formed on the full merger of Nugget in 1929. The block shape and design is a complete copy of Joseph Pickering’s Blanco