Clag (glue)
Clag is an Australian brand of glue made by Bostik.
Although a range of glue products are today marketed by Bostik under the Clag name, the most recognised product is "Clag Paste", which is most commonly sold in iconic red 150-gram bottles that have been relatively unchanged since at least the late 1970s.
History
Clag was first trademarked in 1898 by Joseph Angus, manufacturer, of 216 Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy, Melbourne. The National Archives of Australia holds the original trademark application - a digitised version is available online (see References). The exact composition of the original paste is unknown but is thought to have been starch-based.
Use in Australian Schools
Australian schools commonly request that parents purchase Clag paste for their children as part of the stationery lists that are circulated before each school year. The main reason for this is Clag's reputation for safety and ease of use. The bottle includes a brush recessed into the lid that children find relatively easy to handle, and the packaging does not contain any small components that children might swallow.
The main ingredient of Clag is wheat starch dissolved in a water base, meaning that children can safely swallow the glue without incident. Many Australian adults nostalgically recall eating Clag paste as schoolchildren; in fact numerous Jewish schools discourage Clag paste for this reason, owing to the biblical prohibition on consuming wheat products during passover.
It feels cold to touch and when applied to paper, it sometimes alters the colour of what is on it and causes paper to warp, owing to the high water content of the glue. There is an Australian slang usage of the word "clagged" derived from the characteristic of Clag Paste and can be used in place of the words, "clogged", "congested", "restricted" or "stuck".
References
Angus, Joseph. Application for Trade Mark titled Clag in respect of adhesive paste. Application for trademark. NAA: Series number A11731, Control symbol 5744. Item barcode 5002761. See NAA online catalogue record