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The development of non-inflammable items was in response to public concern about combustible celluloid items.
Celluloid movie film is notorious for catching fire and there is an unsubstantiated story about an accountant's green celluloid visor igniting when he attempted to light a cigar.
Casein and Bakelite are two plastics specifically developed to be noncombustable.
Below are pictures of Columbia-Minerva Afhan Book Vol.722 c1960 cover and the page of one of the two patterns calling for a "Boye" Non-Inflammable Plastic Crochet Hooks in that book,
an assortment of "Boye" knitting pins and crochet hooks, all marked non-Inflammable, "Boye" knitting pin and crochet hook gauges dated 1933 that mention Non-Inflammable knitting pins on the back,
and red & blue knitting pins with the label: " 'Dependon' Non-Inflammable Erinoid gauge 1 Made in England". Erinoid is a casein plastic.
The crochet hooks are also marked "Pat 2024794 US, a 1935 patent for hook shape. The patent does not mention non-inflammability. Copy 2024794 to: pat2pdf.org to see or print the patent.
Here is a short, incomplete list of books & magazines containing patterns calling for non-inflammable crochet hooks or knitting pins/needles:
Columbia War Relief Vol.93, 1940.
Minerva Hand Knits for Men in Service, 1941 (calls for "Athena" noninflammable knitting needles).
McCall Needlework magazine, Fall/Winter 1952-53.
Botany College Hand Knit Vol.II, 1958.
Columbia- Minerva Afghan Book Vol.722, c1960.
This is an ongoing research project. If you know of any other crochet hooks, knitting pins/needles (or other needlework tools) sold as non-inflammable,
or if you know of any other books, magazines or gauges mentioning them, I would appreciate hearing from you: threadwinder@aol.com