https://casetext.com/case/mershon-company-v-pachmayrThis is the real story. It is an interesting read if you want to know what happened and when it happened.
"There came a time in 1936 when, by mutual consent, Pachmayr withdrew from the business, leaving Mershon or the Mershon Company owner of and continuing in the business and possessed of a valid agreement by which Pachmayr agreed not to compete in business with Mershon for thirty months. The agreement was lived up to, but after expiration of the given time, Pachmayr resumed business as Mershon's competitor and made and sold recoil pads without the white line feature or symbol. " "However, sometime in 1945, Pachmayr's pad appeared on the market with the white line exactly as it had been used during the period in which Pachmayr and Mershon were together." So white line pads must have been made in or before 1936. Still ugly to this day.
