I remember the AV mouth-wash story...and I also remember hearing about guys drinking it...I read somewhere that so many service men were drinking it, that the Army asked AV to change the formula enough so it would make you too sick to drink it.... Thats supposed to be fact.... I know it's been reformulated several times...but everytime I smell it...it's still a time machine to my youth, as every uncle in my family wore this when I was growing up....My Pop was an OC guy...but he'd use it too from time to time...
Aqua Velva has already hit it's 100th anniversary this year (as per the documentation I have already posted). What do you mean in two years and 90th anniversary? Please provide some type of tangible evidence if you are saying the Aqua Velva mouth-wash story is fact. Otherwise we are just spreading unfounded rumors.
I said I remember hearing the rumor about mouth wash....but I myself, knew guys who used to drink Aqua Velva back before they made it poisonous to drink...I believe that was when they changed the color to Blue...I don't know the date, but probably 1935'ish...
I have already inferred with evidence that Aqua Velva was first used as an aftershave in 1917. Please refer to my post: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/aqua-velva.56901/page-3#post-1327174 Could you please clarify your statement. You seem to be saying something to the contrary to my inference. But not actually saying it out right. You are implying something with NO evidence to support your statement.
You already sent me this message. I can't confirm ordeny that it began as an aftershave in 1917. I'm on your side with this, please understand that. IThe references to it beginning as an aftershave are out there...this isn't something I'd make up.
OK so we all agree that the "Aqua Velva as Mouthwash" thing is totally false and unfounded (pending credible proof). To the first part: There should be no murkiness here. I'm not really sure where the above 12+ year discrepancy came into play. Aqua Velva was used as an aftershave in 1917. The USPTO can confirm that the Trademark was submitted in 1917. See below (Front and Back): Additionally this is currently the message that is being displayed on the Aqua Velva website: "Since 1917. America’s first after-shave." and "In honor of our 100-year anniversary, in 2017, Aqua Velva launches its first Sensitive 5-in-1 Aftershave Balm..."
I meant to say the references of it beginning as a MOUTHWASH(not aftershave)are out there. But let me say this-I just saw the website, where it said "America's first aftershave" and listed 1917. However I was looking it AV under Wikipedia, and something strange came up-Wikipedia said 1928, but there was a quick correction to 1917. To summarize, I've now seen more references to 1917 as the year, than otherwise, so I accept 1917 as the year-but I must also accept that other years have been "played around with" which led me to my previous confusion. An example of other years being "played around with" is Basenotes. saying it was launched in 1935. I don't know what THAT is all about, but certainly 1917 does appear to be the proper year.
Well if you want to use it as a mouthwash, go right ahead , I wouldn't want to spoil your fun or fresh breath.
I have examined the Wiki page. I agree that there were other dates that were floating around. However Wiki is a crowd source resource, meaning anyone can post anything they want on it at any time. Therefore any information seen there must be evaluated before taken as truth. If you look at the notes on the Wiki page in the previous references to the dates that Aqua Velva had started, you will find that the dates were peoples best guesses based on old advertising that people found. The one you are referencing was from a Oct. 1928 issue of Popular Science. The person whom posted it implied that Aqua Velva was at least as old as 1928 due to that advertisement. What really blows me away is the fact that all these people were making all these guesses to "As early as dates" based on advertising. But no one thought to check United States Patent and Trademark information. After all the USPT is public information and a pretty reliable source. Who is going to argue with an official U.S. government document stamped "1917"? Ha, good one. But really if you see information that is wrong and you don't correct it then you are contributing to the rumors. So do you want to spread rumors or squash them? How do you like "Fake News"? Well if we can get back to clearly stated evidence based information then it would not be an issue.
I had a shower a few minutes ago. Slapped on a few generous handfuls of AV. My GF got a whiff just now and told me I smell wonderful. I told her I was just wearing AV, then she said there is something about an Aqua Velva Man. I guess the marketing works!
When exactly did this ingredient change take place? Why? According to the USPTO the term "Aqua Velva Ice Blue" was trademarked in 1960. You can easily find references to Soldiers and Sailors drinking original (yellow) Aqua Velva in such books as D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan, p.43 (Goldberg, 2007), as well as other respected sources so that part I regard as fact. The part that is foggy to me is: That I have seen it said in multiple places that Aqua Velva changed their recipe on behest of the U.S. DOD to deter service members from drinking it. Additionally I have seen it said that due to the creation of the second recipe, Aqua Velva had two different recipes (one sent to service members and one sold to the general public) through the 40s and 50s, consequently switched to the later calling it Ice Blue. This is where I have a problem: I can without a doubt say that Aqua Velva Ice Blue was introduced as early as 1957 (per advertising in LIFE p.16 Jan 28, 1957) and Trademarked in 1960. I can say without a doubt that the yellow formula was in use as late as 1953 (per advertising with Burgess Meredith 1948, Francis Grover Cleveland in 1949, Norman Rockwell {LIFE p.205, Sep 14, 1953}). I can not find any documentation from the 40s through 50s that support when exactly and why the recipe change took place. Another weird thing is that I can find Bottles (on eBay, Etse, etc) of the Yellow formula that match the old 20s through 40s advertising with the brass colored lids, as well as bottles that match the old 40s through 50s advertising with the red colored lids. I can find bottles of the Aqua Velva Ice Blue that match the 60s advertising with the blackish colored lids, then 70s and on with blue lids. So if in the 50s there were two different overlapping recipes then wouldn't there be bottles floating around that contain the later recipe still in the 50s style bottle? I find it odd that with how mass produced things are for the Military that I can't find a single example of this supposed recipe that they sent to troops. I'm not saying that the change didn't take place for the above reason. But I really would like to see some type of evidence that this is the case. There really does seem to be a three year gap here. What actually went on during this gap?
....my eyes!!!!my eyes!!!! Yo @stingraysrock , sounds like your GF has good taste...my wife digs AV aswell...And she's crazy for AV Musk....one time I asked her if the Ice Blue reminded her of anything...I was itching, I guess for the "Old Man" metaphor...but she said it smelled very clean and modern...Ha ha....I guess guys enmass stopped wearing it long enough that it's modern again...Thats a testament to how good it's bones are....
