From what I have read, the European version is more similar to the vintage, light blue, AV. I have not tried the European version to compare, but I do have plenty of the vintage stuff and it is quite different form the current dark blue AV.
Aqua Velva - Williams > Combe
- Thread starter JohnShavidson
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I lucked out and scored a BIG Glass bottle from Target in the final weeks of availability. I see the glass bottles on eBay on occasion, most notably the Musk, which had a great glass bottle shape.
That’s very logical, surprisingly I never thought of that..... maybe it’s not so surprising lol
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Who knew there are different AV out there? I had a teacher in high school that was an alky and he kept his nip in an old AV bottle and an Old Spice bottle. We thought his breath smelled like AV too. He would grub cigs from his students, disappear in to a boys room used for storage and swig some AV tainted whisky. Amazing the room did not explode.
There appears to be a whole world of grooming products that are made internationally by license to the original manufacturer, complete with different formulas that were developed for the local markets. AV is one of those products. I have a tube of the Williams Expert shaving cream that is made in France. I've also been trying to get my hands on the lathering Brut cream that is made in Brazil with absolutely no luck. Long story short, I'm completely fascinated by this and wish I had every version of every product to see how they compare. I had a friend buy me a bottle of Brut cologne in Paris, only to leave it in her hotel room. D'oh!
My 92 year old barber told me stories about barbers he knew who would drink aftershave, specifically AV, as Hair of the Dog....... I guess you gotta do what you gotta do, to get through your day. They sure were made tough back then...
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- #28
Wasn't it originally marketed as a mouthwash? The original AV wasn't the Ice Blue we're discussing, it was a greenish affair that was something like 47% grain alcohol. I've read accounts somewhere of servicemen filtering AV through slices of bread before drinking it to make it more palatable. According to Paul Thomas Anderson, the scenes in "The Master" where Joaquin Phoenix makes his complicated poisonous concoctions were inspired by firsthand WW2 stories he heard from Jason Robards and Robert Altman.
Must have been born with a cast iron liver and esophagus and lungs too because they all smoked like chimneys. Did not kill them. Nippin on the Hair Tonic and AV would be something Otis The Drunk in Mayberry would do. Him and Floyd drinking the eau de Quinine, Vitalis and AV.
If you drink that stuff you could go blind. Better off making merlot in a toilet. The Russians drank gasoline during WW2 when some of the camps were liberated. If they survived the horror of incarceration and starvation they proceeded to drink whatever they could find. Nazi benzin killed them in the end. Stalin would have killed them anyway. Sad but true.
Oh yeah, this is some good stuff! I ordered mine from smallflower.com last October, and absolutely love it. I love the fact that it comes in the classic shaped glass bottle, and it looks more like the classic version.
I recently bought some modern US AV for comparison, and while I like them both, the Williams Expert is much better. I also have the AV Musk and the AV Ice Sport and they're both top notch.
Last year, I acquired a bottle of vintage AV Frost Lime, and it just didn't hit me quite right. I don't know if it didn't age well, or if I just don't like lime AS.
I recently bought some modern US AV for comparison, and while I like them both, the Williams Expert is much better. I also have the AV Musk and the AV Ice Sport and they're both top notch.
Last year, I acquired a bottle of vintage AV Frost Lime, and it just didn't hit me quite right. I don't know if it didn't age well, or if I just don't like lime AS.
No, that's a horrible rumor that keeps circulating.
The original AV was a yellowish color. Then it changed to light blue, then to the current dark blue. I have many examples of all three variants.
Got this in the mail but a short hour ago. It does smell very much like the North American version but a little more refined and smoother. I agree 100% that the glass bottle is awesome. I think once this one is empty I’ll just source the local AV and put it in this bottle.
400ml!!! Where did you get that?Got this in the mail but a short hour ago. It does smell very much like the North American version but a little more refined and smoother. I agree 100% that the glass bottle is awesome. I think once this one is empty I’ll just source the local AV and put it in this bottle.
Amazon.com my friend.
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- #38
I got one of those 400ml bottles, too. It's the beastliest aftershave bottle I've ever wielded, it's like a glass brick. Somehow feels way bigger and more substantial in the hand than my 400ml Floid bottles. I have a full liter of Williams AV now, I think I'm set for a good while.
I recently discovered that Al Rehab "Secret Man" perfume oil layers quite nicely over AV after about an hour, once the AV becomes a skin scent. Secret Man is reminiscent of early 90's Kenzo Pour Homme, but without the salty ocean breeze. Lots of roses in the opening but once they settle down it goes perfect with the AV.
I recently discovered that Al Rehab "Secret Man" perfume oil layers quite nicely over AV after about an hour, once the AV becomes a skin scent. Secret Man is reminiscent of early 90's Kenzo Pour Homme, but without the salty ocean breeze. Lots of roses in the opening but once they settle down it goes perfect with the AV.
