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Black Belt After Shave

post #1 of 6
6/17/10 at 3:33pm
Thread Starter 
Greetings!

I came across a vintage bottle of "Black Belt" After Shave today. The box states it is from 1968 (!). The bottle is full and it smells, well, like it's from the late 60's (kind of a cinnamon Pinaud?).

A Google search brings up very little about it (a couple of vintage ads for it, an empty bottle on eBay, and a blog post).

Any comments about it? I was not alive yet so don't know much about it other than my guess that it was probably released due to the "Hai Karate" craze?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 6
6/17/10 at 10:02pm
I remember some HK clones back then, but none specifically. I recall thinking that HK was already fairly lame, and that ripping off HK was REALLY lame. Good catch, though - that might be a bit of a collector's item. I've had difficulty even finding information about some of the short-lived frags from that era.
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post #3 of 6
6/17/10 at 11:48pm
Thread Starter 
After I've smelled it a little more, I realize it smells more along the lines of a powdery British Sterling or Dana's Monsieur Musk. A "cinnamon Pinaud' was way off base.

One thing I can surely say is this stuff is VERY strong for an A/S! I also don't detect any rancid smell at all -- this stuff is 41 years old and I think it's in better shape than I am in!

The box states it is made by "Leeming Division Pfizer, Inc." Pfizer!?!?! A quick Google search reveals they were also responsible for Hai Karate, so I guess it's more of a spin-off than a knock off.

And yes, I like it!
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post #4 of 6
3/7/11 at 3:11pm
Sorry for the bump but my dad sent me a box of after shaves he's collected at yard sales and the like back where I grew up (a very rural area where literally any and everything turns up somewhere if you wait long enough). Inside was a half-full bottle of Black Belt. It is EXCELLENT. Not sure exactly what direction they were aiming but it is NOT like Jade East, HK and the rest of the green juices of the day. To my nose, I agree with someone above that it is quite comparable to Pinaud Special Reserve...so comparable in fact that I combined the two into one damned fantastic juice. If you see some, get some. I've never had a bottle of any brand that old, or older, that had gone "bad;" whether they were bad to begin with is another issue.

BLACK BELT FTW (if you can find it).
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post #5 of 6
7/21/12 at 8:41pm
I know this is an old post, but I just recently acquired a full unopened bottle of this. The seal basically fell to pieces when I tried to peel it off, so I know it had never been opened. My grandpa died a couple of months ago, and apparently was a pack rat with certain things. I don't guess he ever threw away or wore cologne that he got because my grandmother gave me a couple of full bottles of English Leather that he had never used either. Looking forward to using Black Belt!
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post #6 of 6
10/24/12 at 5:07pm
For you guys who have Black Belt, this was not a knock off of anything. And not many guys wore it. It is distinct and original. I have been looking for some for my husband for years since they quit making it (I think). If you have it, you are very lucky.
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