Quote:
Originally Posted by feddup
By the way the patent for claybars dates to like 1930. This is nothing new.
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The current U.S. patent is #
5,727,993 and is dated 1998. None of the referenced patents go back further than 1966 and they all appear to be variations on grinding ideas but not identical to claybars. As I understand it (WARNING folklore here), claybars came into use in the 80's in Japanese paintshops to remove overspray. The US patents came after. The company that holds the patent has aggressively pursued copycats and violators so there is only one source of claybar in the US - Automagic - no matter who's name is on the label. Old time detailers speak longingly about a competitor to Automagic that no longer sells in the US because of the patent. If you see a bar of 'Ricardo' at a garage sale, buy it.
Feel free to correct the folklore or provide alternative facts if I got anything wrong. You can check the patent details at the USPTO website -
US Patent Full-Text Database Number Search