# What branded product has remained unchanged for the longest time? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373 "2022-01-07T14:31:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/21 "2022-01-07T17:00:42Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > At some point, I think they added a hole in the cap. I don’t remember the hole in the cap from when I was a young kid but I think it happened in my childhood. That’s at least one small change. Wasn’t the hole in the cap added as a safety measure? So if a kid inhaled the cap & it plugged the airway, some air could still get through? Or is that an urban legend I remember from somewhere? Edit: Yep, that’s the reason. [https://www.sciencealert.com/why-there-are-holes-in-tops-of-pen-caps-lids-bic](https://www.sciencealert.com/why-there-are-holes-in-tops-of-pen-caps-lids-bic) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/22 "2022-01-07T17:02:28Z")
> **[The Reason For Holes on The Tops of Pen Caps Is Surprisingly Awesome](https://www.sciencealert.com/the-reason-for-holes-on-the-tops-of-pen-caps-is-surprisingly-awesome)** > > Sometimes, science is all about the mind-aching big picture. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/23 "2022-01-07T17:03:06Z")
Hey, we found the exact same link! 🙌 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/24 "2022-01-07T17:09:31Z")
So it isn’t a problem to pull out the plugs on the end away from the tip and suck on them so they stick to your tongue? 🙂 Now THAT’S something this 61-yr old hasn’t thought of in some time… ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/25 "2022-01-07T17:20:26Z")
AFAIK, original SPAM is still the same delicious whatever it is since 1937. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/26 "2022-01-07T17:22:25Z")
Aspirin (1899) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Old_Package_of_Aspirin.jpg/800px-Old_Package_of_Aspirin.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Old_Package_of_Aspirin.jpg/800px-Old_Package_of_Aspirin.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/27 "2022-01-07T17:22:46Z")
Fels-Naptha has had a pretty consistent brand since the late 1800s. The product itself did drop naphtha as an ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/28 "2022-01-07T17:28:34Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Aspirin (1899) What I find remarkable is that since 1899, the standard dose of 500mg hasn’t changed. At least it’s still the same here in the country of origin of Aspirin/Bayer. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/29 "2022-01-07T17:34:33Z")
TMT Borax has been around for 131 years. > **[20 Mule Team Borax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Mule_Team_Borax)** > > 20 Mule Team Borax is a brand of cleaner manufactured in the United States by The Dial Corporation, a subsidiary of Henkel. The product primarily consists of borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, and is named after the 20-mule teams that were used by William Tell Coleman's company to move borax out of Death Valley, California, to the nearest rail spur between 1883 and 1889. > When borax is added to water, it converts some molecules in the water to hydroge... [https://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/history/](https://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/history/) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/30 "2022-01-07T17:38:23Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I always like that old joke - if it is only 99% pure, what exactly IS that 1%? 99 and 44/100%. > **[If Ivory Soap is 99 and 44/100% pure, what’s the other 56/100%?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341601/if-ivory-soap-is-99-and-44-100-pure-what-s-the-other-56-100)** ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/31 "2022-01-07T17:53:42Z")
What about alcoholic beverages such as whiskey and wine? Some brands have been around for a very long time. While true that the government mandated information on the label has probably changed this is in the fine print which you don’t notice at a glance. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/32 "2022-01-07T18:07:15Z")
89 - 99 cents a box at the local grocery these days. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/33 "2022-01-07T18:47:31Z")
Highway robbery I say! (I kid. Seems like a fair price. They go on sale a lot too.) ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/34 "2022-01-07T18:51:49Z")
In fairness, I went on a factory tour of their manufacturing facility in Chelsea, MI (home of actor Jeff Daniels) a few years ago where they gave out a couple boxes of complimentary mix at the end, but you could buy additional quantities of any of their products by the case priced at 50 cents/box. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/35 "2022-01-07T19:28:28Z")
Minor nitpick: I found an OLD crystal BIC pen in the back of my desk drawer. The nib that holds the rolling ball and which is inserted into the clear pen body is one-piece solid brass. I see that the new nibs have a smaller brass point contained in a gold-colored plastic surround. On the other hand, yellow pencils (Ticonderoga, Koh-in-noor) haven’t changed much. I believe that some brands even have the same color paint band on the eraser ferrule. Jiffy Mix has been mentioned. Similar “basic but branded” products are: Gold Medal Flour. Bon Ami cleanser, Kellog’s Corn Flakes, and Morton Salt. Consider basic hand tools: My Stanley hand plane looks like the one they are still selling. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/36 "2022-01-07T20:00:12Z")
Many classic hand tool designs, planes in particular, have been put back into production. The late 1800’s-early 1900’s was when hand tools were perfected, just before them becoming somewhat obsolete. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/37 "2022-01-07T20:03:49Z")
The Bic pen made me think of the classic Faber Castell pencil. It’s a brand with a long tradition, and a pencil per se hasn’t changed significantly in the last hundred years or so. I don’t know if the design has changed, but at least these look exactly like I remember them from my school days, which began in 1974: > **[Bleistift FABER-CASTELL 1111 günstig kaufen | Schäfer Shop](https://www.schaefer-shop.de/p/bleistift-faber-castell-1111)** > > Bleistift FABER-CASTELL 1111 jetzt bestellen ✓ große Auswahl ✓ hochwertige Qualität ✓ schnelle Lieferung ✓ faire Preise ✓ Top Service Here’s the wiki link to Faber-Castell: > **[Faber-Castell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faber-Castell)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Faber-Castell AG is a manufacturer of pens, pencils, other office supplies (e.g., staplers, slide rules, erasers, rulers) and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Headquartered in Stein, Germany, it operates 14 factories and 20 sales units throughout the globe. The Faber-Castell Group employs a staff of approximately 8,000 and does business in more than 120 countries. The House of Faber-Castell is the fam... ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/38 "2022-01-07T20:05:52Z")
The Colt M1911 handgun is still being manufactured and is still in service in the military (mostly with special forces). But the Colt Single Action Army is still being produced, and it dates to 1872. The Zippo lighter dates to the 1930’s, and the original model is still for sale. I suspect a beer may hold the title of oldest product still made. **Stella Artois** dates to 1366. In Canada Hudson’s Bay was started in 1670, and it’s still going. Sime of their products have been unchnged for a long time. Tabasco sauce was first sold in 1865. Tabasco isn’t a type of sauce, it’s a brand name. A&W Root beer got its start in 1920 during prohibition. The Chevy Suburban is the oldest production car brand - 82 years old. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/39 "2022-01-07T20:13:36Z")
Is Fels an ingredient? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373/40 "2022-01-07T20:14:37Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I suspect a beer may hold the title of oldest product still made. **Stella Artois** dates to 1366. But it surely was a much different product that today’s. For one thing, nobody had a clue then that something like yeast was a critical ingredient for the process, it just happened accidentally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-branded-product-has-remained-unchanged-for-the-longest-time/957373.md?page=3)