WaterWar.net

https://imgur.com/Ea12ztq

I found this at a thrift store yesterday and have been unable to locate any other information on it. Its yellow handle rocks back and forth to pressurize the back tank, which is fixed in place with a removable rear cap. The cylinder near the top is a hollow and unusable "sniper scope."

The only markings are near the handle:

© MATTEL INC 1991 TTMP PAT PENDING U.S. PATENT No. 4239129

The patent is for a generic water gun and did not reveal any other interesting information: https://patents.google.com/patent/US4239129A/en

The only other clue is the logo on both sides of the gun. Here is a cleaned up version of it: https://imgur.com/n3Zuagp

I haven't tried the thing, but based on its condition it probably won't work. I can't disassemble it because of screws hidden under the stickers.

My best guesses: - prototype or test market item made by Mattel during the Super Soaker craze but never widely released - item manufactured on behalf of Talk to Me Products (the patent holder) by Mattel but not marketed by them as such

Hi, welcome to WaterWar.net.

I'm not familiar with this blaster. There are a large number of little known water guns. Your guess that this wasn't widely released is probably true. But, possibly someone here might know more, particularly iSoaker. The history of the patent listed on Google Patents is interesting. Talk to Me Products was Alan Amron's company. He's famous for inventing battery powered water guns. I've emailed him before (over a decade ago), and he provided interesting information about the history of water guns. I'd recommend contacting him, though I do not have current contact information for him.

The patent also appears on this incomplete page I wrote way back: http://www.sscentral.org/history/beginnings.html

But I didn't give the patent number there and probably lost it, so thanks for posting this! I think I mentioned the patent there because this was an early air pressure water gun. I had assumed nothing was manufactured based on the patent, but that's not true.

Seems that this patent was involved in some litigation, described here: https://www.nathenson.org/courses/ip/re ... i-v-amron/

But I don't see any mention of blasters sold under the patent in a quick skim.

If you do figure out what it is, post here so others could know too.

Also: I'm attaching your photo here as external image links tend to break over time and I'd like to archive as much as possible.

Thank you! I had the idea of trying to write to folks mentioned in the patents and that is a good lead. I actually already checked iSoaker, which is actually what led me here to this forum.

Honestly, if it weren't for the "Mattel" branding I would probably leave it be as an eternal mystery. But the idea of a water blaster by a major manufacturer with an alternate pressurization mechanism the same year as the classic Soaker is just too much to let go!

The only blaster name I can find possibly related to this is the "Totally Rad Soaker", as mentioned here: https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/27/busi ... sence.html

The logo possibly could be for Talk to Me Products or for the Totally Rad Soaker.

SSCBen wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2020 1:59 pm

The logo possibly could be for Talk to Me Products or for the Totally Rad Soaker.

I had that same thought, but the court case describes the Totally Rad Soaker as "battery powered." Would be nice if any of the court cases had images attached!