How are balls Scented? Does it last?

[MICHAEL]

This might seem like a stupid question, me being retired now and getting back into bowling after a 40 year layoff do to working two jobs most of my life,,,,, but a good friend of mine has a Vivid, and Woooooow does it smell good. He handed it to me to look at, and didn't know if I should throw it, or eat it!! ( did lick it, and in no way would I recommend it, the smell does not reflect the taste. But I will say he can make that ball hit the pocket like a Mack Truck! The pins seem to explod, and very forgiving if you
miss your mark. My question is how do they get that incorporated into the ball, and does the mint smell last for any period of time. It would make a Great Air freshener
when not being used for bowling. I will say this, the smell takes nothing away from its unbelivable ability to put strikes on the board!!!!

[dgz924s]

I cannot say exactly how the fragrance is incorporated but my guess is the fragrant oil is blended in to the coverstock (the outer shell). It is intended to be used as "aroma therapy". If you look at many bowlers the ball is not too far from the nose and lane oil/conditioners are not so nice to smell. The scent is pleasant and calming, depending on ones taste so if you do not like cherry then it may not be so pleasant.

My Storm Fast Pearl was Cherry and very tasty indeed and the scent lasted approximately 1 year but I would think that depended on how the ball was maintained. A ball not cleaned at all will soak up alot of the oil which would affect the fragrance, and one cleaned regularly might last longer.

[billf]

My Storm Hot Rod is 6 years old and still has the scent. I was told the fragrance was some how added below the coverstock which is why you can smell more through the thumb hole. Don't know if it's true though. How about it Dan, you're a Storm staff member and I'm sure you either know the answer or can find out?

[MICHAEL]

I wonder if you apply a good quality oil sent through the thumb, or finger hole,,,, say just a drop in the bottom if that would work, or would it make the ball to slick to hold.
(((not that scent is all that important))), but it does add a nice touch to the whole bowling experience! Is the core of most bowling balls absorbent! I have to admit, that
Vivid that a friend of mine has, smells good enough to eat!

[bowl1820]

Heres from the patent.
A bowling ball including a rubber material and at least one fragrance. The rubber material may be substantially nonporous and substantially rigid. Polyurethane may be used as the rubber material. The bowling ball may, optionally, include a pigment. A method by which the bowling ball is formed includes dissolving the fragrance in a polyol, adding a catalyst, introducing the mixture into a mold, and polymerizing the mixture.

See the patent here.
http://www.google.com/patents/US7699713

[MICHAEL]

Great information,, thanks!! Wow does that Vivid smell good... it could take the place of those little Evergreen hang on your car mirror smell good thingies!! Only problem would be it might take the mirror of the glass!! (

[americantrotter]

You should smell the ball return when two tropical breezes are at the end by the blower! Smells like Axe body Spray got in the vents! (I have one, so does my buddy)

[The Mayor]

It does make a great air freshener for your bag! But as we know, you shouldn't leave your bowling balls in the car so it should only freshen the air to and from the lanes! Depending on the ball though, the scent can last a very long time.

[Gordon325]

My Virtual gravity lost its scent after about 3 months

[Etrain]

iv yet to smell one, i want to go to the pro shop and start sniffing now