Klarinet Archive - Posting 000995.txt from 1997/08

From: DGross1226@-----.com
Subj: Re: Increase your Grease with "Mink Oil"
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 17:35:43 -0400

In a message dated 97-08-22 19:46:38 EDT, Carol wrote:

<< Another question: what is cork grease made of?>>

What goes around comes around. A few years back I posted the following to
Klarinet:

One day I was going thru some of my (now) adult kids' stuff that they had
left at home and discovered a 3 oz., margarine-sized tub of "Smiling Mink
Leather Waterproofer" which they had used to waterproof their boots before
going to winter camps at Yosemite. I opened the tub and was greeted by the
wonderful smell of commercial grade cork! Three ounces is a virtual lifetime
supply and I've been using it ever since. Playing C, Bb, A, Bb bass, and
Eb contra alto clarinets, I use a LOT of cork grease. Trust me, the stuff's
identical.

The ingredients include: mink oil (I don't think you want to know how they
extract it), extra fancy beef tallow (which makes the case for possibly using
candle wax in a homebrew recipe if I correctly remember how the Pilgrims made
candles), zinc stearate, stabilizer, and "leatherome" (whatever the heck that
is).

Bottom line: Check out leather waterproofers at your local sporting good
store. The label notes that the "Original Mink Oil Company" is in Portland,
Oregon, 97220. Unfortunately the P.O. box number was obliterated.

Don Gross
La Canada, California