A "Woe" Due To Purchasing From Private Seller

[Monocrom]

I buy countless small items every year. (Far too many as a matter of fact.) Some new. Some used. Literally never encountered this issue. If I ever did, it wouldn't be a Buyer Beware situation. Just a bit of an eye-opener at most.

Don't smoke. Tried it. Hated it! Literally amazes me that folks can actually become addicted to it. But, Fact-of-Life, they do. It's not a nasty habit. It's a very Unfortunate Addiction. Expecting someone to not smoke around an item they own that they MIGHT end up selling at a future date, is just unrealistic. The light wasn't damaged. Its condition wasn't misrepresented. You received the light, so you weren't cheated out of your money. Okay, there's a smokers smell to it. That will very slowly vanish now that the light isn't surrounded by cigarette smoke.

 

[knucklegary]

I use to collect vintage Hawaiian aloha shirts. Most of the time the shirts are laundred. Even so, if not posted in ads, my first question is always does it come from "smoke free environment" ?

 

[Monocrom]

I will say that Gain laundry detergent is great for taking out odors from shirts.

 

[Lights and Guns]

Was it Ballistol?

That stuff smells fantastic, and some people swear it smells awful, haha.

YES!
Thats exactly what it was.

Dude, somethings wrong with you if you like that nastiness!!! lol!
Too funny you knew what I was talking about.

 

[leukos]

I hate getting shipped something with pet hair all over it. Fortunately most things I purchase used are easily cleaned.

 

[Schokokeks]

YES!
Thats exactly what it was.

Dude, somethings wrong with you if you like that nastiness!!! lol!
Too funny you knew what I was talking about.

Hahah, Ballistol has quite the reputation.

It actually started as a medicinal oil in Germany, and was taken internally, then used on skin...which made it to leather...which made it to guns.

On account of that, it's part of the long-line of European herbal bitters, which I also quite like. I love the German Kräuterlikörs (e.g. Jägermeister), the Italian and Czech fernets, and Chicago's own Malört, haha. For me, Ballistol reminds me of anise, which I absolutely adore (and it's similar fennel seed and black licorice root), so the smell is fantastic. It's also perfectly safe, so I love putting it on anything that comes into contact with skin that needs a little oil.

You can actually put in on mosquito bites if someone has a bad/allergic reaction to them, and it'll keep them from having a reaction. In Germany, they sell a version that's for internal use (it helps with digestive issues). In the U.S., it's not labeled for such, and they don't sell the pharmaceutical version here.

 

[leeholaaho]

I threw them in the trash in 1974, 10 bucks a pack now. Smokers cannot smell. I had one tell me I was insane when I told him I could smell cig smoke in the car ahead of me.

 

[bykfixer]

I had one tell me I was insane when I told him I could smell cig smoke in the car ahead of me.

I quit one year and agree with that. Heck, still can if sitting in traffic and I'm out of cigarettes. 😱

 

[RWT1405]

YES!
Thats exactly what it was.

Dude, somethings wrong with you if you like that nastiness!!! lol!
Too funny you knew what I was talking about.

Your screen name here is "Lights and Guns", and you're unfamiliar with Ballistol?

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Hahah, Ballistol has quite the reputation.

It actually started as a medicinal oil in Germany, and was taken internally, then used on skin...which made it to leather...which made it to guns.

On account of that, it's part of the long-line of European herbal bitters, which I also quite like. I love the German Kräuterlikörs (e.g. Jägermeister), the Italian and Czech fernets, and Chicago's own Malört, haha. For me, Ballistol reminds me of anise, which I absolutely adore (and it's similar fennel seed and black licorice root), so the smell is fantastic. It's also perfectly safe, so I love putting it on anything that comes into contact with skin that needs a little oil.

You can actually put in on mosquito bites if someone has a bad/allergic reaction to them, and it'll keep them from having a reaction. In Germany, they sell a version that's for internal use (it helps with digestive issues). In the U.S., it's not labeled for such, and they don't sell the pharmaceutical version here.

Ballistol is the best; the smell is unique. Air gun folks use it because there's no petroleum in it. Conventional oil in a spring air gun can detonate the oil with high pressure. Heckler und Koch (HK) used to specifically recommend Ballistol for their guns.

It can sort of gum up but I use it for all kinds of things, like scissors for the kitchen. The smell goes away.

Using nicotine to alleviate stress? Probably smells good because of what it does to them. Maybe similar to the taste of Scotch whiskey?

 

[bluflaam777]

UV rays work, so does coffee, borax also works a deodorizer. Vinegar and baking soda or borax foams but also works very well as a cleaner/deodorizer.
Keep all that from the electronics obviously.

 

[Lights and Guns]

Ballistol is the best; the smell is unique. Air gun folks use it because there's no petroleum in it. Conventional oil in a spring air gun can detonate the oil with high pressure. Heckler und Koch (HK) used to specifically recommend Ballistol for their guns.

It can sort of gum up but I use it for all kinds of things, like scissors for the kitchen. The smell goes away.

Using nicotine to alleviate stress? Probably smells good because of what it does to them. Maybe similar to the taste of Scotch whiskey?

Don't care how good it is, the smells absolutely disgusting. Been using CPL for many years and never have had a single problem with any of my guns.

 

[Schokokeks]

Ballistol is the best; the smell is unique. Air gun folks use it because there's no petroleum in it. Conventional oil in a spring air gun can detonate the oil with high pressure. Heckler und Koch (HK) used to specifically recommend Ballistol for their guns.

It can sort of gum up but I use it for all kinds of things, like scissors for the kitchen. The smell goes away.

Using nicotine to alleviate stress? Probably smells good because of what it does to them. Maybe similar to the taste of Scotch whiskey?

It can only really gum up in super cold temps, but then...so do most oils. We're talking well into the minus temps

The German military switched to Ballistol in large part because they'd been using sunflower oil (and other traditional oils) in WW1, and they ran into issues in the Alps with actions getting slow/sticky, especially in winter.

The anti-oxidants in Ballistol keep it from polymerizing like something like Linseed oil does.

Don't care how good it is, the smells absolutely disgusting. Been using CPL for many years and never have had a single problem with any of my guns.

CLP tends to leak out of the bottles like a nightmare (like Hoppe's). It also contains teflon, the production of which has a pretty nasty history of contaminating waterways (statistically, those surficants are inside the blood of anyone reading this).

Ballistol has a very unique advantage, too: It has pretty much the longest track record of any commercial product, so we know it's safe on all sorts of things, long-term. It's also great for leather and wood, so it's essentially the go-to product for anyone who's a collector/enthusiast of historical firearms.

You can mix it with water, shake it up, and it's pretty much the single best cleaner for black powder. It's slightly basic, too, so it's extra good for historical firearms that end up using corrosive primer ammunition.

As someone above pointed out, the odor fades if you don't like it. Leave things out in the garage or a three seasons room for the night, and it's pretty much fine after a few hours. Even with leather, where it really soaks in.

 

[jon_slider]

smells absolutely disgusting.

google agrees:
"Ballistol smells similar to puke mixed with black licorice."

ingredients:
Mineral Oil
"belongs to the group of medicines called laxatives"
Anise
"anise is one of those smells that you either love or desperately hate, smells like licorice"
Potassium Oleate
"used as an emulsifier in many liquid soaps, facial cleansers, mustache waxes, body washes and hair permanents. Potassium Oleate prevents the ingredients in these products from separating into separate chemicals."
Ammonium Oleate
"Used in cosmetics and as an emulsifying agent; Used in detergents"
Oleic Acid
"an omega-9 fatty acid. It can be made by the body. It is also found in foods. Highest levels are found in olive oil and other edible oils."
Benzyl Alcohol
"has a role as a solvent, and a fragrance. Found naturally in gardenias, used in a wide variety of consumer products for its robust floral, jasmine aroma."
Amyl Alcohol
"used as a solvent"
Isobutyl Alcohol
"a colorless liquid with a mild, sweet, and musty odor. It is used as a solvent, and as a flavoring."
Benzyl Acetate
"a prevalent component in perfumery, offers a sweet floral and fruity scent, resembling Jasmine and Gardenia."

 

[Monocrom]

I guess eventually you get used to the smell.

 

[snakebite]

I have a bad allergy to cigarette smoke. And i cant pass up a good deal on radio equipment at a sk estate sale. Too often you find the reason the operators gear is for sale cheap is that he smoked himself to death. I have literally washed rigs in the sink and dried in the oven. I first remove the speaker,lcd,ect that wont tolerate water and clean separately. Bargains to be had if you know how to clean up the nasty things. My latest is a $50 icom ic-756pro3. Lots of time on that one but it looks and smells new now. It stunk so bad when i picked it up you could smell it through the trash bag .i left it in the pickup bed overnight .

 

[Schokokeks]

I guess eventually you get used to the smell.

Incidentally, much like cilantro, a preference for anise/fennel/licorice is largely genetic.

The ironic thing is that half the people who complain about Ballistol's smell use Hoppe's (which not only smells way worse, but is horrifyingly toxic) or WD-40. I'd rank the Ballistol aroma as DISTINCT, but not particularly strong, since it doesn't have a whole ton of distillates in it (like some products do). WD-40 is noticeably stronger in aroma, and it tends to linger a lot longer.

And, I'll take Ballistol over Cosmoline, any day, haha. That smell NEVER goes away.

google agrees:
"Ballistol smells similar to puke mixed with black licorice."

The funny thing about the criticism in the U.S., is that we're home to Hershey's chocolate, which contains butyric acid, which is one of the chemicals responsible for the distinct flavor and aroma of vomit, haha.

I'd say Ballistol smells more like herbal liquors; the "alcohol" smell, but with a vaguely medicinal herb tone (and a touch of mint).

 

[Monocrom]

And, I'll take Ballistol over Cosmoline, any day, haha. That smell NEVER goes away.

Oh, I'd much rather deal with the smell of Cosmoline. The smell is extremely mild. Getting it off of knives forged in certain Middle Eastern nations is the worst part, by far! They don't just coat the knives for shipping and corrosion protection. They practically toss them into a barrel full of the stuff, pull them out. Wipe off nothing and just wrap it all in thick plastic for shipping. Getting that stuff off is ridiculously time-consuming. I don't mind the smell at all.

 

[snakebite]

Now all we need is the ratios so we can make our own ballistol too.
Btw homebrew deoxit is made with 85% light petroleum solvent as a carrier,10% oleic acid,and 5%oil.
Been using it forever.
Zippo fluid goes away faster than other light petroleum like kerosene, stoddard,ect

 

[aznsx]

Subjectivity. Not unlike flashlights, now that you mention it.