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Bear Grease

bustedknee
Some years ago I rendered out several pints of bear grease from the greasiest old black bear I have ever encountered.  I was coming down with a stomach bug at the time and the more the fat cooked the stronger the smell got and the sicker I got.  So I have left those sealed jars in the cabinet until I could work up the courage to crack a seal.

With this chillier weather hanging around the last couple of days I felt the need to dig my boots out of storage.  One look at my faded footwear convinced me I dearly needed some boot dressing.  I found nothing in my work bench or in town...then I ran across the bear grease.

I've heard bear grease makes the best donuts and best leather treatment on the planet.  I also heard bear grease is a good treatment for wood so now I'm thinking 30-30 rifle stock (1952 Marlin 336).

Reluctantly, I opened a jar and surprisingly, no smell!  The fat had settled to the bottom of the jar and an inch or so of clear oil was on top.  I poured it off then used that beautiful white grease to treat my warmed boots.  It went on easy and they look good!  (I should have made a before photo).

What I'm hoping for is information from folks that have knowledge of bear grease, either directly or 2nd hand.
What else is it good for?  Wagon axles?  Hair dressing?  Toast?  Hand lotion?

More importantly though, is there anything I should add to the bear grease for treating leather or wood?

Or if this post reminds you of a bear story, that will suffice as a reply.
 

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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • DONDALINGER
    The bear grease my kinfolk make is more of a clear oil. Excellent on leather and a bunch of other uses. Also no smell whatsoever. They take bear fat and cook it on the stove to render the grease.
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  • SW0320
    Lot of grease should come from this bear.

    https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/wisconsin-girl-11-black-bear-record-potential
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  • bambihunter
    Only problem with that story SW0320 is that now, as a hunter, she hardly has a chance for a better one. I know two women that the first year they hunted got nice bucks. one was an absolute gorgeous symmetrical monster. Neither have hunted deer again.  
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  • iceracerx
    Way back when (mid 60s) we used Bear Grease to lube the various sliding parts on our Trumpets.  We used a very thin oil to lube the valves.
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  • SW0320
    Only problem with that story SW0320 is that now, as a hunter, she hardly has a chance for a better one. I know two women that the first year they hunted got nice bucks. one was an absolute gorgeous symmetrical monster. Neither have hunted deer again.  
    I though the same thing when I saw the article.
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  • bustedknee
    The bear grease my kinfolk make is more of a clear oil. Excellent on leather and a bunch of other uses. Also no smell whatsoever. They take bear fat and cook it on the stove to render the grease.
    I saved the oil...I'll try it.

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  • bustedknee
    us55840 said:
    I have a tin of bear grease ... been around some 70 years or more.  A two piece tin, slightly larger than a tin of KIWI shoe polish.  The tin is white with black print and picture of black bear on top.
     I'll have to look for it .. stored someplace with my 'fix it' stuff...although can't recall ever using it for anything.  As I recall it's a dark color, maybe black.
    You think its real bear grease with dye, maybe?

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  • Brookwood
    Bear grease makes an excellent patch lube for shooting round balls through a muzzle loader.  Old timers back in the day used it as a rust preventative down the bores of their rifles and fowlers. 
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  • nononsense
    Brookwood said:
    Bear grease makes an excellent patch lube for shooting round balls through a muzzle loader.  Old timers back in the day used it as a rust preventative down the bores of their rifles and fowlers. 
    This what we always used for patched ball loads in muzzle loaders. I have read about bear grease being used on the front of black powder pistol cylinders as well.

    While designing and building custom air tools for aircraft and aerospace, we always kept Neatsfoot oil on hand for the leather washers used in some air tools. It was made from cow shin bones and hooves. My guess is that with a little refining, you have a long term supply of oil and grease for your boots. Your solution will probably be better than the commercial garbage they sell in the shoe stores.

    Best.

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  • bustedknee
    I used to joke about cleaning my Glocks with moonshine then lubricating them with bear grease.
    Its no longer a joke - I'm going to do it.
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