What makes Hoppe's #9 smell so good?

[geargnasher]

Since I started making an using Ed's Red I've been missing the good ol' smell of Hoppe's bore cleaner (one of those good aromatic associations with my childhood, like crayons and fresh coffee). I certainly like the way Ed's works, but the smell reminds me of when my wife paints her nails instead of Manly stuff like scrubbing out well-loved GUNS after a good day of grunting, scratching, and blowing stuff up.

Somebody told me once that bananna oil is used in Hoppe's, that makes sense since artificial pineapple and bannana were some of the first aromatic esters used to flavor food and drinks. I'm not sure that it's bananna, or if it's natural oil or artificial, anyone care to take an educated guess? I'd like to "flavor" my Ed's, at least make it smell less like a beauty parlor!

Gear

[454PB]

Banana oil is what I recall hearing or reading.

Did you ever notice that old Hoppes begins to smell sour? It still works OK, but gets a nasty smell.

[geargnasher]

I'm going to check out the Adam's extract lineup and also the craft store, see what I can come up with. While I'm at it, I'm going to check the dictionary and see how the heck to spell "banana". I tried it a couple of ways in the first post, 454pb, I think you might have it right.

Gear

[looseprojectile]

Some fond memories are the smell of aircraft dope. Most military aircraft even when the airframe was metal the controll surfaces were still fabric and dope. I know---that was more than half a century ago. Butyrate dope has banana oil in it IIRC. To reduce oxidation.
In a word it is called "Marketing". If it smells good it is good.
So much for, "The first bite is taken with the eye". My first bite is taken with the nose, I don't see well anymore.
I wouldn't be without Hoppes. I love the smell of powder burning in the morning.

Life is good

[257 Shooter]

Banana is correct Gear. Talk to you soon.

[winelover]

I maybe in the minority but I DEPLORE the smell of Hoppes #9----I will only use it as a last resort and it has to be outdoors! I prefer Shooter's Choice but lately, I've been using use Kroil as a bore cleaner.

Winelover:drinks:

[woody1]

If y'all can get a copy of Ed's original write-up for Ed's Red you will see that the mineral spirits was substituted for turpentine. I mix mine about half part spirits of turpentine and half part mineral spirits. I like the smell of turpentine. Give it a try. Regards, Woody

[beagle]

Nothing reminds me of hunting season more than the smell of Hoppe's #9 and the smoke from a Super-X shell. Mixed, it's perfect./beagle

[twotoescharlie]

banana oil---amyl acetate

TTC

[markinalpine]

Some fond memories are the smell of aircraft dope. Most military aircraft even when the airframe was metal the controll surfaces were still fabric and dope. I know---that was more than half a century ago. Butyrate dope has banana oil in it IIRC. To reduce oxidation.
In a word it is called "Marketing". If it smells good it is good.
So much for, "The first bite is taken with the eye". My first bite is taken with the nose, I don't see well anymore.
I wouldn't be without Hoppes. I love the smell of powder burning in the morning.

Life is good

...was what we used to test gas masks and vehicle NBC filters for function, because of the distinct odor.

Mark :coffeecom

[44fanatic]

Banana oil is what I recall hearing or reading.

Did you ever notice that old Hoppes begins to smell sour? It still works OK, but gets a nasty smell.

Gonna have to check that out. Have a bottle out in the garage that is at least 30 yrs old, possibly older than me even (42).

[stubshaft]

Nothing reminds me of hunting season more than the smell of Hoppe's #9 and the smoke from a Super-X shell. Mixed, it's perfect./beagle

Make that a Super-X paper shell![smilie=w:

[DLCTEX]

+1 on the Ed's Red with turpentine. I can smell it when firing a gun that's been cleaned with it. I like the smell, but the wife hates it, just like Hoppe's. Of course she doesn't like WD-40,Rusty Duck, or any other gun cleaning stuff.

[Piedmont]

Hoppes does not smell like it used to. I have an old bottle or two that I inherited and it has the old smell I remembered from when I was a kid. The new stuff smells similar, but not the same.

I think maybe the old stuff has benzene in it and they had to take that out to save the world and all of us in it.

[geargnasher]

Hoppes does not smell like it used to. I have an old bottle or two that I inherited and it has the old smell I remembered from when I was a kid. The new stuff smells similar, but not the same.

I think maybe the old stuff has benzene in it and they had to take that out to save the world and all of us in it.

I remember it would dissolve shotgun wad smears a lot better 20 years ago, that may well be why. Also the reason I tried Ed's. Of course politicians were noble, prices were reasonable, and children respected their elders then, too. :-?

Gear

[lwknight]

Since were on the subject or similar, what is the smell in LLA that reminds me of a saddle & boot store? Whatever it is I like it. Especially in the morning.

[Echo]

I like the smell, but the wife hates it, just like Hoppe's. Of course she doesn't like WD-40,Rusty Duck, or any other gun cleaning stuff.

Our wives hate those smells because they love us so much, they need something to balance out.

I think...

[Hip's Ax]

Hoppe's used to have Nitrobenzene in it and indeed the "banna oil" is amyl acetate and if I remember correctly if you use Isoamyl acetate you need less to get that familiar smell.

Felix knows all about this, I'm just repeating what I believe he stated in the past.

[Typecaster]

I much prefer Ed's Red with real turpentine, but real turpentine is getting very hard to find. There seems to be a turpentine shortage now…

Richard

[Hardcast416taylor]

I too enjoy the aroma of Hoppe`s. Add in the smell of 3-in-1 oil and you take me back to the `50`s and gun cleaning time on the farm.Robert

[3006guns]

The exact forumula for Hoppe's is given in Hatcher's notebook if anyone has a copy. I'm with you though......I've used every "latest and greatest, space age wonder cleaner" and I still prefer the smell of Hoppe's. It's what I grew up with.

I also noted that it smells different these days. Not at all like when I was a kid. At first I thought it was my "memory sniffer" going bad, so I'm glad there's someone else who noticed it.

[9.3X62AL]

Hoppe's #9 solvent is a classic, all right. Add in a paper Super-X shotshell's scent, and you have created Autumn in my mind.

[AZ-Stew]

It also has female pheromones in it. That's why men like the smell of it and women don't.

Regards,

Stew

[bgokk]

While I was working as a firearms instructor and gunsmith for the Memphis Police Dept. We had the part of the bolt (S&W’s name for the internal part of the cylinder release) that pushes the center pin forward, to separate from the bolt body. S&W advised us that this could be caused by the use of Hoppe’s #9. The part was brazed to the bolt body and the chemicals in #9 would over time weaken that bond.

21475

In this view, which is of a twenty + year newer model, the part (the piece projecting past the vertical portion to the right) shows to now have a tendon which goes through the vertical plate. This was not the case in the 60’s and early 70’s. At the time this part was brazed to the vertical plate.

My purpose in this post is to warn those with vintage S&W’s to be cautious in the use of Hoppe’s #9.

[Ed Barrett]

Gee all my S&W's are sort of old, when they moved the firing pin off the hammer and needed to use more than two digits for the model number I lost interest.

[Hank10]

I recently read a report about #9 and airplane glue. I don't remember the exact ingredient (probably sniffed to much of it as a kid) but it was either a pheromone or something habit forming that kept us coming back for another sniff. I use shooters choise, smells awful but works good.
H10

[Luper]

I have a tube of CVA's Slick-Lube (Basically there version of bore butter) and it smells and almost sort of taste like peppermint (don't ask me how I know)

[izzyjoe]

i'll agree with ya'll on this the new hoppe's does'nt smell like it used to. g96 gun oil is another one that smells wonderful. i think i could wear them as aftershave :veryconfu

[Recluse]

i'll agree with ya'll on this the new hoppe's does'nt smell like it used to. g96 gun oil is another one that smells wonderful. i think i could wear them as aftershave :veryconfu

I still like the Hoppe's smell, but that G96 is nice stuff too.

Back during my bachelor days, I used to use that stuff to polish my coffee and end tables. Kept the house smelling manly.

Even my wife likes the smell of G96, but she won't let me use it on the furniture.

:coffee:

[waksupi]

I have a tube of CVA's Slick-Lube (Basically there version of bore butter) and it smells and almost sort of taste like peppermint (don't ask me how I know)

Probably better using it for toothpaste, than lube. Two guys had balls stuck in their muzzle loaders last weekend, both trying to use bore butter. That stuff fouls a bore bad!

[Boz330]

Hoppe's #9 solvent is a classic, all right. Add in a paper Super-X shotshell's scent, and you have created Autumn in my mind.

Ditto here as well. I used to take a big sniff of those empties when they popped out of my old H&R Topper. That smell just screams Fall and hunting season.

Bob

[S.R.Custom]

Ah, Benzene. That's the stuff that made the original Liquid Wrench the best penetrating oil on the planet. Another fondly remembered odor from back in the day.

[smoked turkey]

I feel sorry for anyone that doesn't like the smell of No. 9 and leather. I wonder if the ingredients can be purchased? I think this hit a nerve on a lot of us and wonder if this should be made into a sticky? I have also thought the current smell was not as I remembered from by gone days. Mine also gets a sour smell after a while. I just thought it was due to my putting it in a small plastic squeeze bottle for easier dispensing.

[Greenhorn44]

Hoppes 9 is my cologne. WD-40 Is my after shave. My Deodorant is GOOP.