I believe the original 3&1 oil like insterment oils of the time was a whale oil based mix. Now it may be a mineral oil base with some additives. I have an old can of starret insterment oil here I use on mics calipers and indicators that never gums or gets sticky I believe it is the old sperm whale oil base. One of the old frontier lubes was bear oil rendered from bear fat. Others were rendered from other animals taken for food or other reasons.