# A possibly silly question



## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Although I think I know the answer to this question, trying to keep an open mind, I thought I'd see what other Forum members have to say. 

I just received an email from MLCS Woodworking. I buy various things from them from time to time and have been happy with the products which I think are priced fairly. Anyway, in today's email they introduced some new products one of which is "New Hampshire Natural Wood Oil". From the picture of the bottle label it's "Bowl & Board Iddo Kimball's Wood Oil". The description says it's the highest "A" grade mineral oil. On the New Hampshire web site it says mineral oil with vitamin E. The price on MLCS is $16.99 for a 8 oz and that includes a "free" microfiber cloth and free shipping (which is their standard).

I've been making cutting boards, cheese boards and bread boards for around a dozen years. I've always used food grade mineral oil that I buy at Walmart for $1.99 for 16 oz. The label says 100% mineral oil with Vitamin E added as a stabilizer. Granted, I pick it up, so don't pay shipping, and I have my own microfiber cloth (although I really don't use them with the oil, just blue shop towels). I use this same mineral oil adding bee's and carnauba wax to make a finishing wax.

My question is, is there actually any difference between the $16.99 ($2.12/oz) New Hampshire oil and the $1.99 ($0.12/oz) Walmart oil? And, if in your opinion there is, is it worth almost 18 times as much?

Thanks for your feedback.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I doubt it. lots of recipes online for making your own oil finish as well. plain oil has been working for me!


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

The difference is that one is trendy, and one isnt.
Oh, and the trendy one is made by people who are getting rich through other peoples ignorance.  😎


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## Chris Itin (Oct 15, 2019)

sunnybob said:


> The difference is that one is trendy, and one isnt.
> Oh, and the trendy one is made by people who are getting rich through other peoples ignorance.  😎


sunnybob hit the nail right on the head


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I've been using straight food safe mineral oil on my boards for years (started when it was 99 cents a bottle) and recommend it to everyone I give a board to for when it starts to look dried out. For the finishing wax I started with a formula I found online and tweaked it to get the hardness that I was happy with varying the amounts of bees wax and carnauba wax with the base being the same mineral oil. 

Kind of off topic, but not too far off, I'm reminded of a story I saw on the news years ago when bottled water first became a thing. An investigative reporter was following the popularity of the bottled water and wanted to see how it was processed that made it so much different from what comes out of a regular tap. Most bottles listed the "source" of the water which normally indicated that it was water from some mountain stream. Well, one bottle listed the source as the "Camden Aquafer" in New Jersey. When the reporter went to the company address he found a guy filling bottles from a garden hose attached to an outside spigot on his house. At least the labeling was honest. 

I've always been a skeptic and a researcher. For the most part it's served me well. Not necessarily being a skeptic but the research part. It's truly amazing how much junk is out there being promoted with "this is the next great thing" BS.


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