9 VS. 40

[lightman]

The smell of Hoppes #9 brings back memories from childhood. Of Dad and Grandpa cleaning guns after a Duck Hunt or a range trip.There are better things out there now and I don't use it anymore. I love the smell of WD-40 but my main use of it is to remove the left over stick-um from decals on appliances. I think the propellant in the old pressurized cans was propane and it made a good starting fluid for small engines. I don't know if the newer pump up cans will do that. It was also a good way to dry out a wet distributor.

 

[Howland937]

In the context of the question posed, yes...the Hoppes #9 takes me back to my youth. Cleaning and wiping guns after every outing, even if it was my Crosman 760. I can't smell #9 without some of those memories popping up. The memories evoked by WD-40 are more related to old Johnson fishing reels.

Both have been on the market for many, many years. They may have been surpassed by better options in recent years...just keep in mind that heirloom gun passed down to you or that gem you found on the used rack probably saw a healthy dose of one or both over the years.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Hoppes, and creosote, remain two sentimental smells.
The Hoppes from guns, of course, and the creosote, well, that smells like a railroad.
My Pap always took me to watch trains.
It is funny how smells trigger memories. Great post, sly title, lots of great responses.
Moon

 

[D.B. Cooper]

It happens every time.

I ask what memories does the smell of WD-40 evoke and a quarter of the responses are- WD-40 sucks and it is the worst thing ever. The company should be bankrupt and anyone who likes the color blue is a dolt.

Apparently, if any firearm is placed within a 37 foot radius of the vile liquid, it will be rendered unusable. Continued exposure and not only will the gun melt, but the next seven generations of your family will be born with low IQ's, flippers, or both.

Well. Dolt is a harsh word, but as for the rest of your post, yeah. =)

 

[Mike J]

Okay so here goes. The smell of WD-40 makes me think of helping my father work on cars when I was a kid (doing minor tasks, washing parts, getting tools, being used as a strong back with a weak mind) or the jobsite where we might spray it on a tool occasionally. There are other products I prefer to use for almost anything now.
I kind of like the smell of Hoppe's. My wife thinks it smells wonderful. It works well enough. My only complaint about Hoppes is if I have some left in the bottle it always seems to leak out the lid before the next time I want to use it.

I think WD-40 just reminds me of squeaky doors.

When my wife & I hadn't been married long she asked me to oil a squeaky door hinge. I grabbed the first thing I found which happened to be Rem-Oil. Not only did the squeak go away but that bedroom door wont stay open without a prop. It worked a little too well.

 

[jmr40]

Hoppe's #9 is the most distinctive smell in my memory. It may not be the best gun cleaning solvent, but it is what I started with and smelling it just brings back a lot of memories.