Original Lehigh Valley Patch Lubricant

[oldarcher]

A number of years ago I purchased this product on the recommendation of a friend at a shoot in Friendship. It was the best patch lube that I had found and I purchased a case??? I thought that it would be around for a long time, but that was not to be... I have given a few bottles away and now I am down to my last two bottles. They are probably at least 10 years old and the liquid has turned brown, but I still use it.
My usual loading proceedure is to lube the patch with Lehigh and clean with a mix of Wintergreen Alchol, Peroxide and Murphys Oil Soap. I have also used "Tool Cool" from my shop to lube patches.
I would really like to find out what was in Lehigh Patch Lube...do any of you know the formula for it??? and/or is someone marketing a replacement???
Thanks for the info....

[William Worth]

Like you, I became enamoured of the LeHigh Valley Patch Lube and was sore distressed when it left the market.  In my search for a replacement, it appears that LHV was a pine soap/alcohol product.  I have since been making, for my own use, a similar lube but it is a work in progress after years of tinkering with various concentrations of the prime ingredients.  Along the way I have come up with other uses for some of the variations.

"Shenendoah Valley Lube" is said to be similar to LHV, but I have not tried it out and given the cost of the SVL/LHV vs the actual cost of the ingredients and the versatility of tinkering with my own mixes, I have been happy with my own blends.

By the way, did anyone ever hear any more of what became of the elusive Tom DeCare, the original inventor?  I am reluctant to speculate too much on a successful product replacement given the history of a wounded warrior being cheated out of the rewards of his efforts.

   

[Vomitus]

 I have a small amount left,maybe half a bottle. I've been using as a cleaner,not a lube. Wish I had a few gallons of the stuff.

[Hungry Horse]

I have used various mixture that have alcohol, Murphy's oil soap, and peroxide in them. I would not recommend anything with hydrogen peroxide in it. This stuff can penetrate into the threads in the breech of the gun, and cause all kinds of problems. I know these threads are supposed to be sealed tight, but this stuff can really get into places that other solvents can't.
 A favorite patch lube/cleaner out here on the left coast for years went off the market much like the product you mentioned. I found a bottle in the gear of a deceased friend, and had it analyzed. It was a mixture of Simple Green, ( an industrial solvent at the time) anti-freeze, and water. The anti-freeze is what got it pulled from the market. I was told the inventor was warned by his lawyer to stop production, due to health, and safety, concerns related to anti-freeze exposure.

                              Hungry Horse

[hanshi]

But they continue to manufacture antifreeze.  Oooooookay!

[Brian]

I'm not sure what happened to Tom DeCare.  He was a really nice fellow.  I spoke with him several times on the phone, and bought a case of the lube from him.  Great stuff.  Then he sort of fell off the map.  I tried a number of times to contact him but was never able to, and all the contact information I had is no longer valid.  I sure hope he's okay where ever he is.

[rsells]

Guys,
There are two bottles of Lehigh Valley Patch Lub for sale on the "Muzzleloading Forum" if you would like to pick up these to use.  You might check to see if it is what you are looking for.
                                                                      Roger Sells

[PPatch]

For what its worth - the US Patent application for Lehigh Valley Patch Lubricant by the Inventors:  DeCare; Thomas John (Mexico, NY), Phelps; Leslie Allen (Mexico, NY), Volles; Leslie Harold (Syracuse, NY):

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,105,591.PN.&OS=PN/6,105,591&RS=PN/6,105,591

Application No. 08/658,241 dated June 4, 1996.

Dave

[Dennis Glazener]

Guys,
There are two bottles of Lehigh Valley Patch Lub for sale on the "Muzzleloading Forum" if you would like to pick up these to use.  You might check to see if it is what you are looking for.
                                                                      Roger Sells

I love the stuff but not $40 worth!

[Maven]

More information, but a bit out of date here:  http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/227410/pid/642557/

[Gene Carrell]

I have been using  the  LHV "replacement", Shenandoah, for some time with success. In October of this year  I loaded one of my rifles 127 times for Scouts  to try  with no problems  in apparent  accuracy or loading. No cleaning between shots either. Load  was tight and first and last shots were mine with the rifle shooting the same. Next day, 83 shots in 3 1/2  hrs  with same results. Wore me out, but rifle was still going.

[HardBall]

I have been using  the  LHV "replacement", Shenandoah, for some time with success.

I've got half a bottle of the original LHV lube and an unopened bottle of Shenandoah lube that I still haven't gotten around to trying.  LHV lube is a little darker in color and a little stronger in odor compared to Shenandoah but that could be because my LHV is about 8yr old. 

Eventually I'm  going to use up all my superfluous lubes and patching material and standardize somewhat.  ...at least that's what I keep telling myself.

[Don Steele]

I keep telling myself the same thing...but....being an Organic Chemist by training...I keep "fiddling" with new ideas . Oh well, it's become half the fun when all I have available to me these days is paper-punching anyhow. 

[xring2245]

I have used both and they seem to perform the same.   The LVL was priced at Dixon's for $7.95; Shenandoah is $12.95.  Granted, Dixon's prices are high, but I am not sure the higher price is worth it.  I will probably not buy any more Shenandoah at the current price.