Recommended places to buy pine tar and brands?

[Vintageliving]

Pine tar soap is moving up on my to-do list.

Are some brands better than others?

Anything to watch out for in the ingredients?

Can the kind sold for woodworking be used?

Recommended places to buy locally, such as Lowes, Ace Hardware or ???

The world of pine tar is new to me.

Thanks very much!

 

[Rosey]

I don't know the differences but I got mine at Southern Ag in the Horse section. I looked at the ingredients when I bought it and it just said Pine Tar (as far as I can remember). I have no idea if some brands are better than others but it would be interesting to find out.

 

[tamarajane]

I got mine at a local feed store. It also just said "pine tar" on the label. You just need to make sure it's 100% pine tar. There are some places on the web to order, but the prices were too high for me! :shock: I got a quart for around $6.

 

[carebear]

Tractor Supply/feed Store. I don't know the brand name of mine (I'm at the office not home where I soap) but it has a yellow horse shoe on the front.

 

[SilverMaple]

Here's something to consider--

I make pine tar soap using the stuff at the feed store in the horse section. It's just for the use of some relatives with skin conditions. I won't sell it.

I've had several people ask me to sell it, but more than one person has asked about 'creosote-free' pine tar soap... it was brought up on another forum as well. People were concerned that making it with 'regular' pine tar opened them up to a lawsuit as it says right on the pine tar "Avoid Contact With Skin" or something like that.

Creosote-free pine tar is very expensive-- it would probably price the soap out of reach for most consumers.

Thoughts?

 

[tamarajane]

I've read that too SilverMaple. I don't make mine to sell tho, and after finding the prices on creosote-free pine tar, I don't guess I'll be making any of that. My can doesn't say "avoid contact with skin" but better safe than sorry!

 

[Vintageliving]

SilverMaple, thanks very much for your post.

I found this entry in the Merck's Veterinarian Manual.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... d=creosote

Do you have a source for creosote-free Pine Tar? I haven't found anything using Google.

Even though I don't plan to sell it, I'd feel a lot better making something for a friend which is as safe as I can make it.

 

[Vintageliving]

I got Bickmore brand, as that's what I could find locally. There is a drawing of a horse on the label. It does, indeed, smell like horse liniment.

Will report on the soap, once it's cured.

 

[soapchick]

Some people are allergic to the creosote that is in pine tar. There are ones online w/o creosote but it is rather expensive.

 

[Vintageliving]

Soapchick, do you happen to have a link?

I haven't found any online that state that they are creosote-free.

Thanks!

 

[tamarajane]

I've searched too and can't find any that says they're creosote free. There are a lot of soaps out there that claim they're creosote free, but where are they getting their pine tar??? If we can't find it, how do they???

 

[Vintageliving]

TamaraJane, it does make one wonder, I agree.

After a bit of reading about the dangers of creosote, it seems that the "bad creosote" is from coal tar.

It looks as though the "fear of creosote" might be due to confusing the sources of creosote.

After reading more on how pine tar is obtained, I decided to go ahead and use the pine tar used on horses.

Perhaps something was taken out of context and a rumor spread "like wildfire".

There are so many pine tar products on the market.

Here's a cough syrup that has beechwood creosote in it:

http://www.creomulsion.com/adult.html

I did a google search for "cough syrup, creosote", and there are a few vintage cough syrups with creosote, as well.

Here's an old recipe for making creosote syrup: http://books.google.com/books?id=YO83AA ... 22&f=false

Looks like there are some differences in creosotes.

 

[archimidist]

Squirrelsoap

Well, I have come to choose squirrelsoaps for my body, my toddler and for clothes also. These have only natural ingredients and I feel they are of good quality. Got them online for just 3$ a piece. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Susie]

I got mine at the local farmer's co-op. Close by and cheap. It is the kind intended for horse's hooves.

 

[Dennis]

I emailed Horse Health and inquired concerning creosote. Their's is 100% pine tar, no creosotes, no additives. There's another thread concerning this same thing. It's available online at Amazon and other places, as well as Tractor Supply and probably lots of real hardware/feed stores. Not just Horse Health, but that and other brands.

Here's the thread-----> http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=44679