Ye Olde Hill Peg Compound
25 (or so) years ago, I bought a stick of Hill Peg Compound. Because of the composition of the product, and the occasional need, the seller informed me that this stick would last a lifetime.
25 (or so) years later, I still have, and still use, this stick of Hill Peg Compound.
It still has a soft, crayon-like smooth texture, and that lovely brown color. It seems to work well.
The pegs on my violin work perfectly. The caretaker does a marvelous job of keeping them turning smoothly.
My students, on the other hand, often have troublesome, irritating, sticky pegs that will. not. budge. when the weather turns damp. The Hill Peg Compound helps these troublemakers, but I don't want to harm anything with ancient remedies.
Is 25 too old? Should I replace it? Does Hill Peg Compound really last forever?
Replies (16)
See my post today on Peg Paste. The synchronicity of our posts is quite startling :)
Hill Peg Compound as long-lasting lipstick?
Ewwwwww.
Besides, who can really pull off that unique shade of brown?
>Just don't accidentally use it as lipstick.
Silly Laurie. It's eyebrow pencil.
My bad!
If it's good, it's good. When it isn't, then it isn't anymore. Old Hill dope loses it's "creaminess"--that's how you'll know for sure.
But Michael,
I hesitate to ask, but....how do you measure its "creaminess"?
Not creamy enough for eyebrows?
Thank you, Michael.
Let's make it a game: Who Has the Oldest Peg Stuff? Mine is from 1975. I use it regularly, and when my cello playing daughter wil inherit it, more than half of it will be left.
Is it still called A Composition for Pegs which have Ceased to turn Smoothly?
I once wrote a Composition for Pegs. When they have ceased to turn smoothly, they can make some interesting sounds.
>I hesitate to ask, but....how do you measure its "creaminess"?
By using a creamiotometer, of course! Also works on mashed potatoes. Just don't mix the two up. The brown streaks in the potatoes look, well, distasteful.
Ok so my Hill isn't creamy any more but it does still work! Bought in the 90s. And yes, it does still have that inscription and my children all laugh at tit :)
A creamiotometer is essential for evaluating deterioration of peg compound. If the creamiotometer doesn't have sufficient measuring range, a separate crumbleotometer will also be required.
and my children all laugh at tit :)
Uhhh, Kathryn, your children still laugh at what? How we got here from peg dope . . .
Bart, I like where you're going with that. Mine's only about 8 years old.
Those of you who have "old" Hill peg dope (as we call it in the trade because it is not a paste or a lubricant) already know how long it lasts. I believe it has linseed oil as one of its ingredients, and technically speaking, linseed oil never really dries. The original Hill formula was by far the best. When Hill's closed their doors for good, the product went out of production. It has returned (and I use it in my shop) , but it is not the same as the original formula. Not exactly the lost secret of the ancients, but a loss nonetheless.
A word on soap and chalk, which many were using when I learned the trade. Soap is hygroscopic (it absorbs water), so it's not an ideal choice. But it is slippery. Chalk is abrasive, so a balanced combination of the two does work after a fashion. Lava soap has volcanic pumice in it, which is very abrasive indeed. My real objection to Lava these days is that it's perfumed. I would venture to say that if half the violinists in a room were using lipstick on their pegs, and the other half were using Lava soap, it would probably knock them all unconscious!
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October 2, 2011 at 06:04 PM ·
'Tis miraculous in its longevity. Just don't accidentally use it as lipstick.