This is probably a really odd question, but…
Should I worry about using a new tube of cork grease on my old rosewood flute that smells like peppermint?
My other tube (R.I.P.) was basically like unscented chapstick, but this new tube smells pepperminty…I just don’t want to put anything on the flute that would harm it.
Thanks,
Eric
Hi Eric,
Maybe the labels got mixed up at the chapstick factory! 
My corkgrease also smells like peppermint.
I’ve used it for years, the same stuff, no
bad effects, except on the couple of occasions
when I broke down and ate it. There the bad
effect was that I had no cork grease. Best
the one to avoid is bear grease .It might attract bears .( This is for Grixxly with his bear feet ).
If you like peppermint it sounds appealing .I find the chewing gum better if you have loose joints .
I told you all it was a silly question, and I appreciate the answers (silly and all). Personally, I don’t like the taste of peppermint, but for some reason since switching to this new tube of cork grease the only reel my flute will play is Christmas Eve…
Eric
What brand of cork grease do you use? Do they also make chapstick? If so, maybe there was some contamination in the factory (they could have used chapstick equipment to make your tube). It shouldn’t be a problem, i think.
I stored a pellet of carnauba wax that came with my Rod Cameron flute, in an empty lip balm container, and it immediately picked up the camphor/peppermint scent. I think that stuff catches easily.
g
I once picked up some stuff that smelled like wintergreen. Yick. There’s unscented cork grease out there. I think one such brand is VanDoren, and Micro is another.
This is the one i like, FWIW:
http://www.doctorsprod.com/DrSlick.html
Sorry about the psychedellic collors. He thinks it’s funny. 
g
I’ve used both scented and unscented cork grease, once it’s on the cork I can’t really tell the difference as the smell of the wood is often stronger than the scent in the cork grease.
–James
I really like the Healing Balm from Badgerbalm. http://badgerbalm.com/
I’ve been using it on both threaded tenons and corked tenons for some time now and it’s just great. It’s also excellent on chapped lips and dry and sore hands. It’s all natural and made by good folks… I used to work there. It also comes in big tins, little tins or chapstick style tubes. 
Chris
P.S. - Okay, I may be a bit biased, but it’s what I use and I’ve not found anything better.
I’ve been using Badger Balm - smells just like a Badger’s . . . oh, well, let’s not go there!
Actually, I use the unscented and its great: “Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Pure Beeswax & Nothing Else.”
Give it a go. My second choice is Vandoren cork grease.
BillG
Badger’s massage oil also works really nicely to soften up bodhran skin. Lots of people warn against this, saying that it ruins the “high end”, but if you prefer a softer, more flexible sound, I think it works pretty nicely.
I would endorse anything which makes those Bodrhan skins go floppy .Less chance of giving me a headache with all that banging !
Umm Chris,
I think we may have just found the reason for you self-destructing corks dude…
Loren
Eric,
To answer your question directly: There’s nothing wrong with your corkgrease, scent is added to some brands of the stuff. I used to manage a musical instrument store where we sold, and rented, all manner of woodwind and brass instruments, so of course we stocked a variety of supplies, including several different brands of cork grease - many, but not all, had some scent added to them, usually something that could be loosely called “peppermint”, but to my nose these always smelled like they were added to try to cover up another smell…
Anyway, nothing to worry about dude, grease away! 
Loren
Ummm… really dude? i thought it was because I ran out of Badger and hadn’t greased the corks for a couple of months. Do you really think the Badger might have had a bad effect?
Chris 
Hmm, hard to say really - one never knows what’s in that stuff. My suggestion is to use something a little more “standard” when you get those corks replaced. We use regular petroleum jelly at the shop, because unlike some corkgrease, it won’t harden over time.
Loren