Scent

Jean Mike asked 2 years ago

Hello
I’m french , i did a few travel in USA for visiting since long time.
Everytime i went in a old wood house or places with wood furnitures or floors , i smelled a common smell that represents America for me. I don’t know if it comes from the natural wood scent or from a wax or oil. I would be so please to find a product for my furniture here in France to remind me this smell and the wonderful time i had in USA.
Can you recommend me , i imagine it can be an old fashion product used for years in USA.
Many thanks for your help.
Best regards.
Jean Mike

1 Answers
William Stewart Staff answered 2 years ago

Hello Jean Mike.

Now that’s an interesting question. A lot of what you can smell will be the old timber. In the 18th century, finishes weren’t normally applied to floors, but by the mid-19th century, homeowners used wax or shellac, and by the end of the 19th century, they used varnish. That dark look on a lot of old timber is simply aged varnish, as no coloring was used in those days.

I guess wax, varnish, or perhaps hard drying oil are the smells you refer to. It’s difficult to replicate what was used in those days, but I’d look for either beeswax polish, spar varnish, or Tung oil. Here are some links to illustrate some possible products:

Beeswax – https://geni.us/xMQHkZs

Tung Oil – https://geni.us/dACK and https://geni.us/F6EJm