Pine Tar On Aluminum Bats? Quick Answer

If you enjoy watching major league baseball, you might be wondering why some players have a gooey, brown substance on their helmets, hats, and hands. The substance is pine tar, an adhesive material used to improve bats’ grip.

Baseball players wear tar to improve their grip when batting. MLB regulations state that players can spread up to eighteen inches of tar on their racquet to improve grip. An old MLB superstition discourages players from washing their helmets, which often results in tar stains on hats, helmets and hands.

Pine Tar is a unique part of baseball history, and the historic Pine Tar incident (discussed later in this article) reveals the decades-long tradition of wearing tar in major league baseball.

Why baseball players wear tar

Baseball players wear tar on their hands, helmets, and hats because pine tar is sticky and improves grip when batting:

Pine tar usually comes in liquid form, and players rub the sticky liquid onto the handles of their racquets. Baseball bats are notoriously smooth and slippery, and using pine tar helps reduce slippage when swinging. Some players also add rosin or dirt to their pine tar.

Some players also add rosin or dirt to their pine tar. With pine tar on their hands, gloves and racquet grip, a player can also have a more relaxed grip. This relaxed grip allows the batters to make better contact with the ball, making them more likely to hit a home run.

This relaxed grip allows the batters to make better contact with the ball, making them more likely to hit a home run. Some baseball players wear pine tar on their helmets during play. Wearing tar on their helmets allows players to add more tar to their racquet grips between swings; This means players often end up with sticky, stained helmets and hands from using tar during gameplay.

This means players often end up with sticky, stained helmets and hands from using tar during gameplay. Baseball players often wear tar even when not batting because it is considered bad luck to wash the helmet. This tradition dates back to players Craig Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero, who wore excessive amounts of pine tar on their helmets. It’s a longstanding baseball superstition that Biggio’s and Guerrero’s helmets set them apart from other batsmen, which is why they never washed them.

Historically, baseball players didn’t want to wear tar – it’s just a consequence of using pine tar on the handles of their bats. However, some players purposely wear more pine tar on their helmets and hats than others, as a nod to old baseball superstitions.

What is pine tar?

Pine tar wasn’t always made for baseball. It was originally developed to seal wooden ships. Pine tar is made by distilling pine wood until it turns into a sticky, dark brown liquid.

Sailors around the world traditionally used pine tar, turpentine, rosin and pitch to waterproof their boats for shipping. The sticky substances encased the wood and made it resistant to the elements. However, over time, pine tar and similar products became less popular. Manufacturers designed wood sealers, and pine tar was instead used primarily as an ingredient in materials such as soap and shampoo.

Today, pine tar is used by baseball players to improve their grip on smooth pine bats. Pine tar is available in both liquid and stick form. The liquid is most commonly spread on a leather mat and then applied to the racquet, while the stick is similar to chalk and can be brushed directly onto the racquet handle.

MLB regulations on pine tar

Major League Baseball (MLB) has restricted the use of pine tar in baseball games. This is to reduce cheating during gameplay.

While players can use pine tar to improve their grip when hitting, a player cannot apply pine tar to more than eighteen inches of the racquet’s grip. If the club is covered with more than eighteen inches of pine tar, it may be removed from play by the umpire.

However, there is a workaround for this rule. If a player has already used a club during play and the club is covered with more than eighteen inches of pine tar, the umpire cannot take the club out of play. Clubs can only be disqualified before a player uses them.

Although the MLB allows pine tar on clubs, its use on balls is strictly prohibited. Pitchers using pine tar, rosin or similar substances may be immediately disqualified from the game.

What was the Pine Tar Incident?

The Pine Tar Game or Pine Tar Incident occurred during a contentious game between the Royals and the Yankees in 1983. The incident involved George Brett’s excessive use of pine tar, who hit a home run with a bat that should have been with two runs scored disqualified. A legal battle ensued between the Yankees and the Royals as a result of the incident, and play resumed three weeks later.

The incident happened on July 24, 1983. There were two outs in the ninth inning and the Yankees were up 4-3. Royals player George Brett hit a two-run home run and put the Royals ahead. But Yankees manager Billy Martin was suspicious of Brett’s bat. He asked the umpires to inspect him and they found that Brett had over eighteen inches of tar on his racquet handle. His home run was annulled and he was declared out, resulting in a win for the Yankees.

The royals were upset by this result and proposed American League President Lee McPhail. McPhail sided with the Royals and decided the game would go ahead with the same score, innings, and outs as before the pine tar incident. Play resumed on August 18, 1983 and the Royals won that game 5-4.

How to Use Pine Tar in Baseball

To effectively apply pine tar to a racquet, a player must clean the grip of any residue with a soft cloth or water. Tar can then be applied directly to the handle of the club using a pine tar stick or pine tar liquid and a leather mat. The video below shows instructions on how to apply pine tar to your club.

Removing pine tar from bats

Most players choose to clean pine tar from their clubs after playing. Leaving tar on your club can damage the wood and cause the club to not perform properly. To remove pine tar from your club, simply follow these steps:

Warm up the tar. Heat a washcloth with hot water and rub it over the racquet handle. You should only rub the racquet in one direction, from the tip of the racquet to the ground. Apply rubbing alcohol. Apply rubbing alcohol to a cloth and rub the racquet handle. Using the same technique as before, rub in a top-to-bottom direction. The alcohol will eventually dissolve the tar. Dry your racket. After removing the tar, dry your club with a dry rag to avoid damaging it.

in summary

So why do baseball players cover themselves in pine tar? Players wear tar for two reasons: to improve bat grip and for baseball tradition.

While players use tar to make better contact with the ball when batting, they often use more tar than necessary or cover their helmets with tar in a nod to the superstitions of great batsmen of decades past.

Whether or not a player washes his helmet, pine tar plays an important role in baseball engineering and history. The tool once used by sailors to protect their boats from salt is now an integral part of the modern game we know and love.

Carlos Santana uses pine tar as a visual reminder to place the ball down the barrel of the racquet. Continue reading

WASHINGTON — Phillies first baseman Carlos Santana lathers his bat with so much pine tar that the shoulders of his uniform top often show a tinge of brown glaze because he parked his bat there while at the plate.

“I love the mark on his shoulder,” manager Gabe Kapler said ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Nationals. “I love that every time I need something sticky on my hand I can just pat him on the back.”

Most racquets use the sticky substance like Kapler to get a better grip. But not Santana. He gets his grip by wearing batting gloves and wrapping tape around the handle of his bat. Santana covers his bat with pine tar – more than any other Phillies bat – to give himself a visual reminder when he’s at the plate.

On the four clubs he retrieved from his locker on Sunday, pine tar ran from pommel to grip before stopping right on the barrel. MLB rules dictate that a batsman may not cover more than 18 inches of his bat with pine tar. Santana pushes the limit. The untouched part of the bat – the barrel – is where Santana wants to make contact.

“I’m thinking about hitting the ball up the barrel,” Santana said. “It’s a reminder to stick with my approach. I’ll take care of a foul tip and remember to get it closer to the run. I think about it all the time because I want to meet him there.”

Santana started covering his bat with the pine tar last year when he was going through a rough patch with Cleveland. It was something new to try. He finished last season with an average exit speed that was in the top third of all hitters.

“It worked because I made a commitment to focus on contact,” Santana said.

The Phillies hinted at that tough contact earlier this season when Santana struggled in his freshman month with the team. But the results have started to shift. He entered Sunday with .299 and .926 OPS in his last 123 plate appearances since May 22.

Santana is now reaching the base at high speed, thrashing for power and still producing solid contact. His average exit speed – 88.9 mph – is almost the same as last season. His 21 barrels — a metric compiled by MLB’s Statcast that measures balls hit with an exit velocity and launch angle that equates to at least a .500 batting average and 1.500 shot percentage — ranks 42nd out of 264 major league shots. thugs. Santana touches the barrel of his bat. Just like his pine tar tells him to.

“When we build a team, you build a team,” said Kapler. “Now that he’s getting hit and hitting for power and still running you can really see the value of the profile. I don’t think Rhys [Hoskins] is unlike Carlos in makeup. But if you’re going to build a lineup from the top down, you build it [with batsmen] like Carlos Santana.”

>>READ MORE: Phillies’ bullpen coughs in loss to Nationals

Here come the Yankees

Gabe Kapler was still focused on the Nationals ahead of Sunday’s game, but it was hard not to think about the Yankees’ arrival at Citizens Bank Park this week. The manager admitted he was already thinking about how the Phils will face Yankees right-hander Luis Severino in Tuesday’s second game of the series. It is the Yankees’ first regular-season trip to South Philly since 2006.

“I can imagine that due to the proximity of Philly and New York, there will be some Yankees fans in the stadium,” said Kapler. “And considering how well we played at home and how much support we’ve had from our fans, I think our fans will drown out all of that.”

Additional bases

Infielder Jesmuel Valentin was placed on the paternity leave list and Dylan Cozens was activated from the disabled list. … Pat Neshek will have another rehab appearance after hitting a perfect two-strike inning with High-A Clearwater on Saturday. “He came off the field with a 100 percent healthy arm feeling,” said Kapler. “And we’re going to take one more rehab trip and decide what to do after that.” … Vince Velasquez will start Monday’s series opener against rookie Yankees right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga.

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Remember the good old days when pine tar was just something to get George Brett upset about? Well things have changed. Now Brett is known as the inspiration for a world famous pop song by a New Zealand teenager. And Pine Tar has angered many after Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was knocked out of Wednesday night’s game against the Red Sox when a swab of the goo on his neck was discovered in the second inning. Pineda had been caught by television cameras with pine tar on the hand in his last start against the Red Sox on April 10, but Sox manager John Farrell had not protested. This time, Farrell asked the home plate umpire to take a look, leading to a comical scene on the mound when the ump rubbed his finger on Pineda’s neck before immediately throwing him out of the game. [Update: The league suspended Pineda for 10 days Thursday.] Meanwhile, folks in baseball have some explaining to do.

Pine tar, the gooey byproduct of burning pine under pressure, has been a part of baseball for decades. Hitters are allowed to place it on their racquets to prevent them from slipping out of their hands and dangerously flying at players on the field or in the stands. Pitchers, on the other hand, are not allowed to use it. According to the rules, they are “not allowed to apply any foreign substance of any kind to the ball.” This includes sticky substances as well as slippery things like petroleum jelly. They are also not allowed to spit on the ball, rub it on their bodies or otherwise deface it. The rationale behind these rules is that messing with the ball will cause it to do strange, unfair, and potentially dangerous things in flight. A smeared spitball, for example, is just as likely to hit a batter as it is to go over the plate. It gets confusing though – not all foreign substances are banned. Pitchers are allowed to use rosin, another bonding agent derived from pine trees. It is available open in a bag kept on one side of the hill.

On Wednesday night, after the game, the panel of experts on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” mocked Pineda for his inelegant attempt to sneak pine tar onto the ball. However, they didn’t chastise him for using the stuff in the first place. That’s because, as they repeatedly pointed out, everyone does it. It’s just that most people do it more covertly. They even made suggestions: put something on your sleeves; Get your catcher to put it on the ball. or ask one of your infielders to do so. Pineda wasn’t a cheater, just a moron, and as the subtext of that conversation suggested, he ruined a good cause for every other pitcher in the league. The Red Sox thugs, who one would expect to feign at least some rival outrage, were ambivalent, even suggesting that a pitcher of pine tar was good for everyone. “I’d rather have a guy who controls the ball when it’s cold, but you really can’t do it that way,” said first baseman Mike Napoli. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski offered some advice to pitchers: “Put it on your hat, put it on your pants, put it on your belt, put it on your glove, whatever you have to do.”

If everyone is doing it and even the batsmen don’t mind, why is it against the rules? In a recent post for Deadspin, former pitcher Dirk Hayhurst laid out in appealing detail the various substances that big league pitchers apply to baseball—including pine tar, shaving cream, sunscreen, and various lubes. Although he has tried some of these himself as a player, Hayhurst is clear that all of these methods give the pitcher an unfair advantage and should therefore be against the rules. Pine tar can improve a pitcher’s accuracy, reducing dangerous wild pitches, but it can also make his curveballs and sliders significantly better. There’s a certain romance to the idea of ​​a crafty mug using ancestral secrets of the craft to gain a small advantage up the hill. There’s even a term: “Ball Doctoring” as if it were a science. But Hayhurst is not sentimental. In his view, using pine tar is a scam.

During the final years of Commissioner Bud Selig’s tenure, Major League Baseball took a clear stance on the need to clean up the game, ensure fairness and justice across the board, and root out any players who cut corners to win ahead. This was primarily focused on performance-enhancing drugs, officially dubbed Scourge. But when we see current and former players and managers shrug their shoulders at Pineda’s ejection, we’re reminded that deception is still part of the game’s mythology. So does an informal code of silence, based on the idea that fans don’t really deserve to know how things really work, or that we might not understand if we were told. (Consider how long the league has resisted using an instant replay system.) It’s clear that many baseball insiders would have preferred to leave that particular fold over pine tar alone — to the to maintain a tongue-in-cheek status quo that left its use largely unpunished — just as other baseball folk have historically chosen not to discuss the obviously more significant issues of racial discrimination, owner collusion, amphetamines, or steroids. Farrell, the Red Sox’s manager, looked miserable during his post-game press conference, like a television cop who was forced to turn his partner over to Internal Affairs over a bribe that was too high.

Pineda has given the league an opportunity to clarify its policy. MLB can acknowledge that it has failed to properly monitor pitcher use of foreign substances in the past and will increase those efforts in the future. Or it may acknowledge the fact that pine tar, sticky sunscreen, and other binding agents have long been essential tools for pitching in the majors, and therefore make standardized use of them permissible. Fully enforce or amend the regulation. The fewer so-called “unwritten rules” in baseball, the better.

Photo courtesy of ESPN/AP.

Once again I’ve teamed up with Natalie Yon-Eriksson of Earth & Flax to teach you about a product I’ve only recently heard about but has been used as a durable coating on historic buildings for hundreds of years, Pine Tar. It may sound like a strange name. Like it’s just black goo that gets stuck to your boot while hiking, but this old-school coating does some pretty amazing stuff.

Check out Natalie’s guest post below and open your eyes to a new ole product that may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Authentic Pine Tar is a 100% natural wood preservative that offers excellent moisture and UV protection, is a mild antiseptic and repels insects such as forest bees, ants, termites, etc.

When should I use it?

Pine Tar is for outdoor use and produces a stain-like finish. Ideal for barns and outbuildings, wide board siding, decks, porches, fences, fence posts etc. It is available in a light and dark finish and pigmented: black, brown and red. There will be green soon too!

No additional solvents are required. Simply mix with Viking Purified Raw Flaxseed Oil. Pine tar is viscous in nature, so it needs to be diluted slightly for easy application. It is best to apply to the bare wood surface at least at room temperature, if not warmer. The most common ratio is 50/50 purified linseed oil to authentic pine tar, but this can be adjusted to personal preference. Do a test first as different wood materials can affect your ratio preference.

Make sure the wood surface is clean and dry. Mix the Viking Purified Raw Flaxseed Oil and the pine tar together very well. Apply 2 thin coats with a stiff bristle brush or a clean rag. Brush out as needed to avoid drip marks. let it dry Drying time is typically 2-3 days in warm temperatures and may take longer depending on climate and/or wood species. It takes a week or two to fully set and is not chalky to the touch.

What type of coverage can I get?

Approximately 500-600 square feet per gallon 50/50 blend of Viking Purified Raw Flaxseed Oil and Authentic Pine Tar.

What are the advantages?

Protects Wood: Creates a breathable surface that doesn’t trap moisture. The purified linseed oil and authentic pine tar work incredibly well together to nourish the wood substrate, protect against moisture damage and rot, and deter insects.

Easy maintenance: the coating does not flake or blister. Simply clean the surface with a non-petrochemical cleaner such as Sodasan All Purpose Cleaner, allow to dry and reapply a coat of Viking Purified Linseed Oil. Additional pine tar is not normally needed for many years as the oil nourishes the wood and conditions the coated surface. The purified linseed oil even returns the original shine or brightness of the pigmented options when applied.

What to look out for:

Pine Tar is only suitable for wood surfaces and cannot be used on a previously petrochemical coated surface. If there’s a barrier between the pine tar and the wood, it just sits on the surface and stays sticky.

Do not mix with regular cooked or raw linseed oil that is not purified as it may not dry, may go rancid and contains unnecessary solvent additives.

For more information on traditional Linseed Oil products including Linseed Oil Wax, Linseed Oil Varnish, Linseed Oil Glaze etc. visit www.earthandflax.com or email [email protected] with any questions.

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Pine tar is a sticky substance that helps players hold their clubs in place.

Pine tar is used to help baseball players grip their wooden bats. Using a sticky substance like pine tar is no different than why a batter chooses to wear batting gloves. Having a firm grip on a racquet allows a player to control where the racquet’s barrel goes and allows a batsman to swing through the hitting zone at high speed.

What does pine tar do in baseball?

Pine tar is an extremely sticky or sticky substance made from pine trees and used to give racquets a better grip on their racquets. It is brownish-black in color and is often seen on the handle of lighter-colored racquets or players’ helmets. Pine tar comes in a liquid form that is first applied to a rag and then rubbed onto a racquet or helmet, and it also comes in a stick form that can be rubbed directly onto the handle of racquets. Players can often do this in a circle on the deck or just before stepping onto the plate to hit.

Is pine tar illegal in baseball?

Pine tar is legal in Major League Baseball, but there are restrictions on its use. Major league baseball players must follow the 18-inch rule, which means pine tar can only be on the bottom 18-inch or butt end of the bat. However, a batter is against MLB rules if his batter has pine tar closer to the barrel end of the batter, and any use of pine tar by a pitcher is also illegal.

As in Little League, amateur players are not allowed to use pine tar at all, but the high school and collegiate level games allow pine tar for bats in the same manner as Major League Baseball.

Why do baseball players coat their helmets with pine tar?

Putting pine tar on a batter’s helmet doesn’t do much good. It certainly doesn’t offer any additional protection. Players often touch or adjust their helmets after touching a grip that has pine tar on it. This will transfer the pine tar from your hands or gloves to the helmet itself.

Some players proactively apply pine tar to a helmet to touch during a shot, making sure their hands are as sticky as they would like when hitting. Pine tar on the helmet can also look cool for some players and they may put it on the helmet just for that reason.

MLB regulations on pine tar

Pine Tar Rules for Batters

Major League Baseball batters may have pine tar on the bottom eighteen inches of the bat or the butt end, but pin tar is not allowed to have pine tar up to the butt end of the bat. Batsmen may also have pine tar on their helmets or batting gloves. The only real limitation is the location of the tar on the bats.

Pine tar for pitchers

Major League Baseball pitchers cannot grab the ball with pine tar before throwing it. No foreign matter is allowed on the baseball, and pine tar is considered a foreign matter.

Pine Tar Incident of 1983

The Pine Tar incident happened on July 24, 1983 at a game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees. Royals star player and now Hall of Famer George Brett hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning, but the home run was annulled due to the pine tar on Brett’s bat and he was called out. This incident is notorious for how seldom the rule is enforced, but also for the way Brett manically sprints out of the dugout after being called out. If you haven’t seen the Pine Tar Incident clip yet, it’s worth a few minutes of your time.

How to Use Pine Tar in Baseball

How to use pine tar on a bat

The first step to using pine tar on a racquet is to clean the grip area of ​​the racquet to ensure you can apply an even coat of pine tar to that 18 inch area near the grip of the racquet. Using a pine tar stick is almost like applying deodorant sticks — you simply expose the pine tar from the canister, then rub it up and down the handle of the beater until you have a nice, even coat of pine tar. Using liquid pine tar is a bit messier and requires a rag, but the rest of the process is mostly the same. Clean the racquet, put some pine tar on the pine tar rag, then grasp the grip end of the racquet with a rag and use a twisting motion to apply the pine tar to the grip.

How to use pine tar on a helmet

Applying pine tar to a helmet is even easier than applying it to a club as there is no limit to how high or low the pine tar can be placed on the helmet. With that in mind, all you need to do is take a pine tar stick or rag coated with pine tar and rub it on the front of the helmet, where a logo usually appears, and/or on the helmet crown. It’s best to apply the pine tar to these helmet areas as both have enough surface area for the batter to ensure he or she has properly covered their hands with the pine tar.

FAQ

Chemical compound

Pine tar is a form of wood tar produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood under anoxic conditions (dry distillation or destructive distillation). The wood is rapidly decomposed by the application of heat and pressure in a closed container; The primary resulting products are charcoal and pine tar.

Pine tar consists mainly of aromatic hydrocarbons, tar acids and tar bases. The constituents of the tar vary depending on the pyrolysis process (e.g. method, duration, temperature) and the origin of the wood (e.g. age of pine trees, soil type and moisture levels during tree growth). The choice of wood, the design of the stove, the way it is burned and how the tar is collected can vary. Only pine stumps and roots are used in the traditional production of pine tar.

Pine tar has a long history as a wood preservative, as a wood sealant for marine use, in roof construction and maintenance, in soaps, and in the treatment of carbuncles and skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea. It is used in baseball to improve a bat’s grip. It is also sometimes used by pitchers to improve their grip on the ball, which is against the rules.

history [edit]

Pine tar has long been used in the Scandinavian countries as a preservative for wood that may be exposed to harsh conditions, including patio furniture and ship decks and rigging. The high quality pine tar used in this application is often referred to as Stockholm tar[2] because for many years a single company held a royal monopoly on its export from Stockholm, Sweden.[3] It is also known as “Archangel Tar”.[4] Tar and pitch for maritime use were in such demand that they became important exports for the American colonies, which had extensive pine forests. The North Carolinians became known as the “Tar Heels”.

Use [edit]

Pine tar was used as a preservative for the bottoms of traditional Nordic-style skis until modern synthetic materials replaced wood in their construction. It also helped stick waxes which aided the grip and glide of such skis.

Pine tar is widely used as a veterinary care product,[5] particularly as an antiseptic and hoof care treatment for horses and cattle.[5] It was also used when chickens start pecking the low hen.[6] Applying pine tar to the hens’ wound acts as a natural germicidal/antibacterial agent which, due to its foreign texture, prevents further attacks on the affected hen.[6]

Pine tar is used as a plasticizing solvent in the rubber industry, in the treatment and processing of building materials, and in specialty paints.

As a wood preservative[edit]

Pine tar is combined with gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil to create a wood preservative. First, a thin layer of a mixture with a higher percentage of turpentine is applied. This allows it to penetrate deeper into the oak and the grain of the wood, allowing the tar to seep into any pinholes and larger gaps that may be in the planks. The tar seeps outwards, indicating where the boat needs the most attention. [How?] This is followed by a thicker standard mixture. Such treatments, while effective, must be repeated continuously.

Weatherproof rope[ edit ]

Traditionally, hemp and other natural fibers were the norm for rope making. Such rope quickly rotted when exposed to rain and was usually tarred to preserve it. The tar would stain the hands of ships’ crews, and British Navy seamen became known as “tars”.

baseball [edit]

Pine tar is applied to the handles of baseball bats to improve a hitter’s grip.

Rule 1.10(c) of the 2002 Major League Baseball Official Rules limits application to the bottom 18 inches of a bat. The most famous example of the rule’s use is the Pine Tar incident, which occurred during the July 24, 1983 game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees and resulted in George Brett’s go-ahead home run was nullified in the ninth inning and the game is being protested.

Pine tar is also sometimes used illegally by pitchers to improve their grip on the ball in cold weather. This is prohibited by a rule that prohibits the application of any foreign substance to a ball (except for baseball grip enhancing mud, which is applied by umpires).

Medicine [ edit ]

Pine tar has historically been used to treat skin conditions, usually as an additive in cold bar soaps or lotions.[7] Due to the high presence of phenol in the early manufacture of pine tar, it has been classified as a carcinogen. However, much of the phenol has now been removed. Pine tar has been banned by the FDA along with many other ingredients classified as over-the-counter drugs due to a lack of evidence of safety and efficacy for the specific uses cited.[8] However, clinical testing in Australia in 2017 showed that the greatest risk of acute sensitivity is in individuals with severe dermatological conditions and exposure to the eyes.[7] It is important to note that the number of positive reactions to wood tar was not significantly higher than that to other common allergens. Additionally, the concentration of pine tar in topical products available in Australia is up to 2.3%, which is up to four times lower than those tested in these studies.

Pine tar has been used to cover peck wounds in flocks of captive birds such as chickens to prevent continued pecking at a wound and cannibalism. Pine tar is also used in veterinary medicine as an expectorant and antiseptic for chronic skin diseases.[10]

See also[edit]

Baseball is a popular game in America and in many parts of the world. It is enjoyed by people of all ages. From the little leagues to the major leagues, players love to play and fans love to watch.

Every once in a while we will see a baseball team push the envelope by attempting to use certain in-game advantages to gain an advantage. Pine tar is a substance that has caused much debate and problems in the game of baseball.

Some wonder if pine tar is even legal in major league baseball, and the short answer is yes and no. It is for certain players, such as B. batsmen, ok to use it a certain way. However, for pitchers, it is illegal under Major League Baseball rules.

Pine tar has long been used in baseball.

Why do baseball players use Pine Tar?

Pine tar is a sticky substance produced by high carbonization of pine wood. It is used to help racquets get a better grip on the racquet. Only wooden bats are allowed in MLB and the pine tar is used to give the batsman a better grip. Overall, the batsman can perform better when the racquet has a comfortable grip.

A hitter needs to be comfortable with his grip to handle pitches in excess of 90 mph and breaking balls that look like they’re coming straight for the hitter before curling and catching a corner of the plate.

Many batters in baseball use batting mitts and pine tar to provide a grip that allows them to perform at their maximum level. There are restrictions on how much pine tar can be used and how high the bat the pine tar can go.

One of the hardest things is swinging a racquet without a good grip. If a batsman feels even a little uncomfortable with his grip, it will affect performance. Hitters rely on their line-ter to ensure and provide the confidence needed to hit a fast ball at 95 miles per hour.

You will see many thugs with the pine tar all set up in their batting helmet. They will touch their helmet between pitches to ensure they have enough line tar on their batting gloves.

Overall, having used pine at Sportswarrior365, it can offer a very comfortable grip and on those hot, sweaty days you don’t have to worry about the racket flying out of your hands.

This can help the batsman and also ensure that the spectators of the game are protected from bats being thrown into the stands. All too often we see bats at the MLB level shooting into the stands and possibly injuring someone.

Pitchers may not use pine tar.

Why do pitchers use pine tar?

Let’s start by making it clear that pitchers’ use of pine tar is illegal under baseball rules. Some pitchers attempt to illegally use pine tar to provide an additional sticky substance to their grip on the ball, which can help the ball spin more or move the ball in a way it normally wouldn’t.

The interesting thing about baseball is that you often hear the phrase, “If you don’t cheat, don’t try.” her own head.

Remember that millions of dollars are at stake and that the next contract a player may be able to sign to play at certain levels could be life changing. We still don’t condone this action, but understand why players are willing to take the risk at this level.

Hopefully, with the analysis of baseball and all the measurements that take place at every game, it gets harder to get away with cheating.

We encourage a clean approach to the game where the best players and teams can win the games. The analysis now measures the spin rates pitchers throw, and the performance of breakaways could indicate these types of situations.

Trevor Bauer in 2018 challenged the Houston Astros to rig baseballs and use pine tar to increase spin rates overnight.

Though kind of dismissed at the time, the findings and results of the cheating scandal the Houston Astros were involved in, hitting trash cans to let the hitter know what was to come, make Trevor Bauer shine on something.

When spin rates increase dramatically, there is a chance that something illegal is taking place. The great thing about analytics is that it can help deter pitchers from gaining an unfair advantage through illegal methods.

How do I solve the problem?

Close analytical studies with the high-resolution cameras deployed at many major league baseball games, if baseball wants to reduce cheating, it has the technology and data to call out and potentially catch teams or players trying to gain an advantage provide.

Baseball is embedded in the traditions of trying to steal marks from second base or picking up the marks of a 3rd base coach, all considered part of the game. This culture of trying to do these things may have led to larger and more socially unacceptable methods that some teams have resorted to.

With powerful cameras and open midfield access combined with technology that can hum and be carried by a player on the plate, the possibilities are endless for those willing to take the risk. Close management by MLB is essential to curb this behavior.

Does pine tar work?

Yes, it’s a very sticky substance that provides a great grip for both hitters and pitchers. While it is acceptable for hitters to use it, under the rules it is not acceptable for pitchers to use it.

The safety benefits of batsmen using it should help batsmen use the argument that it is necessary to protect the people in the stadium and the other players on the field. If wooden bats break in games and the barrel flies, there are already problems with it.

Pine Tar in baseball controversies?

One that comes to mind is the George Brett incident from the 1980s. Brett had hit a home run in the ninth inning, but the opposing team’s manager denied that Brett used the pine tar illegally.

The umpire ruled in favor of the Yankees’ manager. The game was then protested and the protest was upheld.

Check out George Brett’s reaction in the video below. It’s pretty classic!

A more recent situation was with Michel Pineda, who was a pitcher for the New York Yankees. He had pine tar applied to his neck when he faced the Boston Red Sox. It was pretty obvious to the referees and the HD cameras that there was pine tar on his neck. He wasn’t very good at getting away with breaking the rules.

Check out the details in the video below.

Where pitchers hide pine tar

Pitchers put pine tar on their hand wrist or directly into their glove. If they use a small amount, they can sometimes get away with this approach.

There have been many incidents over the years where batters see something different and the umpires then go out to check the pitcher or a ball that has recently been used.

Other Ways Pitchers Cheat

Pitchers often try every method to add more spin or move the ball in different directions. That little bit of extra movement is often enough to gain a competitive advantage. Although illegal, jugs are pushing the limits. Here are some of the methods:

Sandpaper – A pitcher would put a bit of sandpaper in his glove to scrape a baseball, which can cause it to move more like a knuckleball.

Thumbtacks – A pitcher tried to shred the ball with a thumbtack in the 1980s. He was called out by opposing players and later ejected by the referee, but not before cutting his forehead.

Emery Board – Another way to change the coverage of the ball by removing part of the baseball. An emery board or nail file can be used to achieve this.

Pine Tar Summary

Pine tar is great for hitters and should be used in a legal manner. It offers the opportunity to play at a higher level without compromising the integrity of the game. The game was not designed for pitchers to use pine tar to increase spin rates and make hitting harder.

Baseball has a long history of spitballs, pine tars, nail files, and other substances or tools used to help the pitcher gain an advantage.

Baseball also went through the steroid era and is now trying to survive the Houston Astros who cheated their way to a World Series win. Our goal is to work hard to get better and play the game honestly.

The game is to be played with integrity. We encourage our players and kids to work hard and do things right. Win or lose, you know you played the game right.

Act…

If you want to get better as a player, or are a coach or parent of someone who loves baseball, there are many ways to get better and improve in the right way. We provide some videos of some of our favorite exercises below.

One of the best things about living during this time is that there are plenty of resources and world-class coaching available for players regardless of where they live. All you need is an open field, a racquet, a ball and a glove, and you can start your journey to get better.

Of course, players must have a will to improve and a willingness to study the best coaches’ recommendations and watch the better players closely to see what they are doing and how they are doing it! Stick with the game and it will treat you right!

6 batting drills for players of all ages

Top 3 infield exercises

Updated April 13, 2022

Rule 1.10 – Baseball

The bat must be a baseball bat that conforms to the USA Baseball Bat Standard (USABat) adopted by Little League. It must be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or of material and paint tested and found acceptable under the USA Baseball Bat Standard (USABat).

Beginning with the 2018 season, non-wood and laminate bats used in the Little League (Majors) and below, Intermediate (50-70) Division, Junior League Divisions, and Challenger Division must display the USA Baseball logo that indicates the bat meets USABat – USA Baseball’s youth bat performance standard. All BPF – 1.15 bats will be banned from the 2018 season. Also, as of 2018, club diameter for these leagues must not exceed 2⅝ inches. Bats that meet the Batted Ball Restitution Coefficient (BBCOR) standard are also eligible for use in the Intermediate (50-70) and Junior League divisions. Visit LittleLeague.org/batinfo for more information.

Tee Ball:

Per the USABat standard, certified tee-ball bats (26″ and shorter) will have the USA Baseball mark and the text that reads FOR USE WITH APPROVED TEE-BALLS ONLY.

NOTE: Approved tee-ball bats may also be used for coach pitch/machine pitch minor divisions using only approved tee-balls.

Smaller / larger departments:

It must not be longer than 33 inches; no more than 2⅝ inches in diameter, and if wood, no less than fifteen sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inches for bats under 30″) at its smallest part. Wood clubs that are taped or sleeved must not exceed sixteen (16) inches from the small end.

NOTE 1: Solid one-piece wood barrel bats do not require a USA Baseball logo.

NOTE 2: Approved tee-ball bats may also be used for coach pitch/machine pitch minor divisions using only approved tee-balls.

Intermediate (50-70) Division and Junior League:

It must not be longer than 34 inches; no more than 2⅝ inches in diameter, and if wood, no less than fifteen sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inches for bats under 30″) at its smallest part. Wood clubs that are taped or sleeved must be no more than eighteen (18) inches from the small end.

NOTE 1: Solid one-piece wood barrel bats do not require a USA Baseball logo.

NOTE 2: The Intermediate (50-70) Division and Junior League Division also accept racquets that meet the BBCOR performance standard and are therefore marked with a screen print or other permanent certification mark. The certification mark must be rectangular, at least half an inch on each side, and in any contrasting color on the club shaft. Aluminum/alloy and composite clubs must be labeled as aluminum/alloy or composite according to their material composition. This marking must be a screen print or other permanent certification mark, a minimum of 0.5 cm on each side and placed on the shaft of the racquet in any contrasting color.

Senior League:

It must be no longer than 36 inches, no more than 2⅝ inches in diameter, and if wood, no less than fifteen sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inches for bats under 30 inches). its smallest part. Wood clubs that are taped or sleeved must be no more than eighteen (18) inches from the small end. The club must weigh no more than three ounces in number than the length of the club (e.g., a 33 inch long club cannot weigh less than 30 ounces). All clubs that are not made from a single piece of wood must meet the Batted Ball Restitution Coefficient of (BBCOR) performance standard and such clubs must be marked with a screen print or other permanent certification mark. The certification mark must be rectangular, at least half an inch on each side, and in any contrasting color on the club shaft. Aluminum/alloy and composite clubs must be labeled as aluminum/alloy or composite according to their material composition. This marking must be a screen print or other permanent certification mark, a minimum of 0.5 cm on each side and placed on the shaft of the racquet in any contrasting color.

Little League Challenger Division:

It must not be longer than 33 inches; no more than 2⅝ inches in diameter and for wood no less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats under 30 inches) at the smallest point. Wood clubs that are taped or sleeved must not exceed sixteen (16) inches from the small end.

NOTE: Solid one-piece wood barrel bats do not require a USA Baseball logo.

Senior League Challenger Division:

It must be no longer than 36 inches and no larger than 2⅝ inches in diameter, and if made of wood, no less than fifteen sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inches for bats under 30 inches). its smallest part. Wood clubs that are taped or sleeved must be no more than eighteen (18) inches from the small end. The club must weigh no more than three ounces in number than the length of the club (e.g., a 33 inch long club cannot weigh less than 30 ounces). All bats that are not made from a single piece of wood must either 1) meet the Batted Ball Restitution Coefficient of (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats must be marked with a screen print or other permanent certification mark, which must be at least half a rectangle inches on each side and on the shaft of the bat in any contrasting color, or 2) conform to the USA Bat Standard and bear the USA Baseball logo indicating that the bat meets the USA Bat – the Youth Bat Performance Standard of USA Baseball – fulfilled. Aluminum/alloy and composite clubs must be labeled as aluminum/alloy or composite according to their material composition. This marking must be a screen print or other permanent certification mark, a minimum of 0.5 cm on each side and placed on the shaft of the racquet in any contrasting color.

In all disciplines, a non-wooden racquet must have a cork, tape, or composite handle and be at least 10 inches from the small end. Smooth tape or similar material is prohibited.

NOTE 1: Whiffle ball bats are allowed in all challenger divisions.

NOTE 2: The traditional whipped donut is not acceptable.

NOTE 3: Tee-ball sticks can be used in the challenger divisions. Per the USABat standard, certified tee-ball bats (26″ and under) will feature the USA Baseball mark and text that reads: FOR USE WITH APPROVED TEE-BALLS ONLY.

NOTE 4: Non-timber bats can develop dents from time to time. Racquets that have cracks, sharp edges, or that cannot pass through the approved little league racket for that division must be removed from play. For racquets marked 2¼, the 2¼” racquet ring must be used. The 2⅝ inch racquet ring must be used with racquets marked 2⅝.

NOTE 5: An illegal bat must be removed. Any altered club must be removed from play.

Rule 1.10 – Softball

The bat must be a softball bat that conforms to Little League specifications and standards as set forth in this rule. It must be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or a material tested and found acceptable by Little League standards. The club must be no longer than 33 inches (34 inches for Junior/Senior League), no more than two and a quarter (2¼) inches in diameter, and if made of wood, no less than fifteen sixteenths (15/16). inch in diameter (7/8 inch for bats under 30 inches) at its smallest part. Non-wood bats must be printed with a BPF (Bat Performance Factor) of 1.20. Bats may be taped or sleeved no more than 16 inches from the small end. Colored bats are acceptable. A non-wood racquet must have a cork, tape, or composite handle and extend at least 10 inches from the small end. Smooth tape or similar material is prohibited.

An illegal or modified bat must be removed.

In all disciplines, non-wooden clubs must have a cork, tape, or composite handle and be at least 10 inches from the small end. Smooth tape or similar material is prohibited.

NOTE 1: The traditional whipped donut is not acceptable.

NOTE 2: The use of pine tar or similar adhesives is prohibited at all levels of Little League Baseball and Softball. Use of these substances will result in the racket being declared illegal and removed from play.

NOTE 3: Non-timber bats can develop dents from time to time. Racquets that are cracked, have sharp edges, or cannot pass through the approved little league racket for that division must be removed from play. For racquets marked 2¼, the 2¼” racquet ring must be used. The 2⅝ inch racquet ring must be used with racquets marked 2⅝.

NOTE 4: An illegal bat must be removed. Any altered club must be removed from play. PENALTY – See rule – 6.06(d).

Getty Images

Don’t worry. We’re about to blame Michael Pineda. He deserves it for getting involved in another silly little controversy about pine tar.

But I also think it’s time we asked ourselves whether Major League Baseball should put an end to these stupid little controversies. It wouldn’t take much. Just a simple rule change:

Make pine tar legal for pitchers.

Such a rule could have saved Pineda and the New York Yankees some heartache a few weeks ago, as we all remember the uproar that erupted from the brown, tarry goo on his right hand during a dominant start against the Boston Red Sox im Yankee Stadium on April 10th.

Pineda claimed the stuff on his hand was just dirt, but former big league pitcher Dirk Hayhurst was right in a guest column for Bleacher Report that all Pineda did with that apology was to insult everyone’s intelligence . It was obviously pine tar.

And it came back in the second inning during Wednesday night’s contest against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, when Pineda took the mound with a brown streak down his neck that cameras couldn’t ignore:

Image courtesy of MLB Advanced Media via MLB.com.

After Pineda had two quick outs, Red Sox manager John Farrell decided he couldn’t ignore it either. He emerged from the dugout and asked home plate umpire Gerry Davis to take a look at Pineda.

Moments later he was gone.

It’s no surprise that Farrell acted on the brown streaks on Pineda’s neck.

The matter of Pineda’s seeming/apparent use of pine tar in his first start against the Red Sox was of course a story before Wednesday’s game, with one of the questions being whether Farrell would allow another incident like the first time.

Farrell indicated very clearly that the answer would be no. About Sean McAdam from CSNNE.com:

Farrell might as well have gone to the Yankees clubhouse and warned Pineda directly. It would have been the same.

So yes, Pineda is responsible for being eliminated from Wednesday night’s competition. He was warned not to be obvious, and he was obvious.

But here we come to Pineda’s true crime. Was it the pine tar itself, or was it the pine tar’s obviousness?

After the game, Farrell hinted at the latter. About Tim Britton of the Providence Journal:

This is reminiscent of something Farrell said after his club’s last meeting with Pineda.

“With the cold weather, you’re trying to get a grip on yourself,” Farrell said of the Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson. “I can’t say it’s unusual for guys to try to generate a bit of grip. You don’t usually try to be so obvious.”

Translation: Had that stuff been in, say, Pineda’s glove or under the peak of his cap, Farrell would not have known or cared that it was there.

Dustin Pedroia still didn’t care about Pineda’s use of pine tar, noting that he (and virtually every other thug) doesn’t really have the right to complain, even if he cared.

“I have pine tar on my racquet,” said Pedroia. “That’s not an issue.”

Then there’s what David Ortiz said: “Everyone in the league uses pine tar. It’s not a big deal.”

This would mean that all pitchers are breaking rule 8.02, which states that pitchers must not carry or apply any foreign substance to the ball.

Which is actually not an exaggeration. Perhaps not every single pitcher specifically uses pine tar, but Dirk Hayhurst wrote in his column that the use of foreign substances is certainly not limited to a select few:

… I don’t know a single pitcher in my career who hasn’t used something on the ball that broke the rules. When I first got promoted to the big leagues, it was my job to carry all the slick ’ems and stick ’ems to the bullpen so everyone had the tools of the trade that they liked best. Sunscreen and rosin, pine tar, firm grip, fixodent, shaving cream, or a combination of various other chemicals…

The accusation you might want to make is that this means a lot of pitchers are guilty of tampering with the ball, but that’s not really the idea. Doctoring the ball is more about doing something with the ball (scouring, etc.) that directly affects the type of movement a pitch will have.

Pine tar and other foreign matter is all about getting a good grip, which is especially difficult on cold April nights like the two that Pineda faced the Red Sox.

Which brings us to this good point from Red Sox catcher David Ross.

“I’d prefer the guy to know where the ball is going and have a good grip for me personally,” Ross said. “Ever since I’ve been playing, the boys have been trying to control themselves in cold weather from an early age. Maybe it’s cheating, but I don’t really see it that way. Some guys maybe, but not me personally.”

Red Sox hurler Clay Buchholz, who knows about these things, also chimed in: “You either have a grip on a baseball and you kind of know where it’s going, or you don’t have a grip at all and you hurt someone.”

For example, consider Pineda’s first inning. When he first took the hill there was no pine tar on his neck:

Image courtesy of MLB Advanced Media via MLB.com.

Without the pine tar, it was a wild inning for Pineda. While allowing two runs with four hits, he threw 30 pitches. Quite a few of them were way off the mark and thought it was a small miracle that he didn’t knock anyone out. He clearly needed something to help him find his way.

And it’s no wonder Pineda felt the need to go to the pine tar.

The only thing MLB offers pitchers to get a handle on is rosin, and former big league pitcher Al Leiter noted in a recent op-ed for The New York Times that rosin alone may not be enough.

“The rule is stupid,” said Leiter. “You should use the rosin bag, but if you don’t have moisture, it’s just powder. It does not matter. You have to change the rule.”

you know what would help? Something that is not only wet but also a little sticky.

Like pine tar.

Things are a little different on cold nights. Provided both managers agree, the rules allow pitchers to blow on their hands, allowing themselves some natural moisture along with some warmth.

The only problem is that the natural moisture will disappear fairly quickly. It would be better if the pitchers were allowed to use something more permanent, preferably something wet and sticky.

Like pine tar.

Your first instinct might be to rant and rage, but consider everything we’ve discussed up to this point.

As a foreign substance, pine tar may technically be illegal. But it’s a substance that’s not only abundant in baseball, but one that many pitchers are already using to get a grip on. And since it’s more of an adhesive than a squeegee, it’s no wonder nobody minds using it. As Farrell and the Red Sox demonstrated Wednesday night, they just don’t want to see it.

So if MLB legalized pine tar for pitchers, it wouldn’t actually be legalizing the substance itself. Just the visibility of it, really.

You heard about a victimless crime. This would be sacrificeless legalization.

If you want to talk about baseball, contact me on Twitter.

Chemical compound

Pine tar is a form of wood tar produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood under anoxic conditions (dry distillation or destructive distillation). The wood is rapidly decomposed by the application of heat and pressure in a closed container; The primary resulting products are charcoal and pine tar.

Pine tar consists mainly of aromatic hydrocarbons, tar acids and tar bases. The constituents of the tar vary depending on the pyrolysis process (e.g. method, duration, temperature) and the origin of the wood (e.g. age of pine trees, soil type and moisture levels during tree growth). The choice of wood, the design of the stove, the way it is burned and how the tar is collected can vary. Only pine stumps and roots are used in the traditional production of pine tar.

Pine tar has a long history as a wood preservative, as a wood sealant for marine use, in roof construction and maintenance, in soaps, and in the treatment of carbuncles and skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea. It is used in baseball to improve a bat’s grip. It is also sometimes used by pitchers to improve their grip on the ball, which is against the rules.

history [edit]

Pine tar has long been used in the Scandinavian countries as a preservative for wood that may be exposed to harsh conditions, including patio furniture and ship decks and rigging. The high quality pine tar used in this application is often referred to as Stockholm tar[2] because for many years a single company held a royal monopoly on its export from Stockholm, Sweden.[3] It is also known as “Archangel Tar”.[4] Tar and pitch for maritime use were in such demand that they became important exports for the American colonies, which had extensive pine forests. The North Carolinians became known as the “Tar Heels”.

Use [edit]

Pine tar was used as a preservative for the bottoms of traditional Nordic-style skis until modern synthetic materials replaced wood in their construction. It also helped stick waxes which aided the grip and glide of such skis.

Pine tar is widely used as a veterinary care product,[5] particularly as an antiseptic and hoof care treatment for horses and cattle.[5] It was also used when chickens start pecking the low hen.[6] Applying pine tar to the hens’ wound acts as a natural germicidal/antibacterial agent which, due to its foreign texture, prevents further attacks on the affected hen.[6]

Pine tar is used as a plasticizing solvent in the rubber industry, in the treatment and processing of building materials, and in specialty paints.

As a wood preservative[edit]

Pine tar is combined with gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil to create a wood preservative. First, a thin layer of a mixture with a higher percentage of turpentine is applied. This allows it to penetrate deeper into the oak and the grain of the wood, allowing the tar to seep into any pinholes and larger gaps that may be in the planks. The tar seeps outwards, indicating where the boat needs the most attention. [How?] This is followed by a thicker standard mixture. Such treatments, while effective, must be repeated continuously.

Weatherproof rope[ edit ]

Traditionally, hemp and other natural fibers were the norm for rope making. Such rope quickly rotted when exposed to rain and was usually tarred to preserve it. The tar would stain the hands of ships’ crews, and British Navy seamen became known as “tars”.

baseball [edit]

Pine tar is applied to the handles of baseball bats to improve a hitter’s grip.

Rule 1.10(c) of the 2002 Major League Baseball Official Rules limits application to the bottom 18 inches of a bat. The most famous example of the rule’s use is the Pine Tar incident, which occurred during the July 24, 1983 game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees and resulted in George Brett’s go-ahead home run was nullified in the ninth inning and the game is being protested.

Pine tar is also sometimes used illegally by pitchers to improve their grip on the ball in cold weather. This is prohibited by a rule that prohibits the application of any foreign substance to a ball (except for baseball grip enhancing mud, which is applied by umpires).

Medicine [ edit ]

Pine tar has historically been used to treat skin conditions, usually as an additive in cold bar soaps or lotions.[7] Due to the high presence of phenol in the early manufacture of pine tar, it has been classified as a carcinogen. However, much of the phenol has now been removed. Pine tar has been banned by the FDA along with many other ingredients classified as over-the-counter drugs due to a lack of evidence of safety and efficacy for the specific uses cited.[8] However, clinical testing in Australia in 2017 showed that the greatest risk of acute sensitivity is in individuals with severe dermatological conditions and exposure to the eyes.[7] It is important to note that the number of positive reactions to wood tar was not significantly higher than that to other common allergens. Additionally, the concentration of pine tar in topical products available in Australia is up to 2.3%, which is up to four times lower than those tested in these studies.

Pine tar has been used to cover peck wounds in flocks of captive birds such as chickens to prevent continued pecking at a wound and cannibalism. Pine tar is also used in veterinary medicine as an expectorant and antiseptic for chronic skin diseases.[10]

See also[edit]

Once again I’ve teamed up with Natalie Yon-Eriksson of Earth & Flax to teach you about a product I’ve only recently heard about but has been used as a durable coating on historic buildings for hundreds of years, Pine Tar. It may sound like a strange name. Like it’s just black goo that gets stuck to your boot while hiking, but this old-school coating does some pretty amazing stuff.

Check out Natalie’s guest post below and open your eyes to a new ole product that may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Authentic Pine Tar is a 100% natural wood preservative that offers excellent moisture and UV protection, is a mild antiseptic and repels insects such as forest bees, ants, termites, etc.

When should I use it?

Pine Tar is for outdoor use and produces a stain-like finish. Ideal for barns and outbuildings, wide board siding, decks, porches, fences, fence posts etc. It is available in a light and dark finish and pigmented: black, brown and red. There will be green soon too!

No additional solvents are required. Simply mix with Viking Purified Raw Flaxseed Oil. Pine tar is viscous in nature, so it needs to be diluted slightly for easy application. It is best to apply to the bare wood surface at least at room temperature, if not warmer. The most common ratio is 50/50 purified linseed oil to authentic pine tar, but this can be adjusted to personal preference. Do a test first as different wood materials can affect your ratio preference.

Make sure the wood surface is clean and dry. Mix the Viking Purified Raw Flaxseed Oil and the pine tar together very well. Apply 2 thin coats with a stiff bristle brush or a clean rag. Brush out as needed to avoid drip marks. let it dry Drying time is typically 2-3 days in warm temperatures and may take longer depending on climate and/or wood species. It takes a week or two to fully set and is not chalky to the touch.

What type of coverage can I get?

Approximately 500-600 square feet per gallon 50/50 blend of Viking Purified Raw Flaxseed Oil and Authentic Pine Tar.

What are the advantages?

Protects Wood: Creates a breathable surface that doesn’t trap moisture. The purified linseed oil and authentic pine tar work incredibly well together to nourish the wood substrate, protect against moisture damage and rot, and deter insects.

Easy maintenance: the coating does not flake or blister. Simply clean the surface with a non-petrochemical cleaner such as Sodasan All Purpose Cleaner, allow to dry and reapply a coat of Viking Purified Linseed Oil. Additional pine tar is not normally needed for many years as the oil nourishes the wood and conditions the coated surface. The purified linseed oil even returns the original shine or brightness of the pigmented options when applied.

What to look out for:

Pine Tar is only suitable for wood surfaces and cannot be used on a previously petrochemical coated surface. If there’s a barrier between the pine tar and the wood, it just sits on the surface and stays sticky.

Do not mix with regular cooked or raw linseed oil that is not purified as it may not dry, may go rancid and contains unnecessary solvent additives.

For more information on traditional Linseed Oil products including Linseed Oil Wax, Linseed Oil Varnish, Linseed Oil Glaze etc. visit www.earthandflax.com or email [email protected] with any questions.

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