Whale oil is marketed in five grades: Nos. 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Nos. 0 and 1 are made entirely from blubber; No. 2 from tongues and kidney fat and from the residue of the blubber boilings; No. 3 is made from the flesh and bones, and No. 4 from refuse. The different grades contain progressively from 1⁄2 to 1 per cent water and dirt, and from 2 to 30 per cent free fatty acid.
Grades 0, 1 and 2 of whale oil are used in the manufacture of soap, glycerine being obtained from it as a by-product. In its natural condition the oil is soft, and has to be “hardened” before it can be used for soap making. The hardened whale oil is white, odourless and tasteless, and is an excellent substitute for tallow. In this condition it is also used as a substitute for lard and, to a small extent, is used in making margarine.
Grades 3 and 4 are used in the manufacture of lubricating greases. Whale oil alone is used for shafting and machinery bearings. When mixed with mineral oil, it is used for looms, spindles and textile machinery. Whale oil is also used as an illuminant, for currying leather, and in making chamois leather, for batching flax and other vegetable fibres, and in oiling wool for combing.
In 1913, the world’s annual catch of whale oil had reached 800,000 barrels. During the war the supply was considerably less, for example in 1917 it was only 358,000 barrels.
Whalebone. Whalebone from the mouths of the Right or whaleboned whales is in considerable demand among dressmakers and milliners. Its principal use is in the brush trade, chiefly in making brushes for mechanical purposes. It is prepared for use by being boiled in water for about 12 hours until it is quite soft. It is then cut into strips or bristles or filaments, according to the use for which it is intended. It is light, flexible, tough and fibrous.
Sperm Oil. Sperm oil is really a liquid wax. It is an excellent lubricant—particularly for rapidly moving machinery, e.g. spinning spindles, or for delicate machinery such as watches. It does not become gummy or rancid, and retains its viscosity at high temperatures. It has no corrosive action.
When cooled to low temperatures, it deposits a solid wax—spermaceti—which is used in the manufacture of high grade candles. Sperm oil is also used for dressing leather, in oil tempering steel, and as an illuminant.
Ambergris. Ambergris is a solid, fatty, inflammable substance, dull grey in colour, which occurs as a concretion in the intestines of sperm whales. It is generally found floating in the sea or on the shore. It is used in the perfume industry mixed with other perfumes.