A frequent topic of conversation for anyone who plays a brass instrument is oil. No, not the kind that could actually pay for our playing addiction, but the kind that we squirt, smear, drip, or drop into our axe to keep things moving smoothly. Ever have a valve hang? Having one during a performance can make you feel like you’re in your very own Southwest Airlines “Wanna Get Away?” commercial…and during a performance, there is nowhere to hide.
My quest for a better valve oil began a few years ago when I purchased a new trumpet. I had used Selmer, Holton, Blue Juice, and Al Cass valve oils over the years in different horns, but I had settled on Al Cass Fast as my preference. The new trumpet just didn’t seem to get along with Al, though. After the initial break-in, the routine I adopted looked something like this:
- Oil valves before each rehearsal/performance (especially well before a performance)
- Once a week, remove valves from casings, swab everything, and apply fresh oil
- Once a month, break down the entire horn and bathe it to remove all traces of oil; reapply and reassemble
- Desperately hope for no valve hangs
These steps represented the outer limits of safety; typically, I’d have to perform them more frequently, and occasionally oil the valves multiple times before/during sessions. It was messy and not entirely effective, and I was thinking my new baby was cursed. Enter BiNaK 495.
I had heard of BiNaK for some time, but I finally decided to give it a try when Nanette Kappus, creator of the BiNaK products, offered a too-good-to-refuse promotion one year at Christmastime. For those who don’t know Nanette, she is a tribologist: a fluid lubrication specialist. She also has a background in music performance and teaching, so she knows the struggles we face with our instruments quite well.
I bought two bottles of BiNaK 495 and a jar of the slide grease. I then followed Nanette’s instructions to clean the valves of old oil and residue and applied the BiNaK 495. The valve hangs disappeared. Entirely. My routine became:
- Once every 4-6 weeks, or whenever a valve starts to feel “slow”, remove the valv es and swab the valves and casings; apply BiNaK and reinsert valves
- Break down the entire horn and bathe it every 2-3 months (whenever it is convenient); reapply and reassemble
I’ve since switched all of my axes to BiNaK, and I’ve yet to have a bad result. Two Bb trumpets, one C, one cornet, and a picc, ranging from A (Amati) to Y (Yamaha) and several letters in between. Whether I play that horn daily or rarely, it’s now a worry-free experience.
The only thing I do that varies from Nanette’s recommendations is that I use more than a drop or two of oil for each valve. Not much more, granted, but I lay a very thin bead down each valve. It’s not much, but it works beautifully and it lasts. In a way, this isn’t great news for Nanette’s repeat business…but it is wonderful for BiNaK users. Over the past few years, I’ve only bought four bottles…and I gave two to fellow brass players to try. I didn’t get them back. 
The slide grease is also very good. Consistency is thinner than petroleum jelly, and like the oil, it works and lasts extremely well. I’ve converted all of my horns to it as well.
There may be better oils available, and if so, I’d love to try them. But until I find something better, BiNaK is what is in all my horns.
What do you use? Please post a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
Keep playing,
Mark
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Brass, Gear, General | Mark August 24, 2009 | 
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