Last issue there were some notes concerning how to polish tinsel. Alec Jackson recently continued this discussion:

"As a child - more than 50 years ago - I remember using BRASSO to polish the family brass (fire irons, candle sticks, horse brasses and the like). It was a never ending task which was performed on a regular schedule and much too frequently for a boy who would rather have been doing something else.

Then my mother found a product which claimed 'apply this and you will never have to polish your brass again', so similar words. It worked! Last year, 1989, I went home to put my mother to rest and on returning brought with me a number of those brasses, still as bright as they were when last polished prior to World War II (1939). For fifty years a product, which I have long forgotten the name of, worked as claimed. Does Dave, or anyone else know the name of that product? Seems like us fly dressers could use in today!"

With those few words Alec had created another mystery. Fifty years, and some distance removed, the possibility of finding the same polish in 1990 seemed remote. The search was joined by research from Consumer Reports, the local library, several fly tiers, the shops they trade at, the wives of the shop owners, and two engravers. No one had a clue as to what the product might have been. That brings us to my wife's grandmother.

In passing, my search was mentioned to the dear lady. She couldn't be certain this was the same product, but she was still using what her mother had used; and she said she didn't need to use it very often. The bottle she had was purchased in 1962 (that was the new one). I obtained the product name, and company address, with little hope that it would still be around in these days of carcinogens and plastics. Could be I was wrong. There on my grocers shelf sat the same product, freshly packaged in a plastic container. Since the last week of July the tinsel polished with this cleaner has been exposed to Mother Nature, house cats, handling by small children and moisture. Though not a long term assessment, wiping with a soft cloth restores the original polish luster. The same company also makes a silver polish of similar quality (according to my wife). Since 1873, the name has been WRIGHT'S BRASS POLISH, from J. A. Wright & Co., P.O. Box 566, Keene, N.H. 03431. I used BRASSO in the service, and believe me, this stuff isn't even similar. Gently wipe it on, gently wipe it off, instant polish. It might even work on that old spittoon sitting by the fireplace.