Just discovered several old bottles of Norwegian wood ski treatment dyp impregnering and grunn smoring in a box from the attic. I purchased them about 1977 in Michigan, still using the wood Gressoppa Finse skis I bought at the same time, although now needing regular reglueing of the wooden edges. Can't read the labels on the bottles which are blackened by the stuff. Able to get the tops off, dark black liquid at the bottom and smells the same as I recall, but is quite thick. Any idea what solvent to thin the stuff with? Probably going to try alcohol. I also can't remember what the difference is between the GRUNN SMORING and the DYP IMPREGNERING. I believe the DYP is a yearly beginning of the season treatment, and the GRUNN is for wood that needs retreatment during the season. Any old timers out there that still remember how to use the stuff?

I would usually apply the dyp to seal freshly cleaned skis in the spring before storage. Then, I'd apply the grunn as a grip base before the first wax of the season or to touch up bare scrapes, etc. (To tell the truth, I found it difficult to discern an actual difference in the two products...) And, don't thin it unless it absolutely won't spread. It's tar. But, if needed, start with a few drops of mineral spirits.

Better yet, can you ship me those bottles? I have been unsuccessfully searching for this exact product combination for the past 45 years. Need to spiff up my Sigmund Ruud skis from 1974...

The bamboo poles are chuckle worthy. Mine look the same; somehow I haven't managed to break them in 40+ years of use.

The bottles of wood treatment are about a third full, they were mostly full. I bought a bunch of them for $1/each at JC Penney when they were selling hard lines. Eventually combined the mostly empty ones more than 15 years ago, no way I could forget that because the black stains were on everything when imperfectly pouring from one bottle to the other. Even though the lids have been on tight they have off -gassed quite a bit of solvent. After a bit of mineral spirits I'll treat my skis. If it goes well I'll mail you whatever remains.

OMG. Proust had his madeleines – pine tar does the same for me. :-)

First things first – that "Dyp impregnering" contains xylene according to this, so treat it as the hazardous substance that it is:

Bergendahls dyp impregnering

You put that on new skis. It seals the ski soles against moisture.

The "grunnsmøring" is a base treatment to be applied annually (rarely more often) and also contains xylene. Here are the instructions:

1OldYankee: "If it goes well I'll mail you whatever remains. "

Good man. Best of luck to ya.

Hey! I rummaged through the garage and came across my souvenir bottle of dyp-impregnering! So now, we have the complete instructions. Pretty sure I tossed all of my Grunnsmøring bottles since I would use more of that over the years. Kept this one since it had a bit left (back in the mid 80s anyway...), but as 1OldYankee relates, it doesn't pour out at all.

Cheers to good memories!

Thank you gravelroad and schweady, can't imaging how you found those links in Norwegian. The Google translator is easy peasy. It's likely the xylene (and the associated benzene and toluene), not the pine tar that keeps you coming back for more. Probably lowered your IQ a couple points already:)

If I can get my hands on some xylene will thin the stuff out. Don't think I'll attract much attention as a possible glue sniffer at my age.

By the way, had beer and sausages at the new Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe before COVID. They have a pair of antique wood Gresoppa Finse skis tied to the beams in the ceiling along with some other memorabilia. I pointed out to the server that I was just as antique, but would end up one day on the other side of the wood floor planking...