Vintage Steel and Brass Grease Gun • Manual Push Oil Gun • Mid-Century Garage & Shop Decor

This vintage manual grease gun has that perfect “old garage” look—dark steel tube, warm brass fittings, and a factory curved nozzle that’s clearly seen real work. It’s been fully stripped down, cleaned, and reassembled so you can hang it as industrial decor or display it on a shelf without worrying about mystery grease oozing out later.

I’ve left the honest patina and shop wear in place, so it still looks like it came off a workbench, not out of a big-box store.

Details

• Type: Manual push-type grease / oil gun
• Materials: Steel tube & handle, brass nozzle and end caps, leather pump cup
• Maker: Unmarked (no visible brand)
• Era: Mid-20th century, likely 1940s–1960s (listed under 1950s to fit Etsy’s decade options)
• Overall length: ≈ 18” from tip of nozzle to end of handle
• Body length: ≈ 11” tube
• Features:
• Curved brass discharge nozzle
• Knurled brass end caps at both ends
• Loop-style steel plunger handle
• Original leather pump cup inside

(See photos with the 12” ruler for scale.)

Condition & Restoration

This is a real tool that’s been cleaned and stabilized, not a reproduction.

• Fully disassembled: tube, plunger rod, brass end caps, nozzle, and leather cups all removed
• Old hardened grease completely cleaned out of the tube and internals
• Bore flushed with odorless mineral spirits, then wiped clean and lightly oiled
• Leather pump cup cleaned, dried, and conditioned with Bick’s leather conditioner to keep it supple
• Exterior steel hand-cleaned with solvent and abrasives to remove active rust while preserving the dark patina and shop wear
• Brass fittings lightly brightened but not polished to a mirror—knurling and age still show
• All exterior metal finished with Ballistol and a thin coat of paste wax for a dry, satin feel

The plunger still moves smoothly and the internals are complete. I have not pressure-tested it with new grease, so it’s sold primarily as vintage decor, not as a modern, calibrated lubrication tool.

Included

• Vintage steel & brass grease gun shown in the photos
• Printed care sheet with simple instructions for dusting, handling, long-term storage, and optional light oiling to preserve the patina.

Display Ideas

• Hang it on the wall in a garage, workshop, or man cave
• Lean it on a shelf with other vintage tools, gauges, or oil cans
• Stage it with old manuals or parts bins for a mid-century shop vignette

Notes

• This is an old, used tool with cosmetic wear, marks, and patina appropriate to its age. Please review all photos carefully—they’re part of the description.
• Sold as a vintage collectible / decor piece. If you choose to put it back into service, do so at your own discretion and with appropriate care.