Clay Newcomb Explains the Metaphor of "Bear Grease" | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The Joe Rogan Experience podcast explores the history and versatile uses of bear grease, a valuable commodity in the American frontier.

Key Insights

• 🛟 Bear grease was a valuable commodity and unit of currency on the American frontier due to its versatility and long shelf life.
• 🧔 The Joe Rogan Experience podcast explores forgotten and relevant topics, such as bear grease, in search of insights.
• 🍳 Bear grease has various applications, including cooking, soap-making, and skincare products.
• 🥳 The bear hunting community is particularly interested in utilizing all parts of the animal, including the fat, for practical purposes.
• 🧔 The tanned neck hide of a deer, known as an "eel," was used as a container for storing bear oil and served as a unit of measurement.
• 😃 Bear grease offers a unique market of commodities compared to other big game animals, as more parts of the bear are utilized, including the hides.
• 🎙️ The podcast emphasizes the importance of sustainable hunting practices and utilizing as much as possible from the animals harvested.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is bear grease and why was it highly valued on the American frontier?

Bear grease is the rendered fat of a bear that had various uses such as cooking, conditioning leather, and staying good on the shelf unrefrigerated for over a year. It was valued due to its longevity compared to pork lard before refrigeration.

Q: How is bear fat used to make soap?

Bear fat can be combined with sodium hydroxide (lye), water, and essential oils to create bear fat lye soap, which is known for its natural and beneficial properties for the skin.

Q: What are the ingredients in bear grease beard oil?

Bear grease beard oil is a mixture of bear oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, and essential oils. It can be applied to the beard for conditioning and a pleasant scent.

Q: What are some traditional and folklore uses of bear oil?

Bear oil was used in the past to relieve arthritis pain and was even believed to cure baldness. These uses have become part of the folklore surrounding bear grease.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Bear grease was once a highly valued commodity used as a unit of currency on the American frontier, with various applications including cooking, conditioning leather, and making soap.

• Bear grease products such as bear fat lye soap, bear grease beard oil, and bear grease hand salve have been created, all with unique benefits.

• The Joe Rogan Experience podcast delves into the forgotten world of bear grease and the significance of utilizing all parts of the animals hunters harvest.