It's been a few years since I had to buy a can, but Minwax paste wax was pretty close to the old Johnsons wax. If they've changed I don't know what else would be the same.

 

I just got some at the Grocery Store a couple of months ago, and it was still the same as it used to be. Maybe you could go somewhere else and open one up and look. I'm thinking I might ought to get another one too, even though it lasts for years, since you say they're changing it.

 

I didn't notice that it had changed - works great on the table saw

 

I use it on my bandsaw table. It was tan paste when I bought my last can.

 

I get it at Orchard Supply Hardware stores. Still looks the same to me. I use it on small boxes I make and it works well on gun stocks.

 

sounds like you got a bad can does it have a date on it

 

I'm wondering if the can got overheated, and the components separated inside. That happened to me with a can of paste polish, and the stuff looked like cottage cheese gone very bad.

 

Overheated? In the South? Wait... What? Hmmm... You may be onto something.

 

Can still buy the original here.

 

Mines the good old stuff from local store.

 

I still use my Dad's can, from like the 60's!

 

I'd be surprised if they changed the product. More likely the OP's can got overheated or contaminated in some way.

 

I bought some less than a year ago and still the same stuff. At the rate I use it I have at least a 30 year supply in 1 can.

 

i use Butchers paste wax on all my long guns, metal & wood . rub it on the inside of stocks and all metal for long trem storage buffs up beautiful. i belive it to give the gun a good grip . make it weather tight with in reason. no surface rust at all after handling & storage. i also store my rifles barrels down so not to get gummed up.

 

+1 on the Butchers wax. Been using for years in the workshop as a finish coat on furniture and cabinets. I recently tried it out on a 1911 that I had stripped down too.

 

Renaissance Wax...The S&W guys swear by it Works great on metal as well as wood.
Amazon has it. Good stuff.

 

Should be good for almost $40.

 

I have a can I use on my snowblower and whatnot.,

 

Looks like an over-reaction to bad can. Scared the bejesus out of me for a minute. I'm going to get a spare just in case.

 

Last can I bought was exactly like you describe: grayish, gelatinous stuff. Got it from Home Depot (Chicago land) as well. Didn't bother me much, I still used it and thought it did a good job on wood and hand planes.

 

I saw this topic yesterday. I have a couple cans of this Johnson's wax. One if fairly new and the other I've had for a couple years. Both are the same Grayish color in the bight yellow can.
Last night I was giving my Sig P-938 a coat of this wax that I do about once a month. I never noticed it before and this might be a reason why some of you are saying this Johnson's paste wax changed and looks different. I read on the can to my disappointment Made in Mexico.

 

That's the Rio Grande River water in it.

 

Just checked my new can... looks nasty like some of you have described. I'm bringing this can back and see if it all looks the same.

 

The Johnson Paste Wax is still the same as always. The can the gentleman refers to must have received an abundance of heat, as yellow turns to a grayish color when conveyed to heat. We use the paste wax frequently at oour store and it is the same as always.

 

well hopefully the OP is still around ... this is a very old post by him ...

 

About a year ago I was looking high and low for Johnson’s paste wax and couldn’t find it anywhere. I couldn’t even find it online except for a few with vastly inflated prices.

A hardware store owner said that it was recalled and unavailable because kids were buying it and getting high from it. Not sure if this was true, but it certainly was impossible to find it here in CT.

I wound up buying another brand on Amazon which I like, although now it’s starting to get a weird consistency in the can. It seems to be forming into small clumps like gravel, though it’s remaining perfectly soft and usable. I’ll have to look at the van when I can to remember the brand name.