There are a lot of different handy oilers out there. My brother has over 1100 if I recall. Most of his collection was shown in PCM a few months ago. They were made of metal, glass and plastic. Most of the metal ones were round, oval or a rectangle in shape. They show up in 2, 3 and 4 ouce sizes. Most of the major oil companies had them back in the day. Some times they were given out as a gift by the local distributor around Christmas time in a cardboard box with a picture of Santa Clause on the box. As a general rule, the lead tops are older than the plastic top ones. They make an interesting collectable as there are a lot of different ones out there, they do not take up a lot of space and there are a lot that can be bought for under $10. The rare and uncommon ones can go for over $1000. As with anything collectable, there are fake oilers out there. Some have a new vinyl or paper label on them (There are originals with paper labels) and some have been restored. Also you see some that have been clear coated to make them shine. I saw pictures of some fakes that were about a 4 ounce size and the label on the can said 1 quart. Oilers are always seen at the shows ranging in price from a buck or so up to big $$.
The Dura can is a better oiler, my brother had one for sale at the last Peotone show. There is another version of the Bonded can, it says Gasateria on the bottom of the can if I recall. The Johnson can does show up but they are normally priced over $100.
Also, some "handy oilers" do not have oil in them. The same style can was also used for lighter fluid, ink and other fluids. There are at least two good books on oilers, Got a Drop of Oil? and Got a Drop of Oil part two. A lot of nice cans in both books. I collect the Sinclair oilers to go with my collection, others collect all brands. Now days you can still buy a new "handy oiler" can of Zippo lighter fluid and I think some gun oil is still sold in a small plastic oiler. I think most of the true handy oil cans have been replaced with a can of WD-40.
Lets see some more!
