The world’s most versatile lubricant—only a handful of people know its formula.

As a lubricant, its fatal flaw is that it evaporates—not only failing to provide lasting protection, but potentially attracting and concentrating dust and grime. Strictly speaking, it functions more like a solvent or cleaner than a true lubricant, since 'WD' stands for 'Water Displacement,' not 'Long-lasting Lubrication.' This is why, on internet forums, someone inevitably jumps in to correct: 'WD-40 is *not* a lubricant!'—sparking protracted debates. Technically, it does contain lubricating components, and its short-term effect after spraying does indeed reduce friction. But if you’re seeking long-term lubrication, white lithium grease, silicone oil, or graphite lubricants are far more professional choices. So what is WD-40’s real competitive edge? The answer may lie in brand recognition, ubiquitous distribution, and its 'good-enough-for-most-things' jack-of-all-trades positioning. As one commentator put it: it’s not the best—but it’s readily available on supermarket shelves, affordably priced, and poses minimal skin irritation. When all you’ve got is a hammer and a can of WD-40, it’ll get you through most 'close-enough' problems. That’s precisely its secret to success. In a market saturated with highly specialized products, WD-40 occupies a unique ecological niche: it’s the Swiss Army knife in your garage, the universal backup in your home toolbox—not the best in any single domain, yet 'good enough' across a remarkably wide range of scenarios. And that 'secret formula,' allegedly locked in a bank vault and requiring a horseback ride across Times Square to unveil? Its true value may have long transcended mere chemical composition—becoming instead an integral part of the brand’s narrative: a carefully crafted legend lending an aura of mystique to every blue-and-yellow aerosol can. In the business world, sometimes convincing people you possess a secret is more valuable than actually possessing one. For seventy years, WD-40 has built an almost unreplicable brand moat using a simple name, a mysterious formula story, and an all-purpose product positioning. As for that notebook documenting the fortieth successful formulation—it may continue resting quietly in a San Diego bank vault. And every new CEO will regard being granted permission to glimpse it as a career highlight—even though, like the rest of us, they likely won’t understand a word of what’s written inside. References: 1. https://files.wd40.com/pdf/sds/mup/wd-40-multi-use-product-aerosol-low-voc-sds-us-ghs.pdf

On Aviation Maintenance Tools (I): Do You Know WD-40—from Outer Space to Your Home?

WD-40 stands for 'Water Displacement, 40th formula'—a waterproofing and rust-removing agent developed on the 40th attempt. Originally invented by Norm Larsen in 1953 for the U.S. Titan rocket program, the number '40' reflects the fact that his first 39 attempts failed to meet requirements. Because WD-40 was initially developed for military use, it wasn’t sold commercially until five years later—in San Diego. Its parent company was originally named Rocket Chemical Company, but thanks to WD-40’s strong ties to aviation and its exceptional water-displacement performance, the company rebranded itself as WD-40 Company. In 1964, NASA selected WD-40 as its designated waterproofing and rust-removal product during a procurement tender—propelling WD-40 into the spotlight once again and expanding its reach from the U.S. domestic market to 176 countries and regions. Today, WD-40 boasts over 60 years of history. In the United States, statistics show that four out of every five households use a WD-40 product—testament to its unshakable status in American life. The WD-40 Company went public on the NASDAQ in 1973 based solely on this single product, and—thanks to its stellar U.S. market performance—was named one of the ten most profitable companies in 1993. This speaks volumes about WD-40’s devoted following in America. Yet association with aerospace alone cannot explain why WD-40 uniquely rose above its competitors. Like virtually all successful enterprises, WD-40’s triumph stems not just from product quality, but also from masterful commercial strategy. WD-40’s formula is protected in the U.S. as a trade secret—not a patent—just like KFC’s fried chicken seasoning or Coca-Cola’s ingredient blend. The reason is simple: patent applications require full disclosure of ingredients and proportions. Thus, from its inception, WD-40’s formula has been stored in a bank vault in California, accessible only to a select few top executives. In fact, curious chemists have long used spectroscopic analysis to deduce WD-40’s composition. But—as with Coca-Cola, whose secret formula is widely known yet whose brand remains irreplaceable—even if you replicate the recipe, consumers still choose the original. Americans’ affection for WD-40 far exceeds ordinary expectations: they’ve even formed fan clubs and cataloged over 2,000 uses for it—including wildly imaginative ones such as substituting WD-40 for engine oil (?), repelling pigeons with WD-40 (??), or killing cockroaches with WD-40 (???). Many of these uses stray far from WD-40’s core function of water displacement and rust removal.

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WD-40 Company submitted a Form 4 filing on October 8 regarding an insider transaction by VP Nicholas Daniel Giordano, though specific transaction details were not provided.

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