Lubricants and coatings may not be the “sexiest” products in bowhunting—but have been proven to extend the life of bowstrings and generally improve the performance of some of our most-used pieces of gear. Among bowhunters and archery business people, that’s big, positive news.

Scorpion Venom Lubricants, a division of Waxstar International, uses a “myriad of suppliers” as partners, says New York’s John Logalbo. In 2005 he partnered with fellow bowhunter and chemist John Dreher and a year later attended their first ATA Trade Show. Today, Logalbo says, each supplier performs a specialized task, supplies a specific product that is useful—some would say “necessary”—to archers who want to maximize the performance of their equipment.

Here are four products that illustrate the diversity of lubricant and coating offerings from Scorpion Venom

Scorpion Venom’s Target Arrow Release Fluid is an “after-the-shot” product for archers who fling field tips at 3-D targets. Often, especially with a new target, a shooter has to be careful about removing an embedded arrow. The target is dense and the foam has parted to allow arrow entry, but then collapsed around the shaft. Torque the arrow just a little and an aluminum shaft might easily take a slight, but permanent accuracy-destroying bend. A wood shaft might crack and even a carbon shaft, twisted hard enough and withdrawn in an off-center manner, can become unnoticeably damaged.

Target Arrow Release Fluid ($11/1 ounce) applied to the field tip helps for easy arrow removal from these 3-D targets. “A little goes a long way,” says Logalbo. “Once the field tip penetrates a 3-D target, the friction or resistance of the ‘self-healing foam’ causes the fluid to migrate back along the shaft. Penetration is improved and, paradoxically, because the fluid acts as a lubricant, it also allows for easier arrow removal.”

More good news? Your customers won’t have to worry about using a shaft for 3-D and then taking it hunting, because the fluid is odor-free.

Then there is Polymer Bowstring Wax that was the original Scorpion Venom product. Most every archer carries it. Whether or not wax is a benefit to today’s completely synthetic strings is debatable, scientifically speaking, but archers are generally convinced that even strings made from Dacron or polyethylene (all called polymers or, in lay terms, exotic plastics) benefit from the application of string wax.

Scorpion Venom says its Polymeric Bowstring Wax ($11/20 grams—about ¾-ounce) is easy to use and apply. There is no need to “burnish” the wax into the bowstring. Simply use the leather patch supplied, run a thin coating of product up and down the sections of the string that do not contact the bow.

“Bowstring wax is recommended on synthetic strings because it reduces friction between the string strands,” Logalbo says. “It helps strands remain supple and prevents them from becoming brittle in cold weather. Our wax is waterproof and odor free.”

Scorpion Venom’s Crossbow Rail Lube ($11) should appeal to the growing legions of crossbow shooters in the U.S. and Canada. Logalbo says it is chemically composed to provide “extreme slip without tackiness.” In other words, his Rail Lube “takes the fun out of friction.” Apply the odorless, waterproof lubricant directly to the rail or arrow track in one or two passes of the mess-free applicator. There is no need to wax the serving which contacts or rides along the top of the rail as this, Logalbo says, “will eventually cause wax build-up which will attract dust and dirt.” Then a shooter gets serving separation and friction, which causes string wear and broken strands, resulting in shots that perform at less than their peak performance. Of course, broken strands can also lead to string failure and that is potentially catastrophic with a high energy crossbow.

Dab-A-Deer Buck Lure Stick ($16/5 ounces) is “odd man out” in the Scorpion Venom Lubricants and Coatings product line-up, for it is neither. It is designed to attract deer rather than solve a mechanical issue with shooting gear.

Dab-A-Deer (“Lure with an attitude,” Logalbo says) is water resistant, long lasting and applies easily leaving no mess behind. To use the Lure Stick, simply twist the bottom of the tube to move the ingredient upward in the tube. Then apply it to a scent boot pad or drag cloth to lay a scent trail.

“Dab it at several hunting spots, like at the base of a treestand,” says Logalbo. “Just don’t get it on your clothes or gear.”

As long as their equipment works fine, Logalbo says, people forget about lubricants: “If you don’t lubricate and have good maintenance you lose functionality of your bow and string. All our products are waterproof and odor free. They are designed to help archers get the maximum level of performance from their gear.”

Scorpion Venom Lubricants is a division of Waxstar International, P.O. Box 1021, Sayville, NY 11782. Give them a call at (631) 495-0806/553-8609 or send an email to info@waxstarinc.com. Or log on to http://www.scorpionvenomarchery.com/.