I pick up a Vaughan 99 16oz rip hammer

If it is a yellowish brown sticky substance try mineral spirits or lacquer thinner on a paper towel.

-- Jesse, Saint Louis, Missouri

Yes its yellowish brown sticky substance.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

If it’s “cosmoline” (which is a sticky brown substance used to keep tools from rusting on long sea voyages), you can use Simple Green. You can get it at HD or the grocery store. It’s an all purpose cleaner. It’s what Grizzly recommends from cleaning the cosmoline off of their exposed cast iron.

I use it for things like this as well as cleaning scale off shower doors, grease out of roasters, etc. Cheaper than mineral spirits and doesn’t stink. Won’t wreck the handle, either.

WD40. Kerosene. Gasoline. Goof Off. Citrasolve. Cream hand cleaner. Anything that will dissolve an oil or grease.

Its not on the handle just on the head.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Laquer Thiner

-- Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day's work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain" Frank Lloyd Wright