Pillow ticking is the material used for patching, a tight weave cotton material. It needs to be washed before use to remove the starch. Makes it taste horrible and keeps it from absorbing lube.

Spit patch is just that, pop the patch in your mouth while loading and the saliva lubes the patch and softens residue left in the barrel from the last shot, not sopping wet just damp. Best used in matches where shots are close together so it doesn't dry out. Most guns will shoot very well with a spit patch. For hunting use a lube.


Black powder is hydroscopic [absorbs water like a sponge] so keeping your powder dry was life and death for our ancestors, as was keeping the flash pan dry. So the saying, May you have good fortune and the Angels not piss in your pan.