 Spermaceti , obtained primarily from the spermaceti organ , and sperm oil , obtained primarily from the blubber in the body , were much sought after by eighteenth , nineteenth , and twentieth century whalers . These substances found a variety of commercial applications , such as candles , soap , cosmetics , machine oil , other specialised lubricants , lamp oil , pencils , crayons , leather waterproofing , rust @-@ proofing materials and many pharmaceutical compounds . Ambergris , a solid , waxy , flammable substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales , was also sought as a fixative in perfumery . 
