Textile-machinery lubricant composition

An improved high retention lubricant for textile-machinery comprises a naphthenic base oil, a tackiness agent (e.g., polyisobutylene), and an effective amount of a lithium soap (e.g., 0.1 to 1.5% lithium stearate) to provide a MacMichael viscosity at 70 DEG F of at least 5, more preferred at least 15 (preferably 20 to 35). Typically, the base oil can have a viscosity in the range of 60 to 600 SUS at 100 DEG F (more preferably 125 to 300 SUS) and an aniline point in the range of 150 to 170 DEG F, said base oil comprising at least one hydrorefined naphthenic oil component having a viscosity in the range of 40 to 12,000 SUS at 100 DEG F, and preferably, is a wide boiling range blend containing at least two such hydrorefined naphthenic oils.