While I was fighting off a sinus infection, I refurbished one of my estate finds. The timing of @PappyJoe above article was perfect due to the extensive stem work involved wit this pipe. First, here's the before pipe:
Here's a FE.RO (that spelling is correct). It's a sand blasted squashed tomato with a black acrylic stem. The stem = no problem... very little work required. The stummel, on the other hand, had a charred rim with surface burns on the bowl around the rim. I HATE that when the bowl is blasted. It's a lot tougher to get off. Anyway, here's some before pics
I cleaned the stummel with alcohol, then wood soap. After that I VERY lightly sanded the entire bowl, giving special attention to the charred and burnt areas. Then after cleaning and drying, I stained it: 15 drops saddle tan 1 drop ox blood 5 drops alcohol (to thin it) After waxing and buffing, this is the final...
Here's another pipe from that estate sale. It's a another Calabrest. I won't brother you guys with before and after pics. It was a little rough (you know, rim charred, stem, etc.), but here's the final:
I wanted to try and save the original stain, so I tried a method of steaming with an iron through a wet paper towel. I saw this method used on a YouTube channel BARE PIPE. A VERY good source for restoration ideas... Sure enough, it worked!
It takes the wax/polished finish off, but I was going to do the entire pipe anyway as part of the cleaning (alchohol and wood soap). So, after stem work, yada yada yada, here's the final:
I have a noname full bent I've already started to work on. I've thoroughly cleaned out the shank, stem, and reamed the bowl. Then I took care of the rim charring. It's mechanics are really good, and I thought I could live with that pipe being "finished", BUT IT'S VARNISHED! I can't help it, I'm going to have to strip the stummel and hope that I'm left with a good looking piece of briar I can refinish... We'll see...
Well it took me a while to create a close match to the original color. Anyway, stained, waxed and buffed. It's not as shinny as the varnish, but it's a small price to pay... Did I say I hate varnish on pipes? 🤨 Here's the final:
I have a pocket pipe I purchased last year. It was stained a very dark brown. So dark it almost looked black. I was in between pipes to work on, so I decided to strip it and see what was underneath. For those of you who have done this, you know that we usually are unpleasantly surprised (pits, fills, lack of grain, etc.). Anyway, after stripping I 2-tone stained it and here's the result. IMHO, I like it much better...
@Kmhartle I love everything about it except the bowl size. It's not that it's too small, it holds enough for a 30/45 minute smoke. The bowl is just too narrow. A standard round pipe tamper will only go about half way into the bowl and then the bowl taper prevents it from going any further. I was smoking it at a Tinder Box near me, and when I expressed my frustration, another piper handed me his tamper. It was just like mine except the round pad of the tamper was slightly ground down flat on one side, thereby making it more narrow. I was able to use it with no problem. I have several Chech tools, so I took one and ground down a side of the round tamper (not much, just a little) and my frustration is now gone. As far as the pipe, it performs very well for the purpose it was intended. In the pocket with a small, 2 bowl capacity Firedog pouch, pipe lighter and my ground down tamper. and an opportunity to smoke when it presents itself never goes by...
Comments
https://pappyjoesblog.com/deoxidizing-hard-rubber-stems/
The timing of @PappyJoe above article was perfect due to the extensive stem work involved wit this pipe.
First, here's the before pipe:
Anyone ever heard that one?
Lee, about half way down http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-l3.html
All the stamping is exactly like the pics you sent... TNX
The stem = no problem... very little work required.
The stummel, on the other hand, had a charred rim with surface burns on the bowl around the rim. I HATE that when the bowl is blasted. It's a lot tougher to get off.
Anyway, here's some before pics
Then after cleaning and drying, I stained it:
15 drops saddle tan
1 drop ox blood
5 drops alcohol (to thin it)
After waxing and buffing, this is the final...
I won't brother you guys with before and after pics. It was a little rough (you know, rim charred, stem, etc.), but here's the final:
I saw this method used on a YouTube channel BARE PIPE. A VERY good source for restoration ideas...
Sure enough, it worked!
So, after stem work, yada yada yada, here's the final:
The first is a Savinelli Punto Oro
And the second is a Savinelli Straight Grain
Ehrlich – Another Iconic Boston Tobacconist (1868-1968): An Ehrlich Special Chimney
https://rebornpipes.com/2020/03/18/ehrlich-another-iconic-boston-tobacconist-1868-1968-an-ehrlich-special-chimney/I've thoroughly cleaned out the shank, stem, and reamed the bowl. Then I took care of the rim charring.
It's mechanics are really good, and I thought I could live with that pipe being "finished", BUT IT'S VARNISHED! I can't help it, I'm going to have to strip the stummel and hope that I'm left with a good looking piece of briar I can refinish... We'll see...
Anyway, stained, waxed and buffed. It's not as shinny as the varnish, but it's a small price to pay... Did I say I hate varnish on pipes? 🤨
Here's the final:
I was in between pipes to work on, so I decided to strip it and see what was underneath. For those of you who have done this, you know that we usually are unpleasantly surprised (pits, fills, lack of grain, etc.).
Anyway, after stripping I 2-tone stained it and here's the result.
IMHO, I like it much better...