My son picked this old pipe up at a flea market in Tennessee this last fall. I shared a YouTube video of it and another pipe when I reamed it out on another thread. It was nasty and heavily caked. He polished the stem and cleaned it up pretty nicely but didn't like the style after he'd had it a bit so we traded pipes: I got this he got an old Grabow Omega I'd restored. Anyway, I love the pipe but hate the varnished/Laquored finish so I decided to strip it. I used 0000 steel wool and Formby's Furniture Refinisher to take off the finish, with cotton balls soaked in alcohol wipes inbetween each application of the Formby's. Little if any of the stain was removed during this process, which made me happy. Here are before and after shots:
I've yet to decide how I'm going to proceed but the bowl rim needs some attention. I may top it and try using the briar dust to replace some of the fills; I don't want it rusticated.
I've yet to decide how I'm going to proceed but the bowl rim needs some attention. I may top it and try using the briar dust to replace some of the fills; I don't want it rusticated.