Remove Varnish on New Pipes

[Briar Lee]

When I was a little boy a man named Harry Hosterman visited my father at his milk barn quite often. Harry smoked little Dr Grabow pipes with Prince Albert, and his pipes although cheap, were beautiful to look at.

Harry took steel wool and removed the varnish of every pipe he owned. He then used olive oil occasionally to shine them.

I recently substituted grapeseed oil for olive oil, but I follow Harry’s example today, I first learned six decades ago.

Harry Hosterman claimed removing varnish let the briar breathe, and they smoked better. I can’t prove that, but I also believe that’s true. It surely doesn’t hurt the smoking qualities.

But the difference in beauty of a varnished pipe and an oil finished pipe is stark, obvious, and undeniable. The plain, oil finished pipe is much more something you’ll be proud to own and smoke.

Most Lee pipes were shipped unvarnished. The Lee Three Star Pot I got in yesterday had a thin dark coat of varnish.

The varnish was so thin, I removed it all with hot water and steel wool in a minute or so. It improved the looks of it.

But when I got home and could apply grapeseed oil, look at what just one application does.

I can apply beeswax (or any other wax) to this pipe now and make it shine, or I can just leave it alone. The grapeseed oil occasionally will need replenished.

A little grapeseed oil goes a long ways. Here’s four other Lees I shined up with the same paper towel and a few drops of grapeseed oil after I applied it to my new Pot.

I doubt Harry ever heard of a Star Grade Lee.

But all his Dr Grabows, were this beautiful, using olive oil.

I prefer grapeseed oil, because it’s thinner and seems to not darken the pipes as much.

 

[clynch]

When I was a little boy a man named Harry Hosterman visited my father at his milk barn quite often. Harry smoked little Dr Grabow pipes with Prince Albert, and his pipes although cheap, were beautiful to look at.

Harry took steel wool and removed the varnish of every pipe he owned. He then used olive oil occasionally to shine them.

I recently substituted grapeseed oil for olive oil, but I follow Harry’s example today, I first learned six decades ago.

Harry Hosterman claimed removing varnish let the briar breathe, and they smoked better. I can’t prove that, but I also believe that’s true. It surely doesn’t hurt the smoking qualities.

But the difference in beauty of a varnished pipe and an oil finished pipe is stark, obvious, and undeniable. The plain, oil finished pipe is much more something you’ll be proud to own and smoke.

Most Lee pipes were shipped unvarnished. The Lee Three Star Pot I got in yesterday had a thin dark coat of varnish.

View attachment 155393View attachment 155394View attachment 155395The varnish was so thin, I removed it all with hot water and steel wool in a minute or so. It improved the looks of it.
View attachment 155396View attachment 155397
But when I got home and could apply grapeseed oil, look at what just one application does.

View attachment 155398View attachment 155399View attachment 155401View attachment 155403I can apply beeswax (or any other wax) to this pipe now and make it shine, or I can just leave it alone. The grapeseed oil occasionally will need replenished.

A little grapeseed oil goes a long ways. Here’s four other Lees I shined up with the same paper towel and a few drops of grapeseed oil after I applied it to my new Pot.

View attachment 155405I doubt Harry ever heard of a Star Grade Lee.

But all his Dr Grabows, were this beautiful, using olive oil.

I prefer grapeseed oil, because it’s thinner and seems to not darken the pipes as much!

Beautiful functional pipes. Better than before. Big thumbs up.

 

[jpmcwjr]

First, afaik, only cheaply made pipes would have varnish at all.

Second, many pipe makers use very thin coats of shellac which may allow breathing— If— If breathing by the pipe happens to any degree, which itself is doubtful.

Third, vegetable oils can and eventually will go rancid. Preferable is mineral oil and waxes.

I do agree that an unfinished pipe will look wondrous after years of smoking, handling and applying some oil from time to time.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Here are seven pipes, thoroughly washed and cleaned, then given a very light buff with mineral oil on a cloth.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Here's what they looked like after the cleaning and just before the mineral oil:



Also note how the stems that have oxidation and tooth chatter look after the oil. Not the totally dark black that some do, but just fine for the way I smoke. The Barling- Canadian- had a softie bit on it for too long!

 

[telescopes]

I am not convinced that varnish keeps a pipe from breathing. If that were true, I would think that the tar and coloring from inside the pipe would leak out through the pores on the surface of the bowl.

But varnish can peel and ugly out.

Yuck.

 

[telescopes]

@Briar Lee behold this three star first generation Lee I found in Ireland. Is it varnished or is it well waxed? One thing is for sure, it is happy to not be sitting in a tackle box or the glove compartment of a pick up truck in Humid Humansville being eye balled by a Yokum Silver Dollar.


No fills on this lady.

 

[crashthegrey]

I dislike varnish on pipes. But I don't really buy varnished pipes.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't think any medium to good pipes use varnish at all. I hope one of our makers chimes in.

 

[MilesDavis]

When I first began rescuing/restoring old pipes I used boiled linseed oil. Good enough for gunstocks and fretboards, right? No more. Now whether I sand the stummel down to bare wood or not, it's Tripoli buffing compound, Diamond Dust polishing compound, and Carnauba wax.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Many artisans and factory carvers use shellac. Some use lacquer.

 

[crashthegrey]

I don't think any medium to good pipes use varnish at all. I hope one of our makers chimes in.

As a maker and frequent visitor of a factory, varnish is very rarely used (most don't even have any). A thinned shellac on smooths before waxing and a thicker shellac on sandblasts for shine is frequent. Really high end pipes may use Danish oil and the like.

 

[Bob the bear]

Yep I agree with the steel wool approach. Steel wool/ 2000 grit water paper and Carnauba wax is all I use on my restorations and new pipes. I’m not a pro pipe maker but it gives a beautiful finish every time . Although in saying that I have used olive oil previously for the occasionally LIGHT coating to buff up Ebony and bog oak pipes in particular.

 

[Briar Lee]

View attachment 155413
@Briar Lee behold this three star first generation Lee I found in Ireland. Is it varnished or is it well waxed? One thing is for sure, it is happy to not be sitting in a tackle box or the glove compartment of a pick up truck in Humid Humansville being eye balled by a Yokum Silver Dollar.

View attachment 155414
No fills on this lady.

I call that a large saddle bit Billiard, and I own several.

In the late 1940s the Five Star customer got a natural finished pipe. No options.

The Four Star customer (there weren’t many) could choose between natural or tan.

Three Star and Two Star customers could choose natural, tan, or dark.

I think your pipe is tan, but it could be natural. They are close in color.

Lee must have had three different oil curing vats. The best blocks that came out of a colorless sweet oil cure got reserved for Five Stars.

Lesser grade blocks got cured again, not as long, in the brown vat.

The ones that needed the most help, were cured in a dark reddish brown vat.

Dark pipes are scarce. I think Lee only offered dark pipes because Kaywoodie did.

Lee pipes were stained deep, and evenly.

But over time the naturals get darker and the dark ones lighten up, but Lee did his damndest to keep the stains from wearing off.

I doubt it was that shiny new.

Most naturals and tans came almost matte, but it’s impossible to say, since every one is old enough to draw social security.

 

[edger]

I have a Grabow Royal Duke that had a reddish shiny finish that I rubbed with a cloth soaked in Everclear. The shellac/lacquer/? must have been tinted red because the pipe now has a lovely soft brown matte finish. This pipe smokes beautifully with no filter. It gets the occasional coat of Howard Wax-It-All.

 

[Briar Lee]

Many artisans and factory carvers use shellac. Some use lacquer.

My pipe could have had shellac or lacquer or it might have been a sort of stain. If it’s not natural, I call it varnished.

Whatever it was came off dark red and was very easy to remove.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

I am worried that it can it make them spontaneously combust.

 

[crashthegrey]

My pipe could have had shellac or lacquer or it might have been a sort of stain. If it’s not natural, I call it varnished.

Whatever it was came off dark red and was very easy to remove.

That's definitely not shellac. Shellac is used by so many. That's a varnish of some sort, lacquer included. Not good. Shellac, when used correctly, is no issue at all. Chances are Lee used shellac like most companies do.

 

[crashthegrey]

I have a Grabow Royal Duke that had a reddish shiny finish that I rubbed with a cloth soaked in Everclear. The shellac/lacquer/? must have been tinted red because the pipe now has a lovely soft brown matte finish. This pipe smokes beautifully with no filter. It gets the occasional coat of Howard Wax-It-All.

Everclear will strip the stain right off. Could have been colored lacquer, could have been stain on a pipe.

 

[edger]

Everclear will strip the stain right off. Could have been colored lacquer, could have been stain on a pipe.

The red came off with the Everclear, but the brown didn't lighten at all. I suspect the red was tinted in the coating. In any event, the pipe is much improved.