Restoring an Ebony Finish Estate Pipe

[thedi]

I recently picked up an estate pipe that originally had what looked like a real high shine ebony finish. It now sports a cracked and flaking finish. I have restored a ton of briars, but never an ebony finish. Should I go about this the same way or are there any hints/tips/tricks for the ebony finishes?

 

[ejames]

Sounds like the pipe has a lacquer finish. Got some pics? The lacquer can be stripped and the pipe made to shine again,but getting a nice dark black color is very hard to do in my experience.