Thanks to some helpful tips I picked up on this forum before I even joined, I purchased a small cake of pure beeswax from my local hardware store. So far I have used it to cure loose (and tight) stem issues, and it works great. I use it as a protective finish on bowl tops to avoid scorching from a wayward match or lighter flame; it does an excellent job. I have used it like a toilet gasket to keep Grabows from leaking at the joint when smoking without a filter. Lastly, I buff it on as a protective coating on pipe bits to prevent unsightly discoloration from saliva. Works great for that, too. So just a question for the more experienced out there: is there anything else this miracle substance can do for a pipe that I'm not aware of?
Beeswax-God's Gift to Pipe Smokers
- Thread starter aldecaker
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
If you're out of Mason jars you can rub wax around the rim of an open tin, then cover it with aluminum foil and snap the plastic lid back over the tin. If your seal is good, it'll keep the tobacco fresh for many, many months. I've used this system to store a tin of blending Perique that I am in and out of several times a year.
A long time ago on Forums, someone said to be sparing with beeswax as a polish on briar, especially on rusticated or blast finishes, since it can attract residue. I have some beeswax, but haven't used it for polish on that basis. Anyone else have any experience with it, and/or an opinion? A polishing cloth does a good job to maintain a shine, and that seems to be enough. What do you think?
(It sounds like there are many interesting uses for beeswax otherwise.)
(It sounds like there are many interesting uses for beeswax otherwise.)
Since the cake of it I have has a nice flat top, I just put the top of the pipe bowl against it, and twist a few times. When the bowl rim looks dull, you have enough on. Then I just buff it smooth with a rag made out of an old t-shirt. It's kind of cool when a flame moves with the breeze and instead of seeing your rim scorch, you see the wax momentarily soften and then go back to normal. I usually freshen up the rim wax every time I do a good clean on the pipes. BTW, the guys who mentioned using it as a bowl polish are right-it's not the optimal material for that.
I just use beeswax for the 'stache, and nose oil for the stummel. Loose stem, smoke it, tight stem, graphite.
I actually just tried out some beeswax to loosen a tight stem and it worked a treat! I just got my Ferndown Lovat in the mail (more on that in another post too - as soon as I have time to host some pictures and right a decent bit of prose) and noticed the stem was quite hard to straighten. I had picked up some beeswax from the farmers market straight from the source as I had heard it could be fairly useful. Best 2$ I have ever spent!
Thinkin about trying it on the rim of this new ferndown as well... it's got a nice smooth rim that would be nice to keep pristine.
Thinkin about trying it on the rim of this new ferndown as well... it's got a nice smooth rim that would be nice to keep pristine.
My only use of beeswax is to melt it, dab it on my meers, then heat the residue after it has dried and swab off the excess. This will help in the coloration of the meer.
Before trying this, however, read the thread on this forum about coloring meers!
Before trying this, however, read the thread on this forum about coloring meers!
- Status