Has anyone who has purchased one of the old-stock Bruyere St. Claudes from Smokingpipes experienced any finish problems? I got one of the Extra Billiards, and it's a great smoking flake pipe; great size for flake, good draw, etc. But it seems that when it gets a little warm, the finish seems to get tacky. No bubbling or blisters. I am wondering if they were found as raw stummels and only recently finished, resulting in an inadequate cure time. Any thoughts?
Bruyere St. Claude Finish Problems?
- Thread starter aldecaker
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fmgee-thanks for the link. I thought I vaguely remembered a discussion about them, but couldn't find it for some reason.
bigpond-yeah, that's why I was wondering about phred's. I could believe the horn stems are vintage, but not the vulcanites.
I really do like the pipe, and SP might not even have any left to exchange. I'd rather head off the bubbling problem Bradley had, so I guess I'll just remove the finish and turn it into a "natural".
bigpond-yeah, that's why I was wondering about phred's. I could believe the horn stems are vintage, but not the vulcanites.
I really do like the pipe, and SP might not even have any left to exchange. I'd rather head off the bubbling problem Bradley had, so I guess I'll just remove the finish and turn it into a "natural".
Mine had a very thin coat of shellac or varnish. Peeling and discoloring. Pretty easy to remove with Everclear and a rag. Looks pretty decent now.
Or, if you have paint thinner, varnish remover, acetone etc. may save you a trip. But Everclear is probably least invasive of those groupings.
OTOH, you might be able to remove it with a scouring sponge and detergent!
OTOH, you might be able to remove it with a scouring sponge and detergent!
If I remember correctly, which isn't always the case, this is the third report of finish issues with these pipes here on the forum. I have two St Claude Bruyere pipes (Extra Acorn & Dux Depose Billiard) and so far I have been fortunate not to experience any issues with the finish. Neither one of them gets smoked very often though so I guess time will tell if the finish holds up or not? :
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:I imagine the hottest they'll ever get is the first few smokes, due to not being broken in. If your finish is holding up during the break-in process, you may not wind up having any problems at all. And when I say broken in, I mean the whole seasoning/carboning/caking thing, and the pipe breaking you into the way it smokes. Sometimes I have to get to "know" a particular pipe before I can bring the best out of it. BTW, do yours have a very light, almost natural colored finish, or a more standard darker finish?
Mine's a vulcanite stemmed billiard, basically the same model as jkrug's second photo. If I recall the other thread (and some info from the Radio Show) on "new old stock" pipes, it's entirely likely that the stummels were in storage, and have had new bits fitted prior to sale.
Having worked with horn in the past, I'm curious about those stems as well... :D
Having worked with horn in the past, I'm curious about those stems as well... :D
I wanted to chime in because I bought one of the "Extra" with Horn stem Bruyere St. Claude pipes and after a few bowls the finish on mine (what I suspect is just a light waxing) started to come off in a few places. I didn't worry about it and continued to smoke. Well, now that it's been weeks and probably 50 bowls and I just hit the whole thing with a Savinelli Magic Cloth after every few smokes (any polishing cloth impregnated with wax will do), and the entire pipe looks great.
For what it's worth, any smooth pipe will eventually dull and need polishing. I'm excited to watch mine darken and develop a lovely patina over the years. I only regret not buying 2 or 3 of them!
Hope this helps!
For what it's worth, any smooth pipe will eventually dull and need polishing. I'm excited to watch mine darken and develop a lovely patina over the years. I only regret not buying 2 or 3 of them!
Hope this helps!
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