Need Some Advice

Acetone will remove a lacquered finish, but a wood stain penetrates. I'd give it a good rub with acetone firt, maybe they just put color on the top. At the very least you'll get the wood clean. Then it's time to get yer snd paper out. I'd tart with 200 and work up through 300, 400 and 600.

Let us know how you make out.

That's a pretty little stand!

I hope he's carrying enough ones for all the strippers he'll use! :nana:

If you are going to use the strippers you need to do it right and get a pole too.

I have been repairing and when absolutely necessary refinishing antique and fine furniture for over 50 years. I have also owned many pipe racks and holders over the years. I would say that over 90% of all of them were either mahogany or walnut. Checked a box of a dozen in my barn, 10 were walnut , 2 were mahogany. I have 3 wall mounted racks, one of which is maple, maple would probably never be in a dark finish. All the racks I checked had an area of no finish somewhere on them. As your holder has a dark finish it is probably a dark wood. Before going through all the trouble of stripping,check your holder for an unfinished area, clean with Murphy's Oil Soap and a scrubby to remove dirt and grime, then with mineral spirits and fine steel wool to remove any oil or grease residue, let dry, this will be as light as the wood will be. If your holder is stained pine or some sort of poplar you can strip it using fine steel wool removing any residual stain with muriatic acid or strong bleach. As these softwood holders ar usually of inferier quality it may not be worth the effort.