Peterson Stain Removal - By Smoking!

4dotsasieni · Jun 10, 2013

I'd heard about stability problems of the wood stain on recent Peterson pipes, but hadn't experienced it until today. I was smoking a delicious bowl of Frog Morton Cellar, maybe my third bowl in this Peterson System Standard 303 pipe I'd bought on Ebay as part of a Zippo lighter collector's set, when I noticed that the hand holding the pipe had gotten a lot darker, and the pipe bowl, lighter.
A lot of the stain had transferred from the bowl, particularly the front, to my hand. I actually think it improved the look of the pipe, which now has a certain glow to it; my hand, not so much. Then when I finished, I swabbed out the bowl with some paper towel, and even more stain came out, making me wonder how much of that stuff I'd smoked. Good thing I don't inhale!
Cleaning out the shank, out came the darkest pipe cleaner I'd ever experienced - reddish brown. I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do some alcohol work on this little beauty - after I scrub my hands - and my teeth. :nana:

gwtwdbss · Jun 10, 2013

Oh my. That is not good the stain is coming off like that. Glad you like the look of the pipe more now though. Got any pics?

4dotsasieni · Jun 10, 2013

The original pic is at: http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/ebay-peterson-buy
I don't think a new photo would really show the difference - just picture it a couple of shades lighter, not bad looking, really, but I hope that no more comes off.

gwtwdbss · Jun 10, 2013

Lets hope no more comes off. That is a nice looking pipe though!

shutterbug · Jun 10, 2013

I've had the red stain off a new Peterson and that scared me. After about three bowls, everything went away, but I was thinking the same as you about the smoke in my mouth and the stain fumes. I'm hoping it was a vegetable based stain!?!?!?! They're not the only ones though...I had a Hardcastle Ruby Red Canadian that just keeps oozing stain and suffice it to say, I don't smoke that one anymore.
Shutterbug

tbradsim1 · Jun 10, 2013

Padre I had a new Roslare Billard that took over 100 q-tips with everclear to finally not turn red, I then sanded the inside of the bowl and used about 50 more q-tips, the inside of the shank was cherry red, lots of fluffies soaked in everclear, I bet it cost 20$ in cleaning supplies to be able to smoke that pipe.

juni · Jun 11, 2013

I once smoked off the inside-bowl stain on a Peterson. Never again! It was the nastiest smokes I've ever had. Sandpaper from now on.
If the stain is coming off of the outside of the bowl then you should contact the vendor/Peterson and get the pipe replaced.

plateauguy · Jun 11, 2013

I have Petes - the only one that hasn't been a great smoke is the very low end Kapet, and even that one hasn't had the stain problem. Have you contacted Petersons?

taerin · Jun 11, 2013

New Peterson pipes come with lots of excess stain and they are dipped in stain with nothing covering the bowl or the other end, so they get the stain inside the pipe, everywhere... What I do is just smoke it as is, wax and polish regularly, and eventually it stops coming off. I'm more worried about the really crappy manufacturing standards for making the briar pipe shapes themselves. The metal bands were not cut right, so they would tear the crap out of the stems or pop right off first thing, one looked like a beaver chewed off half of the rim of a smooth pipe, ect... I've had to return 3 Peterson pipes to get one that was any good and that one has like 6 fills and a bowl that is not quite cut in a circle, but it was the best one and I was tired of sending them back. I expected more from a pipe that cost over $100, my next attempt at a pipe in that price range will probably be a Savinelli (although I had many issues with low end Savs before too, but not at the $100 range, was the $50 range).

numbersix · Jun 11, 2013

I've never had that happen to my Petes fortunately, but Peterson's are famous for issues with stain.

New Peterson pipes come with lots of excess stain and they are dipped in stain with nothing covering the bowl or the other end, so they get the stain inside the pipe, everywhere...

For the past few years Peterson has claimed that they plug the pipes with cork to keep the bowl and stem free of stain. However, I know my Rosslare and my Aran Canadian had stain inside.
However, my recent Peterson Rosslare Spigot (107) had zero stain in the stem and bowl. So either they are *finally* plugging the stem and bowl - or they are doing so on a very inconsistent basis.
Even with their issues, I still like 'em.

fitzy · Jun 11, 2013

I never had problems with the stain on the outside of my system pipe coming off but the inside was definitely coated with stain. I cleaned the crap out of that with alcohol until all of the stain from inside the bowl was gone. It's a great smoker now. One of my favorites.

PlanxtyPipes · Jun 11, 2013

I have an older Peterson Donegal Rocky that seems to shed a little stain like this. When I wipe it down sometimes the reddish stain comes off onto whatever I'm using. I haven't seen any light spots on the pipe though. I just assumed it had excess stain that would eventually stop wearing off. I've never had that problem with my System Standard 303 though. That pipe is near perfect IMO. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine (despite the issue with the stain). It sounds, from what others have said, like it might just be the excess stain being rubbed off and eventually it will settle into it's own.

boudreaux · Aug 5, 2013

Well, getting aggravated here with my Peterson System 31 and the stain issue.
Not on the inside of the bowl - the outside. And the orange stain is not easy to get off your hand, either. Bought this pipe as a small bowl one to use as a pocket pipe and for smoking flakes, as many members recommend for flakes on here, but can't use it if my hands are going to become orange every time, especially if with company.
I've probably smoked 5 bowls in it. Today, I actually dampened a soft tissue with a tad of water and more stain came off. When's it going to stop? Will I have to remove the outside finish to remedy this? Or just retire this one? Smokability is good.

rcstan · Aug 5, 2013

Perhaps they got happy with the stain or didn't seal it in properly ..... did you try polishing the bowl to remove the excess and was this a new pipe ? My 31 System came from SPC , granted "gently used " but issue -free

boudreaux · Aug 5, 2013

Yes, rcstan, bought it new from SPC. Have not tried buffing it. Worried that I might flub it and ruin the finish. Also saw that Eric had suggested that above, but there was an indication that it might not work.

rcstan · Aug 5, 2013

boudreaux, I don't mean polishing by the way of the machines but rather take a soft cloth, dab a bit of wax-and-olive-oil mixture or some coconut butter on the outside and rub-a-dub-dub. Might have to let the pipe rest a while after that. I do mine like that whe they start looking dull. Just make sure not to get it inside the bowl or you'll be in for a salt and alcohol treatment

boudreaux · Aug 5, 2013

Okay, will try that. Thanks for the tip.
@saintpeter - Yes have Rosslare and estate 301 and no problems with them. I guess they're like cars that can be lemons sometimes. At least they're a lot cheaper.

rcstan · Aug 5, 2013

You're quite welcome. YMMV. With that being said, I have a(n) (in) famous Peterson Killarney Red I bought as an estate on eBay in great condition that no matter what I do to it still bleeds stain from the shank every once in a blue moon.....

boudreaux · Aug 5, 2013

Oh. :roll:

Peterson Stain Removal - By Smoking!

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