Polishing my bowls (no pun intended)

papajoe:
In my estimation Carnauba wax cannot be beaten for use on both bowl and stem. I gently heat the bowl with a hair-dryer, apply the wax, buff, and then heat again. This seems to help the wax to penetrate deeper, and results in a beautiful shine. I purchase the wax (Carnauba Wax Polish/Sealer) from Walker Briar Works.
After smoking I polish bowl and stem with a chamois, and reapply the wax only after both begin to lose their luster.

Beeswax will not harden up enough to take a shine to anywhere near the extent that carnauba will. It does protect wood very well though.

I tend to try and keep the bits from looking too shoddy. So a rub down with a bit of tooth paste now and then. The briar, I leave to age naturally, just a bit of skin oil from the sides of the nose now and then, followed by a rub with a soft, clean handkerchief. This leaves the bowls with a nice, quiet sheen, not too much luster.

I use Halcyon II and Paragon waxes, which don't require a buffer to offer a strong lustrous shine, one that can match carnuba and in the case of Paragon, is slightly more durable. Unless you're experienced with a buffer and have a light hand, you're better off not using one on a pipe. The pipe world is filled with shiny lumps of wood that used to be recognizable pipes. I also apply the wax to the stems as well to provide a barrier between the vulcanite and the air. I probably renew the polish once or twice a year.

Sablebrush52, do you use heat or just rub the Paragon wax in with a cloth? Also, where do you buy Paragon wax?

+1 @sabelbrush. After your recommendation in a prior thread, I too use the Paragon and love it for its simplicity, cost efficiency and results.

As Apu would say: "A shiny bowl is a happy bowl."

Sablebrush52, do you use heat or just rub the Paragon wax in with a cloth? Also, where do you buy Paragon wax?

Click to expand...

These are a further iteration of Renaissance Wax, with some improvements in durability.
I buy mine from finepipes.com, who is the distributor. It also shows up on eBay from the same source.
I have a somewhat unorthodox approach to using the products, but it's one that gives me a brighter gloss than I can get with a cloth. I take a tiny amount from the jar on a fingertip and spread the wax over the wood with my hands. I let the wax set up for 30 seconds or so, and then polish the wax in the palms of my hands, letting the particles of wax lightly rub against itself. Literally a hand rubbed finish. Always results in a higher gloss than I get with a cloth. Once the wax has set up I may do a quick and light rub with a soft cloth to remove any fingerprint residue.

I've been using Paragon to amazing results. I use a microfiber cloth (the kind that's smoother on one side than the other)
1. Remove the stem. (I do this because I use a hairdryer and don't want to risk bending the stem with heat, or worse, closing the air passage)
2. Apply a thin coat to the entire pipe using your finger. I try to apply the wax around the stamp as opposed to on it so there's no white wax buildup in the nomenclature. When you buff the pipe the wax will spread to that area so you'll still get the shine there.
3. Let the wax dry on the pipe for about 15 minutes.
4. Use a hair dryer on high to heat the pipe thoroughly. Be careful not to burn your fingers and drop the pipe :rofl: I've done that. The pipe survived though.
5. Put the pipe in the center of the microfiber cloth on the rough side, wrap it and start to rub the pipe. The wax will be hardened and will seem hard to polish at first. As it gets easier, rub the pipe thoroughly until you're certain you've worked all the wax. You can hold the pipe in one hand and the cloth in the other to make sure you get all those nooks and crannies. By now the pipe probably looks pretty awesome compared to before. But we're not done yet
6. I sometimes heat the pipe again in this step. Then take the pipe in one hand, and use the shiny side of the cloth to buff the pipe to a shine. I lightly but rapidly touch the cloth to the pipe, buffing until satisfied.
7. Repeat. I like to wait a couple hours or even a day later to repeat all the above steps.
I recently did this with an unfinished pipe (bare briar, no wax, no stain) After 4 applications it has an almost mirror like finish. My other pipes do have a mirror like finish It seems like a lot of work, but the whole process (other than letting the wax dry a few minutes) takes about 5 minutes. :D

It doesn't take much for the stem, papjoe. Just a tiny bit of paragon does the trick.

I used to use this stuff called briar pipe wipe, came in a spray can. It works/worked great for everyday cleaning. But the have discontinued it :crying: I still have two cans left but thats it. For super polish, Carnauba wax is the best. I really like hunters idea for hairdryer, never thought of that.

Great advice guys. Thanks.