Tanshell Dye/Stain Help

lightmybriar · May 11, 2016

Hello Friends!
I am currently in the process of transforming an old cheap pipe into my own version of a Dunhill Tanshell. I want to make it that beautiful rich caramel color, but don't know what to use to get it that way. I have some furniture touch-up markers I've used on other pipes, but none of those seem to be the same kind of rich tan that Dunhill uses. Does anybody have any advice? Is there a particular Fiebing color that matches Dunhill? Or any other available dye or stain that would be correct? THANK YOU for your advice!

briarcudgel · May 11, 2016

I've had to do it on a Briar patch I made for a Tanshell. It is not easy. Fiebings did not have a match. I used the furniture markers and rubbed and blended till I got close. I don't think there is a match made for that color that you can buy. Must be a proprietary color.

lightmybriar · May 11, 2016

Thank you, that's what I was afraid of haha. You don't really see that color elsewhere in the pipe world. It almost looks like a paint, the way it has such a richness to it. Damn beautiful Dunhill haha!

briarcudgel · May 11, 2016

It's the only thing I've ever seen in that color too. I am certain it is a pigmented stain, almost like a thin white wash would be. If you can get tan painters pigment, or artist paint, you may be able to mix your own to get close.

lightmybriar · May 11, 2016

I've had some minor success using scrapings off of watercolor pencils in the past...I mixed the scrapings with 91% alcohol and create a thick sort of coating. The only thing is, the color seems to change a bit within a few days. I might give that a shot as this is just a for-fun project, so if I mess it up, it isn't that big of a deal to start over. It does help immenseley though to know now that I need to get creative, rather than just find the right stuff. If I have any success, I'll let you know what I did. Thanks again!

briarcudgel · May 11, 2016

Good luck!

clickklick · May 11, 2016

Fiebings orange will give you that. You may need to dilute it with more DNA to lighten it a bit. Should only take one coat. I am looking at the new dunhill tanshell color. All of the estate ones have seemed to darken with smoking. So I could better guide you if you post a pic of the color you are looking to achieve.

lightmybriar · May 11, 2016

Here is something like the color I'm going for, clickklick:

[/url][/img]

lightmybriar · May 11, 2016

Although just a little darker and browner is fine too.

clickklick · May 11, 2016

Yeah that's a tougher one. I have dilutable powders I use that would get you there. Used to get them from Vermont freehand but didnt see them listed last time I looked.

xrundog · May 12, 2016

When I touched up an old Tanshell I was working on, I found that Fiebing's Tan was an exact match. The Canadian above looks more like light brown.

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

Hello again, all. Update:
I have refinished a handful of old estate pipes before. I've never encountered one like this pipe. It is a "Pipe Europe." I figured rubbing it with a brush and some 91% alcohol would very easily strip off the black stain. Not at all! So I used 1000 grit sandpaper and alcohol to see if that made any progress. Hardly!
I then soaked it in alcohol for three hours, hoping that might help. Then I went at it with a brass brush and more sandpaper. Hardly any came off!
So it's back in the alcohol bath now, but I'm wondering if this pipe was poorly refinished by a previous owner, who used something that I won't be able to remove. I really REALLY want to preserve the sandblast, which is the whole reason I purchased this particular pipe, but I'm not having any luck getting this tarry stuff off of the pipe. Is it hopeless? Does anyone have any idea what might be on here and how I can remove it?

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

Here is a before image of the bottom:

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

And then an after. The bottom came off pretty easily, but the sides seem hopeless:

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

Side before:

Then a side after all the above mentioned treatments (including a buffing wheel with white compound):

jpmcwjr · May 16, 2016

Holy crap! That's a bear. I've gone from light to dark or black, but never the other way. Have you had success with others going to light from dark?

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

Yeah, I did an old bulldog that was a deep dark red, and I just lightly sanded it all right off. Restained it a very nice light brown. I've also redone an old savinelli Canadian that was very dark. I've never done black before, but figured it wouldn't be much different. I guess I was wrong! This thing is being really stubborn!

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

From the looks of the bottom, I feel like it used to originally be a medium brown...and then somebody coated it in this black on top. I could be wrong, but the bottom definitely doesn't look like bare briar.

lightmybriar · May 16, 2016

Well friends, as is often the case in this present age, the Great Darkness could not be overcome. I did, however, make the best of things and rather than transform it into a Tanshell, I settled for a regular old Shell haha. The Tanshell project will have to continue on!

Tanshell Dye/Stain Help

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Lifer

Starting to Get Obsessed

Lifer

Starting to Get Obsessed

Lifer

Starting to Get Obsessed

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Moderator

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer