Advice on Reducing Glossiness of Finish on New Briar Pipe

[pointlineplane]

Do y'all have any advice on reducing the glossiness of the finish of a new smooth briar pipe, and/or whether or not it is worth attempting? I recently got the above pipe, a Molina churchwarden. When I unboxed it, the first impression I got was that the glossiness of the stummel (and the thickness of the gloss) makes the pipe look cheap. (It is hard to capture in photos.) I have a few other smooth briar pipes, and I like their finishes and never thought about changing their appearance.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

That's funny... People spend a lot of time waxing and buffering their pipes to get that new look.

If you don't like it, just use it for a while, it dulls over time.

 

[trudger]

With use it will dull down some. Give it a chance before you start using 0000 steel wool. It’s a nice looking pipe, let it age gracefully.

 

[xrundog]

Yeah, smoke it awhile.

 

[rotate]

It’ll dull down in time with smoking. Good looking pipe, love the fat apple bowl.

A Question?
I've never owned a Pipe of that stem length and therefor never looked for pipe cleaners capable of cleaning a stem like that shown in pointlineplane‘s photograph, are they readily available?

 

[sardonicus87]

Smoke it every day for a week or two, the glossiness won't last long at all. Not worth trying to get rid of it, you'll do more harm than good.

Unless it's lacquered or something, then the glossiness will stick around a while.

 

[Chasing Embers]

In a month we'll see a post regarding how to restore shine.

 

[sardonicus87]

It’ll dull down in time with smoking. Good looking pipe, love the fat apple bowl.

A Question?
I've never owned a Pipe of that stem length and therefor never looked for pipe cleaners capable of cleaning a stem like that shown in pointlineplane‘s photograph, are they readily available?

https://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-cleaners-and-cleaning-supplies/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=205544

 

[Snook]

Clean the bowl with rubbing alcohol and accidentally get it all over the finish.

 

[rotate]

https://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-cleaners-and-cleaning-supplies/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=205544

Thank you, I’m obliged.

 

[First Sealord]

With use it will dull down some. Give it a chance before you start using 0000 steel wool. It’s a nice looking pipe, let it age gracefully.

This.

 

[Sigmund]

If its wax it will dull very, very fast.

I think it looks great but everyone is different.

If you fire it up and handle it a bit extra it will be less glossy after even the first smoke.

Pretend you paid 5x as much for the pipe. Then the gloss will look fancy

 

[BayouGhost]

​

3M 07445 Scotch-Brite pad. Equivalent to Grade 0000 steel wool. I use these between coats of linseed oil resin varnish on a few custom axe handles I have made. It will remove the wax finish easily. I have used these on a few pipes to take off any super shiny finishes. Tread lightly at first. Don't scrub it like the deck of a battleship.

I had to use this to fully remove the wax finish on a pipe that I had damaged by spilling alcohol on the outside finish when trying to remove purple bowl coating goop. I ended up stripping off all the wax finish, re sealing the briar with oil varnish and then coating with bee's wax.

 

[Brad H]

​

3M 07445 Scotch-Brite pad. Equivalent to Grade 0000 steel wool. I use these between coats of linseed oil resin varnish on a few custom axe handles I have made. It will remove the wax finish easily. I have used these on a few pipes to take off any super shiny finishes. Tread lightly at first. Don't scrub it like the deck of a battleship.

I had to use this to fully remove the wax finish on a pipe that I had damaged by spilling alcohol on the outside finish when trying to remove purple bowl coating goop. I ended up stripping off all the wax finish, re sealing the briar with oil varnish and then coating with bee's wax.

ever use a magic eraser? they work surprisingly well.

 

[didimauw]

I agree. I don't like when pipes are shiny and new. I prefer them dirty, caked, scratched, etc. But i just smoke them. I'm a few weeks it'll get dull.