Finally got around to cleaning a couple more estates I bought. The first is a small billiard I paid <$10 for. The before pics show why. The pipe was quite black with grime, and the stem a lovely oxidation gray. This was obviously a well (ab)used pipe—the stamped stars are almost completely worn off, and by the appearance, not from cleaning/buffing.
After a night in a salt/alcohol bath and a bunch of pipe cleaners, the Internals were good, so I hit the exterior. With no idea what was under the filth, I put the stem in an Oxy bath and started on the stummel with Murphy’s and a soft scrub sponge. When the rinse water finally ran clear, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent grain. You can see from the before pic of the stem that this is a 2-star (of 5), so it wasn’t going to be a top grain. Hit the whole thing, stem and stummel, with the full range of micromesh except for what little stamping is left on the sides. Turned out pretty well after a touch of oil and wax.
The next one is a large bent billiard. I didn’t take before pics because it was in pretty fair shape. Stem just seemed to need a polish, and a light scrub for the stummel. I wish I had. The cleanup revealed a surprisingly nice grain beneath the carved striations, and the stars turned out to be inlaid rather than stamped—which puts the pipe in the middle 1955-early 60s range. For a PbL, it’s also rather big, at least from what I’ve found. I’ll add a couple comparison shots. The straight pipe is 5”, while the bent is just over 7” with nearly double the bowl.
After a night in a salt/alcohol bath and a bunch of pipe cleaners, the Internals were good, so I hit the exterior. With no idea what was under the filth, I put the stem in an Oxy bath and started on the stummel with Murphy’s and a soft scrub sponge. When the rinse water finally ran clear, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent grain. You can see from the before pic of the stem that this is a 2-star (of 5), so it wasn’t going to be a top grain. Hit the whole thing, stem and stummel, with the full range of micromesh except for what little stamping is left on the sides. Turned out pretty well after a touch of oil and wax.
The next one is a large bent billiard. I didn’t take before pics because it was in pretty fair shape. Stem just seemed to need a polish, and a light scrub for the stummel. I wish I had. The cleanup revealed a surprisingly nice grain beneath the carved striations, and the stars turned out to be inlaid rather than stamped—which puts the pipe in the middle 1955-early 60s range. For a PbL, it’s also rather big, at least from what I’ve found. I’ll add a couple comparison shots. The straight pipe is 5”, while the bent is just over 7” with nearly double the bowl.
