A Question About Vulcanite Stems

[misu]

Brush your toofs and you'll no longer instantly melt vulcanized rubber.

LOL!!! :mrgreen:

You may be able to ask, here's their website and the contact info is listed as info@obsidianpipe.com

Just out of curiosity do you want to know out of allergy concerns? (I was a chef and that's a regular question.)

Thanks for the link. I'll go check it out.

No, I'm just concerned with the type of oils used. Is it plant based vs petroleum based. I'm a label reader. Right down to the type of vitamin E. Dl-alpha-tocopherol is a petroleum based oil whereas D-alpha-tocopherol is a plant based oil when looking at vitamin E oils. Like I used to tell my students "You wanna get the L outta there!"

I'm not a purist by any means. But I do want to know what I'm ingesting or absorbing.

 

[misu]

I sent an email. If I don't get an answer, I can use olive oil and vit e. Or, replace the stems if the "vintage" pipes seem worth it.

 

[misu]

I just got the pipes, like 5 minutes ago. They look really nice for used pipes. Better than I expected. I'll post a picture when I get it all cleaned and set up. And, prepare for some questions because I have no Earthly idea of what I have. They don't appear to be cheapazz pipes, but they don't look expensive either. I think they may be your average, all around, good pipes. But, I can be wrong in that too.
You're right about the 27 easy steps But I do want to make the first, to me, cleaning a thorough one. Especially the stems. It's the nurse in me. I don't know the person they came from, and even if I did, I don't want to be that intimate. I'm very picky as to who I'll swap microbes with

 

[misu]

I was talking about how to most easily make rubber stems look nice and keep them that way

Yeah, I don't want to ruin them by cleaning them either. Especially because they look worthy of keeping. Maybe I should pick out a sacrificial pipe and clean that one first. I tend to learn by my mistakes. The bonus would be that I did it well the first time.

 

[drwatson]

I have seen this before in shops too. Mainly were they smoke cigars inside. The cigar smoke IMO mixed with they direct sunlight from many of the shops seems to do something horrible to the stems. Usually if you just take home and give it the good cleaning, as stated by others...it clears it up. But man that taste is bad, stays with you for awhile.

 

[john218]

I've started using Obsidian Oil after polishing my stems with good results. I wouldn't be surprised if they won't divulge what is in it, claiming it's a proprietary formula.
Quite a few smokers use olive oil, which just about every household has for cooking, but I wonder if food grade mineral oil would produce just as good results. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Obsidian Oil has a mineral oil base.

 

[john218]

"I stopped using mineral oil because it can go rancid."
I've never used olive oil for that very reason.
I use Dave's paste and also Novus number 2 and 3 scratch remover followed by Obsidian Oil on stems that are not too heavily oxidized.
My pipes are in a bookshelf near a window. Although the blinds are closed all the time, enough sunlight gets through to cause oxidation. I have to move them somewhere else or move the bookcase.
Misu, take the cheapest pipe and clean that stem for practice. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick.
I suggest keeping your pipes out of sunlight to help minimize oxidation. If possible, a windowless room would be the best place.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

A good soaking in Everclear and a scrubbing with a Magic Eraser will clear up the oxidation pretty well on a vulcanite stem. Probably a good idea to use something like Obsidian Stem Oil afterwards to help prevent or minimize future occurences.

 

[radio807]

I use Dave Wolff's Stem Cleaning Kit

Good stuff, I'm very happy with it. I use the full kit, which includes the carnauba wax that gives a nice shine and retards oxidation.

 

[misu]

Some very good advise here, as always. That's why I love to come here.

The pipes seem to be all Dr Grabow briars. I will post picture(s) of them when I take them. 3 seem to have acrylic stems and 3 seem to have vulcanite stems. I say that because 3 stems are shiny and 3 are dulled. While all are black, the dulled ones have a very slight faded top layer. It could be oxidation, or it could be that a finish was stripped during a cleaning process.

I bought some Pipemaster's Clean and Cure with and order from WV. Now, I'm not sure I should use it. I'm scared. I really should have read up on it before buying it. Is this stuff okay to use?

 

[misu]

Thanks

I haven't used it yet. I smelled it and it smells like wintergreen rubbing alcohol. I have Spiritus from the local liquor store. I bought the Spiritus after I made the order that included the Clean and Pure. It has 2 more proof than Everclear. I'm going to use the Spiritus to clean the pipes. If I get a minty tobacco, and like it, I may use the clean and pure to clean the dedicated minty pipe.