Best Way To Clean Up Rim Darkening?

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Lyon0oq

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 31, 2012
562
5,201
55
New Providence, NJ
I searched through the old posts, didn't see anything. Any products/methods that you all could point me towards, I'd appreciate it.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,245
4,012
Kansas
A rim will significantly darken over many smokes from heating and cooling that's neither buildup nor charring. That's very deep and should be acceptable as the norm. Sanding to remove that sort of darkening will leave you without a pipe.
While I typically will do a "spit shine" on rims which are starting to darken with build-up -and after every smoke with rusticated or blasted rims-do have some smooth finished pipes who rims have darkened areas which are not charred that a spit polish does little for, particularly on the inner rims.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
44,358
114,014
While I typically will do a "spit shine" on rims which are starting to darken with build-up -and after every smoke with rusticated or blasted rims-do have some smooth finished pipes who rims have darkened areas which are not charred that a spit polish does little for, particularly on the inner rims.
Beveled rims into the chamber are bad for it. Heat and age just eventually darkens them.
 

Winnipeger

Lifer
Sep 9, 2022
1,288
9,688
Winnipeg
Spit. There was an article a while back at smokingpipes.com. Apparently professional art restorers use spit to remove grime from old painting because it's a mild cleanser that has natural enzymes that help break down grime, or in the case of pipe rims: tar.
 
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