The Dumb@ss of the Day Award goes to…. me.
A week or so ago, I received a pipe rack that included a glass “humidor” and 5 pipes. 3 Grabow’s, an unknown with a bell-like stamp. And a Medico Apollo. Not a bad haul for fairly cheap.
I’ve been cleaning them up and got the Apollo almost back to new. Except for a little chatter on the stem. Chatter that would have been perfectly fine being left as is. But I didn’t. I just had to try to remove it.
First I tried running a flame over it. That had very little result and smoked just a hair, so I stopped this route. But wait! I read somewhere about sticking stems momentarily in boiling water! This seems like a perfectly simple and relatively safe solution! Alright!
I did not look further into this. I relied on my memory of a very short off-hand remark. I think we all know where this is going.
So, with little knowledge and buckets of confidence, I proceeded to set a pot a-boil and dipped chattered stem in. I counted to five. And… oh no! What have I done!!!
This. This is what I’ve done.
I have essentially destroyed the stem. It still draws air through. But it’s flattened and maimed and, well, just plain ugly.
I’m kicking myself less now and chalking it up as a learning experience. I’m even keeping the daggum thing as a reminder. It was pretty much a freebie, and has no emotional connection to it, so I can’t be too upset. But I am humbled. And know better for the next time I have an unjustified bout of confidence.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and got a kick out of my silly mistake! I’m finding the humor in it… now.
A week or so ago, I received a pipe rack that included a glass “humidor” and 5 pipes. 3 Grabow’s, an unknown with a bell-like stamp. And a Medico Apollo. Not a bad haul for fairly cheap.
I’ve been cleaning them up and got the Apollo almost back to new. Except for a little chatter on the stem. Chatter that would have been perfectly fine being left as is. But I didn’t. I just had to try to remove it.
First I tried running a flame over it. That had very little result and smoked just a hair, so I stopped this route. But wait! I read somewhere about sticking stems momentarily in boiling water! This seems like a perfectly simple and relatively safe solution! Alright!
I did not look further into this. I relied on my memory of a very short off-hand remark. I think we all know where this is going.
So, with little knowledge and buckets of confidence, I proceeded to set a pot a-boil and dipped chattered stem in. I counted to five. And… oh no! What have I done!!!
This. This is what I’ve done.
I have essentially destroyed the stem. It still draws air through. But it’s flattened and maimed and, well, just plain ugly.
I’m kicking myself less now and chalking it up as a learning experience. I’m even keeping the daggum thing as a reminder. It was pretty much a freebie, and has no emotional connection to it, so I can’t be too upset. But I am humbled. And know better for the next time I have an unjustified bout of confidence.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and got a kick out of my silly mistake! I’m finding the humor in it… now.
