Bowl Has a Darkened Spot

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wyfbane

Lifer
Apr 26, 2013
5,406
4,916
Tennessee
Hi hi,
So I found a pipe with light finish but a darkened spot on outside of bowl. Since pics are a tad vague, that is an auto pass, right? I mean bowl must be pretty damaged if its discoloring the outside. Not that I have a ton of experience with this.
Thanks.

 

oklansas

Can't Leave
Apr 16, 2013
441
1
DC
That dark spot sound ominous, like it portends the dreaded burn-through. Anyway, pictures?

 

wyfbane

Lifer
Apr 26, 2013
5,406
4,916
Tennessee
It didnt have a clear shot of the bowl. I passed. Shame, too. It was a really lovely Ardor... 'cept for the dark spot on the lower front of the bowl.

 

bobg

Lurker
Jan 30, 2010
1
0
One of my favorite pipes, an estate Charatan dublin stack, has virtually perfect vertical straight grain all around with a noticeably darkened horizontal band around about half the bowl. I was very concerned about this when I bought the pipe and tried to find the answer to this question since the pipe was so handsome & attractively priced.
I couldn't find anything definitive, but did run across several opinions that such discoloration occurred in briar occasionally and did not affect smoking quality. The eBay description did say that the coloration was not from a burnout condition.
So, I took my chances & bought it, and today it's one of my favorite go-to pipes. It smokes well and cakes normally throughout the discolored region of the bowl, which is all I care about. I know this is not a definitive answer, but I do know that I scored a terrific pipe at a great price because of this bowl discoloration.
After receiving the pipe, I went so far as to sand the bowl down to bare wood, concentrating on the darkened area. It was indeed a condition in the wood and not something superficial.
Good luck with yours. Just watch the caking on the inside where it's darkened on the outside. If it cakes normally & evenly like the rest of the bowl, I wouldn't concern myself about it.

 

docwatson

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
1,149
10
New England
A lot of times a dark area on an estate pipe is just from the person handling the pipe where oil or moisture from one's hand darkens the briar. At other times it is a sign of overheating the chamber and a possible chance of a charred bowl soon to burn out. It's important to see the pipe first hand to determine the reason for a dark spot unless it is disclosed by a seller online.

 

ejames

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
3,916
24
I normally pass on pipes showing a dark spot but have gotten some in various lots I've bought. Most smoked just fine and were not burnt. Some did show signs of burn out.

 
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