Burned Rim....Cleanable??

[garageb08]

Recently I have run into some charring on the rims of a few of my estate pipes I am trying to restore. I can get the alot of the staining from the cake or tobacco off, but when it comes to the heavy charred or burned areas I have not had any luck. Any tips? Do I need to completely sand and refinish...might be above my paygrade.

 

[lonestar]

I use anything from spit and a thumbnail to scrape it, up to a Q-tip with alcohol, and then very fine 0000 Steel wool and alcohol if the first two dont cut it. Expect to restain the rim if steel wool or sandpaper is used.

 

[spartan]

I had gunk on an estate pipe that I tried to get off with water/saliva and a Q-tip.... and the stain came off before the gunk...
I either did something wrong... or should have started with the 0000 steel wool idea lol

 

[lonestar]

Well most times the stain is alcohol based, so alcohol will remove it to some degree. On old pipes, the stain is pretty well set in the wood so long as you use the alcohol sparingly. A quick buff on the rim will usually make it match the rest of the pipe, but I would always plan to restain the rim if I was doing it.

Then too, if the wood is charred deep, nothing will fix it other then sanding that part of the wood away.

 

[fnord]

I've got a pipe that needs the top re-stained because I was way too eager with a bourbon dipped Q-tip. Are there any how-tos out there on just doing the tops?

 

[taerin]

The way I deal with this rim charring is with a LOT of pacience and TIME. I just take a wet cloth and go over the charr until it eventually comes off. Sometimes it pays to wet it, let it soak for a while in, and then go at it. I've removed very heavy charr this way without resorting to extreme measures such as alcohol or sanding.

 

[barkar]

saliva and a Q-tip and elbow grease is all I use and its worked well.

 

[matchstickman]

My secret weapon for this kind of thing? Get some screaming hot water, dip a shank brush into the hot water, and get to scrubbing on the rim with the brush dipped in hot water. Makes quick work of that rim gunk as long as it isnt too far burnt in.

 

[topd]

I've done exactly what lonestar suggests on several older pipes, but without staining. After a few smokes they look natural as is.... Try it... if you don't like it, go ahead and stain.

 

[garageb08]

Thanks yall for the help. Guess I have been impatient, saliva and rubbing has worked best for me, just seems that some charring doesn't want to come off. Wood is too burnt. I have a pic of this....you all tell me can I fix this? Novelist, I am going to try your scalding hot water method. That sounds promising. Maybe need some micro-mesh....been trying to get by without it. But thanks for the input everyone.

 

[garageb08]

Maybe this pic is better to see the charring.

 

[garageb08]

These are nice Calabresi's hate to restore them, maybe sell and only get junk prices due to the burnt rim. But it is what it is. :roll:

 

[lonestar]

Looks like you have got the gunk off, and whats left is char. Personally I sell a lot of estates, and I would sell as is, with a clear picture of the rim. It would be easy to sand the very top of the bowl and restain, but when you start getting into the angled rim and the bowl itself, it is tough to keep all of that even and looking good.

 

[garageb08]

Cool. Thanks Lonestar. Just needed some reassurance whether the pipe is still salvagable from someone who has experienced this.