Carnuba on Silver?

[runscott]

Carnauba will not hurt the silver or any metal, it will just need to be buffed to thin film. a microcrystalline wax, like Renaissance would be a better choice. Sandpaper, ummmm... micromesh can be used on finished silver, but not the best choice. A jewelers cloth would be better.

On dented silverwork... I seem to be getting lots of dented bands and caps lately. But, honestly, it will cost you more for me to repair a dented band than if you just have me make you a new one. Please talk to me before someone mails me a dented band. It cost me more to return that thing if one just shows up in my mailbox. Nothing infuriates me more than someone sending me a pipe without discussing prices... and then they just expect me to pay for shipping to return it. But, this is just my side rant. Who the fuck just mails off their pipe to someone without discussing the work? Then demand I mail it back with insurance, ha ha.

I use Renaissance wax often - great stuff. Have not tried it on metal ferrules - thanks for that idea.

I can't imagine having a silver band with original stampings replaced, especially one like this with 1897-98 hallmarks, but I have seen people do it. I generally use a heat gun to loosen the glue, then slip off the band to polish and rarely, to take out dents. Very few dents on old pipes bother me much, nor does even patina; in fact, I've been testing cleaning off ugly patina, then re-adding better patina - poor results thus far.

Regarding sandpaper - I look at any old pipe like this as something where, if I have any doubts at all about removing original material, I don't. For a pipe that has survived 125 years, any intrusive work can wait until I'm absolutely sure. But beat-up silver rims do kind of bug me.

 

[romaso]

I'm surprised a wax coat won't slow the silver tarnishing because I've heard that brass instruments like trumpets are coated with something to protect them, but maybe it's something other than wax.

 

[runscott]

I'm surprised a wax coat won't slow the silver tarnishing because I've heard that brass instruments like trumpets are coated with something to protect them, but maybe it's something other than wax.

You make a good point. I received two of the Peterson 2021 POY's, which have silver bands. One was tarnished (looked very nice) and the other was not. The other still is not, and the tarnished one is now more tarnished. Makes me wonder if Peterson or SP didn't coat some of the bands. Other buyers of these pipes have described similar experiences.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I can't imagine having a silver band with original stampings replaced, especially one like this with 1897-98 hallmarks, but I have seen people do it.

Those thin silver bands are worth about $1... if you can even find someone who will pay that. There is less than a nickel's worth of silver in them. And, when I replace a band, I give them a much more ample amount of metal. But, I totally understand wanting to keep the whole pipe intact, and I would just do what you do. But, a lot of guys have this misconception that they are worth way more than they really are. Now, if they were gold... that'd be different.

 

[Puffaluffaguss]

Carnauba will not hurt the silver or any metal, it will just need to be buffed to thin film. a microcrystalline wax, like Renaissance would be a better choice. Sandpaper, ummmm... micromesh can be used on finished silver, but not the best choice. A jewelers cloth would be better.

On dented silverwork... I seem to be getting lots of dented bands and caps lately. But, honestly, it will cost you more for me to repair a dented band than if you just have me make you a new one. Please talk to me before someone mails me a dented band. It cost me more to return that thing if one just shows up in my mailbox. Nothing infuriates me more than someone sending me a pipe without discussing prices... and then they just expect me to pay for shipping to return it. But, this is just my side rant. Who the fuck just mails off their pipe to someone without discussing the work? Then demand I mail it back with insurance, ha ha.

I can't understand how anybody would think that's a good idea. No matter how well you think you know someone, it's never a good idea to send something to someone just on a whim. Luckily most of us are honest people and will send it back. Some people would just say they never got the package and keep your stuff. And to the sand paper thing. Wet sanding with a low grit to blend the scratch or scratches. In my case it was a scratch about a half millimeter deep so in order to get it out the removal of some material was necessary. Or I would of had a nice shiny silver cap with a very visible scratch in it. No amount of buffing will get it out. So in actuality I'm not removing the scratch just blending it in to its surrounding area. About a centimeter or 2 around the area of the scratch. As you blend and go up in grit you move out from the scratch little by little until the enire cap looks smooth to the eye. As you can see in the images the scratch is 100% removed. The sanding didn't help the dents, those I had to work at from the underside of the cap. I'm sure there is other ways to remove scratches in silver but I just used what I had and how I work on pipes and it worked for me, I'm not a jeweler but I can safely say it worked for me?and I wouldn't hesitate recommending the process if someone asks.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just... just, maybe don't sand it at all. This is hitting all of my triggers. A jeweler wouldn't fix it like this. But, for me to explain what we would do, requires me to explain how to anneal the metal, without melting it, torch control, and explain how we hammer burnish, or move the metals to fill in the holes, and then work harden the silver in a kiln using a metal covered tray filled with charcoal, and then polishing the piece back out.
It's not as easy as making a video like Georged does. Wood and stem material is pretty elementary. Dealing with metals is a bit more... technical. But, because metal is a plastic, it can be fixed back to mint condition... but, for the coast, as I've said, it would be faster and less expensive to just have me make a new one. But, as you've said, some want to hold onto to those old hallmarks. Ha ha,

 

[runscott]

And to the sand paper thing. Wet sanding with a low grit to blend the scratch or scratches. In my case it was a scratch about a half millimeter deep so in order to get it out the removal of some material was necessary. Or I would of had a nice shiny silver cap with a very visible scratch in it. No amount of buffing will get it out. So in actuality I'm not removing the scratch just blending it in to its surrounding area. About a centimeter or 2 around the area of the scratch. As you blend and go up in grit you move out from the scratch little by little until the enire cap looks smooth to the eye. As you can see in the images the scratch is 100% removed. The sanding didn't help the dents, those I had to work at from the underside of the cap. I'm sure there is other ways to remove scratches in silver but I just used what I had and how I work on pipes and it worked for me, I'm not a jeweler but I can safely say it worked for me?and I wouldn't hesitate recommending the process if someone asks.

I get why you did it. It makes me wonder how many collectors would do the same thing? I once had a discussion with a collector who insisted that any pipe restorer's objective had to be to make the pipe look brand new. At times that meant topping pipes, replacing stems, sanding the stummel, etc. I saw an example of what he meant and the pipe did look brand new (the original silver ferrule and cap were also restored to perfection). I wouldn't have done it, but for him it was an absolute necessity.

Some collectors - again, I have no idea what percentage - would prefer a historical pipe that has been cleaned up and made functional, to one that has had all it's flaws literally sanded away. I have old Petersons that I have paid $300 or more for in unrestored condition. In perfectly restored condition, I would have paid less.

 

[Puffaluffaguss]

If it were up to me I wouldn't have done much to it but buff it. As it being a fathersday gift my wife wanted me to spiff it up a bit. I'm not gonna go to a jewelry store for some new tools and what not when I know I'm probably not going to be dealing with much "Old Silver" but as you say, Just get a darn new one. In the future if I get another pipe with a beat up silver rim depending on the damage I would just replace it. Even if it's hallmarked and just keep the old hallmarked one safe if I ever want to sell it I can add it to the sale.

 

[jpmcwjr]

<< Snipped bits out >>
Please talk to me before someone mails me a dented band. It cost me more to return that thing if one just shows up in my mailbox. Nothing infuriates me more than someone sending me a pipe without discussing prices... and then they just expect me to pay for shipping to return it. But, this is just my side rant. Who the fuck just mails off their pipe to someone without discussing the work? Then demand I mail it back with insurance, ha ha.

Seriously annoying. Have you thought of charging freight and handling?
"Dear shitforbrains, Please send via PayPal $15 for shipping, insurance and administrative fee and we will send your crappy pipe back right away."

Notice I didn't use the word "handling" as the phrase "Shipping and handling" is way overused. Maybe using words like crappy ought to be avoided!

 

[jpmcwjr]

You make a good point. I received two of the Peterson 2021 POY's, which have silver bands. One was tarnished (looked very nice) and the other was not. The other still is not, and the tarnished one is now more tarnished. Makes me wonder if Peterson or SP didn't coat some of the bands. Other buyers of these pipes have described similar experiences.

Could the untarnished one be nickel or an alloy?

 

[runscott]

Could the untarnished one be nickel or an alloy?

No, they both have the same silver hallmarks. There was not a non-silver option as far as I'm aware.

I will try to find the tarnished one and take a pic of them together. The one I've smoked (terracotta) is a great smoker.