Charatan's Make Pipe Arrived Today! (Pic Heavy)

[carolinachurchwarden]

The Charatan I couldn't resist buying last Sunday at 3 in the morning just arrived today! I plan to dig into this baby tonight cleaning it up and getting it ready to start working on the stem tomorrow. The bowl is in great shape and I am in love with it already.

 

[weezell]

Nice score Brother! Ought to clean up great...

 

[kenbarnes]

This is a great example of a 73 Salisbury shape and probably dates from 1966 (before the prefix size number was added to the shape numbers around 1967?). I like the fact that the cp is still sharp and this can be re-whitened rubbing a ola white on on the logo and wiping off the surplus.

 

[danielplainview]

With a little love, it should clean up well. Nice score.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Thanks weez! I'm going to work on it today a while and see how far I get.
@kenbarnes, I was under the impression that it was a pre-1960, at least according to a pipedia Charatan's dating article. Then again it was sort of confusing, and I am a novice at dating pipes, but I basically used this as a guide:

From 1863 to 1960 the mouthpieces have a normal shape, saddle or tapered. From 1961 they use the 'Double Comfort' style still used today. By the way there are some saddle bits (without the double comfort) used in pipes that date after 1960 but these models are always characterized by a X (in the place of the DC) engraved after the shape number on the shank. This means that if a pipe has a tapered mouthpiece instead of a double comfort one, it is definitely a pre-Lane pipe before 1960. While if a pipe has a normal saddle bit stem, it could belong to every era. Nevertheless the pipe is pre 1961 if the shape code does not include an X, and is a pipe from after 1960 if the X is engraved.

Finally any pipe with the double comfort stem is definitely after 1960.

 

[bnichols23]

Purty purty!

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Okay, after blistering my ass in the heat today, sanding down two new dining room chairs and staining them, repairing an old cabinet I had cut a hole in the side of for a kitty litter pan idea that never quite "panned" out, I also had time to work on this beauty.
I cleaned the bowl up last night using Murphy's Oil Soap, q-tips and a tooth brush with a cup of water, then washed it out and scrubbed the inside of the bowl for a good long time with pipe cleaners until it was passing still white cleaners. Then rubbed some of my butchers block conditioner into the bowl, which is just mineral oil, vitamin E, carnauba wax and beeswax. I watched a couple movies during this procedure, applying the wax about 3 times before wrapping it up in a cloth to sit through the night.
This afternoon, I commenced work on the stem, which worked out beautifully I believe. I'm taking her with me to work tomorrow to indulge in my first smoke with it. I see a little BF being stuffed in at first break tomorrow!

 

[seanv]

Very nice work. How did you clean up the stem? Looks like that was a big job

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Well done! The pipe looks great :clap:

 

[sablebrush52]

That cleaned up nicely!

 

[artificialme]

Pretty little things. Hope it smokes well CW

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

@seanv, With a Magic Eraser to clean off the oxidation first after cleaning up the bowl in the sink. I usually wash it out and clean it with many pipe cleaners first, then I dried out the bowl, set it to the side and used the Magic Eraser and as hot a water as I can stand, and then just scrub it until all the brown is gone. Then yesterday, I sat down with some hobby sanding sheets that range from 150 to 600 grit and wet sanded all the divots out. Took longer than I thought it might. After that, I sat down inside with my 3,200 - 12,000 grit micro mesh sanding pads and sanded/polished my way to a beautiful mirror black. Once I was satisfied with the outcome, I spread a nice layer of my butchers block conditioner over the whole pipe again and let it rest.
Yeah, it really did clean up beautifully! Even though those depressions were deeper than I originally thought. The 220 grit sandpaper just wasn't doing the job fast enough in my opinion, so I had to reach for the 150 grit sheet.

 

[ssjones]

so I had to reach for the 150 grit sheet.

Man, that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Did you try to lift the tents with heat first? 150 grit will remove a lot of material, I never use anything higher than 400 (and that rarely, typically 800 does the trick). Patience my son.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I did not try heat. Does that work and how do I do that next time, in case I need to try it? I took it really slow with the 150 grit, and just wet sanded with it until I noticed the dents finally start to blend in. Then progressed finer and finer with the sheets until they were all gone.

 

[ssjones]

Heat does work. I wave a lighter flamer under the dents. The heat must trigger some type of material memory and it springs back surprisingly well. I've tried my heat gun, but find the flame to be more effective. Once it springs back, immerse it in hot water.
The issue with using abrasives is that you are removing material, something to avoid if possible for the longevity of the pipe, clenching, etc.

 

[scloyd]

Well done CW. Looks nice.

 

[seanv]

Thanks for the breakdown. I am interested in learning how to clean up some estates. Pipe looks great

 

[smittyd]

Great job! That stem looked like it would have been a bear to get shined up , but you did a beautiful job. Congrats!

 

[madox07]

Good job, very nice !

 

[cortezattic]

That was a nice find and a great clean-up! Thanks for all the before-and-after pix. :clap: