Cleaning Silver Bands on Estate Pipes.

[realypk]

Hi guys i picked up a few polinski estate pipes and the band arround the stem was this discolored metal... i figured it was metal that was once painted black to match the stem but while doing normal pipe maintenance i noticed a pipe cleaner grabbed some of it so i looked closer. Turns out it was stamped with .925 indicating its silver.

So low and behold its just years of accumulated tar or oxidation. I used a magic eraser and got most of it off though it does look like its sadly stained a bit. Then again it looks way betterbthan it did before. Any reccomendations on getting it back to a nice polished silver look beyond what i did? I have a dremel and polish compound though dont know if that would be too much..

Edit: forgot to add photos.


After


Another before
After

 

[Chasing Embers]

A jeweler's cloth.

 

[realypk]

A jeweler's cloth.

Isnt that basically a microfiber cloth? If so a magic eraser is more abrasive than that, do you suggest perhaps doing jewler cloth + some polishing compound?

 

[sablebrush52]

A jeweler' rouge cloth works well, and so doe Simichrome, which doesn't remove material.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Isnt that basically a microfiber cloth? If so a magic eraser is more abrasive than that, do you suggest perhaps doing jewler cloth + some polishing compound?

The jeweler's cloth has a tarnish remover and polish within it.

 

[anotherbob]

magic erasers are super harsh. In a kind of micro way. The jewelers cloth will make you and the pipes happy. Always try to make your pipes happy.

 

[STP]

Another vote for a polishing cloth. A lot of my Peterson pipes have silver, and I’ve used the below w/good results. It come with an inner cloth that removes tarnish and applies a protective barrier, and an outer cloth that buffs and polishes.

 

[OzPiper]

DO NOT use an abrasive agent.
Absolutely unnecessary. Silver is a soft metal.

I have way too many old estate pipes where the silver has been buffed/polished to the point where hallmarks are indistinguishable.

 

[realypk]

Thanks guys i didn't know that jewlers cloths already have that stuff built in!! Thanks ill get one and try it out!!

 

[kcghost]

Whatever you do don't screw up the hallmarks.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Whatever you do don't screw up the hallmarks.

Jeweler's cloths are no where near abrasive enough to do that. I polish my briars with them as well.

 

[FurCoat]

Jeweler's cloths are no where near abrasive enough to do that. I polish my briars with them as well.

Same

 

[btp79]

Silk tie. Not Kidding.

 

[weezell]

A jeweler's cloth.

Absolutely (nuff said!) ...

 

[OzPiper]

Silk tie. Not Kidding.

Some years ago someone did a study that showed neckties had the highest bacterial count of any piece of clothing worn - including underwear !

Most likely, because underwear are washed regularly, whereas ties are not.

And now that it has been revealed that some here are in the habit of using ties as polishing cloths .....,... ?

I have been guilty of using my ties to polish specs. ?

 

[dino]

Flitz cream polish, non-abrasive, non-toxic, acid-free.
Works great on vulcanite and acrylic stems, too.
Available at Amazon, Ace Hardware, and other stores.

 

[mikethompson]

Has anyone mentioned a jewellers cloth? Lol

Toothpaste is also pretty effective.

 

[Sir Yak]

I took a silver banded Peterson to a jewelry store in town and asked them what cloth they would use and could I buy one. They gave me a little blue polishing cloth and charged me a whopping $3?

 

[captpat]

Jewelers cloth unless the tarnish is heavy then Flitz.

 

[realypk]

Good to know there is a heavier duty option with flitz if the cloth fails me! The tarnish seemed quite heavy. Thanks for all the advice guys.