Until it's gone. It will dry as you buff it with your thumb and eventually rub completely away.
Cleaning up a $30 Estate Savinelli
- Thread starter Chasing Embers
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Had a collection of over 40 of them at one point with only six of them being over $30. It's just fun to see if I can get them as inexpensively as possible. If I were pressed for a favorite shape, it may be a bent egg or an apple.
Amazing work! A lesson to anyone reluctant to get an estate when many are often asking about, but also bemoaning, finding a “cheap” briar. This is a quality briar for a great price.
Question? One of the pics appeared to show a little dent in the stem and it may have been the lighting, but if a dent/depression how did you get it back to perfect? I just got an estate that the pics didn’t show the pretty good indentation on the top and the description wasn’t the best (won’t call out the supplier because the descriptions are usually very good about pointing out the issues, but hey, nobody is perfect). I spent breakfast on here researching friction tape to put over it, the stem is otherwise flawless, but your work has me reconsidering that.
Question? One of the pics appeared to show a little dent in the stem and it may have been the lighting, but if a dent/depression how did you get it back to perfect? I just got an estate that the pics didn’t show the pretty good indentation on the top and the description wasn’t the best (won’t call out the supplier because the descriptions are usually very good about pointing out the issues, but hey, nobody is perfect). I spent breakfast on here researching friction tape to put over it, the stem is otherwise flawless, but your work has me reconsidering that.
Here?
There were a fair number of tooth marks on the stem and the button did have a mashed section. Vulcanite has a shape memory that can be exploited with heat.
Yep, and just below that. Heat with the Bic? I’ve also seen some touting a little tea candle. Thanks!
I used an Old Boy on that cleanup, but absolutely. The indentations lifted as I was using the lighter to remove the oxidation. For indentations alone, a hair dryer or heat gun would be safer to use to prevent scorching.
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My wife just got a new little hairdryer - lunchtime project tomorrow!
Work slowly to avoid overheating the stem.
Thanks for sharing enjoyed this article.
Thanks Duane, I just redid 5 stems I had recently cleaned up and they are noticeably shinier now. Just rubbed some oil on and will let them absorb. I assume one could repeat as necessary until a mirror finish is achieved?
Excellent work very impressed, makes me want to try my hand at it someday.
Miraculous result!
How’d you come up with the idea to use chew to color the scuffing? I would never have thought of doing that - not in a million years.
How’d you come up with the idea to use chew to color the scuffing? I would never have thought of doing that - not in a million years.
It's a trick I've used on other pipes after seeing how it stains my fingertips.
I'd read about the flame/heat method previously as a way to raise indentions, but didn't appreciate the degree to which vulcanite responded to that until I saw the pics posted here. The before and after photos are worth more than "a thousand words"... 
Full disclosure. I was recently called a self proclaimed know-it-all for suggesting my cleaning methods on a vintage Dunhill stem. The 904 stem was in worse condition and one reason I bought this one was to show off a bit.