I wanted to update this thread as I've recently had a conversation about it. It's been about a month since the original post and since I've done any work on it.
I managed to pull off all the tar and grime from the outside of the bowl exposing bare wood. I also managed to ream out the inside of the bowl pretty well by slowly chipping away the cake with a knife and wiping it down with a paper towel. I don't have a reamer so I can't get everything out right now.
The pipe seems to be pretty well pitted. Even the stem... The white dot on the stem actually dissolved when I let it sit in Oxiclean and it revealed what looks to be a manufacturer made hole(?).
I'm not really sure what to do in order to move forward with the project as this is my first restoration. As you can see in the pictures below the only stain left on the bowl is in the shape of a kind of loopy looking heart. A friend recently talked to me about how pipes are living things and how they are "imbued with the positivity and lives of all those that have come into contact with 'em." I think he's right and that makes me want to keep working on this project.
I don't have the materials (waxes, polishes, etc.) to finish up the stem but I think I can do something with the bowl yet. I'm just not sure what... I thought about sanding it down but didn't know if that was okay to do given that the pipe still has markings/serial numbers on it.
Anyway, here are my results after a few hours of work. I should mention that I spent the majority of that time staring at it while it was soaking in alcohol baths.
I keep the pipe inside a Zip-lock baggie, inside of a box because it smells terribly despite my efforts.
Look at that heart! The pipe loves me see! :crazy: :D
Not sure what to do about these pits...
Here are some markings/serial numbers, etc.
The stem... You can see how it looks rough textured and has that hole.
Any thoughts, gentlemen?