Do pipes like olive oil?

[bowhatchie]

I use Olive oil on a fairly regular basis... both on the bowl and the stem... for the reasons sighted above... I so use wax as well...

Olive oil is great for a very tight stem that is difficult to get snug...

 

[steamtrain]

Is great for your sex life too.. and low in cloresterol...

 

[wolfscout]

I've used it for years and have never had a pipe go rancid. ::

 

[brian64]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys. I discovered the following info by Bob Tate...he does recommend using olive oil:
http://pipesmagazine.com/python/general-pipe-section/routine-tobacco-pipe-cleaning-with-videos/

 

[admin]

In some other communities this topic is a much more polarized discussion.
Personally, I have used EVO on my pipe wood and stem both and have been happy with the result. I have only used it occasionally on the wood, and often on stems.
Others echo what daveinlax said, that the oil goes rancid so you shouldn't use it.
I have recently switched from olive oil for the stems to a new prototype product that I have been testing, and it is made by one of the members that posted in this thread.
So far, only test samples have been made, and inventory is not yet available.
When it becomes available, I think it is going to be a huge hit.
I have been using it every day for 3-months and I think it is an excellent solution for preserving stems and bringing them back to life. I think olive oil works great, but this new stem oil blows it away.
I am doing a little consulting on bringing this to market and my first piece of advice was to produce a huge inventory.
(Sorry if that was a bit of a thread hijack. Hopefully the moderators will cut me a break.)

 

[brian64]

Here's an interesting Dunhill story regarding olive oil:
"Another new technique ended up ensuring the quality of Dunhill pipes. Before the sandblasting process, Dunhill would have the Algerian briarwood bowls immersed in olive oil for several weeks. Afterwards, they were left to dry, with the excess oil being occasionally wiped off. This method was originally developed for aesthetic reasons, but it turned out that the oil caused impurities to be forced out of the wood, resulting in a faster curing process. A further consequence of this process was the briar became incredibly durable, making the occurrence of burnouts much less frequent."
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/dunhill/history.cfm

 

[cortezattic]

Resident Comedian Hauntedmyst, wins.

 

[python]

Like everything else associated with pipes, this is a highly debated subject.
Some people love to use it and others say it is horrible to use. I personally have used it on both my stems and the briar and I have never had any ill effects from it and I have been doing it for years.
People have been using Olive Oil on their pipes for many decades.
Some say that it will go rancid, but I have never experienced this at all. To be honest, I have never even heard of anybody complain that their pipe smelled funny or anything else like that from putting olive oil on it.
Olive oil is short term though and wax lasts a lot longer. To each their own. If you like to use it use it, if you don't then don't.

 

[tatanka]

Say Kevin, What is EVO?
I use Halcyon II Wax and am satisfied with it. Nothing lasts very long for me. Maybe My fingers emit too much sweat(?)
Re: the Olive Oil. How long do you let it sit before you wipe it off? Or in wiping, can you polish it to a point that it is dry?

 

[orlandofurioso]

Hi Wolfscout and all of you,
Tung oil is about the best you can do on any wood, but is the smell no too distinct and does it not turn out a bit dull looking ?

I recently purchased an estate Edward's algerian briar pipe on Ebay; it looks just great.

Suppose I ream all the char out, so near to the briar and leaf it in Olive ( or tung-) oil for a few weeks to give it a new oil cure ?

Can any of you guys explain the principle of the oil curing to me ?

Sorry, my english is not near native

 

[dmcmtk]

Furniture grade Tung Oil finishes typically have varnish in them, at least the ones I have used. I wouldn't use it on a pipe, and I certainly WOULD NOT ALLOW A PIPE TO SOAK IN IT FOR WEEKS! I have used Olive Oil on pipes, I think it only needs to be Light, or Pure olive oil. Extra Virgin is great in cooking, I just don't think it's necessary for a pipe.

 

[mso489]

I think most of the benefit of olive oil on pipes is that it induces the pipe owner to polish the pipe

vigorously, and that, more than the olive oil, improves the shine of the briar and stem. If you use

olive oil, I'd use it sparingly. Like any other oily substance, it attracts dust. This might induce you

to polish the pipe again, but it's the polishing that is causing the improvement, I believe.

 

[msandoval858]

I've used olive oil on several pipes, mostly some older dull estates that I've cleaned up. I've had great success with it. Just a small amount, buffed thorughly with a dry clean cloth, has given me a great finish. I usually only use it on the bowls, not the stems.
It's highly debated and both sides seem to have valid points, but for me it's worked fine.

 

[ravkesef]

Kevin, the oil you were testing 2 years ago--was that Obsidian?

 

[smeigs]

This conversation could probably go on forever, I think it is more of a personal preference really.. I used to use it on my pipes before I asked a guy in my pipe club that has been piping for decades, he also does pipe restoration as a business. He told me to never use food grade oils on your pipes and made me dry them out so he could soak up the oil and re polish them for me haha.. So I guess it just depends on your personal preference. On the pipes that I have used olive oil on, I have never had any problems or issues with them.

 

[taerin]

Yes, Kevin made a post later on saying he now uses Obsidian Oil on his stems.

 

[plateauguy]

I've been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil on my stems, but just bought some Obsidian Oil to try.

 

[blendtobac]

I use extra-light olive oil with a very soft brush on sandblasted and rusticated pipes. I use the extra-light because it's less acidic and has little aroma. I don't like the build-up that wax puts in the crevices of textured pipes.
Russ

 

[spartan]

I like to see posts from way back in the day from Kevin and the other ghosts that are no longer here.
They were all figuring out this pipe smoking thing together. It's really neat.
I've read through all the posts from the first couple of months. Some really entertaining stuff!

 

[bullbriar]

I use mineral oil for all my wood in need of nourishment (pipes, cuttingboards, too, handles, etc.), as it never turns rancid like a vegetable/fruit-based oil will.

just my two cents.