I was wondering how a pipe stained green or blue holds up over time. Even a raw unfinished pipe darkens I've noticed. I tested some Fiebing's blue on a beater pipe but haven't smoked it any. Will they darken and lose their vivid color? Got pics?
Do Stained Pipes Hold Their Color?
- Thread starter hawke
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
Stains change, grow with the pipe. I've seen a few green and blue pipes after years of use, and no, I don't want one. They look odd, off color, like dirty colors.
I am curious about those pipes have have the shrink wrapped plastic print outs on them. Nording has started using them on his pipes, and Butz Choquin has been using this for years. It seems like it would be easy to get it snagged and ripped off the pipe, much less look like crap after years of being handled.
I have a Chacom pipe made for Iwan Ries, but stamped Chacom, a green stain smooth straight billiard, that has held its color nicely for the three years I've had it. I also have a EWA group two churchwarden in a green stain that also has held up over several years. I think staining pipes is a very specialized skill, and perhaps the long generations of pipe makers at St. Claude, France, know how to do that pretty well. But stain is tricky and I readily believe that the wrong stain, or the wrong application of it, can easily brown or gray out rapidly.
The Peterson experience with colors has been that the reds hold up well but the blues and greens don't. For unknown reasons they blister. As has been said already all pipes darken with age but for the most part much of that is from the dirt and oils that accumulate on the surface. As anyone who has done restorations will tell you, it can be removed with a good washing. As an example, I had a conversation with Dave G. about a pipe he restored recently. When he got it he thought it was dark brown when he finished washing it, turned out it was actually natural. Wax traps dirt and oil so much of the discoloration can be eliminated by removing the wax and recoating.
"Wax traps dirt and oil so much of the discoloration can be eliminated by removing the wax and recoating."
That makes sense to me Gloucesterman. Oil paintings after long years must have the varnish they are top coated with for protection, gently removed and reapplied. New color springs forth as the old contaminates are removed with the varnish which also darkens over time.
To me it makes sense that the wax and even the stain contaminates over time. I have no knowledge about the stains used on pipes, but some colors are very susceptible to degrading due to sunlight over time. Heat probably does not help in the process either.
That makes sense to me Gloucesterman. Oil paintings after long years must have the varnish they are top coated with for protection, gently removed and reapplied. New color springs forth as the old contaminates are removed with the varnish which also darkens over time.
To me it makes sense that the wax and even the stain contaminates over time. I have no knowledge about the stains used on pipes, but some colors are very susceptible to degrading due to sunlight over time. Heat probably does not help in the process either.
The stains of red and burgandy hold up just tine on my Rad Davis pipes. All my black pipes stay black, I was hoping they would turn dark grey over the years. :lol:
- Status