Gloss on Pipes
- Thread starter dren
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I just wipe my pipes, stummel, with microfiber cloth. On occasion, I might use Renaissance Wax and polish it with hand.
Sounds to me like your pipe was probably polished with carnuba wax. Unlike some lacquer finishes, it will wear off with heat and time. I have decades old lacquer finished pipes that still look like new. You can send it off to be rebuffed or do it yourself. It's not difficult...dangerous, but not difficult.
Is it an expensive or rare pipe? I'm assuming it's a decent pipe because if it wasn't you wouldn't be able to get the shine of with a sand blaster lol. Like @bullet08 said Ren Wax which you can fund at jewelry store's or like Embers said a jewelers cloth which you can find at the same place, even walmart has jewelers cloths. But what I use is Decatur no buff pipe wax on pipes that need to shined up. It's the same as Ren Wax minus the gasoline smell. I also mess around with carnuba and a soft dremel mousilin buff I think that's how it's spelled. I turn the dremel down to its lowest speed touch the Wax and then put a bit of pressure on the bit to slow it down more and go to town. It works great not as great as a buffing wheel but good enough.
Was the "wipe" impregnated with a cleaning substance eg wipes for baby's bottoms or hand cleaning wipes ?
You can get pipe cloths eg Dunhill or Savinelli that is impregnated with a silicon compound.
Or use a jeweller's cloth as suggested by @Chasing Embers
I use a microfibre cloth that I got from the supermarket. Super cheap.
You can add a dab of briar balm or Renaissence or Halcyon wax if you wish to get a nice shine after each smoke
I never thought I'd say this, but you might consider Brylon, one of the old synthetic pipes from the sixties that are still floating around as estate pipes and should cost almost nothing. One of the members here has a particularly rough job, lots of grease and dirt, and Brylon serves his purposes because the pipes can be washed and scrubbed more than you would want to scrub a briar pipe, and on a regular basis.
Brylon is on the heavy side, and burns a little hot to the touch, but it even has some fans among those who smoke indoors. It is probably few people's first choice, or their choice at all, but for certain applications, it fills the bill. Just an idea for you. If it didn't work out, the investment should be minimal, and if it solves your problem, bravo.
The next obvious choice would be a MM cob, preferably with an acrylic stem, either on the stock special editions or added from Forever Stems or a comparable source.
Brylon is on the heavy side, and burns a little hot to the touch, but it even has some fans among those who smoke indoors. It is probably few people's first choice, or their choice at all, but for certain applications, it fills the bill. Just an idea for you. If it didn't work out, the investment should be minimal, and if it solves your problem, bravo.
The next obvious choice would be a MM cob, preferably with an acrylic stem, either on the stock special editions or added from Forever Stems or a comparable source.
I know one guy who swears by rubbing the pipe in his own hands without gloves.
I reiterate, nose wax. Always available and easy to apply; Simply rub the bowl. stummel on the oily part of your face, the area where nose and cheek meet.
Decater pipe cloth works well. Its infused with polish and does make them shine but doesnt last as long as Paragon or the like.
I just wipe the bowl on the sides of my nose that picks up natural oil and a vigorous rub on jeans produces a great shine especially on natural non finished pipes.
Magic Erasers are impregnated with bleach, so it stripped the wax and perhaps the clear coating if such was present. The nose oil and soft cloth will shine it up and so will a jeweler’s cloth. I suppose you could rub mineral oil on it too.
I have intentionally stripped a shiny lacquer finish off a pipe before and rubbed it with mineral oil and actually preferred the resulting shiny but not lacquer finish.
The pipe is not ruined but the finish you will get is likely to be less glossy than the factory coating. You might find you like it better….
Magic eraser is an abrasive. It’s like very fine sandpaper impregnated with bleach.
A long time ago I asked Walker Briar Works about this. Any good quality Carnuba paste wax will spruce up the pipe.
I just ordered four ounces of carnauba wax for $12, because it’s supposed to be the best. If it wasn’t best wax all the pipe factories and artisans would use something better.
But for fifty years, I’ve used nose wax, olive oil, beeswax, or grapeseed oil and they all work, for awhile.
Truly fine pipes are not ever varnished like bowling pins or gym floors.
Whatever wax or oil I use to shine them up fades with time, and use.
But for fifty years, I’ve used nose wax, olive oil, beeswax, or grapeseed oil and they all work, for awhile.
Truly fine pipes are not ever varnished like bowling pins or gym floors.
Whatever wax or oil I use to shine them up fades with time, and use.
I did the same thing as you with the Magic Eraser and removed the polish on one side of my pipe, as well as dulling the stem.
It has one of the highest melting points of natural waxes and creates a fairly hard coating when solid. That's the benefit and why it's commonly used for a lot of things in society.
or you could just dig the pipe looking like a well loved piece. That said my Vauen is still shiny so maybe do whatever they do cause that pipe hasn't been babied and it sparkles.