Glossy Finishes

[sparrowhawk]

Is it some law of nature that glossy finishes on pipes are destined to bubble and shed? I bought a Rossi Prince a year and a half ago only to find the finish bubbling up like bubble gum. For that reason I've avoided Rossi pipes ever since. Then I got a Peterson 106 Atlantic and the same problem cropped up. I've reordered the pipe through Amazon where I won't have any guff about smoked pipes if this one does the same. Same problem with my Peterson grey churchwarden, a really beautiful pipe. And I've noticed the Atlantic series has done away with glossy finishes in favor of just waxing over the stain. Have you gentlemen run into the same problem? If so, is there any way of curing the problem short of returning the pipe?

 

[Chasing Embers]

As a rule, I don't buy pipes that are varnished, lacquered, shellacked, or whatever other shiny coat they put on them. When I do though, I break out the acetone and remove it. A pipe that slick just doesn't feel natural to me. Too much like plastic.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Good to know acetone will remove the finish. Will it leave the stain intact?

 

[Chasing Embers]

It does indeed, unless the stain is incorporated into the gloss. The pipe will appear very dull, or light colored, but looks great after waxing or wiped down with a Dunhill or Savinelli pipe cloth.

 

[dottiewarden]

Good to know acetone will remove the finish.

I've had a couple of pipes bubble the finish, one Chacom and one Szabo. I always assumed that "I" was the problem. The Chacom didn't bubble until after a year and a half of smoking whereas the Szabo bubbled up almost immediately. On the Szabo , which was my first pipe to bubble up I figured it to be low quality as I had never had experience with that brand, but when the Chacom bubbled up I figured I had overheated the bowl. I have 2 other Chacom pipes and a couple of Petersons that haven't presented any problems yet.
For now, I'll just leave well enough alone and avoid glossy pipes in the future. However this varnish removal tip is very good to know should I end up looking at an irresistible pipe shape with a glossy finish.
Thanks for the tip Captain

 

[pagan]

Pipes with a varnish or lacquer will do that in time because the heat of the wood, carefully strip it with nail polish remover and wax it or send to a pro to do

 

[Chasing Embers]

Very welcome. Yeah, the glossy pipes I have purchased were just too inviting to let go. A quick wipe of acetone, and they were just perfect.

 

[davet]

I have two Pete's, Fermoy & Killarney. The Fermoy developed a bubble right off but the Killarney is fine after a year or so. I love the looks but would be on the fence about getting another.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Whilst refurbishing pipes I have occasionally come across an estate pipe with a glossy finish that neither 99.9% alcohol nor acetone would remove. The only solution was to sand it off. What the finish was I haven't a clue but nothing would shift it.
On bubbling, I have an unsmoked estate Butz Choquin small churchwarden pipe with a black slightly textured finish on it that looks rather nice until it is fired up then the surface bubbles appear. I can actually move the bubbles around the bowl with light pressure from my finger! Once cooled however the bubbles 'deflate' and cannot be seen.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mso489]

My comment, probably somewhat uninformed, is that this should not happen. What I mean by that is that a glossy finish, or finishes of various kinds, though not as popular as they once were, have been used and perfected over a century or more and when done properly do not bubble or otherwise disintegrate. This is a flaw, not inevitable, or the fortunes of war. I have six or eight high gloss pipes, some of them years old, and they do just fine, no bubble, no skinning off of the finish, etc. Also, they smoke well and seem to breathe, not as well as less highly finished pipes, but enough for good smoking. Like other flaws, this can be addressed, but it isn't categorically true of gloss finish pipes.

 

[clickklick]

You can get a very glass like finish without varnish or lacquer . . . but it takes a lot of time to do so. Some artisan pipe makers put in the extra work to achieve this look.
However, I have a feeling that the factory pipes in question don't put in the time and simply varnish the pipes to attain that look. It appears that varnish or some of the other glassy coatings can bubble under heat.
I will not make that association with shellac, as it is much different and I use it on all of my pipes, as do a LOT of other pipe makers!

 

[danielplainview]

Yes. Everything Chasing said.
Carnauba never bubbles.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

You can achieve a mirror finish by polishing with micromesh to 12,000 grit and then a wax and a buff. No need for all that other stuff.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Nording pipes are quite glossy. Do you suppose this is because the rustication provides a "tooth" for the finish hold on to? Never had a single problem with those pipes.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I'm not sure what process Nording uses. Mine are all smooth though, and I've seen no evidence of blistering.

 

[mayfair70]

I can't speak to the Nording, they may just use a better finish, or apply it with more care.
I do exactly what Chasingembers does. When I get a better setup, I'll be doing what Anthonyrosenthal74 does. Sanding with high grit AND WITH WAX before final coat and buffing, you can get a great shine on a pipe. But for now, I go with MSO's advice from other threads and try to get natural unfinished wood on all my pipes. I like the way they acquire patina naturally. After acetone, I usually wash the outside with mild soap and water, just in case, to make sure there is no residue.

 

[kanse]

Does the whole pipe bubble up or just the rim?

 

[fitzy]

I've yet to have this issue but it seems to happen pretty frequently to Rossi pipes and Peterson's. My old Pete never bubbled.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I had a pipe bubble when I first started. But, I have a few more pipes with that glossy varnished looking finish, and since developing a very slow smoking technique, I've not bubbled another since. But, if you're not interested in smoking slow, then you may want to do as suggested and remove the varnishes. Altering a pipe is all a part of the fun of this hobby.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Some pipes will bubble regardless of cadence, being air in the finish, or pits in the briar.