Grain Under Solid Stain

[jiminy]

I was just wondering how pipe manufacturers decide which pipes get a solid stain costing (like Peterson Ebony pipes). Are they pipes that have above average fills? Are they pipes that have truly unremarkable grain? Are they just selected at random? I'd be curious to find out!

 

[vosBghos]

Wonder this myself , the Rossi Vittoria line which I’ve been collecting since they are cheap and produced by Savinelli are all ebony stained , I like the look but suspect they couldn’t quite make the cut as Savinelli proper because of too many fills…

 

[jiminy]

Wonder this myself , the Rossi Vittoria line which I’ve been collecting since they are cheap and produced by Savinelli are all ebony stained , I like the look but suspect they couldn’t quite make the cut as Savinelli proper because of too many fills…

Yeah, I don't mind the look of Ebony pipes, but I am suspicious that they needed a dark stain for a reason haha

 

[grimpuffer]

Yeah, I don't mind the look of Ebony pipes, but I am suspicious that they needed a dark stain for a reason haha

You also have the flip side of that coin where there are expensively made pipes that completely stain the grain out. I guess it could be both arguments where the cheaper pipes do it to cover imperfections, and the more expensive ones are because of the look they were going for regardless.

Honestly never put much thought into until seeing this thread.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Sanding one down reveals the very reason for solid staining - at least on the few pipes I've done this with. Unappealing grain, fills - a pipe that wouldnt look good blasted or lightly stained.

 

[jiminy]

Sanding one down reveals the very reason for solid staining - at least on the few pipes I've done this with. Unappealing grain, fills - a pipe that wouldnt look good blasted or lightly stained.

I had thought about sanding down one myself, but figured I'd get disappointed by it haha. The fills don't generally bother me too much, but a blah grain on a light-medium stain is just not something I want

 

[burleybreath]

Sanding one down reveals the very reason for solid staining - at least on the few pipes I've done this with. Unappealing grain, fills - a pipe that wouldnt look good blasted or lightly stained.

This has kept me from buying any. Or to put it more precisely, kept me from paying the price for an otherwise ideal pipe. Not especially a fan of the look, but I could live with it if it's a shape I like.

Want to see a real rat of a pipe? You know those leather-covered pipes that were more popular many years ago? Take off the leather to see what's underneath. Frightening. The one time I did, it scarred me for life and I've never recovered mentally--proof being that I sometimes catch myself commenting on pipe forums.

(Seriously, though, I have a leather-covered Longchamp that I found unsmoked on ebay. Smokes great. I assume the ebony stained pipes would also smoke as well as their colleagues in the same marque.)

 

[AJL67]

Dint think they would ruin a gorgeous grain by covering it up, it’s rare there is a Van Gogh painting under the portrait of Bubbles the sad clown.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

This has kept me from buying any. Or to put it more precisely, kept me from paying the price for an otherwise ideal pipe. Not especially a fan of the look, but I could live with it if it's a shape I like.

Want to see a real rat of a pipe? You know those leather-covered pipes that were more popular many years ago? Take off the leather to see what's underneath. Frightening. The one time I did, it scarred me for life and I've never recovered mentally--proof being that I sometimes catch myself commenting on pipe forums.

(Seriously, though, I have a leather-covered Longchamp that I found unsmoked on ebay. Smokes great. I assume the ebony stained pipes would also smoke as well as their colleagues in the same marque.)

Longchamp pipes were deliberately covered in leather to hide the flawed briar available (due to wartime restrictions in France in the ’40s).

 

[jiminy]

Dint think they would ruin a gorgeous grain by covering it up, it’s rare there is a Van Gogh painting under the portrait of Bubbles the sad clown.

That was my thought as well, but then again I'm no expert in pipe making/knowledge.

 

[burleybreath]

Longchamp pipes were deliberately covered in leather to hide the flawed briar available (due to wartime restrictions in France in the ’40s).

Don't worry--I will not skin this one out. I accept your statement as fact.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Don't worry--I will not skin this one out. I accept your statement as fact.

View attachment 162422

That is so cool—I’ve never seen one with that tag.

 

[anotherbob]

I was just wondering how pipe manufacturers decide which pipes get a solid stain costing (like Peterson Ebony pipes). Are they pipes that have above average fills? Are they pipes that have truly unremarkable grain? Are they just selected at random? I'd be curious to find out!

from ones that people have removed the stain... I'd say it could go either way with a slightly higher tendency towards the oh that's why they covered that all up man that's a lot o fills (like the non-hit movie "Donhue in the multiverse". You know a lot of Phils)

 

[jiminy]

from ones that people have removed the stain... I'd say it could go either way with a slightly higher tendency towards the oh that's why they covered that all up man that's a lot o fills (like the non-hit movie "Donhue in the multiverse". You know a lot of Phils)

Gotcha. I have a Peterson System Ebony that I've thought about gifting to a friend, but he prefers a more natural stain. I have given thought to sanding it down, but then there is no going back if it is hideous underneath.

 

[anotherbob]

Gotcha. I have a Peterson System Ebony that I've thought about gifting to a friend, but he prefers a more natural stain. I have given thought to sanding it down, but then there is no going back if it is hideous underneath.

I mean it could be restained. Then again sometimes what one person considers a subpar grain another thinks is just grand. Fills on the other hand well that might be more universally considered less ideal.

 

[jiminy]

I mean it could be restained. Then again sometimes what one person considers a subpar grain another thinks is just grand. Fills on the other hand well that might be more universally considered less ideal.

That's true. I'm not exorcism flame grain or birds eye, but I once had a pipe that looked... Well, kinda ugly because it had nearly no grain. The lack of grain made what fills it had really pop out

 

[Searock Fan]

That's true. I'm not exorcism flame grain or birds eye, but I once had a pipe that looked... Well, kinda ugly because it had nearly no grain. The lack of grain made what fills it had really pop out

If you don't like the finish and want to change it, then probably your best bet would be to blast or texture it.

 

[jiminy]

If you don't like the finish and want to change it, then probably your best bet would be to blast or texture it.

I personally like the Ebony finish. My buddy does not, but he also doesn't like rusticated or blast finishes haha.

 

[Jef]

If you were a pipe maker, would you take a good piece of briar and stain it black?
jef

 

[jpmcwjr]

Nah! HELL Nah!