How Do You Store Your Pipes?

[sablebrush52]

.........................................? by tongue? apply to head of hair and wipe on the pipe? Don't leave me hanging...........

Don't use a cloth. You will never get that liquid high gloss with a cloth. Spread a TINY amount on your fingertips and/or palms and hand rub the pipe until the wax sets up and the surface takes on a glass smooth lustre. Works every time and such a small amount doesn't get tacky or sticky. You're using the polish to polish itself. Using a cloth leaves the surface comparatively dull.

 

[BROBS]

ok that's actually what I do.. I let the whole wax tack up like waxing a car.. and then rub the whole thing by hand using some pressure.
I then use a microfiber cloth to polish it afterwards and remove any residue that may be left behind in a crack etc.

I was expecting something crazy

 

[canadianpuffer]

 

[irishearl]

Some nice racks in this thread. Have all mine in racks, almost all bought years ago when you could actually find them in second-hand/antique shops. Can't remember when I last saw one in such though. The racks sit on several shelves behind a cabinet door.

 

[peregrinus]

Don't use a cloth. You will never get that liquid high gloss with a cloth. Spread a TINY amount on your fingertips and/or palms and hand rub the pipe until the wax sets up and the surface takes on a glass smooth lustre. Works every time and such a small amount doesn't get tacky or sticky. You're using the polish to polish itself. Using a cloth leaves the surface comparatively dull.

Sable, other than the simplicity and convenience, does Halcyon wax have any advantage over Carnauba applied with a buffing wheel?
Do the two compare?

 

[BROBS]

Carnauba is hard to apply correctly and easy to leave a haze.

Also the Halcyon wax is perfect for a sandblast pipe becuase it's soft and easy to get out of the crevices. Try running a sandblast pipe on the wheel with Carnauba and you'll see what I mean.

Carnauba is much harder but I have found it shows flaws in the briar more than these other two waxes because the Carnauba can leave a white film in any fill.

 

[peregrinus]

Carnauba is hard to apply correctly and easy to leave a haze

I have not had this issue, but I have the advantage of 45 years experience as a jeweler.
If there is a haze left on the stem or pipe, it is because the wheel has been loaded with too much compounded or wax. This is a very common issue, even among those with professional experience. If this happens it is time to dress the wheel to remove the excess and use a fresh, clean wheel to remove as much of the excess application as possible from the piece.

 

[BROBS]

that's how I have done it as well.. I just find it a more finicky process than the other two waxes.. and not 100% sure it's any better. Also most people probably don't have a low speed buffing wheel.

 

[peregrinus]

I just find it a more finicky process than the other two waxes.. and not 100% sure it's any better. Also most people probably don't have a low speed buffing wheel.

Buffing definitely is not practical or expedient for many people and it is likely much more labor intensive. Because of my background I am very comfortable buffing, however, I am curious if Halcyon is better in any way. Perhaps it is a good “place holder” or would make buffing unnecessary in most maintenance circumstances.
If you don’t leave the door open to new ideas you are only limiting yourself!
I did buy some Halcyon but haven’t used it yet and wondered if it would be a good idea between any infrequent buffing. True, buffing is time consuming and carries some inherent risk no matter the level of experience.
Are you then using Halcyon on both the stems and bowls?
How often, after every smoke or less often?

 

[BROBS]

I only treat them with the Halcyon once before I smoke them.
It seals the pipe and keeps it clean.. I then just clean it off with water (on the rim mainly).
I remove any and all stem oxidation first as well.
yes I use it on the whole pipe, stem and all.

I have had good luck with using the Halcyon.. it works/applies pretty much just like auto wax.

 

[saintpeter]

Scattered from hell to breakfast. It's like an Easter Egg hunt.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sable, other than the simplicity and convenience, does Halcyon wax have any advantage over Carnauba applied with a buffing wheel?
Do the two compare?

Both the Halcyon and Paragon products are not as long lasting as carnuba, and they don't hold up as well when hit with hot water, like when performing a hot, or warm, water cleaning on a pipe. The chief benefit is that a buffer is not needed.
In the wrong hands, a buffer can be a weapon of pipe destruction, softening details, wiping out nomenclature, etc, etc. I had 10 years of performing delicate restoration work on fine vintage jewelry, which occasionally employed buffers, and what's called for is a very light, nimble, and deft touch. Given what I've seen happen to pipes, that's a rare skill. With Halcyon and Paragon I can get the same gloss without using a buffer, and without gradually turning my 1922 Barling Motor Cap into a shapeless shiny blob.

 

[sablebrush52]

I have not had this issue, but I have the advantage of 45 years experience as a jeweler.
If there is a haze left on the stem or pipe, it is because the wheel has been loaded with too much compounded or wax. This is a very common issue, even among those with professional experience. If this happens it is time to dress the wheel to remove the excess and use a fresh, clean wheel to remove as much of the excess application as possible from the piece.

Just saw that you're a jeweler. A buffer is safe in your hands.

 

[sablebrush52]

Are you then using Halcyon on both the stems and bowls?

Yes. I use it on stems to help retard oxidation on the Vulcanite.

How often, after every smoke or less often?

When the finish could use some rejuvenation, maybe a couple of times a year. THe stem gets a treatment when I can see that the finish is getting dull around the bite zone. So that's every couple of months.

The other issue with these products is that they can get gummy or tacky when used too much.

 

[hauntedmyst]

This and various racks

 

[hauntedmyst]

ahh gotcha. should be money then.

I have wondered.. what the hell is in obsidian oil? I don't know if I want to eat it.

Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil

 

[BROBS]

I know what it is.. I meant the ingredients.

 

[jpmcwjr]

That's a beauty! Do you know what it was used for aboard ship?

View attachment 13970
Cabinet from a ship

 

[jpmcwjr]

I know what it is.. I meant the ingredients.

I'd like to know, too. But whatever, they don't make it worth 4 X the money for mineral oil, which I bet is 95% or more of the contents.

 

[Bengel]

That's a beauty! Do you know what it was used for aboard ship?

No, my father purchased at an auction years ago in Sausalito.