How Glossy or Shiny Do You Like Your Pipes ?

[sablebrush52]

I have one laquered pipe, a Nording grade 15 with bee's butt acrylic stem, and it looks great and smokes like a champ. Otherwise all my pipes vary from mirror bright to mellow soft. When I do a deep cleaning, about once a year, I'll apply either Halcyon or Paragon wax and quite literally hand rub - no cloth - until they come up to a high gloss. That gloss goes away with a few smokes but is quickly renewed with just a little bit of hand rubbing if I feel like it.

I like my pipes clean. The amount of gloss is not as important to me.

 

[FurCoat]

I have one laquered pipe, a Nording grade 15 with bee's butt acrylic stem, and it looks great and smokes like a champ. Otherwise all my pipes vary from mirror bright to mellow soft. When I do a deep cleaning, about once a year, I'll apply either Halcyon or Paragon wax and quite literally hand rub - no cloth - until they come up to a high gloss. That gloss goes away with a few smokes but is quickly renewed with just a little bit of hand rubbing if I feel like it.

I like my pipes clean. The amount of gloss is not as important to me.

+1 I'm on the same page with Sable.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Well, it only takes a few seconds to reapply...

That is true.

 

[mingc]

I like my smooth pipes shiny, so after the carnauba wears away, I use paragon wax after every smoke. Paragon wears away pretty quickly too, but it's the best for me as I don't wish to subject my pipes to the mechanical buffing required to apply carnauba.

By the way, I notice on the pipemakers forum that many of them use shellac to seal in their stains. I don't know how common it is but I haven't noticed it (or a shiny equivalent) on my pipes except maybe a smooth Peterson Kapp Royal and a Neerup sandblast, both of which stay preternaturally shiny. Both smoke fine.

 

[PipesRock]

Disclaimer, no pipe over $150.00... minimum of paper towel to the bowl and couple pipe cleaners after every smoke. Also wipe down exterior with paper towel after every smoke. Once a month (or so) a good generous olive oil rub down. I do the stems and pipe on the outside only. I use some elbow grease hand rubbing to get a bit of shine and lightly wipe off. Every couple months Obsidian oil on stems, again a firm rubbing by hand. No waxing or buffing and so far it doesn't taste like I'm smoking a salad, so that's a plus.

Like was already said I like clean pipes but they don't need to be glossy/shiny.

 

[sablebrush52]

I like my smooth pipes shiny, so after the carnauba wears away, I use paragon wax after every smoke. Paragon wears away pretty quickly too, but it's the best for me as I don't wish to subject my pipes to the mechanical buffing required to apply carnauba.

By the way, I notice on the pipemakers forum that many of them use shellac to seal in their stains. I don't know how common it is but I haven't noticed it (or a shiny equivalent) on my pipes except maybe a smooth Peterson Kapp Royal and a Neerup sandblast, both of which stay preternaturally shiny. Both smoke fine.

It's a fairly minimal amount of shellac, not like a full on coating. British makers used to use gum arabic as a pre coat before applying a final coating of wax. The gum arabic flowed into the tiny depressions in the wood to further even out the surfaces.

 

[bullet08]

Renaissance Wax once in awhile when I feel like it. Just wipe with polish cloth after each smoke. Seems to keep the pipes in good shape.

 

[Lawyer66]

Haven't really decided as yet. However, I do like my pipes looking and tasting clean. That's about the best I have..

 

[mikethompson]

I find that I can polish one of my pipes with carnauba wax until it shines, but the finish goes dull over time even if I am not smoking it.

I will have to get a jewellers cloth someday.

 

[Kottan]

Otherwise all my pipes vary from mirror bright to mellow soft.

?That is exactly what I say to myself when I've cleaned up some of my pipes, and they still refuse showing that glossy shine (like the other ones) after I've waxed them and polished them with a microfiber cloth.

A simple tool I use, especially for ‘new’ estates that come in scruffy condition to me, is a double sided coated nail file with 4000/1000 grit. Buffing the wooden parts with the 4000 grit side (white) makes them shiny again, but one must be very careful to not buff off the stampings, when they are already shallow. With this side of the file I also work on tarnished silver applications, a special cloth or agent is not required.

The 1000 grit side (green) can be used to remove heavy stem oxidations and after that they can be polished using the 4000 grit side

 

[stokesdale]

Your fishing stuff is shiny? Mines all covered in fish scales and mud and the cork handles are discolored from sweat and tears and Gulp juice except inside the reels, in there it’s clean and oily.

My pipes were probably once glossy. They aren’t anymore. Sometimes though I scrape some of the tar off the rim or wipe off the fish scales or worm guts or ‘sketti sauce or whatever gets on them. What’s finish mean?

I have saltwater reels that cost upwards of $800...I try to keep them as clean as possible.

 

[craig61a]

I like my smooth pipes shiny, so after the carnauba wears away, I use paragon wax after every smoke. Paragon wears away pretty quickly too, but it's the best for me as I don't wish to subject my pipes to the mechanical buffing required to apply carnauba.

By the way, I notice on the pipemakers forum that many of them use shellac to seal in their stains. I don't know how common it is but I haven't noticed it (or a shiny equivalent) on my pipes except maybe a smooth Peterson Kapp Royal and a Neerup sandblast, both of which stay preternaturally shiny. Both smoke fine.

They use a very light cut of shellac to seal the briar. One coat of a very light cut of shellac isn't going to raise much of a shine.