How To Clean Up and Polish a Vintage Meerschaum?

[mikethompson]

I've read bits and pieces, but what are the definitive steps of cleaning, polishing / waxing of an old meer?

I have my eye on a century old meer that needs some love. Can i just use mild soap on the outside? What about beeswax as a polish? The stem is amber, which I am guessing poses other restoration questions.

I've seen some beautiful meers on here, what are some tricks?

 

[mikethompson]

No tips? Will i have to *gasp* Google it?

 

[condorlover1]

OK. What do you want to know? Do you have a picture? Is it a carved head or a regular pipe.? Are you absolutely sure you are ready for the wild ride of owning a 100 year old orphan?

 

[Fiddlepiper]

I recently acquired my grandfathers meer. Not as old but in need of a good clean.

Interested to hear some tips/advice as well. Having searched through past threads there’s a glut of conflicting advice (standard). ?

 

[mikethompson]

What do you want to know?

Everything.

Lol I actually lost out on the pipe in question, but was hoping to get some first hand info and advice from someone who has done it before or regularly.

I'm assuming its not the same as cleaning an old piece of briar.

 

[Ahi Ka]

I did nothing to mine except scrape out the chamber and unblock the draft hole through the bone tenon. I was too a chicken shit to take the restoration further and kinda liked the chumbawamba look and attitude following 118 years of abuse and/or neglect

 

[Ahi Ka]

Can you post a pic of the one you were looking at anyways? Would be interested to see what feedback you get

 

[mikethompson]

Can you post a pic of the one you were looking at anyways? Would be interested to see what feedback you get

Sold for more than I was willing to spend

 

[Ahi Ka]

Sold for more than I was willing to spend

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Yeah that’s pretty dirty. You’d need to bleach that to get it back to white

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I’d just clean up the inside and smoke it ?‍

 

[ashdigger]

Yeah that’s pretty dirty. You’d need to bleach that to get it back to white

If someone wants white, buy a new one. Ole meers are old.

 

[Ahi Ka]

If someone wants white, buy a new one. Ole meers are old.

I totally agree. My sarcastic accent doesn’t come through in text...but then again if it did, you guys would have no idea what I’m saying as we sound weird

 

[mikethompson]

I wouldn't want to bring it back to white, but polish the outside somehow.

How do you clean the grime off the outside? What is the best way to wax the outside? That sort of thing

 

[Chasing Embers]

How do you clean the grime off the outside?

A wet microfiber cloth.

What is the best way to wax the outside?

Melt a pound of beeswax in a double boiler. Run a churchwarden length pipe cleaner into the chamber of the pipe and ball the end of the cleaner in the chamber so it cannot be pulled from the pipe. The long end coming out of the stem will be used to hang it to cool after waxing. Plug the pipe's chamber with a cork and heat the stummel with a hairdryer until evenly warm to the touch. Dip the stummel up to the end of the shank for a few seconds then remove and allow the excess wax to drip back into the boiler. Hang the pipe until fully cooled and shine it up by gently buffing with a t-shirt.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

@mikethompson , here’s how I did mine.

 

[mikethompson]

A wet microfiber cloth.



Melt a pound of beeswax in a double boiler. Run a churchwarden length pipe cleaner into the chamber of the pipe and ball the end of the cleaner in the chamber so it cannot be pulled from the pipe. The long end coming out of the stem will be used to hang it to cool after waxing. Plug the pipe's chamber with a cork and heat the stummel with a hairdryer until evenly warm to the touch. Dip the stummel up to the end of the shank for a few seconds then remove and allow the excess wax to drip back into the boiler. Hang the pipe until fully cooled and shine it up by gently buffing with a t-shirt.

Thanks!

@mikethompson , here’s how I did mine.

Thanks!