How to Keep Pipe Rim from Darkening?
- Thread starter REO
- Start date
Before each smoke I wet the rim with saliva ; it sure helps to clean the rim clean.
Spit/saliva and cloth or t-shirt after each use on a briar. However, there will always be at least a touch of dark left on the rim over time. 
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That's what I do. I lick my finger and wipe the rim down after my charring light and throughout the smoke. It seems to help.
I will never again buy an etate pipe! Especially from you lot! 
When I first started Id wipe the rim with a damp paper towel, that worked well enough until the stain came off one day and ever since then I stopped doing it. Now I couldnt care less what happens to the rims of any of my pipes, just tools for smoking anyway.
What wax are you using?My bad habit is to tilt the pipe downward while lighting, which leads to scorching toward the back of the rim. When I actually hold the pipe level, it feels like I'm pointing it upward, but that helps a lot. Waxing the rim is a good practice, too, and the wax acts as a sacrificial layer.
Another good practice is to start the lighter away from the pipe and bring it closer to the tobacco only after you start to draw, and then pull it away before you are done drawing. I learned that one from @Chasing Embers , and am still working to make it second nature.
P.S. Maybe once I learn how to keep my rims pristine, I'll start looking into the fancy pipes!
Exactly. When folks talk about polishing their pipes with nose grease I’m like recommitting to only buying new!I will never again buy an etate pipe! Especially from you lot!
Yep, the soft wax in the little round jars. Real easy to work with, and the scent doesn't bother me.
Yep, over buffing rims is a real problem. Best to go lightly unless preparing for resale. The only real concern is rim char. A little muck can always be buffed off later, within reason. I do a lot of selling and trading so I want to keep things in reasonable shape.
Yeah I was probably a little over zealous back then but still don't have a great solution for keeping the rims clean. Definitely haven't charred any rims at this point, thank goodness.
If my pipes were as nice as yours I'd be concerned with keeping them tip top as well, almost all of mine are beaters though so I don't worry about it too much. I do however keep the shanks and stems clean and the bowls reemed, most of the time.
I charred a couple early on when I wasn’t careful during break in. That sucked.