I Hope You Hate Deoxidizing Vulcanite Stems As Much As I Do

[telescopes]

I've got Castellos that I've had for over 60 years. The only thing I've ever done to the stems is give them a little, quick wipe around the mouth piece once in a while and they still look like new. I'll take Lucite every time.

If women can learn to wrap their teeth around a certain type of pipe without chomping down to hard, I think men can do the same with lucite.

 

[pinem]

I swear by nose oil/grease to limit oxidation and reblacken stems after a smoke. It's always available under the bridge of my glasses (don't have to get out of my seat), and it's tasteless, organic, and free. A little goes a long way, too.

 

[Waning Embers]

Burned off and thumb buffed to a mirror shine with toothpaste.

 

[Dshift]

Burned off and thumb buffed to a mirror shine with toothpaste.

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[Dshift]

Burned off and thumb buffed to a mirror shine with toothpaste.

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I call bullshit... * He said while putting toothpaste on his thumb to try it out*

 

[Dshift]

I swear by nose oil/grease to limit oxidation and reblacken stems after a smoke. It's always available under the bridge of my glasses (don't have to get out of my seat), and it's tasteless, organic, and free. A little goes a long way, too.

I admire the enginuity but damn does it sound gross when you put it in writing...

 

[Scrapyard Ape]

Burned off and thumb buffed to a mirror shine with toothpaste.

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Tried it... my results were fair and no where near as pretty. BUT, I now have a minty fresh stem.

 

[Dshift]

Tried it... my results were fair and no where near as pretty. BUT, I now have a minty fresh stem.

I tried it too and I assume the stem was 99% there before the thumb buffing since this is what the result looks like for an estate pipe with heavy oxidation

 

[Papamique]

I keep my pipes (no matter the stem material) in their bags/pouches/socks unless on display. Problem solved. You’re welcome.

 

[Mike N]

The benefits of smoking a softer ebonite/vulanite button over a hard acrylic stem far outweigh the daily maintenance. Wipe the stem with a microfiber cloth and dab on a bit of obsidian oil. It’s a quick routine that pays a lot of dividends. Honestly, I find it relaxing at the end of a day.

 

[Waning Embers]

I call bullshit... * He said while putting toothpaste on his thumb to try it out*

Just use a slight amount, almost just a film over the entirety of the stem. Allow it to dry for a few minutes them thumb buff until nearly gone. If the tobacco hating YouTube overlords hadn't deleted all of my tobacco related videos this would show the process but the results are still posted.

Weber Shellbrooke Cleanup :: Pipe Repair and Maintenance

@sablebrush52 @jpmcwjr @BROBS @diamondback @vates @AlabamaDan @ron123 @whsergent @Ctbill A neighbor brought me a pipe from her junk drawer recently and told me it was a gift for being a good friend. Looking it over I decided though fairly rough looking, not an impossible restore. What I...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[Mike N]

I follow this AI generated protocol on my low speed polishing wheel and it works fine:

For cleaning and polishing vulcanite (also known as ebonite) pipe stems, it's common to use a multi-step process with different polishing compounds. Red rouge is often used first to remove oxidation and minor imperfections, followed by white diamond compound for finer polishing, and finally, a wax like carnauba wax for protection and shine. This multi-step approach helps restore the stem's original luster and prevent future oxidation.

I also mix in some 600 grit sandpaper when necessary and “wet” sand.

 

[Mike N]

Tried it... my results were fair and no where near as pretty. BUT, I now have a minty fresh stem.

The toothpaste needs to obviously be a “whitening” brand and not a sensitive teeth, fresh breath brand. The slight abrasiveness is key.

 

[Waning Embers]

The toothpaste needs to obviously be a “whitening” brand

It doesn't have to be, it is just for shine and not removing the oxidation. A flame and wet paper towel takes care of the oxidation removal.

 

[Dshift]

I follow this AI generated protocol on my low speed polishing wheel and it works fine:

For cleaning and polishing vulcanite (also known as ebonite) pipe stems, it's common to use a multi-step process with different polishing compounds. Red rouge is often used first to remove oxidation and minor imperfections, followed by white diamond compound for finer polishing, and finally, a wax like carnauba wax for protection and shine. This multi-step approach helps restore the stem's original luster and prevent future oxidation.

I also mix in some 600 grit sandpaper when necessary and “wet” sand.

This sounds very wrong to me and I am not sure if we have different products with same name in Europe... Isn't red rouge a finishing paste and white diamond either a pre polish or polish paste? Waxing stems sounds very bitter tasting Am I being wrong here?

 

[Dshift]

Also I am pretty sure that most replies are not meant for estate pipes, but more for maintaining your own stems after light oxidation

 

[Waning Embers]

Also I am pretty sure that most replies are not meant for estate pipes

Yeah, mine were only for badly oxidized estate pipes.

 

[Waning Embers]

Waxing stems sounds very bitter tasting

Newly purchased pipes with ebonite stems have had their stems waxed along with the pipe.

 

[Dshift]

Newly purchased pipes with ebonite stems have had their stems waxed along with the pipe.

Yes but that's only to keep the stem in good selling appearance, I clean my stem with alcohol so often that I will go crazy if I have to wax them. Also carnauba wax resolves from saliva and is bitter...

 

[Dshift]

Newly purchased pipes with ebonite stems have had their stems waxed along with the pipe.

So the toothpaste paste is supposed to deal with this?


Also most of the "trick" Methods in my experience manage to hide the oxidation in the best case and not remove it