I use a bit of olive oil after polishing for the bit and the stummel. It gives a nice gloss, plus I think it protects them as well
I Need to Deep Clean My Pipes
- Thread starter tzinc
- Start date
This.
I saw this method in this forum and it works great. Thanks for it!
I buy some very used pipes, some of them are even blocked of all the dirt they have inside. Flushing with hot water plus alcohol cleaning seems to be enough. If they still have some taste, it usually goes away after a few smokes. If it doesn't, i just clean them again and that will do.
Aww come on. Two or three bean burritos from Taco Bell will clean any ones pipes in a jiffy!
There are many good ways to put the shine on a briar pipe, and for years I took the hot pipe and used face oil. Your nose is especially rich in pipe polishing oil. But, people do tend to laugh at you doing that.
Let’s say you’ve finished deep cleaning. Your pipe looks, smells, and tastes new, but it’s dull.
It’s really the same as a gun stock or fine piece of furniture now.
You can put a finish in the wood (oil) or you can put one on the wood (mostly waxes, or other clear, hard finishes).
I’ve been known to oil, then wax a pipe.
But now that I’ve found grapeseed oil for briar and Obsidian oil for stems, it keeps me occupied polishing them.
Let’s say you’ve finished deep cleaning. Your pipe looks, smells, and tastes new, but it’s dull.
It’s really the same as a gun stock or fine piece of furniture now.
You can put a finish in the wood (oil) or you can put one on the wood (mostly waxes, or other clear, hard finishes).
I’ve been known to oil, then wax a pipe.
But now that I’ve found grapeseed oil for briar and Obsidian oil for stems, it keeps me occupied polishing them.
The photos I refer to seem to show the difference in stems before and after, not a before and after photo of the stummel.
This is true. From this forum I learned when you are using either you have to get your hands dirty, or waxy as it were. Warming it up in your hands and rubbing it in makes a big difference.
I haven't read this entire section so maybe someone has already suggested this....
Reaming an old, neglected pipe by hand can be a real chore. Here's what I've done to make it easier. Take a flat type wood drill bit and using a template trace the shape of the inside of a pipe bowl on it. Then using an electric grinder shape the sides of the bit. Be sure when shaping to leave the edges not square but about 5 degrees angle so when the bit turns the high side can bite into the sides of the bowl. I've made several of these starting with 3/4" and a little larger and smaller and some more rounded and others more pointed. I load mine in a drill press and using low speed they ream a pipe beautifully. The tricky part to making these is to get both side exactly the same, but don't worry if they are a little off and you get some chatter when using them, just keep the speed slow and it will still work. And no, I've never damaged a pipe with this method.
p.s. These can also be used to drill a new pipe.
Reaming an old, neglected pipe by hand can be a real chore. Here's what I've done to make it easier. Take a flat type wood drill bit and using a template trace the shape of the inside of a pipe bowl on it. Then using an electric grinder shape the sides of the bit. Be sure when shaping to leave the edges not square but about 5 degrees angle so when the bit turns the high side can bite into the sides of the bowl. I've made several of these starting with 3/4" and a little larger and smaller and some more rounded and others more pointed. I load mine in a drill press and using low speed they ream a pipe beautifully. The tricky part to making these is to get both side exactly the same, but don't worry if they are a little off and you get some chatter when using them, just keep the speed slow and it will still work. And no, I've never damaged a pipe with this method.
p.s. These can also be used to drill a new pipe.
Pipe retort would be the final thing. If you’ve done all the rest, that’s going to be it. After that, smoke your favorite strong tobacco a lot in it until that’s all you get. After that, go find another.
I wonder why vulcanite rod manufacturers don't compress their rods and why pipe makers don't heat treat it. Seems like that would take care of much of oxidation problems.
They've gotten better with the sulphur content in more recent years. German ebonite is nearly impervious to oxidation so maybe the need to hinder it is becoming obsolete.