Kaywoodie estate pipe - instant stem yellowing

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Civil

Lurker
Jun 17, 2021
14
29
Vancouver, Canada
Hello pipers,

I bought this pipe off of eBay in an attempt to expand my Kaywoodie selection. I don’t have a lot invested in it, it’s a meerschaum lined bowl. The first smoke left a funny taste in my mouth, and then I noticed the black stem was now yellowed. Did the previous owner do something to the stem? It was black before I packed it, and didn’t even smoke the whole bowl. Thoughts?

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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,761
30,598
71
Sydney, Australia
Oxidised vulcanite stem and tar&gunk in the shank would be my guess.

You will need to clean out the stem AND shank thoroughly with alcohol-soaked cleaners and Q-tips.

Check out the internals of the shank with a strong light. It may have decades of inspissated tar and gunk. If that is the case, a set of small jeweller's screwdrivers or drill bits followed by hot water, soap and shank brushes will save a lot of time and cleaners.

Sand off the oxidisation from the stem with wet very fine sanding paper, followed by micromesh pads and Obsidian or mineral oil.

Works for me everytime.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
Welcome to the forum.

That stem is just oxidized. I clean mine up using olive oil, 4/0 extra fine steel wool, and elbow grease. It should be fine after cleaning.

You can use any kind of booze, but I use the highest 190 proof Everclear grain alcohol to clean my used pipes.

Remove all cake using a pipe reamer if you have a reamer, and be careful and use a sharp pocket knife if you don’t. Clean out ALL the cake to bare briar.

Use a twisted paper towel dipped in booze to clean out the bowl chamber, and make it clean. It will still be dark, just not caked. Old cake gets rancid.

Then take pipe cleaners and clean the inside of the stem and shank until an alcohol dipped pipe cleaner comes out almost pure white.

If a pipe is really rank, then fill it with salt and pour booze to top of bowl and let sit overnight. This will draw tars from the briar. Repeat until salt is white. Only let the Everclear and salt sit overnight. Too much of the salt cure may crack the briar.

If your pipe has cheap varnish, then strip with 4/0 steel wool and olive oil. Olive oil applied with a paper towel, rubbed it and left to dry, makes for a pretty oil finish.

Almost all old rancid briar pipes can be reclaimed.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,761
30,598
71
Sydney, Australia
It's meer-lined, so I'd go carefully reaming it out. The meer lining may be brittle and thin.

Unless you're experienced, I wouldn't use a pocket knife and I'd go very carefully with a reaming tool.

Probably best to use sand paper wrapped around your finger or a piece of dowel.
 
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Civil

Lurker
Jun 17, 2021
14
29
Vancouver, Canada
Oxidised vulcanite stem and tar&gunk in the shank would be my guess.

You will need to clean out the stem AND shank thoroughly with alcohol-soaked cleaners and Q-tips.

Check out the internals of the shank with a strong light. It may have decades of inspissated tar and gunk. If that is the case, a set of small jeweller's screwdrivers or drill bits followed by hot water, soap and shank brushes will save a lot of time and cleaners.

Sand off the oxidisation from the stem with wet very fine sanding paper, followed by micromesh pads and Obsidian or mineral oil.

Works for me everytime.
Doesn’t the oxidation happen gradually? This was solid black and turned yellow from a dozen or so puffs.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,761
30,598
71
Sydney, Australia
Doesn’t the oxidation happen gradually? This was solid black and turned yellow from a dozen or so puffs.
I'd say the oxidation is deep set. The person you bought it from cleaned and buffed it sufficiently to turn the stem black. Contact with your saliva has re-exposed the oxidation.

Same thing happened with a Stanwell which I bought new in the '70's and sat unused from the mid-80's until 3 years ago. I cleaned the stem thoroughly and buffed it until it was black. But every time I smoked it, the stem would discolour. No matter what I did, I got a rank (sulphurous), sour taste. In the end I sent if off for re-stemming (acrylic) because I really like that pipe. Smokes great now.
 

paulfg

Lifer
Feb 21, 2016
1,568
2,934
Corfu Greece
Doesn’t the oxidation happen gradually? This was solid black and turned yellow from a dozen or so puffs.
if the stem was already oxidised and the seller didnt give it a proper removal ,just a quick once over to sell it,then the oxidisation will return as soon as the pipe is smoked as it is sitting just under the surface,and probably in the airway too.
You must get it to the surface and remove all of it.

either by soaking ,or the lighter method and then polish it all off.
 
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