Light or Natural Colored Pipes

[cwarmouth]

Hey folks.I couldn't decide if this shoud be in this forum or the pipe maintenance forum. Does anyone have a light colored or naturally colored pipe? Pics? I have an old Dr. Grabow Omega stripped down to bare wood (it's my practice pipe and I have refurbed it a number of times to practice different skills) and I would like to try a natural finish on it now. It does have a few filled spots which would normally lend itself more towards a dark finish (I never saw them before I stripped it) but it has some gorgeous grain and even some birds eye. So I was thinking of doing a contrast finish by going over in in black dye, then sanding it so the black shows up the grain but gets removed from the natural softer wood. Make sense? Right now the pipe is a sort of a light nutty brown color from being smoked a lot. Would love to hear yuor thoughts and see some pics.
CW

 

[clickklick]

First you have to decide if you want it natural like you originally suggest, or you want it contrast which you mention staining black.
You don’t get to do both unless you blast it. Which I doubt you have the equipment for. So being a smooth, you choose one or the other.

 

[cwarmouth]

Agreed... I have to decide.
I am hoping to see some pics of natural colored pipes to aid in that decision. As this evening has worn on, I am realizing that this pipe probably will not be very light in color. It is stripped to bare briar and while it was very light at first (like maple), it has darkened considerably as it sits.

 

[newbroom]

I've got a couple of the Omegas, both smooth, and one has an obvious blemish that doesn't affect the function, but I'd enjoy seeing your 'natural' before you do anything else with it.

I agree with you on how the softer wood will take the stain and result in contrast, pretty sure that's how it works.

There is something 'organic' in an unfinished pipe in my mind. (skin is an organ, so, I guess you can call them organically stained over time)