Lightly Topping a Pipe

[daimyo]

I have an estate on the way with a bit of rim darkening. It has rusticated sides but a smooth domed rim. I am curious how technical and difficult it would be to sand down the darkened area and re-stain the rim? If I receive it and it seems too daunting, who is the top person for such work? Thank you for any and all advice.

 

[fishnbanjo]

Try this first and you may not have to touch it further. Make some very strong black coffee, when it has cooled saturate the end of a rough rag and vigorously rub the top, do this until any darkening is either totally gone or just what can't be removed remains. This works 99% of the time and saves the pipe from needing to be topped.

banjo

 

[daimyo]

Thank you fishnbanjo, I will try that. I was going to do baking power and a rough rag to check but that sounds like it will do a better job.

 

[cigrmaster]

Drink a big glass of milk and get some really gooey spit going and use that to clean the top, you might be amazed.

 

[daimyo]

Thank fellas, I am uptight about my rims so this will be my first pipe with this much rim darkening and first restoration project. Good to know I may not have to take it that far.

 

[maxx]

I just tried the coffee method on a pipe I'd scorched a bit on the stem-side of the rim. It cleaned up like new.

 

[pruss]

If it comes to it, you can tint the rim instead of restaining. I use an eye dropper and drop 1:20 stain:isopropyl alcohol and then apply the resulting tint to the rim with a q-tip. This helps rejuvenate colour without requiring the whole pipe,to be restrained. This is particularly useful if you bleach the edge of the rim while removing tars with either spit or coffee. In both instances you are using a light acid to break down tars and remove smoke.
The method I use is to wet a tea towel and the place the pipe rim down on the wet towel for two minutes. I thennuse elbow grease and the towel to rub off the tars and smoke stain. True charring won't rub off, however, and you'll need to consider topping or reaming to get back to wood.
-- Pat

 

[spartanfan]

I had not heard about the coffee method before - it makes a lot of sense being acidic but not so much that you would need to worry about damaging the pipe or leaving any weird taste. Always learning great things on this forum.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Enzymes in saliva break down the darkening surprisingly well.