New (Expensive) Pipe With Oxidised Stem

[smokee]

Hi. This is actually my first post. I'll be sure to introduce myself elsewhere in a bit, but I have a pressing question. I've smoked a pair of pipes for years off and on. One broke and left me sad, so I just bought a new pipe, expensive to me, and it arrived today with a slight but noticeable layer of oxidation on the top of the stem, a black back, and a dark square on the back that looks like a price sticker was there. Should I be thinking about a return? Is this easily fixable?

Top:


Bottom:

 

[pappymac]

First, how did your old pipe break? It may be repairable.

Secondly, the stem on the new pipe could very well have some oxidation. You didn't say where you purchased it. If it was stored in a display case where sunlight and air could get to it, then it could oxidize. I've bought new pipes from brick and mortar shops that I had to clean and polish because they had been sitting on the shelf for a while.

 

[smokee]

Alas, my dear four dot, a gift and my first pipe, broke at the shank a decade ago. I had no idea back then that pipes could be repaired and sadly binned it. I smoked many a happy bowl in many a place with that one. It was a Sasieni four dot bent sitter (stander?), rough root dark, light in the mouth, perfect sized bowl, easy to smoke.

I bought this on the internet from The Briary, a bricks and mortar, as a treat to myself, seeing a beautiful grain in the bowl and trusting the pipe's brand. The pictures didn't show the top or bottom of stem.

 

[ron123]

Alas, my dear four dot, a gift and my first pipe, broke at the shank a decade ago. I had no idea back then that pipes could be repaired and sadly binned it. I smoked many a happy bowl in many a place with that one. It was a Sasieni four dot bent sitter (stander?), rough root dark, light in the mouth, perfect sized bowl, easy to smoke.

I bought this on the internet from The Briary, a bricks and mortar, as a treat to myself, seeing a beautiful grain in the bowl and trusting the pipe's brand. The pictures didn't show the top or bottom of stem.

Yeah, the stem is oxidized due to how it was displayed- just needs to be buffed. If you’re not set up to do it, send it back and ask them to buff it for you. It will be 100% after that.

 

[smokee]

Thanks. I'm in no way set up or have any experience buffing pipes. I'll give them a call.

 

[smokee]

I called, and they were generous and offered to buff the stem again for me. I'd normally have contacted them first, but I wanted to check and see if it was something I could do myself first, especially to avoid a delay, but this mailed to me fairly quickly.

 

[BROBS]

Was it a brand new or an estate pipe?

 

[smokee]

New (Old Stock)

 

[georged]

That looks like residual oxidation from a buff-out attempt. Meaning it's deep enough that getting to black at this point will involve more than low effort "shine-buffing," and the stem's size will be smaller when you do get there.

Worth a try, but I see Deep Green in that stem's future.

 

[smokee]

I'm not understaning the material. I get oxidation, sorta, but this stuff is weird. On a different estate pipe, I was running alcohol through the stem to sanitize it, and suddenly left a grey/green oxidation thumbprint on its surface which isn't washing out. Does alcohol ruin them?

Is this something that once it goes bad, it's done for, down to the core? I had my first pipe for a couple of decades with no problem, just stored it in its sock in a box. Not even particular care.

I kept my other pipe in an old cigar box, and when I recently opened it, years later, found the stem oxidised and the nice shine/lustre of the bowl gone. I really want to get it shined up, as it had beautiful grain and a graceful shape.

I may return this expensive one. For the price I paid it should last.

 

[BROBS]

I'm not understaning the material. I get oxidation, sorta, but this stuff is weird. On a different estate pipe, I was running alcohol through the stem to sanitize it, and suddenly left a grey/green oxidation thumbprint on its surface which isn't washing out. Does alcohol ruin them?

Is this something that once it goes bad, it's done for, down to the core? I had my first pipe for a couple of decades with no problem, just stored it in its sock in a box. Not even particular care.

I kept my other pipe in an old cigar box, and when I recently opened it, years later, found the stem oxidised and the nice shine/lustre of the bowl gone. I really want to get it shined up, as it had beautiful grain and a graceful shape.

I may return this expensive one. For the price I paid it should last.

Even a brand new stem will usually have some oxidation on it you can’t see with the naked eye. Vulcanite will always continue to oxidize, and alcohol will bring the oxidation to the surface or create instant oxidation.
If you want a stem that always stays black with no maintenance get acrylic. ?

Almost every NOS or Older pipe I’ve received has needed some oxidation removal from the vulcanite. If you don’t want to deal with it yourself I’d recommend brand new pipes.

 

[smokee]

I'd like to learn to maintain and restore pipes, and don't mind a little elbow grease and effort on a less expensive estate purchase. I was expecting a new, new pipe with no special maintenance like my last one.

It feels like it's disintegrating under my fingers when I try to do the standard cleaning. Thumbprint from estate stem:

 

[canucklehead]

If it's just surface oxidation a magic eraser and toothpaste might be able to help you with that thumbprint, it's worth a try and doesn't require any tools or equipment.

 

[smokee]

I buffed the fingerprint off the second/estate pipe spending some time with the magic eraser, and brought it to an even matte black, which I'm starting to like. I may try something to buff it to a shine tomorrow.

I'm not sure about messing with the new (old stock) pipe. It needs a shine to match the bowl and the magic eraser alone seems to leave a matte finish. If it's not that difficult, I want to keep the NOS pipe, as I've never seen a grain that nice, and I'm partial to the brand (Sasieni 4Dot), but they're hard to find.

I bought a buffing wheel/drill adapter set and that came with white compound and jeweler's rouge. I don't have micro mesh pads yet. I really want to bring my other old pipe, a Bjarne, back.

 

[donjgiles]

I buffed the fingerprint off the second/estate pipe spending some time with the magic eraser, and brought it to an even matte black, which I'm starting to like. I may try something to buff it to a shine tomorrow.

I'm not sure about messing with the new (old stock) pipe. It needs a shine to match the bowl and the magic eraser alone seems to leave a matte finish. If it's not that difficult, I want to keep the NOS pipe, as I've never seen a grain that nice, and I'm partial to the brand (Sasieni 4Dot), but they're hard to find.

I bought a buffing wheel/drill adapter set and that came with white compound and jeweler's rouge. I don't have micro mesh pads yet. I really want to bring my other old pipe, a Bjarne, back.

Do you have any mineral oil?
That will give you back some shine on your stem.

 

[smokee]

Yes. I've got a couple of old pipes I got for $15 or less and one had a stem turned brown. I just buffed it to black with the magic eraser, and after reading in this forum more, put a very light coat of mineral oil on the stem and the stummel and hand buffed it. It looks nice, if still shiny-matte. Is that where wax comes in to smooth it to a gloss? The stummel darkened a slight bit, but doesn't look so dried out. It has nice grain. I'm wondering how people get the bright contrast to show the light and dark grain, like my Bjarne used to. I'm also wonder what polishing method to try on the inexpensive test estate pipes.

 

[mingc]

Magic eraser will only get you so far. My fully manual method is micro-mesh sticks, all the way to 12,000, then white diamond compound applied with a cloth, then obsidian/mineral oil, and finish with Renaissance wax. Results in a pretty good mirror finish.

Toughest part of the job is to avoid rounding out the sharp 90 degree edge at the tenon end.

Carnauba is more durable, goes on thicker, but can't be applied simply by hand, so Renaissance is it.

I keep telling myself not to buy any more pipes with ebonite stems, but it rather limits the choices to mostly Italian pipes. ?‍

 

[BROBS]

Miracle Cloth 6" All Purpose Polishing Cloth Made with Coconut Oil

The Miracle Cloth is an all purpose polishing cloth with many applications, household and jewelry. For silver, gold, nickel, steel, chrome, bronze, pewter, furniture, music instruments, enamel, ceramic tile, removes scuff marks from floors, scratches and corrosion from metals. Great for...

jewelbrite.com

This will both polish and remove oxidation. ?

 

[pappymac]

Miracle Cloth 6" All Purpose Polishing Cloth Made with Coconut Oil

The Miracle Cloth is an all purpose polishing cloth with many applications, household and jewelry. For silver, gold, nickel, steel, chrome, bronze, pewter, furniture, music instruments, enamel, ceramic tile, removes scuff marks from floors, scratches and corrosion from metals. Great for...

jewelbrite.com

This will both polish and remove oxidation. ?

But do you use it?

That's not being sarcastic but a genuine question. I've heard of the cloths but haven't talked to anyone who has used them on pipes.

 

[BROBS]

But do you use it?

That's not being sarcastic but a genuine question. I've heard of the cloths but haven't talked to anyone who has used them on pipes.

Yes I use one on every pipe I own. If the oxidation is bad or it needs polished quite a bit I’ll use white diamond on a buffer then follow with this cloth to remove the final oxidation (especially in the step of the button). If the stem is only minimally oxidized your can just use the cloth. It will work on heavy oxidation it just takes much longer than using a buffer first. Before I started using the buffer I was using only this cloth but cleaning heavily oxidized stems was damn near giving me carpal tunnel.

then after it’s all clean I wax the stem and it stays black. ?