Not Just for Beards

[Kozeman]

I have a couple natural briar pipes with no finish on them. They have been darkening with use as one would expect. I started to notice some blotchy spots of darkness that corresponded with where my hands held the pipe. This too was not unexpected. But what I thought was natural hand oils was actually from some Beard Balm which was still on my fingers in the morning as I drove in to work. So I took my beard brush and brushed down the whole pipe with it. I like the color shift it gave the pipe while still providing a no slip finish. I know others use wax on their pipes so nothing new here except the fact that the product used was something I had on hand while driving in to work.

 

[scloyd]

Looks good. I like the darker shade.

 

[Kozeman]

Me too. I don't have a picture of the pipe right before I brushed it down. Pretty unsightly and splotchy. One step up from Nose Grease, eh?

 

[Kozeman]

And here is a Bones Stubby 20. Hard to believe these are $50 pipes.

 

[maulragoth]

I have a couple natural briar pipes with no finish on them....
View attachment 30524
View attachment 30525

Multiple beard balm brands, your own mixture, or a single brand? I'm getting, or gotten some hand holding spots on a pipe or two. Not sure what it's from, pretty sure not from any balm, but possibly. It seems most to me from smoke hitting my hand or pipe while holding, or sometimes my hands get clammy from the warmth. I've contemplated changing hands to make it more symetrical, but that would take a lot of retraining and possibly less enjoyable time.

 

[wordheavy]

They look good, you're fancy.

 

[mso489]

What I like about this, beyond the nice coloration, is that it involved a really light application, so unlike doctoring it with other types of wax/etc., it won't leave a residue, and it seems to have gone on evenly. I've enjoyed my unfinished pipes a lot, am enjoying them, though I have never applied anything knowingly to enhance the coloring process. My 30-plus year old Savinelli has what looks like a deep resonant walnut stain.