Oxidising already?

[cosmicfolklore]

Once I have my stems all polished, I will put a coat of Renaissance Wax over it, and polish it up to a thin sheen. Then after each smoke, I will hit the stem with a jeweler's cloth after each smoke to keep them all black and shiny. Maybe, I will coat them again with the Renaissance Wax, maybe not. But, it does at least prevent oxidation between uses, if a pipe becomes a bit of a wall flower on the rack.

But, yeh, if you just smoke a pipe and then rack it without doing anything for the stem, you're just asking for oxidation.

 

[craig61a]

I like natural finish with natural oxidation on natural vulcanite. They are natural.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Sometimes a "new" pipe has been oxidized in a window and gets an obsidian oil treatment that wears off as soon as you smoke it.

This. Thar entire stem is oxidized.

 

[sablebrush52]

Vulcanite doesn't HAVE to discolor with proper care, like keeping it out of sunlight, and limiting exposure to the elements.

Not oxidized and 115 years old:

Not oxidized and 140 years old:

Nyahh...

 

[mso489]

Friends gave me a handsome estate freehand, a Thompson Cigar house pipe, stamped "West Germany," with a Vulcanite stem that oxidized immediately after being polished, again and again. I finally sent it off and had the black Vulcanite P-lip stem replaced with an acrylic fishtail in tortoise shell. It is a whole new pipe with a fine big chamber.

 

[simong]

Is that one of those Falcon ‘Coolways?’
Hardly surprising if it is. That’s one the cheapest pipes going, it’ll probably be turning green in the next few days.
Buy a Falcon proper. Nylon stems on those & no oxidising to worry about.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Vulcanite doesn't HAVE to discolor with proper care, like keeping it out of sunlight, and limiting exposure to the elements.

Not oxidized and 115 years old:

Not oxidized and 140 years old:

Nyahh...

I have noticed that my 100+ year old pipes (even the ones not cased) are for more resistant to oxidation than my vintage and modern pipes.