Oxidising already?
- Thread starter Old_Woodsman
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Not a great pic but I’m guessing it’s shmutz from your mouth, good to have some of those cheap “abrasive” fast food restaurant napkins around to wipe those parts down with, but seems literally impossible that it’s oxidation after an hour.
Its very possible that its oxidation. I have a pipe that no matter how much I work on it I get that every smoke. I've given up and just wipe it down with obsidian oil and call it good.
Yep Oxidation for sure, I've had pipes that oxidized as soon as I put em my mouth. I had a Pete once that turned neon green the very second I put in my mouth. I had to have @georged put an acrylic bit on it. Some are worse than others but every once in a while you'll get a stem thats just impossible to keep black. Charatans had a reputation for rapidly oxidizing stems. There is no way to know how long a pipe has been on the self at a retailer, could have been in a display for years in sunlight. That stem looks a little flat to me, looks like it needs a shine.
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.
Sometimes people who restore pipes merely cover up oxidation with oils. And, after your lips and saliva removes the oils, you see the oxidation. This is why I am not a fan of those stem oils. Not that they don't work to make the stem look shiny, but that so many folks use them to cover oxidation or to make an unpolished pipe look polished. It is also a way to cheaply and quickly make a pipe look appealing to a buyer.
Also, body chemistry. Your saliva may be very low PH making your stem oxidize. So many variables.
Also, body chemistry. Your saliva may be very low PH making your stem oxidize. So many variables.
Eating too many breads and sugars is what causes many people to have Low PH problems.
If you look further down the stem towards the shank you can just make out that the stem has started to oxidize. It may have been sitting in a place with lots of light and thus started to tarnish. Vulcanite quality also varies. Some lower quality Vulcanite turns very quickly.
Mike
Mike
Hell, raindrops will oxidize a vulcanite stem in seconds. Nature of the beast.
Same here, I have to really work to keep my vulcanite stems black. Thats why I wont buy a new pipe with a rubber bit. I only buy new pipes with acrylic.
If you’re going to buy a pipe with a vulcanite stem, it’s going to discolor. Therefore there is a certain amount of effort involved to keep it black…
After a period of time if I notice a stem that bothers me, it takes about 10 minutes to correct that.
Not a big deal, and it won’t keep me from buying a pipe with a vulcanite stem.
After a period of time if I notice a stem that bothers me, it takes about 10 minutes to correct that.
Not a big deal, and it won’t keep me from buying a pipe with a vulcanite stem.
Good example as to why I only buy pipes with acrylic stems.
I like natural finish with natural oxidation on natural vulcanite. They are natural.