Pipes by Lee Soaking Up Oil

[Chasing Embers]

So why the concern over the briar turning rancid, but not the vulcanite?

Olive oil on a stem will go rancid.

 

[LeafErikson]

Oil's fine for briar but too much and it will weep a bit when smoked. I've never waxed any pipes other than those I've made and sold.

I didn’t know you made pipes man that’s awesome.

 

[fireground_piper]

What is your goal of applying oil?

I'd just wax them and be done with it unless you had some very specific purpose you are trying to achieve. If you wanted an oil finish, you really need something that polymerizes like some danish oil (be careful to read the product ingredients, "danish oil" is all over the map). I use pure tung oil but it takes weeks/months to fully cure so it's not for everyone.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I didn’t know you made pipes man that’s awesome.

Many years ago before my hands gave up.

 

[Sobrbiker]

I own a few Lee’s and got them from the counselor from Humansville himself. @telescopes has got the nail on the head regarding Lees-they are good smoking examples of mid-century American pipes. They are not majikal tools.
As to oils, I do not adhere to any practice of using vegetable (olive, grapeseed, or other) as the oil can and will grow rancid, unless fired as done with “seasoning” case iron cookware.
I do however, and will until I decide to get a proper buffing setup, use a food grade mineral oil/beeswax/carnauba (Howard’s Butcher Block conditioner) to wipe down my stummels and stems. A little dab goes a long way.

Temper my opinion with the fact that I’m not interested in a “showcase shine” on my briar, just in taking care of tools made of wood and rubber….

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

@Briar Lee probably has something to say on the matter.

Where is our lawyer anyway?

You could just re-varnish the algerian briar.

 

[troutface]

I suppose you could try baking the suckers.

A little garlic, maybe a sprinkling of oregano. I recommend 375 for 20 minutes.

I think they'll be fine if you stop now. I wouldn't try to remove it at this point.

 

[telescopes]

@Briar Lee probably has something to say on the matter.

Where is our lawyer anyway?

You could just re-varnish the algerian briar.

Lees most likely have a northern Mediterranean briar. As to his wherabouts - he’s where every good man or woman formed when the PM sign is turned off.

 

[Briarcutter]

In my research on wood finishes, olive oil or vegetable oil is not preferred. As mentioned, it goes rancid. Wax the wood and a "sealer" will help before the wax.

 

[trudger]

Vulcanite is NOT a natural product. It is vulcanized rubber. Ebonite is the same thing. Oil on it is akin to tire dressing as it slows the oxidation process. (Please don’t use Armor All)

 

[Sigmund]

Considering vulcanite to be plant based is a far reach. Yes it has rubber which comes from a plant but it also has many other chemical additives.

Its more accurate to think of it as an early form of plastic…which is what it is. Not much is made from it anymore…pipe stems and certain musical items.

 

[MavErik]

I watched a video from J Alan on using shellac as a briar coating. He brought up some excellent points, if you regard him as someone who understands what he’s talking about. He said briar in his opinion does not breathe. He based this on testing that he’s done and observations of briar crosscut after different phases of testing.

If that’s the case, then I really don’t see what the he(( it matters what you put on the outside of the briar. Hence manufacturers who have used varnish, etc. Whether I want those fumes near me as I’m heating it up…probably not. And as someone mentioned, leather dye isn’t food grade either.

Bottom line, was olive oil my best choice…no. From now on I’ll use food grade Mineral oil when I want to bring out the grain more before buffing and waxing. Oh and who thinks Tripoli and white Diamond is food safe?? Exactly…

 

[fireground_piper]

If the oil doesn’t cure, it will be prone to weep. Certain blocks of briar definitely leech through depending on the grain.

 

[craig61a]

I wouldn’t worry about the oil. Briar is very dense, and as such, doesn’t absorb much oil. It may penetrate several microns deep, but that’s about it…

Briar Lee - I kinda forgot about him…

 

[Briarcutter]

Well,

food safe?

You could take this as far as you want. Is sucking smoke and the additives in tobacco and all the carcinogens related food grade safe? Bottom line, try to minimize toxicity when ever possible. I think the main reason of not using olive or vegetable oil is it turning rancid. What does that mean? I think the biggest drawback is it not drying and turning a undesirable color over time. Most water is considered food grade safe, but even too much of that can be harmful

 

[telescopes]

@MavErik - your question opened the door to one of many old conversations about Lees - and specifically - Olive Oil. Back then they came under the guise of “Ruminations”. No one really cares what you use on your pipes - but if you ask the question, you’ll get some answers and opinions. Mr. Lee or Briar if you choose, was a strong proponent of using Olive Oil on Pipes by Lee - especially after rubbing off the existing ‘varnish’ with fine steel wool as taught to him by his mentor, Harry Hosterman. Harry apparently taught him many other things as well, much of what is found on these threads as posted by the good country solicitor, Mr. Lee. Anyway, much as a good Missouri Red leaves the path full of piles of manure, this conversation about olive oil and Lees still festers in the roadway. In a way, it’s a shame he is on vacation; he would have delighted this thread with endless posts of Harry Hosterman, the Beverly Hillbillies, and olive oil - although he finally switched over to grape seed oil. Finally, you would have been given the history of Bug Tussell. None of what would be said would respond directly or even indirectly to your question - but you would have - in the words of Kurt Cobain - been entertained. And ruminated on as well.

 

[MavErik]

@MavErik - your question opened the door to one of many old conversations about Lees - and specifically - Olive Oil. Back then they came under the guise of “Ruminations”. No one really cares what you use on your pipes - but if you ask the question, you’ll get some answers and opinions. Mr. Lee or Briar if you choose, was a strong proponent of using Olive Oil on Pipes by Lee - especially after rubbing off the existing ‘varnish’ with fine steel wool as taught to him by his mentor, Harry Hosterman. Harry apparently taught him many other things as well, much of what is found on these threads as posted by the good country solicitor, Mr. Lee. Anyway, much as a good Missouri Red leaves the path full of piles of manure, this conversation about olive oil and Lees still festers in the roadway. In a way, it’s a shame he is on vacation; he would have delighted this thread with endless posts of Harry Hosterman, the Beverly Hillbillies, and olive oil - although he finally switched over to grape seed oil. Finally, you would have been given the history of Bug Tussell. None of what would be said would respond directly or even indirectly to your question - but you would have - in the words of Kurt Cobain - been entertained. And ruminated on as well.

Thank you so much for that background. I actually tried to PM the Grand Esquire before I made this post. So hopefully he finds this when he returns and rips the BandAid off the whole diatribe.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Guess I’ll toss in my $0.02 since it’s worth as much or little as any other. I have over 100 Lees. Based on the restoration descriptions at Reborn Pipes, each smooth one got a single drop of olive oil rubbed in after cleanup. Seems to make the grain pop again before hand waxing/buffing. Nary a one has gone rancid over the years. YMMV

 

[Sigmund]

I think the main consensus is that you probably have not hurt your pipe. However, if you are going to use things on pipes during restoration it is best to have a clear goal in mind and to use certain materials for specific reasons. One of the most useful things I did was to grab a box-o-pipes off of ebay. There were one or two I wanted in it. The rest were misc. pipes, some were just beat stummels with no stem.

WIth those pipes I practiced and also experimented with stains and finishes. Learning to do a basic constrast stain was fun and no danger of ruining anything decent...in fact no danger of ruining a functional pipe. Its good clean fun if you have the urge to tinker. I already owned a buffer for other work so I just needed a clean wheel, a few fiebings stains and a chunk of carnuba.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Maybe the issue is you went fancy with the “extra” virgin olive oil when regular is just fine….

Ok I’ll show myself out now…

But yeah, I use wax to clean up my pipes and ebony oil for the vulcanite stems. Olive oil I use for cooking food