Restoring a Burnt Bowl With Irregular Rim Surface

[Piper At The Gates]

Hello all,

I purchase on ebay my first straight grain pipe. Price was good, but the rim is quite scorched and darkened. It looks like the wood itself is burnt.

I read some posts on how to repair the rim, and most suggest to sand/polish the surface.

However, the rim surface of my pipe is irregular and I am afraid the polishing would alter/flatten it.

What would you do in my situation? Pictures below.

On a side note - the pipe has an inscription: "London - Straight Grain". Anyone knows what is the Pipe's brand?

Thanks in advance.

 

[trouttimes]

Someone last week I think, used an electric toothbrush and seemed to get great results. Worth a try to keep the top plateau.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Wet Q-tips.

 

[jhowell]

Brass brush.

 

[mau1]

Don't sand the plateau of that puppy. It would completely retract from it's appearance. All of the suggestions above are good ones. You may not get as good a desire as you wish, but it doesn't look that bad at all, rather a well-loved look to it.

 

[cshubhra]

All good advice given. It will clean up nicely with some elbow grease and can be made stunning again

1.Clean up the top plateau lightly with a toothbrush and maybe some toothpaste. It should most of the rum darkening
2. This was stained natural. You can clean up with a mild detergent. It would lose some finish, but if you do gently won’t lose much
3. Rewax the stummel. I have heard good things about Paragon Wax, so ideally you should use that. I personally use a carnauba based wood wax polish with ok results
4. Polish the stem with some pipe stem oil or mineral oil

You will get a pipe as good as new!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Polish the stem with some pipe stem oil or mineral oil

The problem with that is that it's like painting over rust. The oxidation will still be eating away at the stem.

 

[cshubhra]

In the picture the stem looks black.

The problem with that is that it's like painting over rust. The oxidation will still be eating away at the stem.

 

[Chasing Embers]

In the picture the stem looks black.

You can see the browning in the second and third photos.

 

[cshubhra]

Show the OP before and after pictures of your stem restorations

You can see the browning in the second and third photos.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Show the OP before and after pictures of your stem restorations

?

 

[cossackjack]

Soot & a little tar. It does not look scorched or charred.
I’ve has good results soaking a folded paper towel on a saucer with black coffee, placing the inverted rim firmly onto the paper towel for a day or three, then scrubbing with a manual or electric toothbrush (moistened with more coffee or saliva).
I’ve used this technique on smooth & plateau rims as well as meerschaum (surprisingly does not stain the meerschaum).

 

[sittingbear]

The problem with that is that it's like painting over rust. The oxidation will still be eating away at the stem.

That stem restoration looks great. What do you use?

 

[Piper At The Gates]

Thanks all for the tips. I am scrubbing that thing and bout 50% of the blackened areas are out. A lot of black goo was generated. Like in the Prometheus movie.

Chasingembers, your restoration in the last picture is unbelievable. It motivates me to continue scrubbing.

I will post pictures when I finish

 

[Chasing Embers]

That stem restoration looks great. What do you use?

A lighter, a wet paper towel, and toothpaste.

 

[Duke of Erinmore]

For burnt rims, I can also recommend to apply some Nivea over night. Works fine.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Chasingembers, your restoration in the last picture is unbelievable. It motivates me to continue scrubbing.

It's amazing what you can find under all of that grime. All I use for rims is saliva and paper towels.

 

[sittingbear]

A lighter, a wet paper towel, and toothpaste.

Why a lighter?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Why a lighter?

It singes the oxidation allowing it to be wiped away.

A BIC lighter and Oxidation

Blog by Rob Hardy and Steve Laug Thanks to a serendipitous discovery by a friend of mine, Rob Hardy (incoinnu on Smokers Forums), who also does refurbishing as a hobby we have worked out a very dif…

www.google.com

 

[sittingbear]

It singes the oxidation allowing it to be wiped away.

A BIC lighter and Oxidation

Blog by Rob Hardy and Steve Laug Thanks to a serendipitous discovery by a friend of mine, Rob Hardy (incoinnu on Smokers Forums), who also does refurbishing as a hobby we have worked out a very dif…

www.google.com

Thanks!