Scratch on a vulcanite stem
- Thread starter andya27
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Emery boards and a proper buffer ( not a drill setup ) should take care of it if it's indeed a scratch and not a flaw in the material.
You take a big chance on changing the geometry of the stem when you do this. I would most likely charge in no holds bared, if it were me. But, I'm nutso, ha ha. If I may, I would suggest sending it to someone like rcstan, above, or taking it to your B&M to see if they can buff it out for you ...or any number of pipe repair guys. Then at least, you have someone to badmouth besides yourself if it gets out of round, ha ha!! :wink:
I've had this issue before, along with the typical oxidation, and I just used the pads/emery board. After finishing with those, rub on some obsidian oil. The oil will protect from oxidation and light scratches and they look good as new. You could go a step further and buff it before the oil. This will give it even more shine. The micro mesh pads alone are good, as is buffing. You can even do without the oil. But I'm kind of a nut like cosmicfolkore, so I like to go all out.
I have several other interests - traditional slipjoint knives and vintage fountain pens being among them. Typically when we encounter something like a scratch, or patina on a high carbon blade, we consider that part of the natural aging process of the knife or pen, and often won't even attempt to fix it. I'm tempted to just leave the scratch as is - perhaps buff it lightly, but recognize that the pipe gains character as it gains a few bruises along the way.
Thanks for the advice. If I do decide to buff, I will definitely go lightly. I was watching a video of a fellow's BC collection. It appears he wasn't very happy with the draft hole of one of his pipes, so he decided to open the hole. He opened the hole right through the bottom of the barrel. Hopefully he has restored it back to working order by now. Some things are best left as they are, seems to me.
Thanks for the advice. If I do decide to buff, I will definitely go lightly. I was watching a video of a fellow's BC collection. It appears he wasn't very happy with the draft hole of one of his pipes, so he decided to open the hole. He opened the hole right through the bottom of the barrel. Hopefully he has restored it back to working order by now. Some things are best left as they are, seems to me.
1500 or 2000 grit wet paper should remove a light scratch and not change the stem dimensions much. Then buff till shiny with White Diamond. If you do pen restoration, you probably have some micromesh, using the 8000 and then 12000 should replace the buffing if you don't have access to a machine.
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