SO Oppenheimer - 3/4 Bent Billiard - 1901

[boffosquid]

Just finished this brief restoration up - A Sina Oppenheimer 3/4 bent billiard - marking on sterling band indicates Sina Oppenheimer, circa 1901. Stummel is unstamped. Amber stem is in great condition, orific opening in button. Lovely wee pipe - I just love these small pipes. Draw through it is just great
Before work commenced:

After work finished:

Staining in stem just on top of tenon is proving elusive to remove. Work continues with slow progress with pipe cleaners and saliva.

 

[danimalia]

Beautiful work!

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Very nice , congrats on accomplished job

 

[dmcmtk]

Looks good. Maybe use some toothpaste and a bristle pipe cleaner?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very nice! Thanks for posting the photos.

 

[alaskanpiper]

that looks fantastic

 

[boffosquid]

Thanks for the kind words - I tried three types of pipe cleaners on this stem - my Brigham bristle pipe cleaners are a really tight fit at the orific opening in the button and I didn't want to exert any prying actions on the amber. I am ***skeereed*** to death of cracking/snapping/breaking this stem - so I held off.
However, the toothpaste trick with the pipe cleaners that did fit through the stem is an idea.... here is to sneaking upstairs past the watchful eyes of She Who Must Be Obeyed to greb the tube of Crest from the loo...

 

[dmcmtk]

However, the toothpaste trick with the pipe cleaners that did fit through the stem is an idea.... here is to sneaking upstairs past the watchful eyes of She Who Must Be Obeyed to greb the tube of Crest from the loo...

Report back how it works......if you make it. :D

 

[boffosquid]

By the by, I tried a series of experiments with lubricants/cleaners with this stem cleanup - 1) dry pipe cleaner, some of the chunky remnants moved, 2) saliva (suprisingly effective), 3) warm water (less effective than saliva), 4) hot water (a wee bit better than warm, but not as effective as saliva), 5) hot water + few drops of dishwashing liquid - (boy oh boy did this speed up the dissolution of the munge - after clean up, I rinsed with cool water to remove all soap residue), then to remove all remnant of soap taste, 6) a very quick lashing of pipecleaner just moistened with bourbon, then a blow through to dry.
I'm sure there is some solvent (+ or -) degree of evil to health and well being of living creatures that will not affect amber but magically whisk away decades old tar, but I suspect its going to be function of time + elbow grease that'll win my day for me

 

[dmcmtk]

I've never had to clean an amber stem, but it seems the dish soap is the consensus solution.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/amber-amp-ivory-carecleaning
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/cleaning-amber

 

[boffosquid]

Toothpaste not effective - smells and tastes great though! Brief soaking in hottish water with lots of dish soap, then passing through pipe cleaner and working back and forth is working much better - Winning!!

 

[ssjones]

You could try a little isopropyl alcohol on a bristle cleaner, then run a cleaner thru dipped in water to remove any residue. The look wouldn't bother me in the least, adds character, but could negatively flavor the smoke. It it doesn't, I'd leave well enough alone. Nice work!

 

[mikethompson]

Very nice clean up on a beautiful pipe!

 

[weezell]

bristle pipe cleaner?

I would not get to carried away with that. Amber you know...

 

[hauntedmyst]

That is beautiful. You did a great job!

 

[boffosquid]

Enthusiasm and common sense wrassled to and fro and ended in mutual exhaustion...... I'm tapping out on this one!

Thanks everyone for your kind words and helpful feedback.

 

[donjgiles]

Beautiful pipe and restoration job!
Don