Sour (?) Stem

[Monssen13]

I bought an estate Royal Lane (Comoy second) pipe on Ebay, that, after a few days of cleaning, I am quite happy with. However, the stem tastes salty, and when wet, turns green and smells somewhat like asparagus. Can anyone help me discern what is happening and how to fix it? I have avoided using alcohol on the stem since I am not sure what it is made of.
Thanks~

 

[sardonicus87]

Probably vulcanite. Acrylic doesn't oxidize like that.

A picture would help.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yep, oxidized vulcanite.

 

[PipeIT]

Vulcanite/Ebonite will taste odd like this, but typically has a sulphuric taste to it.

Please take a picture or two and show us the condition of the stem.

It needs cleaning...

 

[Chasing Embers]

A beginner's method would be to scrub the stem with a magic eraser and polish it with a manicure block or micro mesh pads.

 

[Monssen13]

Yes, sulphuric is the word I am thinking of! Here is a picture.

Vulcanite/Ebonite will taste odd like this, but typically has a sulphuric taste to it.

Please take a picture or two and show us the condition of the stem.

It needs cleaning...

 

[PipeIT]

As I suspected, when they start getting that worn look, that’s when you experience these symptoms.

Everyone has their various ways of cleaning.

Ultra fine sandpaper sanding
Micro fiber sanding pads
Magic eraser
Oxy Bleach
Polish - like Flitz

etc. etc.

In the past I’ve just polished a stem like this with Flitz, and at times, used ultra fine wet/dry sandpaper, then polished with Flitz.

With Oxy Bleach, you have to be really careful, it can eat a brand stamp off a stem.

 

[Monssen13]

As I suspected, when they start getting that worn look, that’s when you experience these symptoms.

Everyone has their various ways of cleaning.

Ultra fine sandpaper sanding
Micro fiber sanding pads
Magic eraser
Oxy Bleach
Polish - like Flitz

etc. etc.

In the past I’ve just polished a stem like this with Flitz, and at times, used ultra fine wet/dry sandpaper, then polished with Flitz.

With Oxy Bleach, you have to be really careful, it can eat a brand stamp off a stem.

Thanks for all the ideas. What should I do with sanding pads or the magic eraser? Simply take off the top layer?

 

[PipeIT]

Just buff until you start to seeing it turning black.

Depending on how black you want it, shine a light on it, because under natural lighting, it might only be slightly black.

How deep the black appears, is only a matter of preference, but if it also looks slightly green or brown, then you are seeing sulfur, and it might also begin to taste too, if you don’t clean it away and make it look blacker, or it will just oxidize faster, and you’re always having to clean it more often.

 

[proteus]

The damage to vulcanite or more appropriately called ebonite is from UV and from water. Ebonite contains sulphur and oil and other compounds. UV degrades and fades the ebonite by breaking it down and weakening the chemical bonding forming sulphur compounds which react to water in saliva or in air forming a weak sulphuric acid which degrades the hard rubber fading and pitting it. This process cannot be reversed and so-called deoxidizers actually dissolve the top layers of ebonite to expose new layers below. This is also accomplished by mechanical abrasive action. Any abrasive would work to expose the underlying layers followed waxing with a food grade wax after to block water vapor from attacking the fresh ebonite surface. What you are tasting is the weak sulphuric acid like a lemon. Which is the main reason I do not like vulcanite. The water vapor in the pipe smoke does the same thing to the inside of the pipe stem forming that weak sulphuric acid altering taste.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Any abrasive would work to expose the underlying layers followed waxing with a food grade wax after to block water vapor from attacking the fresh ebonite surface.

Something that I've found from burning away the oxidation is that stems I've done it to haven't reoxidized with no application of wax or oil.

 

[proteus]

Something that I've found from burning away the oxidation is that stems I've done it to haven't reoxidized with no application of wax or oil.

I wonder if the burning created a permanent layer of a different compound resistant to deteriorating?

 

[Monssen13]

A strip of 1000 grit sandpaper and a very dirty bowl of water later, the stem is looking and smelling a lot better. Thank you all.

 

[PipeIT]

A strip of 1000 grit sandpaper and a very dirty bowl of water later, the stem is looking and smelling a lot better. Thank you all.

Then, polishing with Flitz, or another polish that protects is good, and then finish up with an oil. When I use a fine sandpaper I personally polish with Flitz afterwards.

Obsidian oil was made for stems, but there others that use oils like mineral oil...

@proteus, good quality vulcanite rarely/hardly oxidizes, and it also won’t have any tastes.

I have a Dr. Grabow: Commodore 65 Zulu, dated from 1967-1969 with a vulcanite stem, that if it did oxidize, it’s so faint, I’d have to take a flashlight to it, to see anything. I’ve personally also never seen any oxidation on it, and there is absolutely no tastes to it.