Speaking of Silver Bands...

[georged]

When tarnished, do NOT go after them with a rag and some sort of liquid polish unless you mask the shank with tape first.

The blackish stain left behind cannot be removed or bleached out. (The only "fix" is to re-color the entire stummel a dark brown or that eggplant antique purple).

I once had to re-color a 4-pipe unsmoked ca$ed $et of late 19th century pipes because of this. (goodbye grain)

Better still is to not use a liquid polish at all, but some finely sifted tobacco ash and a dampened bit of TP or Kleenex. It will remove tarnish like magic, and you don't have to mask the shank. It won't affect wood.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I second not using a liquid or paste polish on your sterling. Besides what Georged points out, it also removes a lot of the metal.

Ash is ok. If that’s what you have.

I prefer a jeweler’s cloth like you can get from Amazon, Walmart, or jewelry stores. They also work to keep your stems nice and polished.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just Georged and I in a thread… you know people are gonna click just to see what we are arguing about, ha ha.

 

[didimauw]

I should just close this now. A moment in history!

 

[anotherbob]

or like just a soft cloth works too if you have some elbow grease left over (i.e. not that much effort but some).

 

[cosmicfolklore]

or like just a soft cloth works too if you have some elbow grease left over (i.e. not that much effort but some).

Uhhhh… Yeh, ha ha. Tell me you’ve never polished silver without telling me that you’ve never polished silver.

I mean sure, if you have all day.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I just let my silver patina.

Ever since Cosmic pointed out the existence of Argentium I figure raw silver only exists to let it darken.

 

[georged]

Just Georged and I in a thread… you know people are gonna click just to see what we are arguing about, ha ha.

Really?

What a weird feeling.

I never noticed.

Or, more precisely, ever thought of anything we've ever discussed as having been contentious. Not in the last 6-8 years, anyway.

Also, you're Real Deal Qualified in Life as a general thing and handtool-shop-stuff in particular, so know all kinds of Cool Shit...

Must be that "written words alone" thing doing its signature evil.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Really?

What a weird feeling.

I never noticed.

Or, more precisely, ever thought of anything we've ever discussed as having been contentious. Not in the last 6-8 years, anyway.

Also, you're Real Deal Qualified in Life as a general thing and handtool-shop-stuff in particular, so know all kinds of Cool Shit...

Must be that "written words alone" thing doing its signature evil.

I was just kidding. I have this reputation as an arguer… because people start arguments with me.

You’re a real deal pipe repairmen and connoisseur, yourself. When one of my pipes break, I definitely want one of your hidden shank repairs.

 

[bullet08]

Learned that when I was a kid. Bagpipes can be fitted with number of things, but sterling and German silver/nickel silver are popular. First set of pipes had brass or bronze fittings on it and I was told always tape the wood before polishing them.

 

[captainsousie]

I have this reputation as an arguer… because people start arguments with me.

No they don't!

 

[sablebrush52]

Uhhhh… Yeh, ha ha. Tell me you’ve never polished silver without telling me that you’ve never polished silver.

I mean sure, if you have all day.

I used to polish all the silver in the store. Talk about a lot of work, and no trace, no polishing marks , no nothing.
Cured me of ever wanting to own silverware.

 

[anotherbob]

Uhhhh… Yeh, ha ha. Tell me you’ve never polished silver without telling me that you’ve never polished silver.

I mean sure, if you have all day.

just the fittings on my pipe andthey shine up nicely with a monthly wipe. Even the slightly tarnished gone dull gold didn't take much effort. But never tried some neglected estate pipe

 

[anotherbob]

No they don't!

seriously, some people you can ignore or participate in their curmugeonly banter!

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

I've got an Ebony Pete that I have used liquid polish on before and while I try and keep it away from the stummel you know it's never perfect. The Ebony stain doesn't seem effected though thankfully. Still I use a polishing cloth most of the time.

However that's not why I've darkened this thread's door. Does anyone have any experience with Brass or Copper? I've got a couple of the Christmas Petes with copper fixtures that tarnish like they're going out of style. I do like to spruce them up now and then but the polish used or Copper is no joke and I worry it might damage the, admittedly dark, stain.