Just bought a 1996 Comoy. Nice pipe. When I got it home I wiped the stem with a damp paper towel and it discolored it, more like the finish came off a bit and exposed a light brown color. How can I correct this or stop it from getting worse? Pipe in picture is the one.
Stem Finish Coming Off
- Thread starter dcicero
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That's oxidation. Many different methods of removing it.
When you get a pipe with a stem made from vulcanite or ebonite you can slow that oxidation with Obsidian pipe stem oil. If you don't have that use mineral or olive oil.
You can use plain white toothpaste to polish the stem then run it with oil and wipe the oil off.
You can use plain white toothpaste to polish the stem then run it with oil and wipe the oil off.
Tried oxy and sand paper, feel like I just scratching it now. But I do see black back there..
So I didnt have mineral, but used coconut. And it looks fantastic. Thanks for the direct advice.
If you very carefully continue to sand with finer and finer grit, the stem can attain a black mirror finish. A final coat of some sort of wax will help protect it from oxidizing again.
Since starting to use toothpaste on stems as the final polish I've not needed to use oil.
Thumb buff until the toothpaste is gone.
An Irwin For IPSD 2019 :: Pipe Talk
My wife picked up a GBD made Irwin's 9613 as an early birthday present, and while cleaning it up I decided to not smoke it until IPSD this month. No abrasives were used except a wet paper towel with a lighter, toothpaste, and my thumb, and the cake was removed with a Case XX clip blade. In...
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I've never used oil.. that only masks the oxidation. If the oxidation is gone there is no use for oil.
You are lucky. Lots of people have used oil. The stem is porous. The oil fills in the pores blocks the absorption of saliva.
I had the same experience with a Comoy Pot that I bought. It must have been sitting in the shop for a long time. When I got it home and applied moisture to the stem it instantly oxidized and the whole stem went from black to brown. I am planning to clean it up over the holidays.
Uh, no? I'm not sure now. But after a while I wasn't seeing improvement so I added some oil looks good, but if it reverts I may grab some higher grit and try again.
A light rub with mineral oil will restore it to what it was before, perhaps better. Minimum fuss.
Yep, a bit like painting over rust.
Painting over rust is a fool's errand.
Mineral oil to make the stem black and shiny is nothing like that, and is an intelligent use of resources.
Mineral oil to make the stem black and shiny is nothing like that, and is an intelligent use of resources.
So this is how it turned out. I'm happy with it. Sand paper made it rough but I kind of like that, feels like wood. It's a Comoy 1996 Christmas. Having Haunted Bookshop as its first smoke. Doing well, happy with the purchase. Thanks all for the advice.
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