I saw this pipe on ebay, destined to go unwanted on the last few minutes of it's listing. I can sort of see why nobody really would want it since it looks like nothing more than some sort of cheap souvenir pipe. Judging from the lack of wear or any cake buildup that would truly seem to be the case. One side of the stummel was noticeably sun bleached as if the pipe lay in a window sill unmoved for a long time. The stem was heavily oxidized but other than that it was in "like new" condition. Pipe cleaner came out white as snow.
Due to the uneven coloring I decided to use this pipe as refinishing practice. So I removed as much as the original finish as possible by wiping it down with an acetone soaked cotton pad. Then I buffed it with white diamond. After that I applied two coats of ebony stain gently wiping off the excess and leaving the black in the carved recesses.
The next day I buffed it with white diamond again and waxed the pipe. (The stem I had sanded with micromesh pads, and buffed/waxed as well.
I really don't know if the finished pipe is better or worse. I'll most likely put it back on ebay and get my $7.99 back someday. Or maybe I fill it up and give it smoke or two first. At any rate, it was good for a few hours of fun.
Here's the before:
And the after:
BTW, the pipe is stamped, "Swiss Made" on one side and "652" on the other. If anyone knows anything further about this pipe I'd be interested to know. I couldn't find anything definitive on it on the Net.
Due to the uneven coloring I decided to use this pipe as refinishing practice. So I removed as much as the original finish as possible by wiping it down with an acetone soaked cotton pad. Then I buffed it with white diamond. After that I applied two coats of ebony stain gently wiping off the excess and leaving the black in the carved recesses.
The next day I buffed it with white diamond again and waxed the pipe. (The stem I had sanded with micromesh pads, and buffed/waxed as well.
I really don't know if the finished pipe is better or worse. I'll most likely put it back on ebay and get my $7.99 back someday. Or maybe I fill it up and give it smoke or two first. At any rate, it was good for a few hours of fun.
Here's the before:
And the after:
BTW, the pipe is stamped, "Swiss Made" on one side and "652" on the other. If anyone knows anything further about this pipe I'd be interested to know. I couldn't find anything definitive on it on the Net.
