Time for renovation?

[mso489]

I'm headed to our local pipe show in less than two weeks. I have three pipes more than 30 years old, all in good,

smokeable shape, but showing some wear. A pipe carver I trust will be at the show, and he is also

a pipe repairman. My pipes are a stamped Savinelli zulu (or Dublin?), what is almost certainly a beautiful

lightweight Sav billiard second (both these have minor fills), and a bent Tinder Box sitter bent pot. They have light

charring at the rim of the bowls, a little graying of the vulcanite, and that's it. I don't want to let them go until

they show damage, but I'm thinking they are aging well. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. What do you think?

Renovate or just smoke and enjoy.

 

[teufelhund]

To each their own. Go with your gut...

 

[drwatson]

Doesn't sound like and major problems, however I can't stand to let my stems get oxidized either. I polish them all the time. So I would have to vote get the stems cleaned up.

 

[hfearly]

I personally smoke 50% with my eyes and a charred rim is so distracting that it drives me nuts when enjoying a bowl - and there goes the relaxation I was initially seeking ;-)

 

[dragonslayer]

In for a penny in for a pound… You start to sand the top and matching the stain will be a problem as the rest of the pipe is aged, and the briar ageing will catch up and be darker. So then you’re taking and sanding the whole pipe down which can be a great thing. If you have some nice grain there its a great chance to bring that out and of course the satisfaction of redoing the pipe yourself. There are plenty of videos on renovating stummel and stems. But if it ain’t broken why fix it comes into play.
Buying stains, all the grades of paper and finish buffing can add up too.