Two Quick Questions.

[TheIronMonkey]

When @mingc mentioned that Renaissance was very close, or even identical to Halcyon II, it got me wondering if Samuel Goldberger was just buying bulk sizes of existing waxes and repackaging them in his own jars with his labels. Renaissance comes in a 3.0 liter can for about $280.00. Once I open these, it’ll be interesting to give them a sniff and see how close any of them are.

 

[Briar Lee]

A chunk of beeswax I bought from a beekeeper is what I use to wax pipes.

It might not be the best, but it requires no power buffing and is totally harmless to the pipe and me.

And as for the draft hole, if they’ll pass a wet doubled pipe cleaner I leave them be, and if not I open them until they will. I have no idea what particular size they are.

 

[AroEnglish]

I ended up ordering several different microcrystalline waxes to test since Paragon and Halcyon II are no longer in production. I’ll report back here with what my experiences are after I try these out and compare them to Paragon and Halcyon II. This could be interesting. I’ve got: Renaissance, Von Schneider, Le Crayons a Gratter Conservator, and Decatur. There was one other that I was considering trying, but the reports of it smelling odd took it out of the running. The first three might be museum quality and safe for archival use.

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Can we get a photo of your photo booth? I've started getting curious about what it takes to get the amazing photos that you capture.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

A chunk of beeswax I bought from a beekeeper is what I use to wax pipes.

It might not be the best, but it requires no power buffing and is totally harmless to the pipe and me.

And as for the draft hole, if they’ll pass a wet doubled pipe cleaner I leave them be, and if not I open them until they will. I have no idea what particular size they are.

The problem with beeswax is that it is very soft. It’s great for using as a lubricant for a tight tenon (and oddly enough can fill the gaps on a loose tenon to make the stem fit better). These microcrystalline waxes only need hand buffing to get a nice shiny finish, so there’s no risk of obliterating any stamps or logos like you might with a buffing wheel.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Can we get a photo of your photo booth? I've started getting curious about what it takes to get the amazing photos that you capture.

Thanks for the compliment! I’ve been meaning to buy a tent for photos, but haven’t settled on anything yet. Reviews often complain about construction or lighting, so I’ve held off. Right now, I just use two cheap aluminum photo lamps with spring clamps and 5000 Kelvin LED bulbs (for natural daylight balance) set up on either side of the subject(s) and use the camera in my phone. I have a better camera, but using it would involve too many steps (connecting camera to PC, downloading photos, etc.) This way, with the cell phone, I just set up stuff on the red satin, snap a quick shot, and post to the forum from the phone. It just takes a minute or two, so it’s no bother.

 

[AroEnglish]

Thanks for the compliment! I’ve been meaning to buy a tent for photos, but haven’t settled on anything yet. Reviews often complain about construction or lighting, so I’ve held off. Right now, I just use two cheap aluminum photo lamps with spring clamps and 5000 Kelvin LED bulbs (for natural daylight balance) set up on either side of the subject(s) and use the camera in my phone. I have a better camera, but using it would involve too many steps (connecting camera to PC, downloading photos, etc.) This way, with the cell phone, I just set up stuff on the red satin, snap a quick shot, and post to the forum from the phone. It just takes a minute or two, so it’s no bother.

View attachment 294321

Dang, what phone? I can't get that to happen with mine and I refuse to admit that it's due to user error

 

[mingc]

When @mingc mentioned that Renaissance was very close, or even identical to Halcyon II, it got me wondering if Samuel Goldberger was just buying bulk sizes of existing waxes and repackaging them in his own jars with his labels. Renaissance comes in a 3.0 liter can for about $280.00. Once I open these, it’ll be interesting to give them a sniff and see how close any of them are.

Sam Goldberger's description of Halcyon II mentions that his "original product was 'Renaissance Wax.'" Halcyon II™ Wax for the Pipe - $10.00 : Estate pipes, antique pipes, Dunhill, Danish pipes, Japanese pipes, Halcyon II, A Venue for Collectors of Fine Smoking Pipes and Accessories - https://www.finepipes.com/accessories/halcyon-ii-wax. I took that to mean that his original Halcyon was just Renaissance. I speculate that Halcyon II was Renaissance plus a bit of other stuff. I didn't think that this additional stuff made much of a difference.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Dang, what phone? I can't get that to happen with mine and I refuse to admit that it's due to user error

I used to use a OnePlus 7 Pro. But, something happened with T-Mobile’s service and I started having problems sending SMS text messages with some iPhone users in February 2023 (only MMS messages would go through). Susan switched to an iPhone in November 2023 and gave me her Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, which I’ve been using since (unfortunately, i t didn’t resolve the texting issue).

 

[Briar Lee]

The problem with beeswax is that it is very soft. It’s great for using as a lubricant for a tight tenon (and oddly enough can fill the gaps on a loose tenon to make the stem fit better). These microcrystalline waxes only need hand buffing to get a nice shiny finish, so there’s no risk of obliterating any stamps or logos like you might with a buffing wheel.

One more plug for beeswax.

I have carnauba wax sticks and waxes galore,,,,somewhere.

But I have a big chunk of beeswax and a shop rag everywhere I store pipes.

Over the last fifty years I’ve found all waxes are not permanent, all need refreshed.

When my pipe gets dull, there’s that big yellow blob of wax stored with my pipes.

And it melts like butter when rubbed on a warm pipe.

Beeswax is the lazy man’s pipe wax.

 

[Bassman65]

One more plug for beeswax.

I have carnauba wax sticks and waxes galore,,,,somewhere.

But I have a big chunk of beeswax and a shop rag everywhere I store pipes.

Over the last fifty years I’ve found all waxes are not permanent, all need refreshed.

When my pipe gets dull, there’s that big yellow blob of wax stored with my pipes.

And it melts like butter when rubbed on a warm pipe.

Beeswax is the lazy man’s pipe wax.

I bought a box of Dutchman’s Gold bee’s wax on your recommendation. I’ll let ya know how it works.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I tried out the Von Schneider wax on my BST and French LC pipes today. It smells different than Paragon, so Paragon is definitely not a repackaging of Von Schneider. The VS wax applies slicker and wetter than Paragon; it looks shiny initially, but dries a little duller pretty quickly. Microcrystalline waxes generally seem to shine more (when buffing by hand) with a lighter touch. A cloth with less wax build up will result in a better shine than if you use a cloth that has become impregnated with wax.

The resultant shine does not look overly polished. It has a reasonable sheen and is quite similar to what you would achieve with Paragon using the same approach by hand. I’ll try out the other polishes in the weeks to come, but I would say the Von Schneider is worthy of your consideration as a replacement for the now defunct Paragon.

 

[PaulRVA]

I ended up ordering several different microcrystalline waxes to test since Paragon and Halcyon II are no longer in production. I’ll report back here with what my experiences are after I try these out and compare them to Paragon and Halcyon II. This could be interesting. I’ve got: Renaissance, Von Schneider, Le Crayons a Gratter Conservator, and Decatur. There was one other that I was considering trying, but the reports of it smelling odd took it out of the running. The first three might be museum quality and safe for archival use.

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Im really excited to see your opinion on this

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I decided to give Le Crayons a Gratter Conservator a try this morning. It’s wetter than the other microcrystalline waxes and the smell of the solvent is definitely stronger and in your face; the smell doesn’t take too long to dissipate. After buffing by hand, it is not too noticeable. This wax seems to come to a slightly higher sheen than the other waxes with less effort. I will need to try it on some other pipes before drawing any conclusions. It might be best suited to smooth pipes that lean towards that dripping wet, candy apple look a certain high end pipe seller insists on.

 

[orlandofurioso]

I decided to give Le Crayons a Gratter Conservator a try this morning. It’s wetter than the other microcrystalline waxes and the smell of the solvent is definitely stronger and in your face; the smell doesn’t take too long to dissipate. After buffing by hand, it is not too noticeable. This wax seems to come to a slightly higher sheen than the other waxes with less effort. I will need to try it on some other pipes before drawing any conclusions. It might be best suited to smooth pipes that lean towards that dripping wet, candy apple look a certain high end pipe seller insists on.

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Thank you for sharing Jeff; it is much appreciated.
The photo's are always top notch. I wish I had your talent.

 

[ThebigFil]

I bought a box of Dutchman’s Gold bee’s wax on your recommendation. I’ll let ya know how it works.

Update?

 

[FurCoat]

I have both Halcyon and Renaissance wax. I perfer Renaissance. I don't find them similar at all. To start with, they don't smell anything alike and feel quite different when applying. Renaissance smells like pure petroleum, but don't let that put you off, it goes away as soon as you buff it off.

 

[Bassman65]

Update?

None yet. So cold out. I’ve been smoking my cobs.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I tried Renaissance on a rusticated Savinelli Long John Dublin 915 and a smooth Blatter & Blatter Billiard. The wax had a heavier solvent smell than I was expecting. It was much less wet feeling than the Le Crayons a Gratter Conservator and firmer to the touch than Paragon or Halcyon II. The aroma of the solvent is still lingering on the pipes several minutes after applying the wax and hand buffing. It provides a nice, medium sheen to both finishes and would be suitable for smooth and rusticated pipes.





Out of curiosity, I tried it on a shellac covered Borkum Riff Wimbledon Quarter Bent Oval Shank 650 coupon pipe (made by Dr. Grabow). The sheen was high, as expected.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Wonderful Jeff. i've been using this wax for years now and it never disappointed me. The smell will disappear.

 

[ThebigFil]

I tried Renaissance on a rusticated Savinelli Long John Dublin 915 and a smooth Blatter & Blatter Billiard. The wax had a heavier solvent smell than I was expecting. It was much less wet feeling than the Le Crayons a Gratter Conservator and firmer to the touch than Paragon or Halcyon II. The aroma of the solvent is still lingering on the pipes several minutes after applying the wax and hand buffing. It provides a nice, medium sheen to both finishes and would be suitable for smooth and rusticated pipes.

View attachment 305138

View attachment 305139

Out of curiosity, I tried it on a shellac covered Borkum Riff Wimbledon Quarter Bent Oval Shank 650 coupon pipe (made by Dr. Grabow). The sheen was high, as expected.

View attachment 305143

I've found when using it on rusticated pipes I'll notice white spots of the wax in some of the indentations which are awkward to get out. But that's probably because I use too much.