Vintage Old Charatan's Make 73 London England Estate Briar Pipe in Box

[jpmcwjr]

Obsidian oil= Marketing? Why pay ten times the cost when plain mineral oil is readily available and does the job fully?

 

[sablebrush52]

Glad that you bought that pipe. Cleaning should be pretty straightforward. Micromesh sanding pads from your hobby shop will take care of that stem. Do the final four grades under running water and the stem will be smooth as glass.
Spit and a rag, or cold coffee and a rag, will remove the build up around the rim.
I find cleaning up old estates very enjoyable.

 

[mrenglish]

Glad you picked that up before someone else did. You should be in for a fine smoker. Make sure to post pics after it has been restored to its original glory. Oh, and congrats!

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I'm really glad I picked it up too. I was feeling the itch to pick up something that looked very much like this one. I plan to go to the store this week and pick up some of those mesh sanding pads. I also might pick up some more Magic Erasers. They worked like a charm on the last oxidized stem I worked on. It's sad that I'll likely lose the trademark CP on the stem due to oxidation and having to remove it around it. I will be posting before photos when I get it in and then all my afters once I'm done.
Thanks for the tips Sable, I'll be using them. The last bowl I scrubbed, ran it through hot water and scrubbed it inside and out with a tooth brush and pipe cleaners, then I used a boat load of murpheys oil soap with the same toothbrush and water until it wiped off clean. These sandblasts and rustics take a little longer to clean up the bowl, but it's fun to watch it clean up as you go.

 

[ssjones]

I also might pick up some more Magic Erasers. They worked like a charm on the last oxidized stem I worked on. It's sad that I'll likely lose the trademark CP on the stem due to oxidation and having to remove it around it.

Someone here (DaveG?) recommended to me the Magic Eraser, when working around a stamped stem logo. It worked surprisingly well, leaving the logo very much intact.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Yeah, I found them to work pretty well, but the last pipe stem I used them on had the marks stamped into the stem. This almost looks like just a gold foil laid over the stem. Just concerned I might lose it. I don't know, reckon I won't really know until I see it in person.

 

[ssjones]

I just finished this stamped "Irwins". The stem was heavily oxidized, but the Magic Eraser did a great job and did no discernible harm to the logo. The CP is just a stamped and painted logo (same as on this pipe). The stamps are a bit shallow, so it is good to be cautious. I should have taken a close up of the stamp, sorry.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

That's a beautiful job on that stem. I will use it carefully around my logo and see how it goes. If it's just a thin layer, it should be okay. It looks like most of my work is going to be out around the button. I can't wait to get started already.
Does that oxidation ever come back like that on the stems you polish, or does keeping it oiled keep the oxidation completely at bay as long as you keep it on it?

 

[ssjones]

Yep, they all oxidize. I finish polish with an auto-plastic polish. I think that retards the oxidation process somewhat.