"SHARPIE MARKERS" use alcohol dyes, and come in many colors. A cheap-o way to dye a pipe if you have just a few pipes that need some artful enhancements.
Draw directly on the pipe, or, with pliers, just crack open a SHARPIE marker and soak the felt wick in some denatured alcohol. You can use the alcohol dyes at full strength or dilute them for tints, etc. You can paint the dyes onto the briar using a very fine artist brush.
These dyes work best, of course on unfinished briar or on a finely sanded surface. Good for restorations and for "drawing" on some contrast grain on a bland pipe. If you make a mistake, just wipe the pipe with alcohol and say "so long" to those errors. Dyes are great for gradation staining. Red, orange, brown, and black, are the most useful colors.
I'd experiment first on a junk pipe. When you achieve the color treatment you like, oil the pipe and then wax it to "set" the color into the briar pores.
Leather dyes work great, but you have to buy bottles of the stuff. SHARPIES are cheap and can be found in Dollar stores that sell junk.
"RIT" Fabric Dyes can also be used with alcohol and can be bought in a powdered form for easy storage.
