So last night I skipped running a wet pipe cleaner down my pipe, but i did use a little whiskey to clean the outside of the stem. This is the first time i have smoked and cleaned this pipe. Well it started to discolor and get kind of soft in spots. I let it dry and it firmed back up, but did i just ruin my stem? It still has a funny discoloration even after i tried wiping it down with some water and some paper towel. All my other pipes i have always swabbed where my mouth makes contact and never had any issues. Thanks for your help.
Stem issues
- Thread starter Jbird45
- Start date
Thats just an old pipe. Rub it down with some toothpaste (the abrasive stuff) and invest in some obsidian oil. That'll darken it back up.
Is it vulcanite? The soft areas will dimple. You can pull it out with some heat generally. Technique is on YouTube. Light flame or heat gun handle it pretty well.
Is it vulcanite? The soft areas will dimple. You can pull it out with some heat generally. Technique is on YouTube. Light flame or heat gun handle it pretty well.
That looks like an oxidized stem. Very common with vulcanite.
Besides the currently popular oxiclean soak and magic eraser scrub, you can also polish down the stem with a light compounding formula. I much prefer the latter. While there are pipe branded polishes (Brebbia), I find Maguires ScratchX works just as well.
Once you’ve got the oxidized portion removed, you can either oil or wax the stem to keep it shiny. I prefer to just hit it with a couple coats of Paragon, which keeps it immaculate for at least a year. But if you opt for an oil, I recommend a mineral oil.
Alcohol won’t soften a pipe or its stem. Many pipers have used 190 proof spirits for decades, and never with an issue. Where you want to be careful with alcohols is around the outer finish of the bowls and shanks, especially with some of the ecofriendly finishes that are used on more recent pipe production.
Vulcanite is rubber based. And there are more aggressive chemicals that can soften any rubber that you don’t want near a tobacco pipe.
I’ve never had the same situation as I don’t use alcohol on stems but I do periodically clean them. I de oxidize by soaking in a solution of OxiClean then I finish with 1,500 grit wet dry sand paper then wax and polish to a shine. You could try this.
Toothpaste also works. But that stem looks a little further along.
BTW, toothpaste is a great emergency treatment for car headlight cataracts, when the superfine polishing compounds are unavailable.
That advice is for the stem only...
- Thread starter
- #7
Yes! Yes! I dont plan on soaking the briar in oxiclean!
Im glad it sounds like i didn't permanently damage anything.
Nobody tell my wife, but she uses some arm and hammer toothpaste that is pretty gritty so i may give that a shot before moving to oxiclean. I dont have any oxiclean on hand so i will try what i have before making a trip to the store.
I also have mineral oil in my woodshop, i use it with my oil stones, so I will give that a try after clean up.
If the alcohol seemed to soften it a bit does it pay to try rubbing some alcohol on it first to loosen it and then hit it with the toothpaste and toothbrush?
Thanks for the advice gents!
I’m just going to add that if this is the first time you have used this pipe, it is obviously an estate. It is possible that a prior owner may have mistreated that stem in some way.
So don’t come down too hard on yourself; you did nothing wrong here.
Just polish and buff it up, and see how it goes. If the pipe has sentimental value, the worst case is that you have a new stem made for it.
- Thread starter
- #9
It has no sentimental value, it came from eBay, but i have a soft spot for vintage things. If it doesn't go well i may look into a replacement stem.
Yes! Yes! I dont plan on soaking the briar in oxiclean!
Im glad it sounds like i didn't permanently damage anything.
Nobody tell my wife, but she uses some arm and hammer toothpaste that is pretty gritty so i may give that a shot before moving to oxiclean. I dont have any oxiclean on hand so i will try what i have before making a trip to the store.
I also have mineral oil in my woodshop, i use it with my oil stones, so I will give that a try after clean up.
If the alcohol seemed to soften it a bit does it pay to try rubbing some alcohol on it first to loosen it and then hit it with the toothpaste and toothbrush?
Thanks for the advice gents!
Alcohol isn’t going to remove the oxidation. Just polish it with the toothpaste or a stronger polishing compound, oil or wax it, and you should be ok.
Put some gloves on and use your hands with the toothpaste. It'll work much better then a toothbrush will, that has been my experience anyway. A magic eraser does well also...
- Thread starter
- #12
You guys are trying to get me in trouble! First i have to use the wifes toothpaste and now i have to steal a magic eraser frim her stash!
In all seriousness thanks again for the advice! I will try a couple things tonight and send an update.
I have a tube of ScratchX. Would I just work it into the stem, then polish it off? And would some Natural Shine, the water-based stuff I use on my tires, work as a shine/protectant?
I can’t speak to how others do this. But for the typical oxidized vulcanite stem, I‘ll buff it out with a light finishing compound (toothpaste or ScratchX, depending on severity) using a cotton cloth (old white socks are good for this). Apply your polishing compound to the cloth, and buff away. Then buff it off with a clean cloth (or rinse if using toothpaste). Multiple passes may be needed. Then I’ll rinse it with water, mouthwash or spirits to lift off any polishing residues, and apply a protective coat of pipe wax to seal and preserve the restored finish. Others prefer oils, but I like the relative hardness of a wax. I find wax lasts longer.
If a stem merely has a light haze, but is generally still smooth with remaining sheen, toothpaste or a magic eraser is perfect for a touchup.
If a stem is in really bad shape and/or has some light chatter marks, then some wet sanding may be needed.
Other than the very mild finishing compounds mentioned, I would resist using any automotive grade tire or rubber treatments on a tobacco pipe unless completely sure of the formula. Besides the possible chemical interaction, the chemistry may not be tasteless, or safe to put in your mouth.
True about the Natural Shine. It's water-based, not silicone, and I planned to let it dry thoroughly before I used the pipe. But there may well be surprises in it that are fine for tires but not for human tongues.
I'll try the ScratchX this weekend. If it works, I'll consider splurging on a wax specifically for this.
My stem “rules” are:
1. Keep the alcohol on the inside; stems, stummels, etc.
2. Avoid soaking vulcanite in water.
3. The most reliable way to remove oxidation is wet sanding and buffing. Don’t start with overly aggressive grits and progress to the fine grits. Then buff with a light compound and apply Obsidian oil.
4. Avoid magic elixirs and potions.
1. Keep the alcohol on the inside; stems, stummels, etc.
2. Avoid soaking vulcanite in water.
3. The most reliable way to remove oxidation is wet sanding and buffing. Don’t start with overly aggressive grits and progress to the fine grits. Then buff with a light compound and apply Obsidian oil.
4. Avoid magic elixirs and potions.
I like 1000 grit sandpaper (grab it at any auto parts store for reasonable price) and just like @KellyG said, buff the stem. @Columbo is spot on, it's an oxidized stem. Smokingpipes.com has a stellar write up on what you have going on to check out. smokingpipes.com | Pipe Tobacco - https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/how-care-for-vulcanite-stems
For further tips on vulcanite pipe stem care, look no further than your local bowling alley. Both enjoyed their cultural heyday at around the same time. Bowling and piping, then back home in the Plymouth.
The "Ebonite" sheathing on older bowling balls was essentially vulcanite (vulcanized hardened rubber). All the well-proven cleaning, sanding and polishing techniques used with those old bowling balls are remotely similar to those for a pipe stem.
The only major difference is you will not be looking to set a COF for your stem ... unless you have a very oily mouth or put a lot of spin on your pipes.
The "Ebonite" sheathing on older bowling balls was essentially vulcanite (vulcanized hardened rubber). All the well-proven cleaning, sanding and polishing techniques used with those old bowling balls are remotely similar to those for a pipe stem.
The only major difference is you will not be looking to set a COF for your stem ... unless you have a very oily mouth or put a lot of spin on your pipes.
Here is the method I use and it works very well. I’ve done several stems this way successfully. This fellow is very good and has several restoration videos:
The ScratchX didn't really work on the oxidation of my Savinelli billiard with the army mount. Neither did my toothpaste. The stem feels much smoother, I'll admit, but the discoloration is still there in contrast to the end of the stem that is hidden within the metal collar during the smoke and therefore has not oxidized. I guess I'd better look into some Oxyclean, and maybe some fine sandpaper.
