I dropped a pipe today while helping my daughter with something. Thankfully, stem and all the important parts are intact, but I have a new ding on the front of the bowl. Anyone deal with this? I imagine my only option if I really want to fix it is to get it sanded down and refinished. Any simpler options? I suppose I can always call it a patina and just get over it...
Ugh- Dropped a pipe
- Thread starter WithTheGrain
- Start date
Your avatar so fits with this post.
Yeah, dont worry about it. As long as nothing is cracked just call it character.
When we ding a hardwood floor during installation, we spit on the mark immediately. This usually causes the wood to swell there, and in a short while its unnoticable. You could give that a shot, maybe even with a bit of paper towel. Good luck.
Call it a "Character Mark".
Ditto.
Not something to "fix".
If it's an inexpensive pipe, it's not worth "fixing"
If it's an expensive pipe, having it "fixed" by anyone other than the original craftsman will hurt the value more than the damage itself.
Not something to "fix".
If it's an inexpensive pipe, it's not worth "fixing"
If it's an expensive pipe, having it "fixed" by anyone other than the original craftsman will hurt the value more than the damage itself.
- Thread starter
- #6
Fair enough. I will spit on it for luck and just deal with it... Though i do agree, the Charlie Brown avatar is somewhat fitting for my mood regarding this mishap. Not an expensive pipe necessarily (got it from my dad's collection), but it is a favorite. As I said though, just glad the stem is in tact!
Stems are a big deal. Even if the tenon is a "stock" size, the outer diameter likely is not.
A few months ago, someone reported losing their bowl overboard on a cruise ship when they knocked the dottle out by holding the stem and tapping the pipe on the rail.
A few months ago, someone reported losing their bowl overboard on a cruise ship when they knocked the dottle out by holding the stem and tapping the pipe on the rail.
- Thread starter
- #8
I know about that- I had to replace a Charatan stem a while back and was able to get a NOS stem with the stamp, but the outer taper is off. Not so much that it is noticeable to anyone but me, but that was killer as well. I haven't had any major disaster, but these little ones still drive me nuts.
Yikes... even with my inexpensive pipes I only use my palm or a cork knocker to get the dottle out. Usually I'll carefully loosen it up with the stirrer part of the pipe tool first.
chalk it up , now you dont have to worry about digging it , character
I smoke on the way home in the truck. I'll loosen it with the tool, dump it into a cup, then gently tap the side of the bowl on my shifter console (soft-ish plastic) to loosen what's left.
You could try a damp corner of a towel and an iron. Steaming it may raise the dent.
This. If not, chalk it up to character.
I'm going to put in another vote for calling it "character". If you didn't cause any damage to the important parts, then just move on and learn from it. We've all done (or will do it) at one time or another.
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