Pipes looking new

OmgFrigginMike · October 20

I see some of these pipes you guys have and they look brand new not discolored at all and then I look at mine and it is black on the top and the bowl. Is it just because I'm new and scorched the **** out of it or does it have to do with material and maintenance? What do you guys do to keep them looking fresh?

These look like they could be brand new to me.

and then there's mine

ShawnOL · October 20

@Stubble ?

Cheapsmoke · October 20

Learn what not to do on the cob… what kind of lighter are you using?

OmgFrigginMike · October 20

@CheapSmoke said:
Learn what not to do on the cob… what kind of lighter are you using?

I just use a regular bic lighter right now but after reading another post I'm gonna get one of those with the long neck before I get my next pipe and practice with it a bit too.

Yakster · October 20

You can clean a pipe / rim with Murphy's Oil Soap, not sure if it works as well on a cob.

Rdp77 · October 20

It can also happen from overfilling your pipe. As the smoke billows out tar and other things come with it. If the tobacco is packed right up to the rim that tar and stuff will just roll out onto it. Easiest way I’ve found to tell if it’s tar, and to remove it, it just use a little alcohol on a rag.

Cheapsmoke · October 20

My rim is brown and sticky. Do you think its tar?

OmgFrigginMike · October 20

@CheapSmoke said:
My rim is brown and sticky. Do you think its tar?

We still talking pipes?

OmgFrigginMike · October 20

@Rdp77 said:
It can also happen from overfilling your pipe. As the smoke billows out tar and other things come with it. If the tobacco is packed right up to the rim that tar and stuff will just roll out onto it. Easiest way I’ve found to tell if it’s tar, and to remove it, it just use a little alcohol on a rag.

My first week or two I was filling it as full as I could get it but have since backed off of doing that. I mean I know I burnt the **** out of mine but that probably contributed and is something I would not have thought about.

Rdp77 · October 20

@OmgFrigginMike said:

@Rdp77 said:
It can also happen from overfilling your pipe. As the smoke billows out tar and other things come with it. If the tobacco is packed right up to the rim that tar and stuff will just roll out onto it. Easiest way I’ve found to tell if it’s tar, and to remove it, it just use a little alcohol on a rag.

My first week or two I was filling it as full as I could get it but have since backed off of doing that. I mean I know I burnt the **** out of mine but that probably contributed and is something I would not have thought about.

Hard to avoid with an unfinished cob. But when you get a couple briars it’s definitely something to think about.

Rdp77 · October 20

@OmgFrigginMike said:

@CheapSmoke said:
My rim is brown and sticky. Do you think its tar?

We still talking pipes?

If not, I imagine alcohol would work either way

edz · October 20

@Rdp77 said:

@OmgFrigginMike said:

@CheapSmoke said:
My rim is brown and sticky. Do you think its tar?

We still talking pipes?

If not, I imagine alcohol would work either way

It did here. Had a couple of drinks and the pipe looks better already.

memento_mori · October 21

Soooo….i smoke cobbs mainly when I feel lazy or labor intensive work. As I’ve said before, I don’t place a high value on these ones. They can get dirty, char the edges etc etc. Definitely cut your teeth on a Cobb before investing in a nice briar to learn the ropes so to speak. Same could be said for my workhorses which I consider some of my best smokers.

As for new pipes and my other pipes I’m fond of…

I don’t fill to the rim…rim edges get charred

I don’t use a big flame…same as above

After use…I run a pipe cleaner through

After cool down…I clean stem, stummel, bowl

After put back together…I put it away or if it’s looking shabby I will give it a little polish. This goes a long way to preserve the finish.

“IF”… I had high end pipes with beautiful finishes, perhaps, I would treat them with more respect???

Then again, I’m a firm believer, you can’t take anything with you. Therefore, smoke the mother phukers.

ShawnOL · October 21

@Stubble must be unplugging again.

Yakster · October 21

Pipe cleaning cloths are impregnated with silicon or wax or something and help restore the shine to natural finished briar pipes.

Getting the lava off the rim can be as simple as spit on your thumb and rubbing the rim, Murphy's Oil Soap helps for extreme cases.

Lava is from burnt tobacco over the rim and even the smoke from your pipe will discolor the rim, char is from hitting the rim with the flame from your lighter.

Hawks · October 22

@OutdoorsSmoke_21191 said:
I smoke cobs.. I feel lazy

I represent this statement. 💯👍👍

ShawnOL · October 22

@OutdoorsSmoke_21191 said:

After cool down…I clean stem, stummel, bowl

What do you use/how do you clean the bowl?

memento_mori · October 22

@ShawnOL said:

@OutdoorsSmoke_21191 said:

After cool down…I clean stem, stummel, bowl

What do you use/how do you clean the bowl?

Pipe cleaner 😉

Yakster · October 22

For cobs and briars, I first empty the bowl and blow out any loose tobacco. I run a pipe cleaner through the stem and then turn it around and run it through the other way. I blow out the bowl again to get rid of any tobacco that was in the shank before. I may take my pipe knife and remove any tobacco left in the bowl and maybe trim some of the cake if it's getting thick, then I fold the same pipe cleaner so that it is curved and insert the curved end into the bowl and clean the bowl that way. I sometimes pull the cleaner in and out in a scrubbing motion. I then fold it the other way so that I have another clean side of the pipe cleaner to finish the job.

With Meerschaum bowls I'll use a wet paper towel to clean out the bowl after cleaning the stem to prevent any cake from forming.

I use the soft pipe cleaners, the bristle pipe cleaners can scratch the inside of your stem and make things worse, but if you remove the stem they do a good job of cleaning a really dirty shank, so does a shank brush.

ForMud · October 22

In my pipes, I see darkened rims, small scratches and dents as adding character to them.....I think of pipes as tools to smoke tobacco, not as objects to admire and not use.....I like my Harbor Freight pipes over the Snap On's....Less worry if something happens to them......Plus you have more money to spend on tobacco.

I blame my father for this. He smoked pipes for 40 plus years and he only had no more than two pipes at a time.......I still have his last Falcon.

Rdp77 · October 22

You’re also probably still paying for those SnapOn pipes

ShawnOL · October 23

OmgFrigginMike · October 23

@ShawnOL said:

Are these types of products specific to briars? Probably makes no sense to polish up the ol' cob right?

ShawnOL · October 23

Oh! Polish the COB! I misread that the first time! 🤣 yeah, for Briars. I guess you could use the briar fresh on a cob.

Yakster · October 23

If your cob starts tasting sour, giving it a sun bath really helps. I'd remove the stem and remember to bring it inside to avoid any issues with dew or rain.

Rdp77 · October 23

@OmgFrigginMike said:

@ShawnOL said:

Are these types of products specific to briars? Probably makes no sense to polish up the ol' cob right?

Cobs are very porous on the outside. Any chemicals you put on them will soak in and be very hard to get out. I wouldn’t do it.

Yakster · October 23

The obsidian oil is for Vulcanite stems, it helps prevent oxidation and can restore the color of the stem. Best results are to remove the oxidation from the stem first using a magic eraser or other means and then apply a bit of obsidian oil. A little goes a long way and I keep my bottle in a little bag because it gets oily on the outside of the bottle quick. Apply regularly to prevent oxidation and don't leave your Vulcanite stems exposed to sunlight.

OmgFrigginMike · October 23

Really my cob isn't in too poor a shape I don't think and I wasn't really thinking of polishing it but is that stuff exclusive to briar?

Yakster · October 23

I think except for the Obsidian oil, it's pretty exclusive to briar and other wood pipes.

Stubble · October 23

Obsidian oil, from my understanding is for cumberland and vulcanite stems...not for briar. Did I misunderstand?

Yakster · October 23

Right, cumberland, Vulcanite, Ebonite, all rubber based stems that oxidize take the Obsidian oil. Some people use mineral oil instead.

Some people use "nose oil" on their briars instead of some of the wax products. It's cheap and readily available, just as some people use spit on their thumb to clean their pipe rims.

Pipes looking new

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