Pipe exterior finish

[Syekick]

A little knowledge and a little thought can be dangerous. Perhaps one of my experienced friends here can straighted this out.

If a brier pipe is supposed to breath wouldn't any finish other than oil stop that process? Many of the slick finishes appear to be the standard polyurethane or some such. I have to believe that isn't true but it looks and feels like it when I handle a smooth finish pipe.

[IHT]

Originally Posted by Syekick

Many of the slick finishes appear to be the standard polyurethane or some such.

i'm not a craftsman, so what would you consider polyurethane?

all i know is that they get a little stain, which is sometimes lit on fire, then sanded off, then stained again (sometimes with a lighter color so the grain stands out even more), and then it's waxed with carnuba.

[Syekick]

Originally Posted by IHT

i'm not a craftsman, so what would you consider polyurethane?

all i know is that they get a little stain, which is sometimes lit on fire, then sanded off, then stained again (sometimes with a lighter color so the grain stands out even more), and then it's waxed with carnuba.

The shellac of modern day. For example the Miniwax polyurethane products from Lowes/Home depot. Or the clear sealing coat you find on wooden floors today. (Floors used to only be sanded then waxed. Johnson Floor Wax...)

Anyway, if water can't penetrate it readily I don't see how it could breathe. The pores are sealed shut.

[Bruce]

Quality pipes are not sealed. As IHT stated, the pipes are stained then waxed with carnuba. Only the exterior is waxed, so the briar does absorb from the inside out....thus a pipe will darken as you smoke it.

This is one of the reasons why some pipes are left with a "virgin" finish. The pipe is not stained, just waxed and the pipe "colors" as you smoke it.

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by Bruce

Quality pipes are not sealed. As IHT stated, the pipes are stained then waxed with carnuba. Only the exterior is waxed, so the briar does absorb from the inside out....thus a pipe will darken as you smoke it.

This is one of the reasons why some pipes are left with a "virgin" finish. The pipe is not stained, just waxed and the pipe "colors" as you smoke it.

Yeah baby - like the CS Forum Pipe in Tan Blast. I do believe that after 10 bowls it is already changing to a darker yet more translucent tone.

Good question though Syekick. i am virtually positive that my first briar (Viking from a local B&M) has some sort of "hard" finish, and I don't like it. It's been relegated to truck duty.

[Bruce]

Some cheaper pipes are varnished/coated.

[IHT]

most are not "sealed", just stained. i looked up polyurethane on wikipedia, and it mentions stains, but says they are NOT a polyurethane product, like a Varnish is (which seals). maybe the woodworker, mr. c, will chime in with .

Evan, if your pipe has like a viking helmet on it, then that's a Bjarne product. i also had to send my cs forum pipe back, getting a different one. so, still haven't tried mine. how's yours smokin?

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by IHT

Evan, if your pipe has like a viking helmet on it, then that's a Bjarne product. i also had to send my cs forum pipe back, getting a different one. so, still haven't tried mine. how's yours smokin?

I had previously heard that Viking was a Bjarne send, or something.

The CS Pipe is killer. It and my Peterson Donegal are neck and neck as my best smokers. I hope you get your straightened out soon - I'm sure you'll love it!!

Some of my basket pipes have a poly finish. I've sanded a couple that were way overdone down to bare wood. I can't say they smoke any better but i like how the bare wood looks and feels in my hand. I aslo like how my hand oils darken it.

[PaulMac]

I expect smokin a pipe coated in poly would significantly shorten yer life expectancy, just say no

[nimravus01]

Originally Posted by EvanS

Good question though Syekick. i am virtually positive that my first briar (Viking from a local B&M) has some sort of "hard" finish, and I don't like it. It's been relegated to truck duty.

I, too, have a Viking (made by Bjarne) and I also believe it has some sort of hard finish. I can see a small fleck is missing on the shank near the silver band. The rest of the pipe never loses it's luster, which, makes it one of my more elegant looking pipes, but, it's not my best smoker. Plus the vulcanite stem tarnishes the second I touch it, (worse than all my other pipes with vulcanite.)

[dls]

Most high quality pipes are simply polished with pure carnuba wax. The carnuba can give an incredibly hard and shiny finish, while still allowing the wood to "breath" from the inside. The stain applied to pipes is almost always an alcohol based stain, so it evaporates fairly quickly. As stated earlier, great care is taken to ensure that neither stain or wax is applied to the inner bowl.

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by nimravus01

I, too, have a Viking (made by Bjarne) and I also believe it has some sort of hard finish. I can see a small fleck is missing on the shank near the silver band. The rest of the pipe never loses it's luster, which, makes it one of my more elegant looking pipes, but, it's not my best smoker. Plus the vulcanite stem tarnishes the second I touch it, (worse than all my other pipes with vulcanite.)

hahaha - same as if I would have said this myself...except the stem on mine tarnishes and oxidizes BEFORE I touch it. Looks disgusting and no polishing will help it beyond the first 2 puffs. Like I said...relegated to truck duty

[nimravus01]

I should mention that the empirical evidence, (of some kind of coating on the Viking vs. a carnuba wax finish on my other pipes,) is that carnuba wax fades away with use and the pipes finish becomes dull and lackluster. Like I said before, the Viking never loses its shine... Save for that tiny "fleck" that has chipped off.

Too true, Evan S, the stems on these things are oxidized no matter what you try. I've gotten to the point where I prefer Lucite over Vulcanite anyway, however, my Savinelli stems aren't as prone to looking crappy.

[Bruce]

There are different grade sof vulcanite. Some hold up better than others. With my body chemistry, I have to wipe the stem down with a bit of Briar Wipe after every smoke or the tip really oxidizes.

One cleaning tip that works well......Larry Roush sells a silver polishing cloth to polish the silver bands on his pipes. He recommended to me to use this wipe for the stem. This works really well......removes all the oxidation and keeps the stem shiny and black.