How to Refinish Smoking Pipes
Pipes have been used to smoke tobacco for hundreds of years. Originally made out of clay, more durable tobacco pipes were later carved out of wood. While more durable than clay pipes, wooden pipes are still susceptible to damage through neglect and misuse. If the damage is minimal and mostly cosmetic, the pipe might only need to be refinished to fix any damage. Wooden pipes can be refinished with some simple sanding and the application of shoe-leather dye, which is very similar to the wood stains used by pipe manufactures worldwide.
Things You'll Need
- Pipe
- Shoe-leather dye in the color of your choice
- Pipe cleaners
- Fine-grain sandpaper (320 grit or higher)
- Damp cloth
- Dry cloth
- Polishing cloth
Instructions
-
-
1
Clean the bowl with pipe cleaners and remove the mouthpiece, or stem, from the bowl. Make sure all the ash and tobacco are removed from the outside of the pipe. Wipe down the pipe with a clean, damp cloth. Let the pipe completely dry before continuing.
-
2
Sand the pipe with the fine-gained sandpaper until the old finish is completely removed. Wipe down the pipe with a dry cloth. Since the pipe no longer has any finish on it, using a damp cloth will add moisture to the wood, which will get sealed in when the pipe is refinished. This can cause the pipe to break the next time it is used.
-
-
3
Dab the shoe-leather dye onto a dry cloth and lightly and evenly coat the outside of the pipe. A pipe cleaner placed through the shank into the bowl can give you a way to hold the pipe while it is being refinished. Let the dye dry before adding another layer. Repeated coats will deepen the color of the pipe finish.
-
4
Buff the dry pipe with a polishing cloth until it develops a high gloss, or leave the pipe unpolished if you prefer a matte finish on the bowl. Replace the stem to complete the refinishing.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Smoking increases your risk of cancer.
References
- Photo Credit tobacco-pipe image by Sergey Mostovoy from Fotolia.com
