Just today I received an Estate Peteron Killarney 150 with a pLip stem. The strummel looked new...the bowl appeared almost unused...not cleaned well, but unused. The stem also looked fine. Wanting to try it out I loaded the bowl with FVF and lit up. The smoking experience was just fine. No odd tastes or aromas at all. I was working on a project in my shop and just puffing lightly...the pipe stayed between cool and warm whenever I rememberd to check the bowl...no problems there.

When I finished I went to empty the dottle and noticed for the first time that the stem was a very light tan color about halfway up the stem to where it makes the Lovat shape change...so what...about 2"? Certainly it was oxidation...right? Well, being in my shop I got out the Denicare and put a felt buff on my Dremel and started to work. It took FOUR applications of Denicare...two with the Dremel wheel and two with a soft cloth, to remove 'most' of the tan coloring from the stem. There are still stains on it, very light, which I'll attack after it's had a chance to sit a bit.

OK - I've been smoking pipes for 30 - 40 years on and off, owned a number of Pete's in most quality levels (except super grades) and I've NEVER had anything like this happen with a Pete...or ANY pipes i've ever owned. Any thoughts from someone that has had this happen or really might know what the heck is going on???

Was it cleaned and polished from the dealer or what. Its no telling what they might use on the stems. Ive always used OOOO steal wool and hand work the oxidation away. After I have rinsed it good. I put the polish to it. Ive had the oxidation return on a naked stem pretty fast when left to polish later. I have a bees wax and carnuba mix I made that does nice on them, I also like the brebba stem polish. My stems like to turn brown at the end I hold in my mouth, but its not oxidation its the coffee I drink.

Cheap vulcanite, that's it, just cheap vulcanite.

There are various thinks you can put on deteriorated vulcanite to turn it black again. Nose oil, for one. But they aren't necessarily permanent.

Interesting. I don't think I've ever heard that nose oil, which I use frequently to lube a stem prior to inserting it into the shank after cleaning could be used to take away oxidation in vulcanite.

Have you ever tried this yourself?


Sidebar: Interestingly, the oceanic equivalent of nose oil...'shark liver oil' is reported to be the exact same molecular makeup - and the crease at the side of the human nose and a shark's liver are the only two places in nature where the oil occurs.

It could also be a wipe-it-on wax like Halcyon, especially if it's applied over a stem treated like that.

So...how does a wipe-on oil or wax REMOVE exidation that it took me about 40 minutes of buffing with oxide removing abrasives to take off?

Same question as before: Have you tried this yourself, or is this hearsay?

It doesn't remove it. Stuff like oil disguises it.

I had a pipe in which the oxidation layer was pretty deep. Any amount of buffing, oiling and polishing was defeated within days. By that time I was fed up, and removing it to the unaffected surface, I had taken off a good 0.5mm and the stem didn't fit quite flush. *shrug* It still smokes just fine, but if your Pete is a good smoker, maybe consider a new stem?

Simple solution has been discovered - it's called...a return!