Rim Darkening!

Brothers of Briar

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Bothers me too. But being someone who tries to keep everything I own in tip top shape, it's only natural for me to hate it. Don't get me wrong, I don't lose sleep over rim darkening but it's nice to try to keep my pipes in as best condition as possible. Now if it's the crusty old emergency Grabow I keep in my glovebox, I prefer to have that look beaten to hell when I break it out. It's sort of like having a classic car. You want to keep it in as mint condition as possible for the sake of preserving such a fine classic example but then there are the junkers you take to a demolition derby and have ball treating badly.
 
I'll buy a rim-darkened Ebay estate, but only if it looks like it will clean up, and on those I'm not the most determined bidder. From a brick and mortar store or other internet pipe retailers I'm less tolerant...I presume they've cleaned it up, and whatever is left is burn.

Steve
 
Unbelievable, 50/50 on this so far. Now I know why I joined BoB. Who else but committed pipe smokers would ever have a conversation about rim darkening? I think about this all the time, and I'm very obsessive about keeping my pipes clean, even my beaters. (Honestly, I only have a couple really nice ones... but that will change.) Good topic.

I was actually going to start a topic on dottle... and will another time... no, I will now I think. I am encouraged to do it, because I have finally found a place on line where I can talk to other pipe smokers. It's a relief, honestly. Only another pipe smoker would understand why pipe rims are a subject of conversation.

Thanks guys...
 
I honestly feel the same way LL does,

I enjoy seeing a bit of colour, its like an old hat or pair of shoes, comfortable. Having said that i always wet my thumb with a little saliva and rub it on the rim prior to lighting on my nicer pipes.
 
Dark rims don't really bother me. If I'm feeling ambitious, I might use some saliva and a paper towel occasionally, but not often. I may be strange, but I like the "look" of a well used pipe :D
 
I HATE IT!!! I try to be extra careful lighting as not to actually burn ar char the wood. The tar buildup can be easily cleaned but the burning can´t. One of my Dunhill estates is so charred that the inner rim is round!! I just can´t seem to enjoy smoking that one as much (awesome smoker BTW) because I just end up fixating on the unsightly rim. Ok, I´m obsessive.... :bounce:
 
Somehow carbon buildup morphed into charred wood and rim radiusing...

The poll needs to make the distinction.

Carbon buildup is honest use and good.

Burned wood is abuse. It is BAD.
 
I find that spit on a microfiber cloth works wonders to remove any smoke residue. Also removes the wax so a turn on my carnuba wheel is required on an occasional basis. Only loading the bowl 2/3 to 3/4 prevents (hopefully) any outright scorching.

I remember my pipe-smoking mentors with tobacco literally falling out of the top of the bowl they stuffed it so full, ensuring that the rim of the bowl was severely charred and burned.
 
LL has summed it up...... burnt wood is bad!
PB...... well done mate........ the chirp on ...... "giving mine a lick from time to time"...... was the best I have seen on BOB, I am laughing so loud I almost dropped my pipe!
....... and yes, occasionally I lick mine too.......hmmm keeps it nice and clean!
:lol!: :lol!: :lol!: :lol!: :lol!:
 
Voted not, but really it depends on the pipe. If it is a pipe I purchased new and paid a decent chunk of change for, or was really proud of because of how shiny and sexy it was, then a bit of rim darkening would definately bother me and actual charring might cause me to lose sleep.

On the other hand, if it was a really old estate, I actually want the wear and tear and all the signs of abuse. I have a 1920s BBB bulldog and one of the best things about it is imagining all the things that pipe has been through over the years on it's way to me. Looking at all those scars and dings and such as I smoke it actually help bring those ghosts to life a little.
 
Rim darkening doesn't bother me although I try to avoid doing it myself. Burned and encrusted rims do bother me and I've passed on Ebay pipes myself because of them. However hard I try to avoid doing it myself, however, I have several pipes that have seriously darkened rims. Most, but not all of them are old pipes and it may have been my youthful enthusiasm or negligence. I've concluded however, that some pipes are just meant to have darkened rims whatever I do. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to this. I've got an Upshalls, a Comoy and a Le Nuvole with darkened rims and I have been careful. Not sure if the source of the briar plays a role or how they are finished.

I now wipe the rim when I clean a pipe but havent tried beeswax. I'd be interested in how others clean or try to clean rims that have already darkened as opposed to how to prevent it.
 
I like the patina that results from 'rim darkening'. While I try to keep tar from building, I think it is part of the pipe. By allowing the pipe to build a patina, I am in fact helping it to achieve its destiny! To clean, I run the rim with my just-licked thumb. The tar residue comes right off. For a rusticated or blasted rim, use a toothbrush.
 
No matter what I do I'm always getting rim darkening. I'm very mindful of it and the three best tips I've seen are hold the pipe level, spit & don't fill all the way. I'm still getting rim darkening no matter how careful I am. I can only smoke outside...is it inevitable or is there something I can do?
 
Bugsahearn":toaofewp said:
No matter what I do I'm always getting rim darkening. I'm very mindful of it and the three best tips I've seen are hold the pipe level, spit & don't fill all the way. I'm still getting rim darkening no matter how careful I am. I can only smoke outside...is it inevitable or is there something I can do?
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Yep! Don't smoke your pipes !! :twisted: :twisted:  Just keep 'em in the rack and don't BURN any of the evil weed or apply any FIRE to it !! Really! If you don't want any rim darkening, DON'T apply any FIRE to ANY tobacco in the bowl and .BURN ANYTHING in the pipe !! :twisted: :twisted:  Don't be a SMOKER, just COLLECT  :twisted: :twisted:
 
Rim darkening doesn't bother me on the pipes I smoke daily but I have a couple older pipes where it would be nice to keep them looking fresh
 
What is this rim darkening you speak of? I have never had any such problems with any of my pipes, and I never leave any dottle, just pure beautiful unadulterated white ash! In fact, the spell checker here won't even recognize the word "dottle," when I am typing a response.

Some folks, if you give them an anvil, you turn around and they hand you a sack of BB's with a hole in the sack! :scratch:
 
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