Newbie Q re. Wax finish color

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BriarBright

Lurker
Feb 5, 2023
12
43
I’ve found a new, carved meerschaum pipe that I’d like to purchase, but it’s been finished with a dark yellow wax.

Is there a white pipe under that finish? Can that wax be removed to reveal white meerschaum underneath or has that color been absorbed into the meerschaum?

My Google searches have not provided any answers so far.

It’s a beautiful pipe, but the yellow coloring is discouraging me.
 
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BriarBright

Lurker
Feb 5, 2023
12
43
Ugh. Bummer. The natural darkening of a white pipe doesn’t phase me, but the overall flat yellow tone hides a lot of the carved detail. It strikes me as a strange choice by the pipe maker.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,914
45,867
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I’ve found a new, carved meerschaum pipe that I’d like to purchase, but it’s been finished with a dark yellow wax.

Is there a white pipe under that finish? Can that wax be removed to reveal white meerschaum underneath or has that color been absorbed into the meerschaum?

My Google searches have not provided any answers so far.

It’s a beautiful pipe, but the yellow coloring is discouraging me.
Short answer? No. It's a dye that's going nowhere. If you want white, look for white.
 
Last edited:
Short answer? No. It's a dye that's going nowhere. If you want white, look for white.
No they are not dye.White, yellow to dark brown all natural beeswax colors.

Only pipes like red,pink, blue and green ones are colored with food coloring by carvers.

Black color also not dye generally carvers burning beeswax with fire torch and make it black.

Lee van cleefs colored with burn technique too.Meerschaum covered with cigarette paper than burn with fire torch.Lee van cleefs colored like that.

Colorful marbling pipes colored with burn technique too.As in lee van cleef pipes it covered with colorful marbling papers than burn with fire torch it, absorbs the colors on the paper.
 

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Thanks for the education, folks!
The quest continues…

Under yellow wax there is white meerschaum.It could be remove but risky.To do that first you must wet the pipe by water than remove the wax by scraping.At the end you will also need to heat it in owen or on the heating radiator to dry meerschaum.Than you need to use white beeswax.All this procedure so risky thats why best way is carving new one.
 
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