How to Keep Pipe Rim from Darkening?

[jpmcwjr]

I have one Peterson that’s their ‘natural’ finish. As you probably know it’s their top tier smooth pipe finish and very light in color. The bowl of this pipe was left untreated. I don’t know if being untreated has been a factor but over the course of 20 +/- bowls of Virginia flake the entire exterior has noticeably darkened. At some point soon I’m going to give it a Murphy’s soap treatment and then a coat of wax. But ultimately it’s going to do what it wants to do.
<< Snipped bits out >>

Every unfinished pipe I have is now a mellow brown, waxed or not. You're right; the pipe will do what it wants to do.

 

[Snook]

I usually lick the end of a pipe cleaner and give the rim a quick scrub after every smoke.

 

[didimauw]

It's a badge of honor.

 

[crowbait]

Dang, tha

It's a badge of honor.
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Damn, that's a portal to a whole new dimension!

 

[Cloozoe]

This'll work:

 

[Chasing Embers]

Heat will darken the entire pipe.

 

[crowbait]

Heat will darken the entire pipe.

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The natural patina from smoking is a just classic beauty that can't be replicated.

 

[Lees65GTO]

It's a badge of honor.
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I have several of these badges of honor.

 

[Piping Abe]

Rest on of these on top of your pipe. Head to your local hardware store

 

[Lees65GTO]

Buy a pint of Every Clear put a couple drops on a smooth cloth and rub on your rim to do a semi deep clean. Then drink the rest of the pint and you won't care about the rim char.

 

[OzPiper]

Heat will darken the entire pipe.

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Are you sure that is not a 100 year old pre-1954 Algerian briar ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Are you sure that is not a 100 year old pre-1954 Algerian briar ?

50 year old Corsican.

 

[OzPiper]

50 year old Corsican.

Glad you’re not claiming some mythical properties due to rising sap in 100 yo briar burls and 100growth rings per millimetre contributing to the bowl darkening
Obviously you haven’t ruminated long enough on the phenomenon

 

[Chasing Embers]

contributing to the bowl darkening

That's mainly due to it being smoked at least five times per day for over a month.

Obviously you haven’t ruminated long enough on the phenomenon

Like many, I ditched that word in the mid 1800s.

 

[Streeper541]

I once read about a procedure which utilized bleach to alleviate rim darkening...

I can't for the life of me recall where I read about it... or if it worked on pipes?

 

[Duck]

Now, when I buy a pipe, I avoid rims with decorative inlays or decorative caps over the rim. Sandblasts are my preferred pipes, so that I don't have to be as particular with them.

Pretty much that, except my Christmas pipe, last year now, was a straight grained Dublin with a broad bark rim. I like bark rims to be dark anyway, so I'm just letting it darken.

 

[Duck]

Like many, I ditched that word in the mid 1800s.

It's only to be used to describe animals chewing the cud.

 

[jpmcwjr]

It's only to be used to describe animals chewing the cud.

Hah! Maybe in parts of the UK, but it's a fine word, in use in the U.S. today. Just not to the extent it is in our forum these past few years.

 

[Chasing Embers]

in use in the U.S. today

Where? Excluding animals I'd never heard it used prior to the forum.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I am not responsible for what others hear or retain. Or where and how they are educated. Or that some have a proclivity to be contentious.