You can get an estate pipe by purchasing collections from another person. Most of these estate pipes are pre-smoked, but there are unsmoked pipes as well. Pre-smoked pipes are usually the pipes that the previous owner owned, but there is an assurance that it is polished and clean before resale. Unsmoked pipes are new pipes with a unique style but not used.
Unsmoked pipes are much more expensive compared to estate pipes. Sometimes estate pipes vary in price, and it depends on customer demand at a time. Pipe smoking is a hobby for some people, while others find it necessary to enjoy their favorite brand of tobacco. Either way, when you purchase estate pipes for sale, you will want to maintain and keep it in good shape for long.
There are steps you will need to follow in cleaning your estate pipe:
- Remove the stem from the pipe.
Remove the stem without pulling hard or twisting since it will break the shank or the tendon will break. The shank is where the stem fits into the wood, while the tenon fits into the shank.
- Do some simple cleaning.
To do this cleaning, you will use your pipe cleaner that has a small amount of alcohol. Swab the stem and draft hole of the pipe. Make sure you clean the pipe through till it comes out quickly as it went in. For pipes that have been in use a lot, you will require to take a long time working on it, while for the less used over time, the less time it may take to swab it clean.
- The stem
Beginning with the stem would be better since it is mostly where the work is. The stem is where the oxidation is, and you want to get rid of the oxidation and tidy the tooth chatter. If your stem is green, yellow in color, then it will require a bleach bath. You coat the metal, tenon and any marker’s mark with petroleum jelly, then immerse the stem in bleach.
The petroleum jelly will cover the parts from being eaten by bleach but ensure you do not leave the stem immersed for too long. You want it immersed just long enough to get rid of the oxidization. Mask the shank, use the ‘magic eraser’ to scrub the surface.
Use sandpaper to clean the tooth chatter, and then clean the marks using wet or dry grit. Finally, buff the stem using rouge, and do not burn it hot as you use the buffing wheel. Also, do not allow the buffing wheel to catch any edges, as it could pull the pipe from your grip and throw it away.
- Reaming the pipe and working on the Rim
Take a wet rag, grease, and rub the gunk off the rim. Take the reamer and start getting rid of the ‘cake.’ Once you finish, fill the hole using pipe cleaner and fill the bowl using salt. Leave it for a day and empty the contents. Finally, since you have taken care of the inside, it is best to take care of the outside. You can use your wax and buff the wax onto the surface. Your pipe should end up with a nice coat of wax that makes it shine and look renewed.
Now you can enjoy your pipe with satisfaction and pride!
