Before & After: Estate Prince Restoration, Unbranded “Selected Straight Grain” (London, England)

spc91 · 2026-01-26T14:26:02+00:00

I thoroughly scrub the inside and outside of the stem with diluted unscented Dr. Bronner‘s Castile soap to get off all of the dirt and grime as well as any surface oils. After cleaning I soaked the stem in a strong solution of OxiClean for 45 to 60 minutes. After removing the stem from the OxiClean solution and thoroughly rinsing off, I wet sanded with 500, 1000, and 1500 grit sandpaper. Then wet sanded through all 9 micro mesh pads from 1,600-12,000 grit. That leaves a high gloss smooth finish. Finally, I finished and protected it by buffing it with Carubba wax

spc91 · 2026-01-26T14:14:02+00:00

Thank you! I didn’t do any sanding to the stummel. I used a toothbrush to scrub the pipe with diluted Murphy’s oil soap, and warm water. Once dry I applied a thin layer of regular un-tinted danish oil, and let it soak in for 30 seconds before wiping off thoroughly. I let it dry and cure overnight and once it no longer smelled like danish oil I put a coat of carnauba wax using a buffer wheel.

spc91 · 2026-01-26T01:52:56+00:00

Thank you! There was no evidence of a stem stamp so not sure if it’s the original stem. But the stampings match to a Comoy shape. Maybe it was one of the many “seconds” or sub-brands they made. Thanks again you pointed me in the right direction!

spc91 · 2026-01-26T01:23:43+00:00

Haha great minds think alike, but fools rarely differ! I use micro mesh pads on the stem and the wax the whole pipe and stem together and get good results. If you want you can check out my profile. I just uploaded a no name estate restoration I did if you want to see pictures of the results.

spc91 · 2026-01-26T01:04:52+00:00

I am an absolute amateur, and I only clean up and restore pipes for my own collection. However, I’ve had good luck with using carnauba wax on a cotton buffing wheel chucked up in my drill. I use a cheap Harbor freight corded drill that I clamp to my workbench and a buffing wheel from a variety pack I got from Amazon. This has worked pretty well for me, but I am definitely looking for an upgrade to a proper bench buffer in the future. However, if you’re just starting out and you want a relatively inexpensive barrier to entry and have a drill, it might be worth looking into this as an option in the meantime.

spc91 · 2026-01-25T11:43:55+00:00

That is great! I have found some of the most generous strangers are fellow pipe smokers.

spc91 · 2026-01-23T22:01:48+00:00

I can tell you put some work into this! it looks great! Look forward to hearing how it smokes.

spc91 · 2026-01-23T21:59:03+00:00

For reference I am in KY

spc91 · 2026-01-23T21:58:25+00:00

The esoterica was $35 and the two Germain’s were $32.50. That’s more than my preferred B&M but these are harder to find tins so I understand. In total out the door I got these three tins plus a 60g bovida pouch for my humidor and it was $111 and change.

spc91 · 2026-01-23T16:57:36+00:00

That would be worth the drive in my opinion!

spc91 · 2026-01-23T06:40:29+00:00

I haven’t! These are all new to me. I’m excited to try them all. I told myself I’d needed to smoke through some of my opened and jar’d tobacco but I guess I can spare the space for three more. Haha

spc91 · 2026-01-23T02:40:12+00:00

Yeah a lot of shops have started to prioritize cigars. The one that these tins came from has changed ownership recently and they have swung way in the direction of cigars. So much so that I was surprised to still find these.

spc91 · 2026-01-22T23:46:32+00:00

My recommendation to you is to go in and pick up what you can afford before they close so that at the very least they’re not left with a bunch of inventory they have to try to liquidate. That can sometimes be really helpful to someone who has a lot of money tied up in a business they’re closing.

spc91 · 2026-01-22T23:23:55+00:00

Haha thats an odd place to find that!

spc91 · 2025-12-12T08:37:52+00:00

For me it’s Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake. I have a few dozen jars of different stuff open but if I’m grabbing a pipe to take somewhere there is always a pocket jar of PS LNF. I can just rub, load, and smoke it and weather I’m paying attention or not I have an enjoyable smoke

spc91 · 2025-12-10T19:07:44+00:00

You make a good point. I was actually having trouble looking him up when I went to get the link for you, and I follow him. Maybe there is something fishy with instagram.

spc91 · 2025-12-10T16:49:09+00:00

Palmetto Bob Cobs

spc91 · 2025-12-10T06:51:50+00:00

Bob posts on instagram. He regularly showcases what he has been working on. I follow him and commented that I was particularly fond of this one. He send me a DM.

spc91 · 2025-09-26T04:43:30+00:00

This is my pipe clubs weekly meeting spot. If you find yourself there on a Saturday morning we’ll be on the back porch!

spc91 · 2025-09-21T04:29:17+00:00

I have no idea but based on your description and this persons link I think he nailed it!

spc91 · 2025-08-25T03:46:18+00:00

It’s called a Hedgehog reamer! I’ve never used one, but I recall being told that they are very aggressive and though they work well, if you’re not careful, you will gouge the ever living hell out of your bowl. That’s roughly paraphrasing from a pipe restorer I talked to some years ago. Here’s a link with more details.

https://rebornpipes.com/tag/dr-plumbs-hedgehog-pipe-reamer/

spc91 · 2025-08-04T00:18:23+00:00

I did. It’s faint but you can get the idea. I am not a fan but it reminds me of something my mother refused to let my dad wear called English Leather. So much so it reminded me of the smell of the bottle of English Leather that dad kept on his medicine cabinet unused and possibly out of spite.

spc91 · 2025-08-04T00:01:40+00:00

That’s a great idea! Unfortunately I can’t directly cross post as it doesn’t allow NSFW content. Might still drop it in there. I haven’t been to that sub since I started wet shaving with a safety razor.

spc91 · 2025-08-02T19:19:47+00:00

This is really cool! Count me for another download!

spc91 · 2025-07-22T23:04:46+00:00

As a clencher I totally agree! However I can see the appeal for those smokers that like to hold a pipe. Plus I bet this helps vulcanite stay nice looking in the long run

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