32
TOBACCO BUSINESS
JULY/AUGUST 2013
H
as this happened to you yet? A
new pipe smoker who bought
a pipe from your store many
months ago comes in and complains that
the pipe stem, which used to be all nice
and shiny and polished, has now dulled,
asks why—and what can be done about
it.
Chances are, a dulled pipe stem
is made of Ebonite, also known as
vulcanite, and that’s because Ebonite
oxidizes naturally. As you may know
from reading these columns and other
research, most pipes today come with
either an Ebonite or acrylic stem; in
the past, you could find more pipes with
stems made of horn, bone and amber,
to name just a few—but those are rare
today.
Cumberland is another stem
material—it is actually Ebonite with
coloring in it, red or green in the black
Ebonite. Of the acrylics, Lucite is one
of the more popular materials used. And
some of the shifting towards acrylics
happened for the very reason that
Ebonite oxidizes so readily.
You need to know a little bit about
Ebonite to understand why it oxidizes.
Ebonite is the brand name of a very hard
rubber compound invented by Charles
Goodyear. Part of the formula for
Ebonite is 30 to 40 percent sulfur, and
that’s why when an Ebonite stem starts
oxidizing, it gets a yellow cast to it.
So what to do about it? Ebonite is
going to oxidize, there’s nothing you
can do to totally stop it, but with a little
work you can keep Ebonite pipe stems
looking good for a long time to come.
The only way to remove oxidation
from an Ebonite pipe stem is to actually
remove a very thin layer of the Ebonite
itself. This is commonly done with a
polishing wheel, and pipe makers and
stores both use red or white rouge. This
is the easiest way to make it look new,
but you have to be extremely careful
when polishing a pipe on a wheel—you
have to polish the stem and the bowl
at the same time. If you don’t, it could
change the diameter of the stem.
You also have to be careful when
polishing a pipe on a wheel because if
you push too hard, the wheel will grab
the pipe out of your hand and throw
it—it could injure you and definitely
break the pipe. Another caution is not
to remove too much material—if you
polish too hard or too long, you could
remove too much Ebonite and polish
the manufacturing stamping completely
away, which is important to collectors.
There are also steps you can take to
delay the pipe from yellowing—you can
polish a pipe stem with a good carnauba
wax that will help seal the Ebonite,
thereby slowing down the oxidation
process. I have also heard of some pipe
smokers rubbing olive oil or commercial
stem oils on pipe stems to slow the
oxidation down, but I can’t personally
attest to either of these.
Another thing that slows oxidation
down is simply using the pipe! When
you are constantly using it, you are
constantly wiping it, and that can slow
down the oxidation, too.
As a veteran pipe smoker, perhaps
the best advice I can share is that it’s
also okay not to worry too much about
oxidation—it does not affect the way
you smoke it at all, it’s just a visual
thing, really. Put another way—a little
oxidation really doesn’t bother me.
But if it bothers your customers, share
some knowledge about how to restore
oxidized stems back to their original
luster—make sure you do your bit to
help keep pipe customers happy.
TB
A Bit About Pipe Stems
Oxidation can send a pipe stem into “Dullsville” and baffle new pipe
smokers, so be ready to guide them towards the proper care.
By Bill Doherty, head of market development,
Daughters & Ryan
