When it comes to estate pipes, one of the biggest turn-offs is the heavily oxidized vulcanite or hard rubber stems. Non-pipe smokers will see an estate pipe with a grayish green crusty stem and think, “Why would you want to put that in your mouth?” Savvy pipe collectors know deoxidizing hard rubber stems is worth the effort.
What they don’t see is that under that ugly crust is often a beautiful, shiny black stem waiting to come out of hiding. Of course, that generally means more work than many pipe smokers want to do. That also means more quality estate pipes sitting around and waiting for people like me to buy and restore pipes, including deoxidizing the hard rubber or vulcanite stems.
I’ve written about the process I normally use before and it always requires time and effort. Some stems have taken six to eight hours of work before they are shiny. A couple of stems I’ve finished look shiny and black when indoors but when exposed to daylight show oxidization deep under the surface. It can be a frustratingly long process even if you have the right variable speed buffer to work with. Trust me.
It Not Easy Getting Clean Stems…
I’ve read many articles about cleaning stems. I have talked to professional pipe repairmen like Steve Laug (rebornpipes.com) and studied their techniques. There is a reason why the professionals get paid the money they do for restoring pipes. Personally, I use the Oxyclean soak and micro-fine sanding technique to deoxidize hard rubber stems before taking it to the buffing wheel. Until now.
I recently saw a post on rebornpipes.com about a product they’ve tested. It’s a Hard Rubber Deoxidizer developed and produced by La Belle Epoque, a small company specializing in vintage and modern writing instruments. Mark Hoover uses the deoxidizer to remove the oxidation from the vintage hard rubber pens he restores. He also has developed a fine and extra fine polish and a Restoration Balm that works well on pipe stems.
According to Hoover, the deoxidizer is a plant-based product that’s high on the PH scale. He also uses enzymes to boost the scale and to break down the oxidation so it can’t re-harden on the rubber. It comes in 4 oz., 8 oz. and 16 oz. bottles and while it may seem pricey, it is reusable. One Restoration Kit, priced at $60, contains eight ounces of deoxidizer, containers of Fine and Extra Fine Polish, and a small bottle Restoration Balm.
The deoxidizer is a thick, flowable liquid gel. (For you old timers out there, the viscosity reminds me of STP oil treatment or Motor Honey.) When I tested it, I poured it into a small, rectangular plastic container with a snap-on airtight lid. Hoover recommends keeping the deoxidizer in an airtight container when not in use.
Deoxidizing An Easier Way
I put six different stems with varying degrees of oxidation in the goo and let it sit for about 45 minutes. After that, I wiped the pens off with a piece of an old t-shirt to see how it looked.
The oxidation wipes off. It’s a simple as that. Dip let it soak and then wipe it off. Of course, there is a “next step” and that is to put the stems in a small container of mineral oil to clean off any residual deoxidizer. I also dipped pipe cleaners in the mineral oil and ran them through the stems to clean the airway. Once all the deoxidizer is removed, I used the fine polish to bring the stems back to a high glossy shine.
One important thing to mention – and something I have been guilty of in the past – do not rinse the rubber stems in water. I’ve often rinsed the stems with hot water after doing the Oxyclean bath, but I will no longer do that after talking to Hoover. Water is bad for vulcanite and other hard rubber and will promote oxidation.
Think about it. You have a new pipe with a vulcanite stem. You smoke it and where the stem is held in your mouth starts to oxidize immediately. That’s from the enzymes and water in the saliva in your mouth. So, don’t clean the stems with water, use the mineral oil from a drug store instead. Besides, the oil is better for the rubber.
Finding Treasure When You’re Not Looking For It
Polish Is Worth The Money
I like the Fine Polish also. I applied it using a clean piece of t-shirt and just rubbed it on and then off. It brought the rubber to a beautiful shine with little effort. I haven’t tried the Extra Fine at this point but will later do a comparison. Hoover said the polishes are also plant-based and non-toxic. They also contain antioxidants, that prevents further oxidation.
© J. Gibson Creative Services. March 8, 2020
