Coarse stem cure

[Bugsahearn]

Hi brothers,

I'm usually very cautious about bite marks on my stem but I have a favorite pipe where the stem has become very coarse at the mouthpiece. Is more a roughness than a bite mark really and I kinda think it might be due to drinking seltzer while I smoked yesterday? Is there anyway I can fix this? It's not too bad but the rough texture isn't very pleasant? I have some stem polish I can use. Any advice greatly appreciated. It's an old dr grabow grand duke...I'm not sure what material it is

 

[Bugsahearn]

Ok so I always clean my stems with clove extract...which is like 17% alc I think. Interestingly I rubbed down the coarse stem and it smoothed it out...with little particles of black dust rubbing off on the cloth. When I left the wet cloth on for a split second...it left an imprint...that's what created the rough texture. So I smoothed it out again and stem us good. Never happened before on any others. Maybe because the weather is so humid?

 

[d4klutz]

It could be the oils or extracts are softening up the rubber bit. Cartaphilus might be able to point you in the direction you need to go. But, if oil and alcohol is causing the issue, I would look into trying a stem polishing compound and then a coat of wax instead.

 

[Bugsahearn]

thanks it seems to only be happening to my ol grand dukes. It might have something to do with the humidity? IDK I always clean down the stems with clove extract after each smoke and before the next but its never happened before

 

[Richard Burley]

Stem material varies in quality, hence I assume in composition. I just use water to rinse off lip crud and then a metal polish, my preference being Maas, which I don't even know you can still buy. Obviously alcohol aint' working on that stem. I have a Gefapip like that.

(Heh. Just checked. Amazon sells Maas out the wazoo. Hope it's identical stuff to my old tube.)