Meerschaum Refurb & Rewax

[Mister Moo]

Been smoking the big Paykoc dublin for years and managed to wipe it off every so often; it was the travel pipe because it had a case and didn't care what I smoked in it. It has been knocked around, dropped on concrete, handled with dirty hands and generally appreciated without any great respect to meerschaum rules. The rim looked terrible and what color had developed earlier had gone to dirt and a little tan on the shank. I was motivtated to make improvements so it was:

1. damp wiped
2. wet sanded 1500 through 8000
3. buffed on a wheel with emery paste;
4. buffed clean
5. twice tank dipped in hot beeswax
6. rubbed out with lint free cotton

Before:



Prepped:



After:



In the end the clay was smooth and the patina came back rich and golden-to-medium brown. With all dirt, scratches, gouges and scorching gone the Paykoc came back a million bucks. The right materials, some attention to detail and a bit of patience changed this pipe from scars to stars. I have tried every kind of wax rubbing, painting wax on a hot-from-smoking pipe, rubbing wax on a pipe hot from heat gunning.... tell you what - a dipping tank is the all the difference.