Having written about pipes, I will show a before and after of a pipe I have 'restored'. Typical for most pipes, I will ream the excess cake from the chamber and clean the draft hole. The top of the bowl will have any buildup removed. I restore the stem by removing all the brown or green oxidization and restore it to the original black vulcanite color. I then polish the stem being careful to not round any crisp edges or harm any insignias that may be on it. I clean the stummel (the main body of the pipe existing of the bowl and shank) and polish it and give it a good waxing. For my own pipes and if requested, I will run a 'sweetener' through the pipe.
There is a quick run-down of what I do for my own pipes as well as most pipes I sell on Ebay. The pipe above was done for a friend of mine. He won the pipe in an auction on Ebay and asked if I could clean the pipe for him. This beauty is a Savinelli Punto Oro in a bent prince shape. Be sure to check my listings on Ebay: http://myworld.ebay.com/gearking/
