Until now, I've been using Renaissance Wax to polish my pipes and it's been doing a very good job, particularly by the time I've applied several coats. A little goes a long way (a 65ml tin has lasted over a year, even using it for more than pipes) but I needed some more so I thought I'd check out some alternatives before restocking.
Fine Pipes International have developed Paragon and Halcyon waxes as an alternative to Carnauba wax (that needs to be applied using a buffer). You can purchase directly from them, or as I did from their ebay store. I've got a couple of sandblast pipes as well as smooth, so I decided to try both...about £10 for the two jars and they arrived within a week!
The Halcyon II has quite a runny texture but don't let that put you off, just apply a very thin coat to your pipe's bowl (I used my fingertip) then let it dry a bit before polishing with a soft cloth. I was a bit impatient the first time and buffed too quickly...leaving the pipe to sit makes a huge difference to the resulting finish. In future, I'll do a few pipes at a time, giving the wax a chance to set. It's a bit fiddly getting in all the rustication on a sandblast so I'll try it with a soft brush next time. On a smooth pipe, it's very easy to apply and gives a lovely finish.
The Paragon wax is thicker and harder, similar to butter that's been in the fridge. However, using my fingertip again melted the wax as I was applying it giving a nice even coverage. Again, leave it to "set" before polishing with a soft, fine cloth (I used a yellow household duster that I keep in my pipe drawer). A little goes a very long way, so apply sparingly. Fine Pipes recommend the Paragon is used only on smooth pipes.
Both waxes give a lovely, rich, shine to the briar that feels very nice to the touch...I'm anticipating that additional coats will just make it even more lustrous.
