A Quick Cleanup of a Stanwell Deluxe Shape 62

This freehand is one of those rare estate pipes that require very little effort to make smoke-worthy. This pipe was either very well cared for or smoked only once or twice in its previous life.

The pipe is marked “Stanwell” over “De Luxe” on the left shank, and “Made in Denmark” on the underside. A shape number, “62”, is stamped on the right shank. The pipe arrived in excellent condition, and would only require a bit of spit-and-polish to put it to rights. The stummel, with plateau top and conical, Dublin-esque bowl,  is expertly oriented to make the most of the straight grain in this piece of briar.

I did a little research into the pipe shape. Bas Stevens compiled a list of known Stanwell pipe shapes a few years ago, and according to that list,

available here on rebornpipes.com, there are two possible options for a Shape 62 pipe. The first is a Liverpool; the second is a Freehand with plateau top and saddle mouthpiece, by Sixten Ivarsson as shown in the picture at right. Clearly the pipe in question is of the second variant, although it is fitted with a tapered stem. The stem is also lacking the Stanwell “crowned S” logo, so I believe this is a replacement stem, and a very nice one at that.

I reamed the pipe to remove the small amount of cake there, and then used a few pipe cleaners and alcohol to clear the airway.

The stem required only two pipe cleaners. This pipe was clearly not “ridden hard and put away wet”!

A quick hit of Meguiar’s Scratch-X plastic polish cleaned up the exterior of the stem.

The old wax finish and any grime hiding in the plateau top came off with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a toothbrush.

And that was it! A quick trip to the buffer for a run of White Diamond and several coats of Carnauba wax put the icing on the cake for this lovely Stanwell Deluxe. The smooth finish displays the wonderful straight grain perfectly and contrasts nicely with the rough plateau top. All the stamps are deep and well-struck, and the replacement stem carries the graceful curve of the shank smoothly to the button. Personally, I think the tapered stem takes nothing away from this Ivarsson design.

If you would like to add this pipe to your collection, look for it on the DadsPipes Store or message me with any questions.

Thanks for looking and until next time, Happy Piping!