exploring the art of tobacco pipe restoration
Sourcing the correct materials to restore vintage pipes is a constant task, and one made more complicated as the years go by. The youngest of the Canadian-made Brigham pipes are now nearly 20 years old, production having shifted to France and Italy in 2001. At about the same time the original aluminum tenon/filter holders were…
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It’s been almost a year since my last update to the Brigham Shape Chart, and I’m thrilled to announce that Version 2.0 is now live! This new version incorporates a dozen or so new pipe shapes and a LOT more images, so have a look! Want your own copy for reference? Click the Download link…
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Although some pipe retailers out there carry estate pipes, many of us find our vintage briars at antique shops, garage sales or similar places. Sometime, however, a new pipe smoker will inherit a cherished pipe from a family member. Such is the case with this Chacom Auteuil Bent Billiard, which belonged to the current owner’s…
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Today’s restoration is really more of a very good cleaning. This Brigham 321 (which Brigham called a Woodstock shape but other may label a Zulu) was well cared for by its previous owner as evidenced by the lack of dents, dings and scratches in the briar and vulcanite. The pipe had certainly been previously enjoyed…
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I dug this old Bewlay Reject out of my refurb box recently, and puzzled over it a bit as I couldn’t quite recall where or how I acquired it. I think it must have come to me in an eBay lot, but the details have completely escaped me. According to Pipedia’s page on Bewlay, the…
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Brigham made a lot of pipes in their Toronto factory over nearly a century of production in Canada, so estate Brigham pipes are fairly common, especially in Ontario. Available in a wide range of quality and price points, there was a Brigham pipe to suit every style and budget and those pipers that loved them…
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This Peterson pipe has been sitting in my refurb box for a while now. Every now and then I’d pull it out, have a look at it, and for one reason or another, I’d put it back in the box and work on a different pipe. Today I thought it was time this pipe got…
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I received an email from Peterson pipe aficionado Mark Irwin of Peterson Pipe Notes recently, with a request for some help restoring the stem on an intricately carved bulldog shaped pipe. The brand is a new one for me. As Mark explained in his note, the fellow who owned the tiny BPL (Briar Pipe Line)…
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Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away. – Philip K. Dick Today’s post is a bit of a head-scratcher, not for the intricacies of the refurbishment, which went rather smoothly, but for the mystery surrounding the pipe’s provenance. If one handles enough estate pipes, inevitably one comes across a…
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I found this Brigham Bulldog on eBay quite some time ago and decided it was high time I cleaned it up for the collection. The pipe was in rather good estate condition when I brought it to the worktable. The main issues were a deeply oxidized stem, some rim tar and associated darkening and patches…
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