I spotted this Alpha pipe on eBay and managed to submit the winning bid at a price reflective of the pipe's condition. It's always nice when that works out. I think most other bidders were put off by the euphemistically described “hairline” crack running about 3/8” up the shank from the mortise, but as I… Continue reading Banding a Cracked Shank on a Truly Filthy Alpha Enterprise Chubby Bulldog
I acquired this late-1970s/early 1980s vintage Brigham 189 Acorn pipe at a recent auction. It's on the larger size as far as Brigham pipes go, and I knew right away that it would feel great in the hand. The auction pictures weren't the greatest, as it seems is so often the case, but the pipe… Continue reading Spring Cleaning for a Brigham 189 Acorn
This post by Troy at Baccy Pipes is a great reminder that small adjustments can make big improvements in the smoking qualities of a pipe. Troy did a great job with this pipe; I'm amazed at what he did with a Sharpie!
Pipe forums and other discussion groups are full of posts asking about crack repairs, especially to pipe bowls. Bowl cracks are generally the result of either accident, abuse or neglect - accidental drops or impacts can crack the wood, as can outright abuse like whacking the pipe against a hard surface to knock dottle out… Continue reading A Crack Pinning Tutorial
This pipe has been on and off my work table since last August, believe it or not. It was just one of those projects that went in fits and starts, in this case due to the stubborn refusal of an old repair to submit to my ministrations. The pipe is a nicely shape full bent stamped… Continue reading Reworking a Shank Repair on a Jeantet Neuilly Bent
Think that pipe in your box is done for? Take a look at this restoration, my second collaboration with Steve Laug of Reborn Pipes. We initially had labelled this pipe as firewood, but somehow managed a Hail Mary.
Blog by Steve Laug and Charles Lemon
My brother sent me a box of pipes and bowls that he had picked up. In it was an old square shank billiard that had seen far better days. The bowl sported a thick cake and was cracked 2/3rds of the way down the bowl on the front and another crack on the back of the bowl that went across the bowl to the left side. The finish was rough but there was some nice grain. Its stem was chewed up and was broken and smelly. I threw the unredeemable stem away. The bowl went into the parts box to be cannibalized for repairs. It was interesting that the pipe was stamped Poor Richard’s over Select over Bozeman, Montana on the left side of the shank. I grew up in Idaho and spent a lot of time in my early years in Bozeman…
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Here's another two-for-one pipe refurbishment. I've been picking up estate pipes in ones and twos recently, and adding them to the refurb box as I go. When I realized I had two vintage Brigham Shape 29 (aka Author) pipes waiting for me, I decided to work on them together. The first pipe is a 2-Dot… Continue reading Author, Author! Cleaning up a Pair of Brigham Shape 29 Pipes
I've collected a few Brigham Shape 26 Bent Bulldog pipes over the years. The shape is one of my favourites, and was produced at every level in the Brigham range except the entry-grade 100 series. I had examples of the shape in 3-, 4-, and 5-Dot versions, so when I had the opportunity to acquire… Continue reading Completing My Set of Brigham Bent Bulldogs
A fun group exercise - a collective tasting and review from the Briars & Bull Pipe Club. The Briars & Bull Pipe Club makes our first bold foray, for good or ill, into the contentious world of pipe tobacco reviews with this post. At our February meeting last weekend we undertook as … Source: First Group Tobacco Review… Continue reading First Group Tobacco Review – Dunhill Standard Mixture
February 20th is International Pipe Smoking Day! This is the perfect day for all pipers to be loud and proud about our pipe smoking hobby, so get out there and do your bit to support and encourage pipers everywhere! As February 20th in Canada tends to be a little on the nippy side, I decided… Continue reading IPSD Starter Sets for The Boys
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