My affection for vintage Brigham pipes is evident to anyone browsing this blog. Many of my restored Brighams have been showcased on the site, and I own more Brigham pipes than any other brand (currently 15 of the 55 or so pipes in my man-cave), ranging from run-of-the-mill 1-Dot Standards through to top-of-the-line Presidential Freehands.… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Me – Restoring a Brigham 565
Blog by Steve Laug
Another of the pipes that my brother Jeff sent me was a horn shaped pipe that was stamped Tinderbox Made in Italy in a circle with Monza in the centre of the circle. It is stamped on the underside of the shank. The shape is quite unique. The bowl had around 10-12 fills in it that went from tiny spots to huge plugs in the briar. The finish was a heavy urethane coat that made the pipe very shiny and really highlighted the fills around the bowl and the shank.
The shank had a split in the underside of the shank that went from under the band up the shank for one inch on the bottom side. It had just turned slightly upward and if left alone would have continued to the bowl. The rim was heavily damaged and there was a thick hard cake in…
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I managed to squeeze one more restoration in before heading away for a bit of Christmas R & R with the family. The pipe was sent to me by a fellow member of the Brothers of Briar pipe forum. He had been given this old Hardcastle but needed the stem repaired before he could use it.… Continue reading Reviving a Family Era Hardcastle’s Jack O’London Blasted Billard
- Originally posted on Confessions of a Pipe Smoker. “An impeccably structured blend. Featuring a foundation of sweet, tangy Virginias and cool burning Burleys, a dash of Macedonian leaf is added to round out the mixture and add a hint of the exotic. The different leafs are then aged as one, in order to marry… Continue reading Tobacco Review – Savinelli Brunello Flake
Here we go with another bulldog! I don't really know how I managed to acquire yet another example of this classic pipe shape, but there you have it. This one is a BBB 2-Star straight bulldog that arrived in pretty good shape. The rim was tarred and had a few small dings around the edge,… Continue reading Cleaning Up a BBB 2-Star Bulldog
I've worked on quite a few bulldog pipes recently, so it was a refreshing change to reach into the refurb box and pull out this Dr Grabow Golden Duke. It's a larger pipe, measuring 6” long with a 2” tall bowl and a 7/8” bore. The bowl has the classic Dublin inverted-cone shape, flaring gently… Continue reading Stem Repair on a Grabow Golden Duke Wire-Carved Dublin
I bought these two bulldog pipes separately, but as the restorations proceeded almost identically, I thought I'd write them up together. Both pipes are from the late 1970's or early 1980's – the unique rusticated stummels with wave-shaped smooth features are illustrated in this Brigham catalog from 1978. I'm working here on a 316 Straight… Continue reading Cleaning Up a Pair of Brigham Bulldogs
Buying an estate pipe is a lot like buying a box of Cracker Jacks – you never know what surprises you'll find until you open it up! Sometimes you win, finding a rare or special pipe under all the grime; sometimes, though, Fate decrees otherwise and drops a seriously damaged pipe in your lap. That… Continue reading Draft Hole Burnout Repair on an Italian-Made Squat Rhodesian
I acquired this Dutch-made bent bulldog from Steve Laug of RebornPipes in a recent trade. It was in pretty good shape to start, which is a nice change from some of the estate pipes in my refurb box. It is stamped “Big-Ben” over “Grand Seigneur” on the left face of the diamond shank, and “15479S”… Continue reading A New Coat for a Big-Ben Bent Bulldog
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