Peterson's 999 shape is a classic of the marque, a stocky Rhodesian available in many finishes and across many Peterson product lines with both P-Lip and Fishtail stems. It is a pipe shape that has stood the test of time, but like many pipes with trim rings cut into the bowl, it is susceptible to… Continue reading Rescuing a Classic Peterson Aran 999
Medico pipes, and their famous paper filters, have been around since their introduction by the S.M. Frank company in 1933. Still in production today, Medico pipes are available in 13 finishes, 5 of Briar and the rest made of Brylon, a synthetic mix of briar dust and resins invented by S.M. Frank in 1966. The… Continue reading Making a New Stem for Grandpa’s Medico
Filtered pipes have been around for a long time. The first rudimentary filters, primarily aimed at preventing bits of tobacco from entering the mouth, were introduced to the pipe smoking community in the middle of the 19th Century but filtered pipes didn't really catch on commercially until the 1930s with the launch of Medico's 6mm… Continue reading Let’s Talk About Filter Conversions
Amber has been prized for its beauty and workability for thousands of years. Used in the creation of jewelry, trade goods and once believed to have magical and medicinal properties, Amber also made its way into the pipe making world as a stem material. Unfortunately, Amber, while beautiful to look at, isn't a really good… Continue reading Crafting an Acrylic Amber Stem for a 1924 K&P Meerschaum
In somewhat startling contrast to today's pipe collecting and preserving mindset, there was a generation of pipe smokers who saw their briars as mere utility objects, tools for capturing and delivering the smoke from all-days blends. Bowls were cleared of dottle and ash by knocking them against the closest convenient surface, chambers were rarely, if… Continue reading Salvaging the Rim of a Very Knocked About Brigham 1-Dot
As any long term reader of this blog can tell you, the stem tenon is the number one weak spot on any pipe. The tenon is the smallest component, and has an airway drilled through it, further compounding its fragility. Add a 6mm or 9mm filter pocket in the tenon and the tenon walls get… Continue reading Remaking a 6mm Faux Spigot Stem for a Savinelli Eleganza 111KS
A client from the Greater Toronto Area sent me a few pipes for work not too long ago. Among them was a very large JM Boswell Jumbo Bent pipe that the client really enjoyed smoking but was a rather imposing pipe visually. As this first series of images illustrates, Jim Boswell wasn't kidding when he… Continue reading Lightening a Heavy Looking JM Boswell Jumbo Bent
As 2025 draws to a close, I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who supported the shop over the last year, either by sending in repairs and restorations or by stopping by the site to read the latest blog posts. Your patronage allows me to continue to serve the Canadian,… Continue reading Happy Holidays from DadsPipes!
Hi everyone. The first week of December is ending, so I thought I'd put out a reminder about Holiday shipping. With larger shipping volumes, Canada Post can take longer than usual to deliver your parcels. If you plan to send pipes in for repairs this month, I recommend doing so as soon as possible and… Continue reading Holiday Shipping Reminder
Anyone who has taken a look through past posts here or on other pipe restoration blogs will know that stem replacement is one of the most common repairs, and with good reason. The stem is where the (Vulcanized) rubber meets the metaphorical road for pipe smokers. Stems are regularly dented or bitten though by teeth.… Continue reading Tutorial: Let’s Replace a Stem!
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