It's always fun to come across an old pipe brand I've not heard of before, and even better if I get to work on a representative pipe. This RBC branded cased Bulldog came into the shop for a cleanup and a new stem and, unlike many pipes of this vintage, it was destined to be… Continue reading Cutting a New Acrylic Stem for a Vintage RBC French Briar Bulldog
It's that time of year again! Looking for a unique gift for the father, grandfather or other mentor in your life? The DadsPipes Father's Day Estate Pipe Sale is coming up next week for two days only. Mark your calendars now! Shop the sale from 09:00 Eastern Wednesday June 7th to 17:00 Eastern on Thursday… Continue reading Father’s Day Estate Pipe Sale
Meerschaum pipes have long been known for their capacity to be carved into an extraordinary range of shapes and styles, from sleek classic shapes like a Billiard or Bulldog to fanciful smokable sculptures. The pipe on the worktable today provides a rather geometric take on the venerable Egg & Claw shape. As this initial series… Continue reading Cleanup and a New Stem for a Unique Egg & Claw Meerschaum
I recently wrote about the work done to restore a vintage Frank Bulldog. Today's patient is of a slightly older vintage but where the Frank needed structural work to bring it back to life, this Kaufman Brothers & Bondy pipe arrived in pretty good estate condition. The pipe was in need of a good general… Continue reading Refreshing an Elder Statesman – a KB&B Blueline Bakelite Cased Bulldog
Today's pipe restoration project is a fairly straightforward undertaking - a nice break from the more involved repairs I have been dealing with lately. The patient on the bench today is a handsome Savinelli Punto Oro 616KS Bent Billiard. This description from Smokingpipes.com sums up the shape: One of the most full-bodied examples of Savinelli's… Continue reading Putting the Gold Back Into a Savinelli Punto Oro 616KS
For over one hundred years, Brigham has produced quality smoking pipes at a range of prices to suit the needs of every pipe lover, and as regular visitors to the site will know, I am a huge long-time fan of Toronto-based company. I have authored several articles on classic Brigham pipes, including a Shape Chart… Continue reading DadsPipes is Now Your Authorized Brigham Repair Centre
One of the joys of meerschaum is that it is fairly easy to carve and thus meerschaum pipes come in just about every shape imaginable, from basic Billiards to fantastical dragons, castles and more. The carver of today's estate pipe project took this block of meerschaum in a very different direction - folk art. The… Continue reading Reviving a Rather Unsettling Folk Art Carved Meerschaum
One of the fun parts about pipe restoration is not knowing exactly what will show up in the shop. Will the next pipe be a Dunhill ODA, a huge artisan grade "War Club" or something more delicate, like the diminutive Frank Amberloid Bulldog that is the subject of today's post? Here is the pipe as… Continue reading Back From the Brink: A New Lease of Life for a Vintage Frank Amberloid Cased Bulldog
Working on estate pipes can present a unique series of challenges at the best of times, but when presented with a very old pipe the restorer needs as many tools in the repair arsenal as possible. I really had to consider all the options when this vintage meerschaum Devil Anse (ish) pipe arrived at the… Continue reading Saving a Vintage Meerschaum Devil Anse
I recently worked my way through the cleanup and restoration of a newly acquired pipe collection sent to me from a fellow Ontario, Canada pipe lover. The collection of Danish pipes represented a few different brands, but was heavily weighted in favour of Pipe Dan pieces. Not having worked on a Pipe Dan pipe for… Continue reading Retouching Fills on a Dan Pipe Shape Reformed 18
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