The use of Bamboo in pipe making became popular in the middle of the last century, between the end of the Second World War and about the mid-1950s. Dunhill's Wanghee pipes, featuring briar bowls, bamboo shanks and Ebonite stems, are one well-known example. Bamboo as a pipe material is really quite ingenious. Bamboo is very… Continue reading Making a Wanghee Style Bamboo Shank and Stem for a Petite Meerschaum
I've been repairing and restoring pipes for over a decade and over that time, I've seen thousands of pipes come across the bench. Expensive pipes, drug store pipes, collectible pipes and mundane pipes. I enjoy working on them all, but the projects that stand out the most for me are the passion projects, those undertaken… Continue reading A Special Project for a Pair of Much Loved Companions
There are a handful of Canadian pipe makers who have made a notable mark on the pipe world. John Calich is one such artisan, active for over 40 years until his passing in 2008. Calich pipes were well regarded during John's life, and they have remained popular on the estate market. Given Calich's renown, the… Continue reading Shank and Stem Repairs to a Lovely Calich Rhodesian
Metal shank bands have been around almost as long as pipes have. Used both decoratively and as reinforcement for weak or cracked shanks, bands are an indispensable part of the pipe repair inventory. Banding round shanks is fairly straightforward - find a band that fits snugly on the shank and press it home. This basic… Continue reading A Square Peg From a Round Hole – Shank Banding a Frontenac Bulldog
I have worked on pipes of all makes and models over the years, and I've enjoyed them all, but every now and again I am given the opportunity to work on truly vintage pipes. I find these projects particularly exciting, as I get to restore pieces of pipe history. Such was the pipe on the… Continue reading Crafting a Vintage Replica Stem for a 1901 Salmon & Gluckstein Ltd Diamond Shank Bent Billiard
Regular readers of this blog will know that I've worked on countless Brigham pipes over the years, both those belonging to clients and those in my own rack and rotation. Brigham celebrates its 120th birthday this year - a remarkable achievement for any company, but especially for a Canadian pipe house in 2026. Unsurprisingly, Brigham… Continue reading Recreating a Stem for a Vintage 1980 Brigham Crossover Valhalla/President Freehand
Ah, the broken tenon - bane to pipe smokers everywhere and a bread-and-butter repair for any pipe shop! For such a small piece, the stem tenon is a crucial part of any pipe. After all, it's the part that attaches the stem to the shank. Without a sound tenon, a pipe is reduced to an… Continue reading Tenon Replacement for a 1966 Dunhill Tanshell Prince
If you smoke enough pipes for long enough, chances are that eventually you break one. After all, many pipes are not really that robust in construction, with features like pencil shanks, delicate carvings or questionably sized stem tenons. The pipe on the bench in today's post is one such unfortunate briar, but one that can… Continue reading Splicing a Broken Shank on a 1967 Dunhill 475 Poker
I've worked on a few pipes made in the Shalom pipe factory, Israel's only pipe producer best known for its Alpha line. The pipe on the bench today is not an Alpha but a Shalom meerschaum Bent Billiard instead. As you can see in these pics, the pipe was in fairly good estate condition when… Continue reading Cleaning up an Israeli Shalom Meerschaum
The Brigham Experimental line of pipes was officially introduced in the early 1960s and featured some rather fantastical shapes and carving styles. Brochures from the period illustrate five such shapes, as seen in the image below, but other shapes and styles are known to have been produced. But how did Brigham land on the styles… Continue reading Refreshing an Early Brigham Experimental circa 1955
