There is an old adage that tiny problems become large problems if left unattended, and the pipe on the bench this week is a prime example of this truism. This Savinelli Freehand Dublin was clearly a favourite of its steward but maintenance and repairs were put off, allowing hairline cracks down both sides of the… Continue reading Reviving a Hard Ridden Savinelli Freehand Bent Dublin
One of the fun parts of running a pipe repair and restoration business is working on pipes that I would otherwise never get to see. This early Dunhill Patent Shell Briar is just such a pipe, send in to DadsPipes for restoration as part of a larger lot of older Dunhills. As this initial series… Continue reading Restoring an Early Patent Dunhill Shell Briar Army Billiard
The Peterson P-Lip stem is rather famous in the pipe world. Patented by Charles Peterson in 1898, the stem design incorporates a tapered airway and a unique button shape featuring an airway that exits the stem on top of the button rather than through the end of the stem. This image, taken from Pipedia.org, shows… Continue reading Crafting A Hand Cut P-Lip Army Mount Stem for a Peterson System Standard 301
Every pipe smoker has a favourite pipe. It's almost inevitable, I think, as people tend to find something that works for them - a particular button design, width or height, a bowl with just the right capacity or size to fit their needs the majority of the time. Have a look at any pipe lover's… Continue reading Major Repairs to a Much Loved Peterson Aran 68
Stem replacement is one of the bread-and-butter jobs for any pipe repair shop. I have fit hundreds of stems over the last decade or so, from relatively simple jobs using pre-cast stem blanks in Vulcanite and Acrylic to fully custom hand cut stems crafted completely in-house from Ebonite, Acrylic or Resin rod. As a writer,… Continue reading Replacing a Worn Out Acrylic Stem on an Armellini Verona 903
It's February 20th, and every pipe smoker knows that it is also International Pipe Smoking Day! I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to pipe smokers across Canada and around the world for their continued support of DadsPipes.com. I have had the unique pleasure of repairing and restoring smoking pipes, new and… Continue reading Add a Podcast to your IPSD 2024 Celebrations!
Some pipe lovers really enjoy a shiny pipe, something that pipe makers have recognized for decades. One common way to provide a low-maintenance, high shine finish to briar pipes is to add a gloss topcoat over the colour coat during finishing. While a topcoat maintains a pipe's shine for quite a while, it inevitably begins… Continue reading Refinishing a Peeling Peterson Killarney 65 Bent Billiard
Today's patient is a 2010 St Patrick's Day pipe by Peterson, sent in for some TLC by a Canadian piper in Ottawa, ON. Judging by the series of photos below, the pipe is one of its steward's favourites. The pipe had been well used but looked a bit worn out when it first arrived on… Continue reading Reviving a 2010 Peterson St Patrick’s Day Pipe
Metal pipes have been around since the 1930s, and while briar pipes make up the overwhelming majority of smoking pipes, metal pipes, made famous by the makers of Falcon and Kirsten pipes, have a strong following. Part of the success of metal pipes is their light weight and interchangeable bowls, which can be made from… Continue reading Restoring an English Made Arcadia Metal Pipe
Welcome to 2024, everyone! The move into a new year should be a time for looking forward to new experiences, new events, and better times ahead (or at least wishing a heartfelt good riddance to parts of the previous year we'd rather not repeat), so while I extend my best wishes to you for the… Continue reading Working Around a Shortage of Acrylic Stems
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