Every now and again I get the particular pleasure of working on a family heirloom pipe, a treasured part of someone's family history they wish to preserve for display or their own use. This Made in Czechoslovakia Bavarian style pipe is one such piece, first owned by the current pipe steward's grandfather. As this first… Continue reading Repairing a Horn Stem on an Heirloom Czech-Made Bavarian
This Isle of Man Bulldog, made by Manxman Pipes Ltd, was purchased as an estate pipe by a DadsPipes reader and sent to me for some TLC. The restoration brief included a good cleaning and polishing along with a new stem that would allow the pipe's new steward to avoid having to work around the… Continue reading Saddle from a Taper – A New Stem for an Isle of Man African Meerschaum Bulldog
This Pre-Republic K&P Dublin 207 Pot is a bit of an old friend as I first restored it for my own rack almost exactly five years ago, back in November of 2017. I enjoyed it for many of those years but, as many pipe smokers do, I found that I reached for other pipes more… Continue reading A New P-Lip Stem for a WWII-Era Peterson K&P Dublin 207
The Dr Plumb's brand has been around since 1925 when it was introduced by GBD as a budget line aimed primarily at the North American export market. First produced in France, Dr Plumb's pipes are now made in the UK and stamped accordingly. This Dr Plumb Bent Billiard arrived on the worktable for a basic… Continue reading Freshening a Dr Plumb’s 5091 Bent Billiard
Not all estate pipe restorations are long, involved processes requiring specialized equipment - thankfully - yet even simple cleanup jobs can have remarkable outcomes. Such was the case for this Savinelli Extra Lumberman that recently passed through the shop. As this first series of pics shows, the pipe wasn't in bad shape when it arrived… Continue reading A Quick Cleanup of a Savinelli Extra Lumberman
A fellow pipe lover here in Ontario sent me a couple of old friends for a bit of TLC. One of those pipes is this 1980's vintage Brigham 384 Squire. This round-bottomed bent brandy shape was introduced to the Brigham lineup in the 1970s and quickly became a fan favourite. This particular example was certainly… Continue reading Reviving and Re-Stemming a Vintage Brigham 384 Squire
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to count your blessings and appreciate the people and things, great and small, that bring joy, love and laughter to your life. This year, the second Thanksgiving observed during the global COVID pandemic, I'd like to do just that. Thank you to all those working in front-line jobs across the… Continue reading Take a Moment to Say Thanks
This pipe arrived at the workshop recently, sent in from a pipe smoker in the Prairies for a bit of TLC. The subject is a figural meerschaum in the shape of a Sultan's head. The obvious issue was the broken Bakelite stem, which had snapped off near the shank. Less obvious before a closer examination… Continue reading Rehabilitating a Modified Sultan Figural Meerschaum
This old meerschaum stummel came to me in a lot of bowls I purchased from a pipe friend in the Netherlands. It caught my eye immediately due to its obvious age and deep amber coloration, though it had a few issues that would need to be sorted out before it found its next pipe steward.… Continue reading Creating a Mini-Warden from a Vintage Meerschaum Dublin
I have been kept busy this summer with repairs and restorations for other pipe smokers and collectors, so when I finally had a bit of free shop time, I decided to work on one of my own. This Peterson-esque full bent stummel came to me in a lot of about a dozen loose bowls. My… Continue reading Restoring a French-Made Wellbor Army Mount Full Bent
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