Over the years, I have developed a generally good sense of the age of a pipe based on its size, shape and finish, among other details. This Peterson Sherlock Holmes meerschaum, however, surprised me. When it arrived on the work table, the pipe was looking far from its best. The stem was heavily oxidized with… Continue reading Restoring a Hard-Ridden 2006 Peterson Sherlock Holmes Meerschaum
Lockdowns, closures and other by-products of the COVID pandemic have revived (for some) or reintroduced (for others) the "Mend and Make Do" attitude prevalent among the British during World War II. Purchases of new things - cars, clothing, home improvement projects, etc - have been delayed or given up altogether as people tighten their proverbial… Continue reading Rehabilitating a “Repaired” Savinelli Chocolat 122
It's been a while since I had a really challenging repair on the worktable. Straightforward restorations are great, don't get me wrong, but after the twelfth basic ream & clean job, a more intricate repair can be refreshing and a chance to exercise some muscles not often engaged during less complicated projects. This pair of… Continue reading Rebuilding Shattered Shank Extensions on Two Castello Sea Rock Pipes
This week's post is something a bit different - a guest blog by Bohdan Shulakewych. I have worked on many of Bohdan's pipes, including some of his much-loved meerschaums. I hope you enjoy the read! - Charles I’ve been reading Charles’ blog almost religiously. I have provided him a number of pipes from my extensive… Continue reading A Meerschaum Adventure in Turkey
I'm sneaking in a mid-week post this week. I just couldn't wait to share this one! It's not every day that a self-identified pipe geek like me gets to contribute to a new series by their favourite pipe maker, so when I was approached by the folks at Brigham about just such a project, I… Continue reading Everything Old is New Again
After 18 months of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions, we here in Ontario are once again being permitted to use recreational properties. And with Bass season officially open, it's time to hang up the shop apron for a bit and head out to the lake! I will be away June 30 to 5 July, then… Continue reading Gone Fishin’!
A filterless, or Non-System, Brigham pipe is a rare bird, indeed. The Toronto-based manufacturer sold non-system pipes alongside their patented Brigham System pipes featuring the Rock Maple Distillator from the late 1930s until the mid-1950s. By that time the vast majority of Brigham pipes sold were system pipes, so the non-filtered versions were quietly retired.… Continue reading Dent Removal and Some TLC for an Early 2000’s Non-System Brigham 530
Last week I wrote about a Meerschaum Canted Billiard stummel that had been lost in the back of a drawer for decades. Hidden away with that pipe was another stummel, the Orlik P9 Bent Apple that is the subject of this week's post. The stummel was in above average estate condition, with the most notable… Continue reading Reviving a Forgotten Orlik P9 Bent Apple
The pipe on the bench today was sent to me by a gentleman who has become a regular client of mine over the last year or so. We have been restoring the pipes in his extensive collection batch by batch and just when he thought he was finished, a few loose stummels were discovered at… Continue reading Meerschaum Rescue & Re-Stem
As some of you may be aware, I have recently started doing repairs and restorations for a Toronto-based pipe seller. Some of these jobs are more involved but many are straightforward projects like this Ashton Pebble Grain, which really just needed a bit of sprucing up. As you can see in this series of shots,… Continue reading A Quick Cleanup on a Lovely Ashton XXX 27 Pebble Grain Canadian
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