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
At this festive time of year, filled with family, friends (and special edition pipes!), I'd like to say thank you for a great 2023 and wish you and yours all the best for the year ahead. May your holidays be everything you hope. DadsPipes will close for the holidays on December 23rd and reopen on… Continue reading Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
As a restorer and pipe repairman, I am often asked about the value of a particular pipe. On the surface this is a straightforward question about potential resale value, but when one digs into things a bit further, the definition of "value" becomes quite a bit more complicated. Take today's pipe, a Medico VFQ Apple,… Continue reading A Complete Bowl to Button Restoration of an Heirloom Medico VFQ
Sixten Ivarsson was one of the Danish pipe makers at the forefront of the Danish Fancy craze that hit North America in the 1960s and 1970s and though he passed away in 2001, his legacy as a pipe maker still looms large in the industry today. Ivarsson's impact on the world of pipes really cannot… Continue reading Making an Invisible Shank Repair on a 1960s Sixten Ivarsson
Over the years, many pipe retailers commissioned established makers to produce pipes marked with the retailer's own brand, in much the same way that grocery chains today contract existing producers to make their house brand merchandise. For pipe lovers, buying a house brand can be a more accessible ( read "less expensive") route to acquiring… Continue reading A Hand Cut Stem for a Tinderbox Unique by Charatan
Happy Thanksgiving to all the American friends of DadsPipes! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday. And just in case you needed something else to be thankful for, my new book, Brigham Pipes - A Century of Canadian Briar, is now available on Smokingpipes.com. It will also feature in SPC's 2023 Holiday Gift Guide -… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving and Some Good News for US Brigham Fans!
One hundred years of operation is a milestone for any company and pipe makers are no exception. Blatter Pipes was established by brothers Ernest and Henri-Georges in Montreal, Canada in 1907 as an artisanal hand-crafted pipe house and remains a family-run business today. In 2007, Blatter released a special pipe to mark their 100th year.… Continue reading Going The Extra Mile for a Blatter Centenary Pipe
Packed full of never before published details on Brigham pipes and the pipe industry in Canada, a signed copy of Brigham Pipes - A Century of Canadian Briar is the perfect gift for the Brigham fan, pipe collector or history buff on your list this year. As we head into the Holiday season, please keep… Continue reading Christmas Book Orders
The COVID pandemic disrupted supply chains worldwide as countries sought to limit the spread of the disease. Probably the most well known example of this disruption was the shortage of computer chips used in cars, trucks and vans that resulted in long delays by manufacturers delivering new vehicles to dealerships. Pipe making supplies were also… Continue reading Customizing an Acrylic Cumberland Stem Blank for a Bari Wiking Handmade Stummel
The Brigham Norseman (rusticated) and Valhalla (smooth) pipes were first introduced in the 1960s and were produced until the early 1980s when the two lines were folded into the President series. The pipe on the bench today was made in Brigham's Toronto factory right at the end of the series' run. The pipe was sent… Continue reading A New System Stem for an Early 1980s Brigham Norseman
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