Blog

Restorations

Quick Cleanup for a Castello Old Antiquari KKKK

The fourth of five Castello pipes sent to me for cleanup and sale is a sandblasted Old Antiquari KKKK 1/8th Bent in what I will label as a Billiard despite its slightly unusual contours. While the rear line of the bowl is straight, the front of the bowl is slightly concave, giving the pipe a… Continue reading Quick Cleanup for a Castello Old Antiquari KKKK

Restorations

Freshening a Lovely Castello Natural Virgin G Bent Billiard

This is the third of five Castello pipes sent to me for cleanup and sale. I posted the refurbishments of the first two some time ago but have been distracted by the Brigham book for a bit. Now that I've got a bit of breathing room in the schedule it's time to finish off this… Continue reading Freshening a Lovely Castello Natural Virgin G Bent Billiard

Restorations

New Life for a Worn Old Pal Canadian

I was temporarily between projects the other day so I dug down to the bottom of my refurb box and came out with an old, well worn Canadian stummel. I brought it to the table and snapped this series of pics. Judging by the cleanliness of the chamber, I'll suggest that this stummel was never… Continue reading New Life for a Worn Old Pal Canadian

Restorations, Uncategorized

Reviving an Early Brigham Non-Patent Club

About a year ago, I wrote about the rediscovery of Brigham's early line of non-Patent pipes and the subsequent restoration of two examples. I recently acquired a third Non-Patent Brigham pipe to add to the collection, this time in what Brigham called a Club shape, otherwise known as a Lovat. Here is how the pipe… Continue reading Reviving an Early Brigham Non-Patent Club

Restorations

Renewing a Beautiful Castello “Castello” G Bent Billiard

This is the second of five Castello pipes I have been asked to restore and sell. Last time, we lookd at a sandblasted Castello Old Antiquari Oom Paul. This week we're cleaning up a Castello "Castello" G Bent Billiard. Castello was founded by Carlo Scotti in Italy in 1947 and has become known for its… Continue reading Renewing a Beautiful Castello “Castello” G Bent Billiard

Restorations, Uncategorized

Freshening a Castello Old Antiquari KKKK Oom Paul

I missed last Friday's post so I thought I'd push this one out a bit early. Posts will be spread out a bit over the next month or so to give me time to work on the Brigham book. I hope their quality makes up for the lack of quantity! - Charles Not long ago,… Continue reading Freshening a Castello Old Antiquari KKKK Oom Paul

Brigham Book, Pipe Essays

A Sneak Peek at the Brigham Book – Patent Era Pipes

I'm switching things up this week. Instead of a pipe restoration, I thought you might enjoy a sneak peek at some content from the Brigham pipes book. In this blog, we're going to take a closer look at Brigham Patent Era pipes, those made between 1938 and 1955. 1938 was a big year for Brigham… Continue reading A Sneak Peek at the Brigham Book – Patent Era Pipes

Restorations, Uncategorized

Sprucing Up a Beautiful Scantic Denmark 401 Billiard

This pipe is another one of those that has been languishing in my refurb box for quite some time - long enough that I can't remember exactly when or where I acquired it! High time to give it some attention. Here is how the pipe looked when I brought it to the worktable. It was… Continue reading Sprucing Up a Beautiful Scantic Denmark 401 Billiard

Restorations, Uncategorized

A New Stem and System Transplant for a Huge Brigham 3044 Oversize Billiard

I have had this late-1960s or very early 1970s Brigham 3044 Oversize Billiard in my box of refurbs for at least the last year if not longer. I've checked on it several times over that period, but I've never been able to tackle the work it needed until now. The problem has not been a… Continue reading A New Stem and System Transplant for a Huge Brigham 3044 Oversize Billiard

Restorations

Repairs and a New Stem for a Unique Bulldog Figural

This pipe came to me in a large mixed lot of estates for repair. It is an attention-commanding fist-sized chunk of briar carved into an equally commanding bulldog figural pipe. As you will see in this series of shots taken when I first brought the pipe to the worktable, the briar was in pretty good… Continue reading Repairs and a New Stem for a Unique Bulldog Figural