I had a bit of work done in the garage (aka my workshop) recently, including the installation of a most effective heater to prevent my pipes, tools and supplies from freezing in these cold winter months. While I was tidying up afterwards, I decided to sift through my boxes of pipes waiting to be restored.… Continue reading Resurrecting a Forlorn 1990’s Brigham 241
Christmas is here! Weeks of preparation, anticipation and trepidation culminate in a frenzy of gifts, guests and gluttony. Family and friends gather, delightful and exhausting. Glasses are raised and plates piled high, love given and received. Joyful chaos reigns, intense but too soon over. Stillness descends, peace after the storm. Pipe, chair and fire beckon. Time… Continue reading Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Pipe!
Hi folks. I've got another Brigham restoration for you today, this time a 1960's 5-Dot Shape 76 Tulip. I was lucky enough to acquire this briar in a box of assorted pipes a while back but it's been stuck at the bottom of my refurb box for a while. In comparison to the 1990's Brigham… Continue reading Reviving a Slightly Downtrodden Post-Patent Era Brigham 576 Tulip
For many Billiard lovers, there is no pipe quite as billiard-y as an English Billiard, and this Comoy's Guildhall 28 is a prime example of English pipemakers' mastery of this classic pipe shape. The Comoy's Shape Chart published on Pipedia.org identifies the Shape 28 as a "Billiard, Straight, Medium". In practice, this translates to a… Continue reading Freshening a Pre-Cadogan Comoy’s Guildhall 28 Billiard
After working on a few pipes for friends, I decided to pull one of my own out of the refurb box! This 5-Dot Brigham bent brandy is an unusual piece for several reasons. It's the first example of a Shape 36 I have come across, which is always exciting for me, and the shape itself… Continue reading Restoring an Unusual 1990’s Era Chunky 5-Dot Brigham Bent Brandy 36
This pipe was sent to me by a friend in Calgary, Alberta for a bit of attention. The owner pointed out that the chamber floor was over-reamed, leaving the draft hole above the bottom of the bowl. I was also asked to look at the stem and give my opinion on what was going on… Continue reading Reviving a Chunky Carved Roxborough Genuine Briar Billiard
It's official - Winter is on its way here in Southwestern Ontario! I'm sitting in my office watching snow flurries dance outside the window - quite pretty if you ignore for a moment the 30km/h north wind that cuts everything to frozen ribbons. I'm also still adjusting to the clock's "falling back" an hour - a… Continue reading Cold Weather Piping – Welcome to Winter!
PLEASE NOTE: The latest, most complete version (v3.0) of the Brigham Shape Chart can be found in my book, Brigham Pipes - A Century of Canadian Briar , and includes more pipe shapes and images than ever before. ***** As promised, here is the latest version of the Official Unofficial Brigham Shape Chart, v1.2! This… Continue reading Brigham Shape Chart v1.2 Now Live!
The title of this post is a bit misleading – ok, it’s a complete bait and switch. I’m not talking about THAT pot at all (which should, of course, stay as far away from your prized briars, meers and cobs as humanly possible). Rather, I’m writing about a Patent Era Brigham 145 Extra Large Pot… Continue reading Showing Off My Pot as Canada Preps for Legal Cannabis
I'm excited to post this blog entry today as it marks the addition of a new shape to my collection of vintage Brigham pipes. Besides satisfying my "gotta get 'em all" fixation, this pipe also hits all the collector's marks for age, condition and grade. This time I'm working on a Patent Era (1938-1955) Brigham… Continue reading Adding a Patent Era Brigham 478 Townsman to the Collection
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