I actually pulled this pipe out of the box of waiting estate pipes quite some time ago, getting part way through the restoration and then leaving it on my desk for several weeks before finally coming back to it. Some pipes just seem to need time on the worktable while I putter with other projects… Continue reading Restoring a Well-Loved Stanwell Bamboo Peewit
Having served in the Canadian Forces Reserve during my university days, I'm a big fan of all things Army, including military mount pipes, so when this Nino Rossi Sterling 167 hit my worktable, I was quite excited to see what lay under the layers of tar and tarnish. This pipe was obviously a favourite of… Continue reading Rehabilitating a Well-Used Nino Rossi Sterling Spigot 167
Many pipe producers release an annual Pipe of the Year – a limited-run pipe in a distinct shape and finish representing the very best a pipemaker can produce each year. Coming from a highly regarded and skilled producer like Stanwell, these Pipes of the Year are top-notch pipes and highly collectible, so I was very… Continue reading Restoring a Very Special Six-Day Set of Stanwell Pipes of the Year
Sharp-eyed readers will have picked out this Gourd Calabash pipe in the picture of my recent estate lot purchase. Hollywood has ensured that the Calabash will be forever linked to the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, and indeed many Holmes fans buy a Calabash pipe just to display next to their Arthur Conan Doyle book… Continue reading Freshening an Andreas Bauer Gourd Calabash
Gurgles can be good. The burbling of a mountain brook is a pleasant, peaceful sound. Listening to the water splashing over rocks while lounging in the spreading shade of a willow on a sunny summer day can be positively therapeutic. Gurgles can be fun. Witness the sheer joy of children as they frolic in the… Continue reading Common Pipe Problems: Gagging the Gurgle
Finding an interesting old pipe is always a thrill for me, but finding a well-made vintage pipe that has survived in as-new, unsmoked condition is a real treat. This Delacour meerschaum and amber bulldog was part of the estate collection I acquired recently. There were a few other meers in the box, which I hope… Continue reading Showcasing an Unsmoked Delacour Meerschaum & Amber Bulldog
This beautiful GOC President freehand pipe is one of a handful of non-Danish pipes I received in my recent estate lot purchase, hailing instead from St. Claude, France. It was an eye-catcher right out of the box with its gracefully flowing shape and horn shank extension. I wondered at first whether this might be a… Continue reading OMG, What a GOC! Freshening a GOC President Freehand
OK, it's not THAT kind of brass band, but this Stanwell Brass Band 25 Freehand is almost as much fun. This is the second pipe I've cleaned up from what I've taken to calling The Stanwell Lot, a collection of mostly-Danish pipes from an estate outside of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. This Brass Band arrived on… Continue reading Where’s the Cornet Section? – Restoring a Stanwell Brass Band #25
I thought I'd start working through my recent estate lot purchase with a relatively easy refurbishment. This Danish Sovereign 179 Bent Apple is a Stanwell sub-brand, designed for export and sold exclusively in Canada and the USA. My best guess is that this pipe was made sometime in the 1980's. Judging by the layer of… Continue reading Digging the Danes – Cleaning up a Danish Sovereign 179 Bent Apple
I acquired this poker-sitter in a recent estate lot purchase. It arrived on my worktable with a few issues, and I'd find a few more surprises before the refurbishment was complete. A dense, uneven cake lined the bowl and a fairly thick layer of lava covered the rim, but not quite enough to conceal some… Continue reading Reviving a John Redman Ltd Canberra Poker Sitter
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