Several recent posts on RebornPipes and PipesRevival about CustomBilt pipes reminded me that I had a very similar pipe in my refurb box waiting for my attention. I found the pipe, but when I looked at the stampings, I discovered that it was not a CustomBilt at all; rather, it was stamped “Yello-Bole” over '“hand made”'… Continue reading Cleaning Up a Yello-Bole Hand Made, With a Bit of Learning Curve Thrown In
I pulled this Medico Double-Dri pipe out of my refurb box the other day. It had been rattling around in there for a while, and I decided it was time to do something about it. There are several well-known brands of pipes designed with removable and interchangeable bowls – the Falcon and Kirsten pipes jump… Continue reading Medico’s Answer to the Falcon – The Double-Dri
Hi everyone. Here's a quick mid-week post to share a DIY solution to every piper's perennial pipe storage shortage. I made this 28-pipe storage/display rack in just a few hours. I was lucky enough to find a 24" x 32" piece of 5/8" plywood in my garage, and a rummage through the fabric bin turned… Continue reading A Quick DIY Pipe Display
After a few more challenging refurbs, it was nice to change things up with a relatively straightforward one. This Mackenzie Extra bent pipe came out of my refurb box quite dirty – tarry rim, dings and dents, oxidized stem, etc – but even through the dirt one could plainly see that the grain on this… Continue reading Quick Clean-Up of a Mackenzie Extra 1452
Here is a super technique shared by Dave Gossett on RebornPipes for removing the stain from briar pipes. I'll be trying this on my next estate refurb for sure. Thanks Dave!
Some pipe shapes jump out at you from across the room, grabbing your attention in the equal but opposite way other shapes make you wonder what the carver could possibly have been thinking. I was immediately drawn to this pipe when I spotted it on a recent estate pipe hunting expedition. The chubby bulldog reminded… Continue reading Restoring an Underwhelming Habitant Deluxe Chubby Bulldog
“It may...be judged indecent in me to come forward on this occasion; but when I see a fellow-creature about to perish through the cowardice of her pretended friends, I wish to be allowed to speak, that I may say what I know of her character.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein With Devil's Night fast upon us,… Continue reading A Hallowe’en Horror Story: Bringing a Brigham Back from the Dead!
Just a quick post to show off my new buffing station 😀 Up til now, I've been mounting buffing wheels in my drill press. This has worked out fairly well, as I can adjust the drive belt on the press to manage the RPMs of the spindle. It's a fairly quick adjustment process, but a… Continue reading New Buffing Station Day!
Among the pipes waiting to be refurbished from my last estate purchase was this Trypis bent billiard. Philip Trypis worked for Brigham Pipes in Toronto before going out on his own, and he built himself quite a reputation and following. This is the first Trypis pipe I've worked on, but hopefully not the last. This… Continue reading Bowl Cracks and Stem Bites on a Trypis Bent Billiard
For those of you wanting to take a more scientific or deliberate approach to your tobacco tastings and reviews, this article walks you through the basics and even provides a tasting notes sheet to get you started. Enjoy!
dadspipes.com 