I reached into my box of pipes to refurbish the other day and this Medico VFQ billiard came out. It was in rough shape – the rim was worn nearly all the way around from being knocked against something to clear the dottle from the bowl. The previous piper evidently also had dubious aim with… Continue reading Reviving a Medico VFQ
I found this BBB 2 Star Billiard at a local antiques and collectibles sale. It was in rather good shape other than a very tarry rim with a few visible dents. The stampings were crisp – the BBB 2 Star logo on the left shank, with “London Made” over “385” on the right shank. The… Continue reading A Quick Refurb of a BBB 2 Star Billiard
Smoke Master is a now-extinct seconds brand of briar pipe originally made by a company called Briarcraft Pipe Company. The company did well in the early 20th century but closed its doors in the 1950's. The brand eventually ended up in the Grabow stable of brands, as outlined in this post from 2010 on PipeSmokersForum.… Continue reading Shortening a Cracked Shank on a Smokemaster Series 300
This is a story about potential and a bit of risk-taking to fulfil it. When I pulled this pipe from the refurb box, I immediately felt that it wasn't quite living up to its potential, not necessarily as a functional pipe, but rather as an “objet d'art”. Pipes, in my mind, fall into that rare category… Continue reading A New Vision for a Butz-Choquin Galion 1661 Sitter
Down near the bottom of my box of estate pipes to refurb was this Yello Bole Standard Brylon octagonal billiard. I had noticed the unique shape of the bowl when the auction lot arrived, but I figured I had better do some research before playing with this pipe too much. According to Pipedia, Brylon was… Continue reading What the Heck is Brylon?? – A Yello Bole Standard Panel Billiard
This old Kaywoodie “500” came in a recent auction lot and arrived in fair condition for a pipe that was likely never expected to last as long as it has. On the other hand, the 500 and 600 lines from Kaywoodie were cheap, low-end pipes manufactured between 1959 and 1967, so perhaps my specific 500 wasn't… Continue reading Cleaning Up a Kaywoodie “500” Canted Billiard
This smaller pipe came to me in pretty rough cosmetic condition. Marked “Willard” over “Imported Briar”. Pipedia tells us this: "The Willard pipes were made by Sparta Industries in Sparta, N.C from 1963 to 1975 (about 60,000 pipes per week). Some were distributed by the Post and Base Exchanges that serviced the military during the… Continue reading Investigating a Melting Stem While Refreshing a Willard Imported Briar
This Jarl Sitter pipe (pictured third from the top in the left-most column in the pic below) is stamped “Oil Hardened” on the top shank and “Jarl” over “Made in Denmark” on the bottom shank. Across the shank at the mortise end is stamped “852”, and the stem sports a nicely defined “crowned J” Jarl… Continue reading Rehabilitating a Worn Jarl 852 Sitter
This pipe immediately caught my attention when I first unpacked the auction lot. Pictured in the top left corner of the pipe lot pic below, this Butz-Choquin Supermate Major struck me by its elegant simplicity. No fuss, nothing fancy, just good grain, clean lines and a classic Lumberman shape characterized by its long, pinched-oval shank… Continue reading Bringing New Life to a Scarred Butz-Choquin Supermate Major
I thought I'd squeeze in another post before heading out for a late-summer camping trip before back-to-school activities take over. This no-name Oom Paul pipe came to me in a recent auction lot purchase (second row from the bottom, centre column in the pic). It was in pretty good shape when it arrived. Compared to… Continue reading Dressing up a Drab Imported Briar Oom Paul
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