Some pipe lovers really enjoy a shiny pipe, something that pipe makers have recognized for decades. One common way to provide a low-maintenance, high shine finish to briar pipes is to add a gloss topcoat over the colour coat during finishing. While a topcoat maintains a pipe's shine for quite a while, it inevitably begins… Continue reading Refinishing a Peeling Peterson Killarney 65 Bent Billiard
Today's patient is a 2010 St Patrick's Day pipe by Peterson, sent in for some TLC by a Canadian piper in Ottawa, ON. Judging by the series of photos below, the pipe is one of its steward's favourites. The pipe had been well used but looked a bit worn out when it first arrived on… Continue reading Reviving a 2010 Peterson St Patrick’s Day Pipe
Metal pipes have been around since the 1930s, and while briar pipes make up the overwhelming majority of smoking pipes, metal pipes, made famous by the makers of Falcon and Kirsten pipes, have a strong following. Part of the success of metal pipes is their light weight and interchangeable bowls, which can be made from… Continue reading Restoring an English Made Arcadia Metal Pipe
Welcome to 2024, everyone! The move into a new year should be a time for looking forward to new experiences, new events, and better times ahead (or at least wishing a heartfelt good riddance to parts of the previous year we'd rather not repeat), so while I extend my best wishes to you for the… Continue reading Working Around a Shortage of Acrylic Stems
At this festive time of year, filled with family, friends (and special edition pipes!), I'd like to say thank you for a great 2023 and wish you and yours all the best for the year ahead. May your holidays be everything you hope. DadsPipes will close for the holidays on December 23rd and reopen on… Continue reading Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
As a restorer and pipe repairman, I am often asked about the value of a particular pipe. On the surface this is a straightforward question about potential resale value, but when one digs into things a bit further, the definition of "value" becomes quite a bit more complicated. Take today's pipe, a Medico VFQ Apple,… Continue reading A Complete Bowl to Button Restoration of an Heirloom Medico VFQ
Sixten Ivarsson was one of the Danish pipe makers at the forefront of the Danish Fancy craze that hit North America in the 1960s and 1970s and though he passed away in 2001, his legacy as a pipe maker still looms large in the industry today. Ivarsson's impact on the world of pipes really cannot… Continue reading Making an Invisible Shank Repair on a 1960s Sixten Ivarsson
Over the years, many pipe retailers commissioned established makers to produce pipes marked with the retailer's own brand, in much the same way that grocery chains today contract existing producers to make their house brand merchandise. For pipe lovers, buying a house brand can be a more accessible ( read "less expensive") route to acquiring… Continue reading A Hand Cut Stem for a Tinderbox Unique by Charatan
Happy Thanksgiving to all the American friends of DadsPipes! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday. And just in case you needed something else to be thankful for, my new book, Brigham Pipes - A Century of Canadian Briar, is now available on Smokingpipes.com. It will also feature in SPC's 2023 Holiday Gift Guide -… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving and Some Good News for US Brigham Fans!
One hundred years of operation is a milestone for any company and pipe makers are no exception. Blatter Pipes was established by brothers Ernest and Henri-Georges in Montreal, Canada in 1907 as an artisanal hand-crafted pipe house and remains a family-run business today. In 2007, Blatter released a special pipe to mark their 100th year.… Continue reading Going The Extra Mile for a Blatter Centenary Pipe
dadspipes.com 