This week's post is something a bit different - a guest blog by Bohdan Shulakewych. I have worked on many of Bohdan's pipes, including some of his much-loved meerschaums. I hope you enjoy the read! - Charles I’ve been reading Charles’ blog almost religiously. I have provided him a number of pipes from my extensive… Continue reading A Meerschaum Adventure in Turkey
Steve Laug of RebornPipes.com has come up with a brilliant solution for saving a well and truly broken vintage pipe stem. You’d never know that stem arrived on his bench in pieces.
Blog by Steve Laug
I received an email from Pat about a pipe he had that he wanted to know if I would have a look at and see if I could do anything with it. Here is his first email.
Hello Steve, I have a 1930’s Comoy,s grand slam 210 Lovat with the old bar logo on the stem. The stem however is broken in three or four places. I have all the pieces but one. Is it possible to join the pieces back together again and fill the remaining hole from the missing piece? I visit your site often and you truly have done some amazing things. I don’t know if you typically do repairs but if you do would you consider taking on a repair like this. It’s a lovely old Comoy’s and I’d really like to bring it back to its former glory. Can you help?…
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Dal Stanton has provided a detailed tutorial here in the use of a Dremel/rotary tool to buff and wax pipes. This is something every piper should know. If you’ve got a Dremel, you’ve got a buffer!
Blog by Dal Stanton
My reaction to Steve’s request that I write a step by step procedure of how I use a Dremel in my restorations was, “Who, me? Uh….” When he said that I was the only one that he knew of that uses a Dremel for the entire buffing/polishing process and that my results were up there with high powered buffers, these results piqued his curiosity. When he also said that others too might be interested in my approach, I agreed to write this essay because I’ve benefit a great deal from reading others and discovering both methodologies of the art and the camaraderie that exists among pipe men (and women!) and those who restore tired pipes. So, I proceed with this caveat: Since I’ve never used a normal sized powered buffing wheel I can’t compare these with my use of a Dremel. My use of a Dremel…
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Dal has provided a great history of pipemaking in St Claude, France here. A post worth bookmarking, and a pipe restoration to be proud of. Thanks for posting, Dal!
Blog by Dal Stanton
The Jeantet Fleuron before me was mentioned when I posted the restoration of a beautiful BBB Banker Bent Volcano. I found both pipes last April, during a visit to ‘The Hole in the Wall’ antique store near the Zhenski Pazar (Women’s Market) in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria. In order to achieve a better bargain for the BBB Banker I grabbed the Jeantet out of the basket as a good candidate for a bundled deal, which helped me negotiate 30 Bulgarian Leva for the pair – not a bad deal! When I arrived home from the Hole in the Wall I took these pictures:
The bent egg shape is in pretty good condition with an attractive elongated bowl that fits well in the hand. The left side of the shank is marked with Jeantet (pronounced, ‘Zhawn-Te’) over Fleuron and on the right what I assume is the…
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A great example of Steve Laug’s eye for pipes, and a reminder that even aesthetically-challenged pipes deserve a second chance. Steve takes an ugly duckling and transforms it into a swan.
Blog by Steve Laug
My brother Jeff found this homemade no name Walnut Billiard on eBay and was drawn to it. He has sent me more panel pipes than I have ever bought myself… the funny thing is that I am starting to really like them. This one is quite unique and almost a folk-art piece. It is a panel but the carver did not worry about making things symmetrical. All of the sides are different sizes. The rustication is quite nice and I like it – almost like the surface of a golf ball. The rim is smooth and the bowl is almost round. The pipe had a little cake building but not enough to keep. The pipe was stained with a bland tan coloured stain but there appeared to be remnants of red stain in some places. The sanding on the smooth parts was a little rough and…
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This post by Troy at Baccy Pipes is a great reminder that small adjustments can make big improvements in the smoking qualities of a pipe. Troy did a great job with this pipe; I’m amazed at what he did with a Sharpie!
I actually got this pipe back around summer of 2014 when i first started refurbishing and repairing pipes. It was gifted to be by a member on the Dr.Grabow Collectors Forum. I was giving a few pipes by him that he did not want or use . I did not have many pipes at the time so the gifts were eagerly accepted by me . One of those pipes was this no name he picked up in a junk/antique store lot if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think he had more than a couple of dollars in it.
For the last two summers this has been one of my favorite pipes to sit outside with on the warm evening and nights . I usually load it up with some John Patton “Dark Horse” or “Storm Front” , just sit ,relax and drift away.
Well the warmer weather is arriving here so…
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Think that pipe in your box is done for? Take a look at this restoration, my second collaboration with Steve Laug of Reborn Pipes. We initially had labelled this pipe as firewood, but somehow managed a Hail Mary.
Blog by Steve Laug and Charles Lemon
My brother sent me a box of pipes and bowls that he had picked up. In it was an old square shank billiard that had seen far better days. The bowl sported a thick cake and was cracked 2/3rds of the way down the bowl on the front and another crack on the back of the bowl that went across the bowl to the left side. The finish was rough but there was some nice grain. Its stem was chewed up and was broken and smelly. I threw the unredeemable stem away. The bowl went into the parts box to be cannibalized for repairs. It was interesting that the pipe was stamped Poor Richard’s over Select over Bozeman, Montana on the left side of the shank. I grew up in Idaho and spent a lot of time in my early years in Bozeman…
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A shameless plug for the new Briars & Bull pipe club here in Kitchener, ON. We'd love to see you at an upcoming meeting!
The door opened and a man walked into the bar, pausing briefly in the doorway to allow his eyes to adapt to the dim light inside. The place was what optimists would euphemistically call a dive. The establishment was empty except for a few drunks and a large, bored-looking man behind the counter wiping glasses… Continue reading Mission Impossible: Operation Long Shot
Charles Lemon lives in Eastern Canada and Steve Laug lives in Western Canada. Connecting them across the distance is a common passion for restoring old pipes. Both men find beauty and pleasure in the work of restoration, and share their work on their respective blogs. Charles started and maintains DadsPipes – exploring the art of… Continue reading The When and Zen of Pipe Restoration
dadspipes.com 