Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

Things I’ve Learned About Restoration over Three Years of DadsPipes Blogs, Part I

Hi folks. I had a chance recently to read back through the last three years of DadsPipes blog posts, an experience I found both interesting and informative. Apart from becoming more comfortable writing the blogs themselves and some technical improvements in my photography skills, I have noticed several changes in my restoration process and techniques… Continue reading Things I’ve Learned About Restoration over Three Years of DadsPipes Blogs, Part I

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Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

A Pipe, Good Coffee and the Love of a Dog

I'm sitting on the back patio this morning, enjoying the first nice weather we've had for a while - a probably all too short break in an otherwise hot, sticky summer here in Southwestern Ontario. It's a welcome change, and I'm making the most of it with a good cup of coffee and one of… Continue reading A Pipe, Good Coffee and the Love of a Dog

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

A Quick Tour of the DadsPipes Worktable

I was asked recently about my pipe repair and restoration setup, so I thought I'd do a little write-up here. Though there have been a few changes over the years, the core tooling and supplies have remained basically the same. DadsPipes utilizes four areas of our home here in Kitchener, including the garage where I… Continue reading A Quick Tour of the DadsPipes Worktable

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

Some People Meditate. I Smoke a Pipe.

I sometimes get asked why I smoke a pipe. It is, after all, the rarest method of tobacco consumption in Canada these days (only about half of one percent of tobacco users are pipe smokers). If it's nicotine you're after, there are more efficient, though arguably more diabolical, delivery methods than a cantankerous old briar.… Continue reading Some People Meditate. I Smoke a Pipe.

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

The Official Unofficial Brigham Shape Chart

Time for another Shape Chart update! Here is Version 2.0. (uploaded 13 Sept 2019). Download a PDF of the Shape Chart Here This updated features about a dozen new pipe shapes and a lot more pictures, thanks to submissions from readers like you! Many thanks to fellow pipers Andrew Colman, Ian Campbell, Ryan Thibodeau, Blake… Continue reading The Official Unofficial Brigham Shape Chart

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

The Completely Unofficial Brigham Pipes Shape Chart v0.1 Beta Release

Here it is, folks - the first draft of the Brigham Pipes Shape Chart! Note that is really is a DRAFT release, compiled in large part from my own collection, submissions from other Brigham owners, and a few old catalogs. There are still a great many gaps to fill to complete the project, so if… Continue reading The Completely Unofficial Brigham Pipes Shape Chart v0.1 Beta Release

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

Pipe Life Hack – Turning a $13 Walmart Organizer into a 12-Pipe Storage Cabinet

Pipe storage is a perennial issue for every pipe smoker with more than one pipe in the rotation. Simply put, those briars, cobs and meers need to go somewhere when they’re not in use. Pipe shops and specialty retailers offer a wide range of pipe stands, racks and cabinets in all shapes and sizes to… Continue reading Pipe Life Hack – Turning a $13 Walmart Organizer into a 12-Pipe Storage Cabinet

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

Two Years, Two Hundred Posts and the Power of Online Communities

Time flies when you're having fun! Two years and two hundred posts ago, I started this little pipe blog called DadsPipes as a personal project to record the clean-up of my father's modest collection of pipes. I figured if anyone read it, great! And if not, no harm done. Well, people DID read it, and… Continue reading Two Years, Two Hundred Posts and the Power of Online Communities

Pipe Essays, Uncategorized

Announcing the Brigham Pipe Shape Chart Project

Hi everyone, I'm putting out this short mid-week post to announce a new project - the Brigham Pipe Shape Chart! Over its 100-plus years of production, Brigham has put out a boggling array of pipe shapes from classic Billiards and Bulldogs to Freehands and more exotic experimental pipes. This means that there's almost always a… Continue reading Announcing the Brigham Pipe Shape Chart Project