This is the second heirloom pipe send to me for work, along with the Medico Square Pot about which I wrote last time. This time I'm working on an LL Bean Bent Billiard fitted with an interesting Smokemaster filter system first produced by Briarcraft in the USA in the early 210th Century, and again later… Continue reading Tenon and Stem Repair for an Interesting LL Bean Bent Billiard
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IPSD 2022 Weekend Sale!
It's that time of year again! This Sunday, 20 Feb 2022, is International Pipe Smoking Day and to celebrate, DadsPipes is pleased to offer 15% OFF ALL PIPES & ACCESSORIES Sale prices in effect from Midnight (00:00) Eastern Time Friday Feb 18 through to 8pm (20:00) Eastern on Sunday Feb 20. Grab your IPSD 2022… Continue reading IPSD 2022 Weekend Sale!
Rebirth of an Inherited Medico VFQ Foursquare Pot
Often when we think of family heirloom pipes what comes to mind is Grandpa's collection of Patent-Era Dunhills or a complete set of Peterson Sherlock Holmes pipes, but the truth is that the vast majority of pipes sold during the Golden Age of pipe smoking (roughly the 1950s through to the 1970s) were relatively inexpensive,… Continue reading Rebirth of an Inherited Medico VFQ Foursquare Pot
Merry Christmas from DadsPipes
It's that time of year again, with all the wonder, joy, kindness, caring, stress, anxiety, loneliness and yes, even loss that comes with it. Moreover, it is another COVID Christmas, which adds another, less welcome, dimension to the 2021 Holiday season. Here at DadsPipes, as in many places across Canada and around the world, local… Continue reading Merry Christmas from DadsPipes
Saddle from a Taper – A New Stem for an Isle of Man African Meerschaum Bulldog
This Isle of Man Bulldog, made by Manxman Pipes Ltd, was purchased as an estate pipe by a DadsPipes reader and sent to me for some TLC. The restoration brief included a good cleaning and polishing along with a new stem that would allow the pipe's new steward to avoid having to work around the… Continue reading Saddle from a Taper – A New Stem for an Isle of Man African Meerschaum Bulldog
Freshening a Dr Plumb’s 5091 Bent Billiard
The Dr Plumb's brand has been around since 1925 when it was introduced by GBD as a budget line aimed primarily at the North American export market. First produced in France, Dr Plumb's pipes are now made in the UK and stamped accordingly. This Dr Plumb Bent Billiard arrived on the worktable for a basic… Continue reading Freshening a Dr Plumb’s 5091 Bent Billiard
A Quick Cleanup of a Savinelli Extra Lumberman
Not all estate pipe restorations are long, involved processes requiring specialized equipment - thankfully - yet even simple cleanup jobs can have remarkable outcomes. Such was the case for this Savinelli Extra Lumberman that recently passed through the shop. As this first series of pics shows, the pipe wasn't in bad shape when it arrived… Continue reading A Quick Cleanup of a Savinelli Extra Lumberman
Take a Moment to Say Thanks
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to count your blessings and appreciate the people and things, great and small, that bring joy, love and laughter to your life. This year, the second Thanksgiving observed during the global COVID pandemic, I'd like to do just that. Thank you to all those working in front-line jobs across the… Continue reading Take a Moment to Say Thanks
Rehabilitating a Modified Sultan Figural Meerschaum
This pipe arrived at the workshop recently, sent in from a pipe smoker in the Prairies for a bit of TLC. The subject is a figural meerschaum in the shape of a Sultan's head. The obvious issue was the broken Bakelite stem, which had snapped off near the shank. Less obvious before a closer examination… Continue reading Rehabilitating a Modified Sultan Figural Meerschaum
Creating a Mini-Warden from a Vintage Meerschaum Dublin
This old meerschaum stummel came to me in a lot of bowls I purchased from a pipe friend in the Netherlands. It caught my eye immediately due to its obvious age and deep amber coloration, though it had a few issues that would need to be sorted out before it found its next pipe steward.… Continue reading Creating a Mini-Warden from a Vintage Meerschaum Dublin