The use of Bamboo in pipe making became popular in the middle of the last century, between the end of the Second World War and about the mid-1950s. Dunhill's Wanghee pipes, featuring briar bowls, bamboo shanks and Ebonite stems, are one well-known example. Bamboo as a pipe material is really quite ingenious. Bamboo is very… Continue reading Making a Wanghee Style Bamboo Shank and Stem for a Petite Meerschaum
Dunhill began using Bamboo for some of their pipes near the end of, or just after, the Second World War as an alternative to hard-to-source briar. Details on the first use of bamboo shanks by the English marque are a bit hazy, but the series is included at least as far back as the 1951… Continue reading Repairing a Seriously Cracked 1960 Dunhill W59 Whangee Bamboo Apple
Ask any pipe smoker, maker or collector and they will all tell you that the weakest part of a pipe, and thus the part most prone to damage, is the stem tenon. Most often cut as an integral part of the stem itself, the tenon holds the stem securely in place at the end of… Continue reading A New Delrin Tenon for an Interesting Tom Spanu Bamboo Freehand
Every so often, I receive a pipe for restoration that has been worked on before at some point in its past – sometimes professionally, but more frequently by a well-meaning piper attempting to save a cherished smoking companion. This Bari Pearl is a good example of the latter category. When I brought this bamboo-shanked Bent… Continue reading Repairing an Old Repair on a Bari Pearl 7080 Bamboo Bent Billiard
