The pipe on the bench today is a bit of a Canadian classic - a Brigham Shape 29 Author. Part of the Brigham lineup almost from the very beginning, the 29 shape is, in this age of larger pipes, rather a small version of the shape, especially when compared to contemporary cousins like the Savinelli… Continue reading Crack Repair and Restoration of a Vintage Brigham 629 Author
There is an old adage that tiny problems become large problems if left unattended, and the pipe on the bench this week is a prime example of this truism. This Savinelli Freehand Dublin was clearly a favourite of its steward but maintenance and repairs were put off, allowing hairline cracks down both sides of the… Continue reading Reviving a Hard Ridden Savinelli Freehand Bent Dublin
Every pipe smoker has a favourite pipe. It's almost inevitable, I think, as people tend to find something that works for them - a particular button design, width or height, a bowl with just the right capacity or size to fit their needs the majority of the time. Have a look at any pipe lover's… Continue reading Major Repairs to a Much Loved Peterson Aran 68
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
I have often said that any pipe is restorable if the will to do so exists. This project put that statement to the test as I faced down some significant challenges on this Patent Dunhill Lovat's road to redemption. Sent to me by a Canadian college professor teaching in Massachusetts, the pipe had belonged to… Continue reading Restoration or Necromancy? Reviving a Well Loved Dunhill Patent Lovat
One of the things I enjoy most about operating a web-based business is that I never know where my next job will come from. Nearly a decade after first hanging my shingle out, about half of the repair and restoration projects that arrive on the bench are from domestic clients across Canada; the other half… Continue reading Rebuilding a Scorched & Shattered Dunhill Cumberland Dublin
One of the fun parts about pipe restoration is not knowing exactly what will show up in the shop. Will the next pipe be a Dunhill ODA, a huge artisan grade "War Club" or something more delicate, like the diminutive Frank Amberloid Bulldog that is the subject of today's post? Here is the pipe as… Continue reading Back From the Brink: A New Lease of Life for a Vintage Frank Amberloid Cased Bulldog
I recently worked my way through the cleanup and restoration of a newly acquired pipe collection sent to me from a fellow Ontario, Canada pipe lover. The collection of Danish pipes represented a few different brands, but was heavily weighted in favour of Pipe Dan pieces. Not having worked on a Pipe Dan pipe for… Continue reading Retouching Fills on a Dan Pipe Shape Reformed 18
I had a bit of down time in the shop over the Christmas holidays so I decided to have a bit of fun working up a stray stummel and a few other parts into a FrankenPipe. I first came across this term on Steve Laug's seminal pipe restoration site RebornPipes, used to indicate a functional… Continue reading New Year, New FrankenPipe
A little while ago I was contacted by a pipe smoker in California inquiring about repairs to a vintage Dunhill Captain Warren style pipe. For those unfamiliar, a "Captain Warren: is essentially a calabash with a removable bowl insert that sits above a condensing chamber at the bottom of the stummel. In the case of… Continue reading Restoring a 1932 Dunhill Patent Innertube Captain Warren
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