I acquired this Dutch-made bent bulldog from Steve Laug of RebornPipes in a recent trade. It was in pretty good shape to start, which is a nice change from some of the estate pipes in my refurb box. It is stamped “Big-Ben” over “Grand Seigneur” on the left face of the diamond shank, and “15479S”… Continue reading A New Coat for a Big-Ben Bent Bulldog
My estate pipe collecting must have hit critical mass this past month. Most of what I get in an average estate lot are complete pipes; of these, about 90% or more are able to be restored to close to factory condition. The other 5-10%, however, are too far gone and I end up salvaging what… Continue reading My First Spare Parts Pipe and a Rustication Experiment
After a few more challenging refurbs, it was nice to change things up with a relatively straightforward one. This Mackenzie Extra bent pipe came out of my refurb box quite dirty – tarry rim, dings and dents, oxidized stem, etc – but even through the dirt one could plainly see that the grain on this… Continue reading Quick Clean-Up of a Mackenzie Extra 1452
Some pipe shapes jump out at you from across the room, grabbing your attention in the equal but opposite way other shapes make you wonder what the carver could possibly have been thinking. I was immediately drawn to this pipe when I spotted it on a recent estate pipe hunting expedition. The chubby bulldog reminded… Continue reading Restoring an Underwhelming Habitant Deluxe Chubby Bulldog
“It may...be judged indecent in me to come forward on this occasion; but when I see a fellow-creature about to perish through the cowardice of her pretended friends, I wish to be allowed to speak, that I may say what I know of her character.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein With Devil's Night fast upon us,… Continue reading A Hallowe’en Horror Story: Bringing a Brigham Back from the Dead!
This is one of the last pipes from my first estate lot purchase to hit my work table. It's in the top right corner of the pipe lot pic below. Even from this poor shot, you can see that the stem needs some tweaking. The pipe appeared to be in halfway decent condition when I… Continue reading Large Fills and Stem Work on a Small Well Pipe Bent
This pipe was sent to me for refurbishment from a gentleman in Kansas. He had recently acquired it and wanted it spruced up before he started using it himself. After a brief email conversation, we agreed on a plan of action and before too long a box arrived at my door with this Shamrock inside.… Continue reading Freshening a Pre-Republic Peterson Shamrock 120F
I reached into my box of pipes to refurbish the other day and this Medico VFQ billiard came out. It was in rough shape – the rim was worn nearly all the way around from being knocked against something to clear the dottle from the bowl. The previous piper evidently also had dubious aim with… Continue reading Reviving a Medico VFQ
I found this BBB 2 Star Billiard at a local antiques and collectibles sale. It was in rather good shape other than a very tarry rim with a few visible dents. The stampings were crisp – the BBB 2 Star logo on the left shank, with “London Made” over “385” on the right shank. The… Continue reading A Quick Refurb of a BBB 2 Star Billiard
This is a story about potential and a bit of risk-taking to fulfil it. When I pulled this pipe from the refurb box, I immediately felt that it wasn't quite living up to its potential, not necessarily as a functional pipe, but rather as an “objet d'art”. Pipes, in my mind, fall into that rare category… Continue reading A New Vision for a Butz-Choquin Galion 1661 Sitter
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