Over the years, I have developed a generally good sense of the age of a pipe based on its size, shape and finish, among other details. This Peterson Sherlock Holmes meerschaum, however, surprised me. When it arrived on the work table, the pipe was looking far from its best. The stem was heavily oxidized with…
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Leonard Payne was a British pipe maker who immigrated to Canada and set up shop in British Columbia. His pipes can be found on the Canadian estate market, though I’m not sure how many pipes were produced over the years. The entry on Pipedia.org is brief and to the point: Mike Glukler of Briar Blues, states,…
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Today I’m back digging around in the estate lot of pipes I purchased last summer. Along with the Brigham 5W1 I wrote about last time, the lot included another Brigham – an interesting 5-Dot Bent Brandy. I have pulled it out of the refurb box several times since I acquired it, trying to get a…
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I’m asked fairly regularly about where and how I source the estate pipes featured in the blog. I have bought many individually or in small groups from antique shops and fairs, but every now and then I buy an estate lot. Last summer I did just that, bringing home a mixed batch of about 60…
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Those of you familiar with the Brigham Shape Chart will already be aware that Brigham made many of the classic pipe shapes in a number of different sizes. Prior to the shift to European production, Brigham Billiards came in four regular sizes (Shapes 01, 02, 03 and 04) with several variants, including Tall, Chimney and…
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About a year ago, I wrote about the rediscovery of Brigham’s early line of non-Patent pipes and the subsequent restoration of two examples. I recently acquired a third Non-Patent Brigham pipe to add to the collection, this time in what Brigham called a Club shape, otherwise known as a Lovat. Here is how the pipe…
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This pipe is another one of those that has been languishing in my refurb box for quite some time – long enough that I can’t remember exactly when or where I acquired it! High time to give it some attention. Here is how the pipe looked when I brought it to the worktable. It was…
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Here’s an interesting Brigham pipe for those with a penchant for something out of the ordinary. I spotted this 5-Dot on eBay and though I admit that the shape isn’t really my thing, I was nonetheless captivated. I entered a bid and won the auction. In due time, the pipe arrived at the house and…
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Today’s post is another trial of the replacement aluminum tenon/filter holders I designed and made in my shop for use in repairing vintage Canadian-made Brigham pipes. If you missed the earlier post on the development of these tenons, you can find it here. As I’ve mentioned previously, Brigham moved to the newer composite tenons in…
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Back in early September of this year, I picked up a cased pair of pipes at a local antique sale. The first pipe found inside the nicely fitted case (marked “Special” over Barling’s” over “London Make”) was a Peterson Kapmeer 24S, about which I wrote in November. Today’s post will look at the work done…
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