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Restoring an Underwhelming Habitant Deluxe Chubby Bulldog

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

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Bowl Cracks and Stem Bites on a Trypis Bent Billiard

Among the pipes waiting to be refurbished from my last estate purchase was this Trypis bent billiard. Philip Trypis worked for Brigham Pipes in Toronto before going out on his own, and he built himself quite a reputation and following. This is the first Trypis pipe I've worked on, but hopefully not the last. This… Continue reading Bowl Cracks and Stem Bites on a Trypis Bent Billiard

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Rehabilitating a Worn Jarl 852 Sitter

This Jarl Sitter pipe (pictured third from the top in the left-most column in the pic below) is stamped “Oil Hardened” on the top shank and “Jarl” over “Made in Denmark” on the bottom shank. Across the shank at the mortise end is stamped “852”, and the stem sports a nicely defined “crowned J” Jarl… Continue reading Rehabilitating a Worn Jarl 852 Sitter

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Bringing New Life to a Scarred Butz-Choquin Supermate Major

This pipe immediately caught my attention when I first unpacked the auction lot. Pictured in the top left corner of the pipe lot pic below, this Butz-Choquin Supermate Major struck me by its elegant simplicity. No fuss, nothing fancy, just good grain, clean lines and a classic Lumberman shape characterized by its long, pinched-oval shank… Continue reading Bringing New Life to a Scarred Butz-Choquin Supermate Major

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Refreshing a Whitehall Washington Park Zulu, with a Little Help From an Erstwhile Apprentice.

This restoration is a bit special for me, not for the pipe, but rather for the refurbishing apprentice I gained on this project – my daughter. Interested to know more about a subject that obviously captures my attention, my daughter asked if she could help with a refurb. Naturally, I gave her free pick of… Continue reading Refreshing a Whitehall Washington Park Zulu, with a Little Help From an Erstwhile Apprentice.

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Filling and Filing – An Exercise in Repairing Pits and Dents on a Treaty Bond Rhodesian

This is another pipe from my recently auction lot purchase. The shape and size of this Rhodesian is, at least for me, very appealing, though it may be a tad heavy for those that like to clench the pipe in their teeth. It is marked “Treaty Bond” over “Made in France” on the left shank,… Continue reading Filling and Filing – An Exercise in Repairing Pits and Dents on a Treaty Bond Rhodesian