Stem replacement is one of the bread-and-butter jobs for any pipe repair shop. I have fit hundreds of stems over the last decade or so, from relatively simple jobs using pre-cast stem blanks in Vulcanite and Acrylic to fully custom hand cut stems crafted completely in-house from Ebonite, Acrylic or Resin rod. As a writer,… Continue reading Replacing a Worn Out Acrylic Stem on an Armellini Verona 903
Some pipe lovers really enjoy a shiny pipe, something that pipe makers have recognized for decades. One common way to provide a low-maintenance, high shine finish to briar pipes is to add a gloss topcoat over the colour coat during finishing. While a topcoat maintains a pipe's shine for quite a while, it inevitably begins… Continue reading Refinishing a Peeling Peterson Killarney 65 Bent Billiard
Today's patient is a 2010 St Patrick's Day pipe by Peterson, sent in for some TLC by a Canadian piper in Ottawa, ON. Judging by the series of photos below, the pipe is one of its steward's favourites. The pipe had been well used but looked a bit worn out when it first arrived on… Continue reading Reviving a 2010 Peterson St Patrick’s Day Pipe
Metal pipes have been around since the 1930s, and while briar pipes make up the overwhelming majority of smoking pipes, metal pipes, made famous by the makers of Falcon and Kirsten pipes, have a strong following. Part of the success of metal pipes is their light weight and interchangeable bowls, which can be made from… Continue reading Restoring an English Made Arcadia Metal Pipe
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
Over the years, many pipe retailers commissioned established makers to produce pipes marked with the retailer's own brand, in much the same way that grocery chains today contract existing producers to make their house brand merchandise. For pipe lovers, buying a house brand can be a more accessible ( read "less expensive") route to acquiring… Continue reading A Hand Cut Stem for a Tinderbox Unique by Charatan
One hundred years of operation is a milestone for any company and pipe makers are no exception. Blatter Pipes was established by brothers Ernest and Henri-Georges in Montreal, Canada in 1907 as an artisanal hand-crafted pipe house and remains a family-run business today. In 2007, Blatter released a special pipe to mark their 100th year.… Continue reading Going The Extra Mile for a Blatter Centenary Pipe
The COVID pandemic disrupted supply chains worldwide as countries sought to limit the spread of the disease. Probably the most well known example of this disruption was the shortage of computer chips used in cars, trucks and vans that resulted in long delays by manufacturers delivering new vehicles to dealerships. Pipe making supplies were also… Continue reading Customizing an Acrylic Cumberland Stem Blank for a Bari Wiking Handmade Stummel
The Brigham Norseman (rusticated) and Valhalla (smooth) pipes were first introduced in the 1960s and were produced until the early 1980s when the two lines were folded into the President series. The pipe on the bench today was made in Brigham's Toronto factory right at the end of the series' run. The pipe was sent… Continue reading A New System Stem for an Early 1980s Brigham Norseman
As one might imagine, the majority of the pipes sent in to me for repair or restoration are fairly new, at least in pipe terms, dating from the Post-WWII years through to the present day. Every now and then, however, I get the chance to work with a genuinely old pipe like this 1902 Loewe… Continue reading Crafting a New Orific Stem for a 1902 Loewe & Co Army Mount Meerschaum
dadspipes.com 