Restorations, Uncategorized

Stem Repairs and a New Tenon for a Peter Stokkebye 911 Volcano

I've had the parts of this pipe in a ziplock bag in my refurb box for some time, and decided to pull it out for a look a few days ago. Despite a layer of dust and a crust of lava on the rim, this Peter Stokkebye Volcano had the undeniable appeal of a most… Continue reading Stem Repairs and a New Tenon for a Peter Stokkebye 911 Volcano

Restorations, Uncategorized

New Year, New Challenge! Fitting a New Army Mount Stem to a Peterson K&P Irish Made X105

Welcome to 2019, everyone! I hope it is a peaceful and prosperous year for all. I’ve been putting off and putting off this particular job, but finally pulled myself together and sat down to get it done! On the worktable today is a Peterson K&P Irish Made X105 Army mount Billiard. It came from a… Continue reading New Year, New Challenge! Fitting a New Army Mount Stem to a Peterson K&P Irish Made X105

Restorations, Uncategorized

Resurrecting a Forlorn 1990’s Brigham 241

I had a bit of work done in the garage (aka my workshop) recently, including the installation of a most effective heater to prevent my pipes, tools and supplies from freezing in these cold winter months. While I was tidying up afterwards, I decided to sift through my boxes of pipes waiting to be restored.… Continue reading Resurrecting a Forlorn 1990’s Brigham 241

Restorations

Reviving a Slightly Downtrodden Post-Patent Era Brigham 576 Tulip

Hi folks. I've got another Brigham restoration for you today, this time a 1960's 5-Dot Shape 76 Tulip. I was lucky enough to acquire this briar in a box of assorted pipes a while back but it's been stuck at the bottom of my refurb box for a while.  In comparison to the 1990's Brigham… Continue reading Reviving a Slightly Downtrodden Post-Patent Era Brigham 576 Tulip

Restorations, Uncategorized

Freshening a Pre-Cadogan Comoy’s Guildhall 28 Billiard

For many Billiard lovers, there is no pipe quite as billiard-y as an English Billiard, and this Comoy's Guildhall 28 is a prime example of English pipemakers' mastery of this classic pipe shape. The Comoy's Shape Chart published on Pipedia.org identifies the Shape 28 as a "Billiard, Straight, Medium". In practice, this translates to a… Continue reading Freshening a Pre-Cadogan Comoy’s Guildhall 28 Billiard

Restorations, Uncategorized

Restoring an Unusual 1990’s Era Chunky 5-Dot Brigham Bent Brandy 36

After working on a few pipes for friends, I decided to pull one of my own out of the refurb box! This 5-Dot Brigham bent brandy is an unusual piece for several reasons. It's the first example of a Shape 36 I have come across, which is always exciting for me, and the shape itself… Continue reading Restoring an Unusual 1990’s Era Chunky 5-Dot Brigham Bent Brandy 36

Restorations, Uncategorized

Reviving a Chunky Carved Roxborough Genuine Briar Billiard

This pipe was sent to me by a friend in Calgary, Alberta for a bit of attention. The owner pointed out that the chamber floor was over-reamed, leaving the draft hole above the bottom of the bowl. I was also asked to look at the stem and give my opinion on what was going on… Continue reading Reviving a Chunky Carved Roxborough Genuine Briar Billiard

Restorations, Uncategorized

Showing Off My Pot as Canada Preps for Legal Cannabis

The title of this post is a bit misleading – ok, it’s a complete bait and switch. I’m not talking about THAT pot at all (which should, of course, stay as far away from your prized briars, meers and cobs as humanly possible). Rather, I’m writing about a Patent Era Brigham 145 Extra Large Pot… Continue reading Showing Off My Pot as Canada Preps for Legal Cannabis

Restorations, Uncategorized

Adding a Patent Era Brigham 478 Townsman to the Collection

I'm excited to post this blog entry today as it marks the addition of a new shape to my collection of vintage Brigham pipes. Besides satisfying my "gotta get 'em all" fixation, this pipe also hits all the collector's marks for age, condition and grade. This time I'm working on a Patent Era (1938-1955) Brigham… Continue reading Adding a Patent Era Brigham 478 Townsman to the Collection

Restorations, Uncategorized

A Churchwarden Conversion for a 1980’s Brigham 129 Author

This was an interesting project for me, requested by the same piper that brought me the Brigham Sportsman Freehand I wrote about last time. He had been wanting a Churchwarden pipe for some time and brought me a handful of pipes he thought might make good candidates for a conversion. In the end, we selected… Continue reading A Churchwarden Conversion for a 1980’s Brigham 129 Author