I’ve worked on several Everyman pipes over the last few years, and I’m always impressed with the build quality of these Comoy’s “seconds”. This shape 42 Bent Billiard is no exception. The pipe had been quite gently used before it came to my worktable. The exterior of briar and stem were greasy and dirty, and… Continue reading Quick Refresh of a Comoy’s “The Everyman” 42 Bent Billiard
This Scandia Freehand had fallen to the bottom of my refurb box more than once, as pipes sometimes do, so when I fished it out this week, I decided it was time to give it some loving attention. Scandia is a Stanwell seconds or sub-brand, but as far as I can tell, the only flaw in… Continue reading Dressing Off an Ivarrson Designed Scandia Freehand by Stanwell
The diamond-shanked Bulldog is one of the most ubiquitous and most recognized of the classic pipe shapes. Every maker had one, and it seems that just about every pipe smoker had at least one example in their rack at one point. This Kaywoodie Super Grain 98B is as classic as they come. Coming to me… Continue reading Reviving a Kaywoodie Super Grain 98B Straight Bulldog
I stumbled across this Peterson’s Deluxe Apple in a rack of four pipes on display at a local antique fair a few months ago. Apart from a fairly heavy crust of lava on the crowned rim and a bit of grime on the stem, the pipe was in excellent estate condition. It should be an… Continue reading An Easy Cleanup of a Peterson’s Deluxe 87S Straight Apple
I was recently sent another batch of Blatter estate pipes from a forum friend in Iqaluit, Nunavut. This large Rustic Ball pipe is the first of that lot to be tackled. I decided to start with an easy one this time. The pipe was in very good estate condition when it arrived on my worktable.… Continue reading Tidying Up a Large Blatter Select Rustic Ball
I pulled this little Squashed Tomato stummel from my box and decided it would be the focus of my next restoration. Though it measures a more or less standard 1.5 inches wide, the bowl is only 1.25 inches tall, with a proportionally small 5/8” chamber bore. The stummel came to me without a stem and… Continue reading An Autumn Makeover for a Darvill Squashed Tomato
I’ve been working on quite a few old Brigham pipes recently, so this Grabow Golden Duke Author was a welcome respite when I pulled it from my box of pipes waiting refurbishment. It has that classic chubby shape that, at least for me, holds a timeless appeal and the promise of a cool smoke thanks… Continue reading Reviving a Handsome Dr. Grabow Golden Duke Adjustomatic Chubby Author
Here is another new addition to my collection of Brigham pipes - a 3-Dot Shape 82 Bent Tankard. The pipe was in fine estate condition when I received it – it needed a good overall cleaning, of course, but it had been taken care of. The rim was the “biggest” minor issue. As you can… Continue reading Tidying Up a Brigham 382 Bent Tankard
One fun side effect of cataloging my pipes in support of the Brigham Shape Chart project was that I learned which pipe shapes I owned already, and by extension, which shapes I did not have in the collection. So I was pleased when this Brigham 287 showed up in a recent estate purchase. This 2-Dot… Continue reading “Tip & Tail” Repairs for a 1970’s Brigham 287 Bent Dublin
I pulled this old Kaywoodie out of the refurb box a little while ago and left it on the corner of my desk for a while before starting the restoration. The pipe is a lovely Author shape, slightly chubby, with an elegant half bend. It is stamped “KAYWOODIE” over “Flame Grain” over “Imported Briar” on… Continue reading Reviving a Kaywoodie Flame Grain 13B Author
