Restorations, Uncategorized

A Birthday Pipe and a Pirate Curse

"Step up, lad," cried Silver. "I won't eat you. Hand it over, lubber. I know the rules, I do; I won't hurt a depytation." Thus encouraged, the buccaneer stepped forth more briskly, and having passed something to Silver, from hand to hand, slipped yet more smartly back again to his companions. The sea-cook looked at… Continue reading A Birthday Pipe and a Pirate Curse

Restorations, Uncategorized

A Bit of TLC for a Stanwell Brazilia 19

Regular DadsPipes readers will not be surprised by now to find out that the Stanwell Shape 19 is yet another Sixten Ivarsson design, and a classic shape in Stanwell’s catalog. Bas Stevens, in his list of Stanwell shape numbers, characterizes the design rather drily as “Bent, triangular bowl, saddle mouthpiece” - a bland description that… Continue reading A Bit of TLC for a Stanwell Brazilia 19

Uncategorized

The Thrill of the Hunt and a Bakelite Learning Curve with a 1920’s Grundel Special Canadian

I recently attended a large, semiannual antiques and vintage items sale about an hour away from home. It was one of those outdoor, rain or shine, events and so of course it rained the entire time I was there. Despite a golf umbrella, raincoat and waterproof hiking boots, I was wet to the skin within… Continue reading The Thrill of the Hunt and a Bakelite Learning Curve with a 1920’s Grundel Special Canadian

Restorations, Uncategorized

Cleanup of a Savinelli Nonpareil Smooth 9904 Bent Dublin

When I first pulled this pipe from my refurb box, I thought I was looking at another Danish design. It was only after taking a closer look that I realized it was, in fact, an Italian pipe, a Savinelli Nonpareil 9904, which Savinelli describes as a Bent Dublin. The pipe is stamped “Savinelli” over “Nonpareil”… Continue reading Cleanup of a Savinelli Nonpareil Smooth 9904 Bent Dublin

Restorations, Uncategorized

Refreshing a Stanwell Royal Guard 01-M Freehand Pickaxe

This is likely one of the last “simple” restorations from the Danish Lot, the estate collection I purchased last Spring. I'll be getting into the weeds with some trickier repairs on future pipes, but cleaning up this Stanwell Royal Guard was about as straightforward as it gets. The pipe arrived on the worktable in excellent… Continue reading Refreshing a Stanwell Royal Guard 01-M Freehand Pickaxe

Restorations, Uncategorized

A Quick Cleanup of a Stanwell Deluxe Shape 62

This freehand is one of those rare estate pipes that require very little effort to make smoke-worthy. This pipe was either very well cared for or smoked only once or twice in its previous life. The pipe is marked “Stanwell” over “De Luxe” on the left shank, and “Made in Denmark” on the underside. A… Continue reading A Quick Cleanup of a Stanwell Deluxe Shape 62

Restorations, Uncategorized

Cleaning Up a Stunning Søren Freehand Sitter

This beautiful Søren freehand pipe is similar in shape to the Karl Erik pipe in a previous  post. Both pipes are freehand sitters with plateau tops on rim and shank, and both have fancy turned stems, but of the two, this Søren takes the prize for perfect briar. Unlike the Karl Erik, which had a… Continue reading Cleaning Up a Stunning Søren Freehand Sitter

Restorations, Uncategorized

Restoring a Vacation Find – A Cased Bruyere Garantie Long-Shanked Billiard

I recently returned from a family vacation to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. It was great to see family and friends again and do a bit of “touristing” with the kids before the back-to-school maelstrom hit. My father-in-law helped me track down this pipe at an antique shop not too far from the Confederation Bridge, which… Continue reading Restoring a Vacation Find – A Cased Bruyere Garantie Long-Shanked Billiard

Restorations, Uncategorized

Refreshing a Karl Erik Grade 2 Freehand Sitter

My apologies on the wait for this post. I had hoped to get it done before our family vacation but there you have it. This one is for all you Danish Freehand pipe fans. The Danes invented Freehand pipes and have proven to be darned good at it. This example is a Karl Erik pipe,… Continue reading Refreshing a Karl Erik Grade 2 Freehand Sitter