The family got together this past Easter weekend, and soon after arriving, my oldest brother presented me with this peculiar object and a request for me to clean it up for him. Our father had a penchant for oddball pipes which he satisfied periodically with things like this torpedo-shaped take on the Zeppelin pipe, a… Continue reading Quick Cleanup of a Mastercraft Cigar Pipe Sparkless
Before anyone says it, no, there's really no such thing as a “typical” estate pipe cleanup; just like home renovations, you never really know what you're getting into until you open up a wall. That said, I think this particular refurbishment is fairly representative of the type of work required to take a reasonably well-treated,… Continue reading A Typical Estate Pipe Refurb – Cleaning Up a Brigham 384 Bent Brandy
A great example of Steve Laug's eye for pipes, and a reminder that even aesthetically-challenged pipes deserve a second chance. Steve takes an ugly duckling and transforms it into a swan.
This pipe was sent to me by a fellow member of the Canadian Cigar Forum. It had been his grandfather's, and the owner wanted to be able to use it. The problem, I was told, was that the tenon had been broken at some point in the past. The remaining stem had been cut down… Continue reading Re-Stemming Grandpa’s Sabra Israel Apple
I spotted this Alpha pipe on eBay and managed to submit the winning bid at a price reflective of the pipe's condition. It's always nice when that works out. I think most other bidders were put off by the euphemistically described “hairline” crack running about 3/8” up the shank from the mortise, but as I… Continue reading Banding a Cracked Shank on a Truly Filthy Alpha Enterprise Chubby Bulldog
I acquired this late-1970s/early 1980s vintage Brigham 189 Acorn pipe at a recent auction. It's on the larger size as far as Brigham pipes go, and I knew right away that it would feel great in the hand. The auction pictures weren't the greatest, as it seems is so often the case, but the pipe… Continue reading Spring Cleaning for a Brigham 189 Acorn
This post by Troy at Baccy Pipes is a great reminder that small adjustments can make big improvements in the smoking qualities of a pipe. Troy did a great job with this pipe; I’m amazed at what he did with a Sharpie!
I actually got this pipe back around summer of 2014 when i first started refurbishing and repairing pipes. It was gifted to be by a member on the Dr.Grabow Collectors Forum. I was giving a few pipes by him that he did not want or use . I did not have many pipes at the time so the gifts were eagerly accepted by me . One of those pipes was this no name he picked up in a junk/antique store lot if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think he had more than a couple of dollars in it.
For the last two summers this has been one of my favorite pipes to sit outside with on the warm evening and nights . I usually load it up with some John Patton “Dark Horse” or “Storm Front” , just sit ,relax and drift away.
Well the warmer weather is arriving here so…
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This pipe has been on and off my work table since last August, believe it or not. It was just one of those projects that went in fits and starts, in this case due to the stubborn refusal of an old repair to submit to my ministrations. The pipe is a nicely shape full bent stamped… Continue reading Reworking a Shank Repair on a Jeantet Neuilly Bent
Think that pipe in your box is done for? Take a look at this restoration, my second collaboration with Steve Laug of Reborn Pipes. We initially had labelled this pipe as firewood, but somehow managed a Hail Mary.
Blog by Steve Laug and Charles Lemon
My brother sent me a box of pipes and bowls that he had picked up. In it was an old square shank billiard that had seen far better days. The bowl sported a thick cake and was cracked 2/3rds of the way down the bowl on the front and another crack on the back of the bowl that went across the bowl to the left side. The finish was rough but there was some nice grain. Its stem was chewed up and was broken and smelly. I threw the unredeemable stem away. The bowl went into the parts box to be cannibalized for repairs. It was interesting that the pipe was stamped Poor Richard’s over Select over Bozeman, Montana on the left side of the shank. I grew up in Idaho and spent a lot of time in my early years in Bozeman…
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Here's another two-for-one pipe refurbishment. I've been picking up estate pipes in ones and twos recently, and adding them to the refurb box as I go. When I realized I had two vintage Brigham Shape 29 (aka Author) pipes waiting for me, I decided to work on them together. The first pipe is a 2-Dot… Continue reading Author, Author! Cleaning up a Pair of Brigham Shape 29 Pipes
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