This old Kaywoodie “500” came in a recent auction lot and arrived in fair condition for a pipe that was likely never expected to last as long as it has. On the other hand, the 500 and 600 lines from Kaywoodie were cheap, low-end pipes manufactured between 1959 and 1967, so perhaps my specific 500 wasn't… Continue reading Cleaning Up a Kaywoodie “500” Canted Billiard
This smaller pipe came to me in pretty rough cosmetic condition. Marked “Willard” over “Imported Briar”. Pipedia tells us this: "The Willard pipes were made by Sparta Industries in Sparta, N.C from 1963 to 1975 (about 60,000 pipes per week). Some were distributed by the Post and Base Exchanges that serviced the military during the… Continue reading Investigating a Melting Stem While Refreshing a Willard Imported Briar
This Jarl Sitter pipe (pictured third from the top in the left-most column in the pic below) is stamped “Oil Hardened” on the top shank and “Jarl” over “Made in Denmark” on the bottom shank. Across the shank at the mortise end is stamped “852”, and the stem sports a nicely defined “crowned J” Jarl… Continue reading Rehabilitating a Worn Jarl 852 Sitter
This pipe immediately caught my attention when I first unpacked the auction lot. Pictured in the top left corner of the pipe lot pic below, this Butz-Choquin Supermate Major struck me by its elegant simplicity. No fuss, nothing fancy, just good grain, clean lines and a classic Lumberman shape characterized by its long, pinched-oval shank… Continue reading Bringing New Life to a Scarred Butz-Choquin Supermate Major
I thought I'd squeeze in another post before heading out for a late-summer camping trip before back-to-school activities take over. This no-name Oom Paul pipe came to me in a recent auction lot purchase (second row from the bottom, centre column in the pic). It was in pretty good shape when it arrived. Compared to… Continue reading Dressing up a Drab Imported Briar Oom Paul
This restoration is a bit special for me, not for the pipe, but rather for the refurbishing apprentice I gained on this project – my daughter. Interested to know more about a subject that obviously captures my attention, my daughter asked if she could help with a refurb. Naturally, I gave her free pick of… Continue reading Refreshing a Whitehall Washington Park Zulu, with a Little Help From an Erstwhile Apprentice.
This is another pipe from my recently auction lot purchase. The shape and size of this Rhodesian is, at least for me, very appealing, though it may be a tad heavy for those that like to clench the pipe in their teeth. It is marked “Treaty Bond” over “Made in France” on the left shank,… Continue reading Filling and Filing – An Exercise in Repairing Pits and Dents on a Treaty Bond Rhodesian
This is the second pipe I've tackled from my recent auction lot. It is a Dunhill Shell Briar which met a horrible, Anne Boleyn-esque fate – off with its head! I'm guessing most of the auction lot came from the same estate, as no less than four of the 17 pipes had similar injuries. Was… Continue reading Resurrecting a Beheaded Dunhill Shell Briar Billiard
This is the first of 17 pipes I bought recently as an auction lot. This Medico Gold Crest billiard pipe had sat somewhere undisturbed for quite some time - there were actually cobwebs in the bowl! - but it promised to be a quick and rewarding refurb job. The 14K gold band and birdseye hiding… Continue reading Sweeping the Cobwebs Out of a Medico Gold Crest Billiard
My apologies to Mr. Dickens for the title, but it seemed appropriate for this teaser post! Until now, I have made estate pipe purchases in ones and twos - a pipe here, two there, working on them one at a time, getting them cleaned and restored/refurbished before adding them to my rack and starting the hunt… Continue reading The Ghost of Pipe Refurbs Yet to Come!
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