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!
Pipe makers and restorers use various types of bowl coatings for a variety of reasons. Some coatings are factory-applied to new pipes in the belief that they help protect the briar wood of the bowl from burnouts and assist in the formation of cake - that even layer of hard ashy stuff that insulates the… Continue reading A Simple & Effective Bowl Coating
I just finished up my first ever pipe build and am reasonably pleased with the end result. I've certainly paid more money on a cheap off-the-shelf pipe, and I get the bonus of claiming this one as my very own creation. I started with one of two briar blocks I bought from a local gent… Continue reading My First Attempt at Pipe Carving – A Rusticated Nosewarmer!
