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
This is a story about potential and a bit of risk-taking to fulfil it. When I pulled this pipe from the refurb box, I immediately felt that it wasn't quite living up to its potential, not necessarily as a functional pipe, but rather as an “objet d'art”. Pipes, in my mind, fall into that rare category… Continue reading A New Vision for a Butz-Choquin Galion 1661 Sitter
Down near the bottom of my box of estate pipes to refurb was this Yello Bole Standard Brylon octagonal billiard. I had noticed the unique shape of the bowl when the auction lot arrived, but I figured I had better do some research before playing with this pipe too much. According to Pipedia, Brylon was… Continue reading What the Heck is Brylon?? – A Yello Bole Standard Panel Billiard
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
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
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