Pipe forums and other discussion groups are full of posts asking about crack repairs, especially to pipe bowls. Bowl cracks are generally the result of either accident, abuse or neglect - accidental drops or impacts can crack the wood, as can outright abuse like whacking the pipe against a hard surface to knock dottle out… Continue reading A Crack Pinning Tutorial
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.
An email pinged into my inbox a few weeks ago, sent by a fellow member of the Briars & Bull Pipe Club here in Kitchener. He had, he said, an old Dunhill pipe he'd like to have cleaned up, and would I be interested in tackling the project for him? I said yes, of course, and… Continue reading The English Patient – Repair & Restoration of a 1918-1921 Dunhill Shell Briar
This pipe restoration was a bit of a challenge, though not for the reason you might think. The refurb work was actually very straightforward and went smoothly but for one bump in the road. The challenge here rested in deciphering the brand information and tracking down the maker. The pipe is a straight Dublin shape.… Continue reading Researching and Reviving a Peter Piper by GBD
They say that wait times at your local hospital Emergency Room are bad, but I think this case proves that some victims wait longer than others. The patient in question had obviously been lingering between life and death for some time before I encountered it on my operating table. The question was could I save… Continue reading A Bulldog with a Concussion – Emergency Surgery for a Brigham 526
I had the opportunity to add this Patent Era (1938-1955) Brigham 302 billiard to my collection recently. The online auction listing by an Ontario antique dealer described the pipe as in “great used condition”. The pics, though darker and more shadowy than I would have deemed acceptable in one of my sales, looked ok, so… Continue reading Reviving a Tired Patent Era Brigham 302
I managed to squeeze one more restoration in before heading away for a bit of Christmas R & R with the family. The pipe was sent to me by a fellow member of the Brothers of Briar pipe forum. He had been given this old Hardcastle but needed the stem repaired before he could use it.… Continue reading Reviving a Family Era Hardcastle’s Jack O’London Blasted Billard
I've worked on quite a few bulldog pipes recently, so it was a refreshing change to reach into the refurb box and pull out this Dr Grabow Golden Duke. It's a larger pipe, measuring 6” long with a 2” tall bowl and a 7/8” bore. The bowl has the classic Dublin inverted-cone shape, flaring gently… Continue reading Stem Repair on a Grabow Golden Duke Wire-Carved Dublin
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
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