Restorations, Uncategorized

Freshening a Republic Era Peterson Kildare 01

I found this Peterson Kildare 01 at a local antique shop a while back and decided it was high time to spiff it up a bit. First a little research. Mark Irwin's exhaustive work on Peterson pipes, The Peterson Pipe Book, provides this information in the section entitled Collector's Guide: Kildare  1965 –  First issue of… Continue reading Freshening a Republic Era Peterson Kildare 01

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Restorations, Uncategorized

Quick Refresh of a 1990’s Era Brigham 321 Woodstock

Today's restoration is really more of a very good cleaning. This Brigham 321 (which Brigham called a Woodstock shape but other may label a Zulu) was well cared for by its previous owner as evidenced by the lack of dents, dings and scratches in the briar and vulcanite. The pipe had certainly been previously enjoyed… Continue reading Quick Refresh of a 1990’s Era Brigham 321 Woodstock

Restorations, Uncategorized

Stem Repairs and a Good Cleaning for a Handsome Earl’s Court Silver Mount Prince

Every now and again I come across a pipe about which I can find no information. This Earl's Court Prince is one such mystery. All of my searching has turned up exactly zilch, zip, zero - rather frustrating, especially as it is a well-made pipe with some years on it. This series of pcitures show… Continue reading Stem Repairs and a Good Cleaning for a Handsome Earl’s Court Silver Mount Prince

Restorations, Uncategorized

Reclaiming a Trashed Brigham 720

A recent eBay purchase left me wondering about the habits and motivations of a certain subset of old pipe smokers, specifically those that seem to show no care or concern for maintaining their favourite briar companions. The eBay lot was made up of five old Brigham pipes which included both high end and entry level… Continue reading Reclaiming a Trashed Brigham 720

Restorations, Uncategorized

Quick Refresh of a Brigham 454 Smooth Bent Pot

Like many collectors, I feel a little jolt of adrenaline every time I add a new pipe shape to my growing array of Brigham pipes. That jolt gets bigger when a new shape comes in a mid to high grade pipe like this Brigham 4 Dot. The pipe arrived on my worktable in decent estate… Continue reading Quick Refresh of a Brigham 454 Smooth Bent Pot

Restorations, Uncategorized

Rescuing a Cracked & Beaten 1960 Dunhill Shell Briar 142 Dublin

When it comes to the regular care and feeding of one’s pipes, it seems that pipe smokers can be divided into one of two camps – those who treat their pipes well and those that do not. In the first camp you will find people who clean their briar, meer or cob before it blocks… Continue reading Rescuing a Cracked & Beaten 1960 Dunhill Shell Briar 142 Dublin

Restorations

Reclaiming a Chapuis-Comoy Royal Coachman 182 Billiard

I acquired this pipe as part of a mixed box of estate pipes I picked up a few months ago. The large Billiard now on my worktable stood out from the lot, partly due to its size – the bowl is large, at 1.5” wide and 2” tall, with a 7/8” bore – and partly… Continue reading Reclaiming a Chapuis-Comoy Royal Coachman 182 Billiard

Restorations, Uncategorized

New Life for a Beaten Dr Plumb Standard 9132 Billiard

I picked up this Dr Plumb billiard off eBay for very little money; the pics below of its original condition will tell you why. It was in rough shape to say the least. The rim had been absolutely destroyed by repeated hard dottle-knocking against stone or brick. The scarred remains were layered with lava and… Continue reading New Life for a Beaten Dr Plumb Standard 9132 Billiard