Merchant Service pipes were made famous in the late 1930s and 1940s by superstar entertainer Bing Crosby, who was a fan of the simple yet elegant pencil shanked billiards originally produced by Herbert Merchant Inc. Herbert Merchant died in 1944, and original production of Merchant Service pipes seems to have stopped sometime in the early… Continue reading Repairing a Merchant Service Pencil Billiard
There is an old adage that tiny problems become large problems if left unattended, and the pipe on the bench this week is a prime example of this truism. This Savinelli Freehand Dublin was clearly a favourite of its steward but maintenance and repairs were put off, allowing hairline cracks down both sides of the… Continue reading Reviving a Hard Ridden Savinelli Freehand Bent Dublin
Every pipe smoker has a favourite pipe. It's almost inevitable, I think, as people tend to find something that works for them - a particular button design, width or height, a bowl with just the right capacity or size to fit their needs the majority of the time. Have a look at any pipe lover's… Continue reading Major Repairs to a Much Loved Peterson Aran 68
I'm always impressed by the vast array of pipe shapes and styles available on both the new and estate pipe markets. While many pipe lovers enjoy the classic Billiard, Bulldog and Pot shapes, others take great pleasure in the more unusual or esoteric examples of the pipe carver's skill. The French-made pipe on the worktable… Continue reading A New Diamond Taper Stem for an Interesting Grapevine-Carved Bruyere Extra
Estate pipes have become increasingly popular over the last five or six years, and with that rise in popularity among pipe smokers and collectors has also come an increased interest in estate pipe restoration. Sometimes DIY restorations go very well indeed, but other times even experienced restorers can have things go wrong. When that happens,… Continue reading Repairing the Repairs on an Early 19th Century KB Bent Bulldog
Often when we think of family heirloom pipes what comes to mind is Grandpa's collection of Patent-Era Dunhills or a complete set of Peterson Sherlock Holmes pipes, but the truth is that the vast majority of pipes sold during the Golden Age of pipe smoking (roughly the 1950s through to the 1970s) were relatively inexpensive,… Continue reading Rebirth of an Inherited Medico VFQ Foursquare Pot
The pipe on the bench today was sent to me by a gentleman who has become a regular client of mine over the last year or so. We have been restoring the pipes in his extensive collection batch by batch and just when he thought he was finished, a few loose stummels were discovered at… Continue reading Meerschaum Rescue & Re-Stem
Following closely behind broken tenons on the list of the most common pipe repairs is the shank crack. Lengthwise cracks - those that run up the shank from the mortise - are usually the result of the same accident that broke the tenon and are typically easily fixed with the addition of a shank band.… Continue reading Shank Repair & a New Stem for a Brebbia Palladio
dadspipes.com 