Dunhill began using Bamboo for some of their pipes near the end of, or just after, the Second World War as an alternative to hard-to-source briar. Details on the first use of bamboo shanks by the English marque are a bit hazy, but the series is included at least as far back as the 1951… Continue reading Repairing a Seriously Cracked 1960 Dunhill W59 Whangee Bamboo Apple
Pipes of the Year are a relatively new development in the marketing of smoking pipes. In the early 1980s there were just a few manufacturers putting out limited runs of special edition pipes annually. Today, based primarily on demand from collectors, I'd wager that the majority of established pipe brands participate in at least one… Continue reading Restoring and Re-Stemming an Ascorti Business 2004 Pipe of the Year
I was rummaging around the shop the other day and rediscovered a handful of odd parts that have been lurking around for some time. I didn't have anything pressing on the worktable, so I decided to have a bit of fun and see what I could create. The stummel is an oldie, though exactly how… Continue reading Having a Bit of Fun Salvaging a Frankenpipe Nosewarmer
I found this Harcourt (made by Preben Holm for Dunhill in the late 1970s and early 1980s) on a recent wander through a local antique mall and couldn't pass it up. This pipe has beautiful lines - a long, slender bowl shaped like a Tulip flower, plateaux rim and shank end and lovely vertical flame… Continue reading Refreshing a Beautiful Harcourt B Freehand Tulip
This was an interesting project for me, requested by the same piper that brought me the Brigham Sportsman Freehand I wrote about last time. He had been wanting a Churchwarden pipe for some time and brought me a handful of pipes he thought might make good candidates for a conversion. In the end, we selected… Continue reading A Churchwarden Conversion for a 1980’s Brigham 129 Author
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