I was contacted by a pipe friend a little while ago to see if I would be interested in sprucing up an estate pipe he had recently won on eBay. Of course I said yes! The buyer was quite excited about this project – not only is it his first Dunhill, but it’s also a birth-year pipe for him!

As the pipe was coming to me direct from the online seller, the owner couldn’t give me a first-hand opinion on the pipe’s condition. When it arrived at my house, I was keen to get a look at it. I opened the box and took this series of pictures.

Overall, the pipe was in good shape, though clearly in need of a good cleaning. The finish was grimy and clouded, the rim was hidden under a lava crust and the stem was oxidized a yellowy-grey colour. The stem had a patch…