Monthly Archives: February 2013

A Reborn Real Briar Prince – Restemmed and Restored

Quite a few of the old stummels in my box for restemming are stamped Real Briar over Made in Italy. This one caught my eye. It had a great classic shape of a Prince. I dug through my can of stems and found an old stem that would work on this little prince with some work. The bowl was coated with tars and needed to be reamed. The rim was tarred and the cake overflowed the bowl onto the rim. On the bottom left side of the bowl near the shank were several fills that were visible and ugly. The shank was plugged with tars and oils and I could not pass a pipe cleaner through it. The old stem I picked had the right shape but was also badly oxidized and coated with a calcification that was white and hard. The button had a single hole drilled in the centre but it had been damaged and had been worn toward the top of the button. This one was going to be a challenge but it was something I wanted to give a shot.

I used my Dremel with the sanding drum to cut away the excess material on the diameter of the stem. The next three photos show the stem after it has been shaped to close to the diameter of the shank. The rest of the work would have to be done by hand. The first one shows the state of the stem when I started with it. The second and third photos show the stem after I had sanded it with emery paper to remove the oxidation and the calcification.

I wiped down the bowl with acetone and in doing so found a hairline crack in the shank on the underside of the pipe. I don’t believe this was done in fitting the stem as the fit is actually very precise and smooth. There was no stress on the shank from the new stem. The look of the crack also was dirty and showed that it had been there for awhile. The next two photos below show the crack in the shank on the underside.

I dripped some superglue into the crack and then heated a nickel band and pressure fit it on the shank. I then took a little more of the stem material off so that the fit to the band would be smooth and not bulge. The next two photos show the band and stem fit. The band seems to really dress up this old Real Briar Prince.

I wiped the bowl down with several more wipes of acetone on a cotton pad to break up the varnish coat. I have found that the acetone softens the varnish and makes it easier to sand off with sand paper. I also decided to sand off the rim to get rid of the hard tars. The next two photos show the process I use for sanding the rim. In this case since I was restaining the pipe anyway I did not care if the finish was removed from the rim.

I then sanded the bowl and shank with a foam back medium grit sanding pad to remove the varnish coat. I sanded it until the bowl finish was foggy looking and then I wiped it down with acetone once again on a cotton pad. The next three photos show the result of the sanding and washing with acetone. The finish is finally beginning to break up and the briar is down to the stain coat.

I put the stem on the bowl and continued to sand the stem and the bowl with the sanding sponge that is pictured with the pipe. The next three photos show the progress of the sanding. Once I was finished the sanding I wiped it down a final time with the acetone and cotton pad to prepare it for restaining.

The next three photos show the bowl after I have stained, flamed, restained and flamed it again. I stained the rim three times to get it to be the same colour as the bowl. It took a bit of work to get the colours to match. I used a dark brown aniline stain mixed in a 2:1 ratio with isopropyl alcohol to attain the colour that I wanted for this pipe. I have learned that the mix is great for hiding unsightly fills and blending them into the rest of the bowl.

I removed the bowl and went to work on the button. The airway in the button was actually quite large and had been cut very close to the edge of the button. I examined it and could see that the damage was fairly surface. The airway inside the button was centered in the button so the edge would need to be built up to accommodate the new slot that I would cut into the button. I used a two part 5 minute epoxy that I mixed and inserted into the damaged edge of the airway with a dental pick. This took a bit of time to get it to the point that I was happy with. The first photo below shows the airway when I started on the repairs.

The next three photos, though a little blurry show the repair in process. To start with I used my needle files to open up the airway into a slot. I wanted to provide a straight edge to build up to on the airway so that I that the epoxy would stay put in the right place. The epoxy is wet and shiny in these photos and is visible on the bottom edge of the stem photos. The slotted airway is very clearly visible in these photos showing the process of rebuilding the airhole.

The next photo shows the dried patch in the airway and the even slot that is present in the button. I needed to let the epoxy harden before I finished the shaping of the slot to an oval that easily took a pipe cleaner.

The next three photos show the repaired airhole and the newly cut slot in the button. The first photo shows the stem held in my hand upside down. The repair is visible at the 6 o’clock position in the picture and looks like a small divot in the slot. The slot itself is smooth and the divot is the patch. The second photo shows the stem right side up and the repair is visible at the 12 o’clock position. The final of the three photos shows the small oval needle file that I used to open the airway. I inserted it into the slot to give an idea of the size of the files that I use to do the work on these slots.

I then turned my attention to the stem itself. It needed a lot more sanding to clean it up and bring out a clean shine. The first photo below shows the polish that I gave it with the Maguiar’s Scratch X2.0. I rub this on with my fingers and then scrub it off with the cotton pad. The polish is white and when I rub it off it is the brown colour that stains the cotton pad in the picture below. Once I had finished with the polish I then sanded it with the micromesh sanding pads. I only took one photo (the second one below) to show the sanding process. I used 1500-12,000 grit micromesh sanding pads to remove the scratches and shine the stem.

I continued to work on the stem but removed it from the bowl and gave the bowl a cotton bole and alcohol treatment to remove the strong sour smell that came from the bowl. I stuffed the bowl with a cotton bole, put a pipe cleaner in the shank and used my ear syringe to fill the bowl with Everclear. I left it to sit on the ice cube tray while I went hunting at the flea market. It sat for about 4 hours before I removed the cotton bole and flamed the bowl to remove the remaining alcohol. The first photo shows the pipe when I first set it up. The second one is how it looked four hours later when I returned home and removed the cotton.

I cleaned the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners. I used my Kleen Reem drill bit to clean out the softened tars in the airway in the shank. The amount of gunk that came out is astonishing. I wiped it and ran the bit through several times to get the airway back to the briar. Then I used many pipe cleaners dipped in Everclear to finish cleaning the shank. Once I was finished I reinserted the finished stem on the bowl and gave it a coat of Obsidian Oil and then multiple coats of carnauba wax to give the pipe a finished shine. The next four photos show the finished pipe.

Italian Made Pot Refurbished and Reborn with a New Look

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This was one of the stummels from a box of pipes without stems that are all that are left of a big lot of pipes I was gifted by a friend. There are about 30 left, I have restemmed many of them over the past year and given away many more. This one is a no name Italian Made that is stamped Real Briar in italics and stamped on the left side of the shank. It is a rusticated bowl and as can be seen in the picture below had a cracked shank. The stem that is in the pipe is one that I recycled from my can of stems. It needed to be cut down to make the diameter of the shank match the diameter of the stem. I also needed to band the shank to do a repair to the crack.

The picture below show the bowl as it came to me. It had been reamed with something that scored the bottom of the bowl and left marks. It was however very clean. The rim had slight darkening but was otherwise clean as well. The inside of the shank was clean and fresh. The pipe took very little prep other than repairing the cracked shank to ready it for the new stem.

To prepare it for banding I checked through my box of bands to find one that would give a good tight fit when pressure fit to the shank. I found one that would work but also found that the carved grooves in the finish of the pipe made a tight fit to the shank virtually impossible to obtain. I used my dremel to remove some of the grooves to the depth of the band width. I checked the band fit several times and took off enough of the briar to obtain a tight fit. I was able to step down one size in bands and got a perfect fit. The next two photos show the shank prepared for the fitting of the band. I also used some superglue to repair the crack in the shank. I pried it open with a dental pick inserted in the shank and applied pressure to open the crack enough for the superglue. I dripped the glue into the crack and squeezed it shut until it dried.

I slid the band on to start the fitting and then took it to my heat gun. I heated the band on the shank and then pressed it into place. I repeated the process until the band was properly placed on the shank. The next two photos show that process – I heat the band and then press it on using the piece of carpet on my work table.

Once the band was in place I used my Dremel on the stem to remove the excess material on the diameter of the stem. I have found that if I run it at a medium speed I can control the sanding drum and not cut gouges in the vulcanite. It requires a steady hand and patience to get the work done without cutting too deeply into the stem and causing gouging that takes a lot of sanding to remove. After I cut away the necessary excess I also sanded the tenon for a proper fit in the shank. Once I had banded the pipe it no longer fit as easily. I wanted a smooth and snug fit but not one that would damage the shank. The picture below shows the stem after I have started sanding the stem with medium grit emery cloth to sand out the scratches and fine tune the fit against the band.

I continued sanding with the emery cloth until the fit was what I wanted. The next two photos show the pipe with its new look. The band is in place and the stem fits. It is a nice chunky stem that I think matches the shape and flow of the bowl and shank nicely. I still had a lot of sanding to go. I continued with the emery cloth to remove the build up and oxidation around the button area. I decided to rework the entire stem and then polish it to a shine.

The next series of two photos show the progressive work on the stem. In the background of the pictures are some of the tools that I used in the work – a flat file, emery cloth and some 280 grit sandpaper. When I had finished the stem to this point all that remained was to work on it with some 320 grit and some 400 and 600 grit wet dry sandpaper before moving on to sanding it with the micromesh sanding pads.

At this point I decided to take a break from sanding – the old fingers were getting a bit sore. I used a brass tire brush to clean off the remnant of tars on the rim and then restained the pipe with a dark brown aniline stain thinned 2:1 with isopropyl alcohol. I applied it with a dauber and then flamed it and restained a second time and flamed it again. I then took it to the buffer and buffed it with Tripoli and White Diamond to give it a shine and remove the excess stain from the high spots on the briar and lend a little contrast to the darkened grooves. The next two photos show the restained bowl.

I filled my water bowl with warm water and took out the micromesh pads and began to sand the stem. I began by wet sanding with 1500, 1800 and 2400 grit micromesh pads that I wet with water and then sanded the stem. Between each pass on the stem I would wipe it dry to see how the scratch removal was progressing. The next three photos show the stem after sanding with the 1500 grit micromesh. The scratches are beginning to disappear. Before moving on to sanding with the 1800 grit I decided to polish the stem with Maguiars Scratch X2.0 I applied it by hand and the scrubbed it off with a cotton pad. The next four photos show that process with the applied polish and then the stem after wiping it off.

After wiping the stem down a final time I wet sanded it with 2400 grit micromesh sanding pads. I wanted to continue to remove the surface scratches from the vulcanite and begin to move toward a polish.

The next photo shows the stem after dry sanding with 3200 grit micromesh. The shine is deepening in the finish of the stem.

I then shifted to dry sanding with 3600, 4000 and 6000, 8000 and 12,000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I sanded and wiped them down between each grit change. By the time I got to the 6000 the shine was visible and the finish was very smooth. The difference after sanding with the 8000 and 12,000 is remarkable.

The final four photos below show the finished pipe. Once I had finished sanding it I gave it a final polish with the Maguiars and then took it to the buffer for a buff with White Diamond. I then rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil and finally gave it several coats of carnauba wax and a buff with a soft flannel buffing pad. The newly born Italian pot is ready to smoke and has a new streamlined look that I really like.

Review of a Nachwalter Dublin

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I picked this Nachwalter pipe up for a good price from Mike at Briar Blues many years ago now. It seems that the older I get the faster time seems to spin. It is a nicely shaped Dublin. The pipe came with a cloth pipe sock in black velevet. (I am not sure this was one Mike threw in or whether it came that way from Nachwalter). The workmanship on this pipe is very nice. I have smoked it quite a bit over the years since I got it. It has been through at least two moves during that time and has survived both of them with a time of storage between them both. This is a third review I am writing today since I had the day off. The length of the pipe is 5 3/4 inches and the bowl height is 2 ¼ inches. The outer diameter of the bowl is 1 ¾ inches. The chamber diameter is 1 inch and depth is 1 1/2 inches. It is a large bowled pipe and is light for its size. It sits well in the nook of the hand formed by the thumb and index finger on either hand. The stamping is on both sides of the shank. It is stamped on the left side in an oval. The outer ring of the oval is stamped THE BRIAR WORKSHOP on the top of the oval and DESIGNERS/PIPEMAKERS on the bottom side of the oval. In the centre of the oval it is stamped CORAL SPGS over FLA. USA. On the other side of the shank it is stamped in script Elliot Nachwalter and under that is stamped his signature.

The pipe has a smooth finish and the staining choice highlights the great grain. The bowl is surrounded by flame grain/straight grain. The top of the bowl cap and the bottom of the bowl and shank has some beautiful birdseye grain. This pipe is larger than it looks and with the 1 inch diameter bowl, holds a lot of tobacco. Regardless of the size it fits well against the thumb and rests comfortably in hand. The stain appears to be made up of several coats. There seems to be a dark understain that makes the grain stand out. Over this is a coat of reddish brown, it is not an oxblood but more of a mahogany looking stain. The rim is crowned, almost a reversed chamfer. The inner edge is beveled into the bowl and the out edge is sharp to the sides. The crowned top gives the pipe slightly curved top look from the side.

The stem is a well-made taper crafted from ebonite or vulcanite. It is a softer feel in the mouth and on the teeth than acrylic. The stem tapers gradually back to the button and is just the right thickness at the portion that rides in the mouth – not too thick or too thin. It is also durable and is made of quality material as it has not oxidized in the years I have had it and appears to have remained black for the previous owner as well. The snowflake logo that is on Nachwalter pipes is faded slightly but the impression is still visible on the left side of the stem. The tenon is an integral part of the stem and is chamfered/ countersunk and well-polished. The button is well shaped – thin at the edges with a very slight rise to the centre top and bottom, forming an eye shaped end view. The lip on the button is very slight but still fits well behind the teeth for a comfortable feel. The draught hole in the end of the button is also funneled to deliver a mouthpiece that has the same diameter from start to finish. Comfortable and well executed. A pipe cleaner passes easily through the pipe with no obstruction.

Internally, the pipes made by the Briar Workshop that I have had over the years, have all had exceptional mechanics. The bowl chamber on this one is large – drilled to a 1 inch diameter. The inner edge of the bowl us beveled to the rim. The outer edge is sharp and clean. The outer edges are slightly sanded so that the edges where the top and sides meet are not sharp but gently rounded. This pipe was purchased as an estate but I don’t believe that the bowl was coated with any bowl coating. When I bought the pipe it was still barely smoked and the walls on the lower part of the bowl were still clean briar. The cake built up on the bowl very easily. The draught hole is centered at the bottom of the bowl and seems to have a slight funnel leading into the shank and stem. There is a very easy and open draw to the pipe. The fit of the stem to the shank is excellent – smooth and tight with no light showing at the joint. The tenon fits well in the mortise and seems to sit deep in the mortise against the bottom. The airway is in the centre of the mortise and aligns with the airway in the tenon. The edges of the tenon have been polished and rounded and the airhole countersunk so that it meets the airway in the mortise. The pipe does not whistle or gurgle when smoked. Looking at the airways with a flashlight it is clear to see that they are smooth and polished with no rough edges.

I have smoked this pipe many times since I received it from Mike at Briar Blues. Because of the large bowl I do not reach for it as often as I used to because I tend to favour smaller bowls at present. I have found that it is a good flake pipe. It is one I used when I folded and stuffed flakes. It smokes cool and easily and delivers good flavor with the Virginias that I choose to smoke in it.

Review of a Ronson Centenary Bulldog

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Blog by Steve Laug

I picked this pipe up for a really cheap price on EBay. It came in a beautiful handmade wooden box lined with dark blue velvet on the inside of the box and the lid. The lid also has the golden Ronson logo. Ronson is famous for the lighters that they make but after receiving and smoking this beauty I would also say they make a fine pipe. The pipe came with a leather pipe sock and a certificate of authentication for the Centenary version of the pipe. The workmanship on this pipe is very nice. I have smoked it quite a bit since that time and it is a great smoke. Since I had the day off today I decided to also write a review on this one. The length of the pipe is 5.8 inches and the bowl height is 2 inches. The chamber diameter is .8 inches and depth is 1.8 inches. It is a large pipe but weighs 78 grams. It is a good fit in the hand. The overall shape is something like a bent bulldog. There is a sterling silver band on the shank with sheaves of laurels. The stamping is on the sides and the bottom of the triangular shank. It is stamped on the left side Ronson using the Ronson logo type and on the right side 47. On the underside of the shank it is stamped RONSON over CENTENARY over 1896-1996 and surrounded by Laurels. That dates the pipe to 1996. It came to me unsmoked.

The finish on the outside of the pipe is smooth and has some great grain. The bowl is surrounded by flame grain/straight grain. The top of the bowl cap and the bottom of the bowl and shank has some beautiful birdseye grain. This is a big looking and feeling pipe but it is comfortable in the hand. The carvers have achieve a carving that fits equally well in both the right and the left hand. The double rings turned into the bowl to separate the bowl from the bulldog cap are really nicely cut. The band is integrated into the shank and has a smooth band on the shank side and the stem side with sheaves of laurels cast or carved into the centre space of the band. The stain appears to be multilayered with a black understain to highlight the beautiful grain on the briar and then topped with a light brown and possible an orange over stain. I believe it is also topped with a shellac coat to give it a great shine.

The stem is a well made half saddle stem handcrafted from acrylic. The blade of the stem is well tapered, quite short and thin without sacrificing durability. The saddle meets the blade on the top surface at a 90 degree angle and has been polished to a shine. The logo insert on the stem is a steel circle with an orange centre that matches the stain on the briar. The triangular shape of the stem to the saddle is nicely done and almost pinched looking where it sits against the band.

Interestingly the shank and stem are the same dimensions on all three sides. From the 90 degree saddle the blade is flattened and curved toward the edges giving it a very refined look. It tapers very gradually back to the button. It is a comfortable bit in the mouth. The tenon is an integral part of the acrylic stem and is chamfered/countersunk and well polished. The button thin at the edges with a very slight rise to the centre top and bottom, forming an eye shaped end view. The lip on the button is very slight but still fits well behind the teeth for a comfortable feel. The draught hole in the end of the button is also funneled to deliver a mouthpiece that has the same diameter from start to finish. Comfortable and well executed. A pipe cleaner passes easily through the pipe with no obstruction.

The internal mechanics of the pipe are very well executed. The bowl chamber is drilled to a ¾ inch diameter. The inner edge of the bowl us straight and clean to the rim. The outer edge is sharp and clean. The top rim is smooth and nicely covered with birdseye. The side of the cap taper perfectly to the double rings carved into the bowl. The sides taper up to meet the double rings. The bowl was coated with what appeared to be a carbon coat not sure if it is water glass or an organic coating. I do recall that the first smoke did not have any residual taste coming through from the bowl coating. The cake built up on the bowl very easily. The draught hole is centered at the bottom of the bowl and seems to have a slight funnel leading into the shank and stem. There is a very easy and open draw to the pipe. The fit of the stem to the shank is excellent – smooth and tight with no light showing at the joint. The band is applied in a unique way as can be seen from the picture below. It is cast with a centre ring that encloses the mortise area and then truss like sides leading out to the edges of the band. The look leads me to think that it is a strongly made connection. I really like the way the shank was cut to house the banding structure. The band is thus an integral part of the shank rather than just an appliqué. The tenon sits deep in the mortise against the bottom. The airway is at the top of the mortise rather than centered in the middle of the mortise but does not seem to inhibit the use of a pipe cleaner during the smoke. The fit of the tenon is smooth and tight. The edges of the tenon have been polished and rounded and the airhole countersunk so that it meets the airway in the mortise. The pipe does not whistle or gurgle when smoked. The airways are smooth and polished with no rough edges.

I have smoked this pipe many times since I received it from EBay. It was nice to be the one who smoked the inaugural bowl in this pipe. I chose to smoke English blends in it as it delivers a very full and flavourful smoke that allows the intricacies of Latakia to really come through. I really like smoking Blue Mountain in this pipe as I get to taste the dimensions of that tobacco really well with the pipe. The tobacco packs easily and burns well after the second light. It ends up being a pipe that I sit and enjoy on the porch. It is heavy in my mouth so I sit and hold the bowl and enjoy the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood as smoke it. The draught on the pipe is superb delivering a smoke that is uncomplicated and effortless. The Italian carver who made this pipe for Ronson did a superb job and delivered a beautiful Centenary pipe for the company to sell to its customers. I am glad to have acquired this beauty.

The Kleen Reem Reamer Instruction Booklet

Review of a Hand Made Medici Bamboo Acorn

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When I first saw this Medici Bamboo Acorn pipe I knew that I had to have it. The Medici mark is made by or for Todd Johnson of Todd Johnson pipes. I bought this one and later found out via Adam Davidson that it was carved by him when he worked with Todd. I bought it from a fellow Smoker’s Forums in late 2006 or early 2007. And I have been smoking it since that time and it is a great smoke. Since I had the day off today I decided to write a review on this beauty. The length of the pipe is 6 inches long and the bowl height is 2 inches. The chamber diameter is 3/4 inches and depth is 1 1/2 inches. It is great sized pipe and very light weight. It is comfortable in the hand. The overall shape is something like a ¼ bent acorn with a nicely done bamboo shank extension. The stamping is on the bamboo shank. It is stamped USA over MEDICI over 2006.

The finish on the outside of the pipe is a gnarly sandblast that highlights the ring grain on the front and the back side of the pipe and birdseye on the sides of the bowl. I have come to love the tactile feel of the sandblast on this pipe. The bamboo shank is a two knuckle piece that is very light coloured and natural looking. There is an ebony ring that is on the shank where it meets the bowl and where it meets the stem. The shank is joined to the bowl by a stainless steel tenon and the stem also has a stainless steel tenon. The shank is unlined bamboo between the mortise and the joint at the bowl. The staining on this appears to be a black but in the light it has highlights of a burgundy or red that shines through.

The stem itself is a well made saddle stem handcrafted from acrylic. The blade of the stem is well tapered and thin without sacrificing durability. The saddle and blade have been carved in such a way to make it look almost like a military bit with the blade meeting the saddle on a rounded platform. The blade is flattened on the sides tapering back to the button. It is a comfortable bit in the mouth and it so light that it makes an easy clencher. The tenon is stainless and sits against the ebony ring/disk that caps off the open end of the bamboo. The disk is applied in such a way that is forms a band around the end of the bamboo. The button is exactly the way I like them – thinner on the edges with a gentle rise at the centre top and bottom. It fits well behind the teeth for a comfortable feel. The draught hole in the end of the button is also funneled to deliver a mouthpiece that has the same diameter from start to finish. Comfortable and well executed. A pipe cleaner passes easily through the pipe with no obstruction.

The internal mechanics of the pipe are very well executed. The bowl chamber is drilled to a ¾ inch diameter. The inner edge of the bowl us straight and clean to the rim. The outer edge is sharp and clean with the blast coming right to inner edge of the rim. I don’t believe the bowl was coated. It is actually hard to remember back to the time of the first smoke of this one and it now has a nice solid cake of Virginia tobacco. There were no flaws or visible pits in the interior. The draught hole is centered at the bottom of the bowl and seems to have a slight funnel as well – like a shallow Y- leading into the shank and stem. There is a very easy and open draw to the pipe. The fit of the stem to the shank is very good – smooth and tight with no light showing at the joint. The tenon sits deep in the mortise against the ebony ring/disk. The fit of the tenon is smooth and tight. The edges of the stainless tenon have been polished and rounded so there are no sharp edges. The drilling of the draught in the bamboo shank is straight and centered in the back of the mortise. The air pulls clearly through the pipe with no whistling at all. Using a light to shine through the various airways reveals smoothly executed airways on the inside. It also appears that the stainless tenon that attaches the bamboo and the disk on the bowl is also polished and smoothed out as there is no catch when a pipe cleaner is pushed through the airway.

Since I was writing this up today I decided to smoke a bowl in while I took down my Christmas light. I loaded a bowl of aged McClelland’s 5100 and puffed on it as I unwound the lights from the columns on the porch. The tobacco packed as easily as I had remembered and kept burning after the second light. I love that about this pipe. Sitting outdoors or inside the thing almost smokes itself. The draught on the pipe is superb. The smoke was uncomplicated and effortless. It was just as I remembered it from the first bowl many years ago. It has always smoked incredibly well and delivered a flavourful and effortless smoke.

I end this post with a picture taken by a friend of me with the pipe in my mouth. I had just received it in the mail and had decided to save it for this occasion. What was the occasion you might ask? It was the wedding of a good friend. He had asked me to officiate at is wedding and when it was over I had gone outside to fire up this pipe for the first time. I did not notice but his photographer shot this picture. It was a gorgeous Vancouver afternoon and a perfect day for a smoke outside the church under one of the trees along the curb.

Thanks Adam for crafting a beautiful and great smoking pipe. Thanks for providing me with over five years of great smoking. This pipe is a veritable Virginia machine.

Replacing a Tenon on a Brigham System Pipe

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Blog by Steve Laug

I have written about the restoration of this old Brigham one dot pipe in an earlier blog post. https://rebornpipes.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/a-frustrating-brigham-1-dot-rehabilitation/ I was contacted by Brigham in a comment to the post with the following: “Great work! It is nice to see someone put in the extra effort. If you would like a free nylon tenon to replace the aluminum just send us an email at sales@brigham1906.com” I wrote to them after reading this and they sent me the nylon tenon pictured below to replace the metal one that I had remedied earlier by cutting off. You can read the previous post and see why that was necessary. But needless to say it took me until this morning to rise to the challenge of replacing the tenon. There were multiple reasons for this. The first being that I was uncertain as to how the metal tenon was inserted and how it could be removed. Second, the metal end of the maple filter had broken off and was stuck in the bottom of the shank right against the airway which did not allow me to insert the tenon to the full length with the new filter in place. This morning I had a day off so I decided to tackle the replacement. In the photo below you can see the dismantled pipe. The metal tenon is cut back, the maple filter is below that and the new nylon tenon is at the bottom of the picture.

I lined the two tenons up to an idea about the length. I wanted to know how deeply the metal tenon was inserted into the stem. From the look of the new nylon one I was not dealing with a lot of depth to the tenon insert. I still did not know how it was inserted and what held it in place but my guess was glue, similar to what I use to hold Delrin tenons that I have inserted. The next two photos below show the tenon depth. The third photo below shows the maple filter inserted. I was concerned how I would get that length into the shank of the pipe with the metal end cap firmly stuck in the shank.

I set up my heat gun on its stand on the top of the washing machine in the laundry room. Pardon the cleaning supplies pictured below around the heat gun. I heated the metal tenon and not the stem. I have found that to heat the stem can damage the vulcanite and it seems to take a long time to heat the glue in the tenon insert. I heat the tenon instead and the heat on the metal carries back into the stem and loosens the glue. The two pictures below show the heating process. It does not take more than 2 or 3 minutes to heat the glue and soften it.

I use a pair of needle nose pliars to gently pull on the tenon. I do not want to damage the tenon because I may want to use it again (you never know when you might use it again so you don’t want to ruin it). I pulled gently and it came out pretty easily. You can see from the next pictures below that the metal was scored in two bands around the insert to provide a grip with the glue and the vulcanite.

Once it was removed I put the old tenon insert next to the new one to measure length and also diameter. I wanted to know how deeply it would sit in the stem and also whether I would need to drill the hole a bit large to fit it correctly in the stem. You can see in the next two photos that the older insert (metal) is a bit longer than the new one. You can also see that the new one has a ridge around the diameter that would sit against the flush edge of the stem. I decided to remove that ridge and to split the difference in the length and insert the tenon end more deeply than the ridge would allow. Once I had removed it I still had some work to do as the hole in the stem was too small in diameter to take the new insert. I started by sanding a bit off of the insert to see if that would help it fit. I quickly saw that in order to fit I would have to remove more material than was wise in the diameter of the tenon end. So I would have to enlarge the hole. The third photo below shows the tenon end after I had sanded it. I still had not removed the ridge at this point as I was more concerned with diameter at the moment.

I began with a drill bit the same size as the hole and turned it in by hand to smooth out the walls of the hole. Then I moved up once size of drill bit and used my cordless drill. The trick here is not to hold the bit at an angle and to slowly turn the bit into the stem. I generally start doing this by hand without power. I make the drill stationary and then slowly turn the stem onto the bit. Once I have it started I slowly use the electric drill to take it deeper into the stem. The first photo below shows that process and set up.

The next photo shows the next sized drill bit that I used. I followed the same procedure turning it on by hand first and then finishing with low power on the drill. After this drilling the insert fit tightly and I was ready to remove the ridge on the new tenon. I used my Dremel with the sanding drum to remove the ridge. I used it at a slow speed as I only wanted to remove the ridge and not change the diameter of the end. It did not take long. In the second photo below you can see the Dremel and the tenon before I sanded it.

After sanding the ridge I put several drops of superglue on the tenon surface and inserted it in the stem. The fit was perfect and the joint tight and strong. You have to work quickly once the glue is on the tenon insert as it dries very quickly. To facilitate the pressure fit I inserted the tenon in the shank to give me something to push against. I pushed the tenon into place and in the photo below you can see the fit. Above the newly inserted tenon I also included the old insert in the picture.

Once I had a good fit on the tenon insert it was time to try and remove the stuck metal end cap in the shank. This had given me problems as mentioned in the earlier blog post. This time I decided to use a larger drill bit and see if I could drill it carefully until the metal locked onto the bit and I could then extract it. The first drill bit pulled a major piece of the metal cap out but there still was a piece remaining. I used a larger sized bit and carefully inserted it in the shank and drill at low speed until I felt the metal lock on. Then I extracted the end cap – a ¼ inch piece of metal – from the shank. I finally had gotten it all out of the shank. I then pushed the next filter into the new tenon and inserted the stem into the shank. It was a perfect fit… well almost. I removed it and did a counter sink on the shank with my Buck knife and then the stem fit tightly in place. The three photos below show the finished pipe.

Saturday at the Old Pipe Shop

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I love looking at old photos like the one above and crafting a story from the photo. This one evokes memories for me and others of like age of certain nostalgic pleasure cherished in the recesses of our minds. For some of you the idea of a shop like this is a piece from the lost past and one you might long for. Come with me to the shop and I will introduce you to the resident pipeman.

The shop is situated on a busy side street, just around the corner, in the heart of the business district of the city. It has large windows on the front of the narrow shop and there is a recessed entry door to the right of centre. As we come along the front of the shop you can see the display of pipes in one part of the window. They catch your attention if you have the soul of a pipeman. There are a wide range of pipes in the window – everything from Comoy’s and Barlings to ornate Meerschaums that marry form and function in beautiful ways. The number of pipes and tobacciana in the window speaks with promise of the rich treasures that await us when we walk through the door. But more interestingly, look at the man in the window with a pipe in his mouth and wearing a suit and tie under his work apron. He is bent over a buffer and methodically turns a pipe bowl that is pushed on the finger of one hand and held against the turning wheel of the buffer with the other. He is intent on his work and while we watch I tell you that his name is Andrew. He is a pipeman extraordinaire and is a fountain of pipe and tobacco knowledge. Once he finishes the buffing he looks up at us and gives us a nod. Let’s go inside and meet him.

We push the front door open and a set of small bells hanging on the door chime our arrival. The rich looking oak cabinetry and counters give an aura of age to the room. The air is pungent with the fragrant mix of tobacco aromas – burned and unburned. On our left as we walk into the shop is the full service repair area where Andrew is working. Further down the display counter is a cash register. It is tall and ancient looking.The wall behind the counter is filled with jars of bulk tobacco each with an exotic name. The jars have small hand lettered cards that give a description of the components of the blend inside them. Next to these are shelves of assorted tins of tobacco for sale. Looking to your right you see that the opposite wall is lined with cabinets filled with pipes and underneath the display cases are rows of drawers. These cases extend the length of the wall. The drawers are waist high and above them are oak and glass cases, backlit to give a clear view of the pipes inside. There is so much to take in as you look around. Back to the other side again, just past the work counter is a humidor that houses cigars – not one of those modern walk in affairs but an old oak cabinet that is about 5 feet wide and 6 foot tall displaying the boxes of cigars. Looking down the centre of the shop you can see that at the far end there is a cozy sitting area with old well-polished black leather chairs and a chesterfield. There are side tables next to the chairs that hold matches, pipe cleaners and ash trays. Several older gentlemen are occupying the chesterfield and one of the chairs. They nod and lift a pipe to us as we walk in and then go back to their conversations and puffing.

After our look around the shop from the doorway I stop at the repair area to talk with Andrew and introduce you to him. “Hi Andrew, this is my friend Pat. I wanted to bring him in and introduce him to a taste of the past and to you of course. He is a relative new pipe smoker but he is learning quickly to enjoy the hobby.”

Without taking his pipe out of his mouth he welcomes you to his shop. He says, “Nice to meet you Pat, welcome to a taste of the past. Help yourself to the tobacco on the counter and the table in the back. Make yourself at home”. He turns to me and says, “I am just about finished working on the new stem your old Comoy’s Author”. He holds it up to show me – it is a fat stem that really works well with the nice piece of briar. The pipe looks finished to me but Andrew says, “I have to give it a good polishing and then you can have it back. Why don’t you take Pat back to the chairs, fire up a bowl and visit with the gents while I finish. When I am done I will bring it back to you and join you for a bowl or two.”

We head toward the back of the shop and the chairs, but our progress is slowed by the need to check out the shelves of pipes on display. I show you the drawers that house many more pipes. Each drawer is filled with many beautiful new pipes. At the end of the line just before the chairs, there is a display of estate pipes that Andrew has refurbished and is selling. There are some definite deals to be found there and I am sure one or two are calling my name like sirens. The first one I am drawn to is a nice older bent GBD Rhodesian with a tapered stem. The stem and bowl are flawless – no bite marks on the stem, no dents in the briar and the bowl is clean and ready for the new owner. I can’t pass this one up. “Look at this beauty Pat; I have to have this one,” I say as I show it to you. But you are already preoccupied and I see that your eye has been caught by an old Charatan Bell 33X shaped sandblast pipe. I watch, chuckling as you reach for it with the look of a new owner in your eyes. “That one has your name on it for sure, Pat,” I say. While you are looking I find another one that speaks to me – a nice older Loewe Lovat with lovely straight grain. Evidently I speak out loud, though I think I am talking to myself, “Two new pipes should do it for now – and I will have the old author back in my hands”.

Meanwhile I am stopped short in my reverie as I am brought back to the moment when you exclaim, “Wow, what a great place. I love the additions we are adding to our collections, Steve. I can’t wait to give them a try”. With that we head to the table in the midst of the gathering.

There on the table in front of the chesterfield are several open tins of tobacco. They are there for us to freely sample. We pick them up and sniff the fresh tobacco. I choose a nice stoved Virginia and you pick a rich English blend. We each pack our “new” pipe with the chosen tobacco and walk to the side of the sitting area where there is an old Electrolier. Andrew had told me that it was crafted from rare Mexican Onyx and is the last functioning model of its kind in the world. It was purchased in 1910 for $250.00 dollars and is a priceless piece of history. It has gas flames that are always burning and on the shelf around the centre column is a small box of cedar splints for lighting a pipe or cigar. We light our pipes with a splint. We tamp the bowls, relight and then extinguish the splints, dropping them in the bucket next to the lighter. We head back to the chairs and settle in for some great conversation and a smoke.

It is quiet for a while as we contentedly puff the sweet tobaccos and savour them. Slowly the conversation picks up again. Several of the regulars are there and we talk about the pipes we have picked up and the tobaccos smoked since our last conversation. One of the old gents, William has the most amazing collection of Dunhills that I have ever seen. I ask him, “William did you bring along any of your amazing Dunnies that you could show my friend Pat? I know he has never seen anything like them and that I never tire of looking at them.”

William reaches to the side table and picks up his leather pipe bag and opens it. He carefully takes out several of the pipes he had brought with him. He said, “I have these two older Shells that I brought along. The first is a 20’s vintage bulldog with an amazing blast. The second is a billiard that has a really craggy blast from the early 30’s. These are the only two I have with me other than the Bruyere in my mug (the one in his mouth is a beautiful old Bruyere billiard. I had seen it before and knew that it was a 1950’s vintage piece). Here have a look young feller.” With that he handed the pipes to Pat who sat on the edge of his seat puffing furiously as he held these pieces of history in his hands. He turned them over and over and the gents around the tables started to chuckle.

William said, “What do you think Pat? Ever seen anything like that pair?”

Pat replied, “No sir. I never even thought I would see something like them let alone have them in my hands. How long have you had them? Where did you pick them up?” He handed the little bulldog to me as he continued to examine the billiard and wait for the story that he knew was coming.

William laughed and said, “I picked the pair up at an antique shop many years ago now and have maintained the trust while they are in my hands. One day they will make their way into the next owner’s hands.” With that he waxed eloquent about how we hold pipes in trust, acting as stewards for the time that we live and then they pass them on to the next generation of pipemen who will also carry on the trust throughout their life times before passing them forward. Several of the other gents commented on the idea of the trust. This set a show and tell in motion as each of them pulled out their treasures and showed some of the pipes in their care. I sat there amazed as 80 year old William and several of the older gents gave us a glimpse of their collections and the incredible stories attached to each pipe. I looked over at Pat and noticed that he seemed to be lost in his own world as he continued to turn the pipes over in his hands checking out the blast and the flow of the old pipes. The stories just whirled around him.

Before we knew it our bowls had burned down to ash. Pat handed the two old pipes back to William and we carefully emptied the ash into the ashtrays, cleaned, repacked and relit our pipes. Pat commented, “What a great way to spend a day”. We sat and chatted about pipes and tobaccos with the other gents in the circle for the rest of the afternoon. The conversation waxed and waned as different ones left to relight their pipes or call it a day. Others came and took their places. The back of the shop was cloaked in a wonderfully smelling haze of pipe smoke. At one point in the afternoon the bell at the front of the shop tinkled as another of the regulars came in with a thermos of coffee to share with us. We laughed and commented as he put the thermos on the centre table and went to the back room and came out with some mismatched mugs, cream and some sugar. He went back and brought in a jar of teaspoons and set that on the table as well. Various ones poured a cup of coffee and thanked the newcomer for his gift. He winked at us and reached inside his shoulder bag and brought out a tin of cookies. We sipped coffee and munched the cookies, enjoying the treat. There was not much conversation going on while sipped and nibbled. We were too busy eating to interrupt the pleasure with conversation.

It was into the quiet reverie that the words, “Hey Steve, I have your pipe finished”. Andrew stepped into the circle of chairs with my pipe in his hands. “It passes my inspection. I gave it the final bit of buffing and it’s done for you. Load up a bowl and give it a smoke. I want to know what you think of it and if I need to make any adjustments for you before you take it home.” With that he handed me the pipe and took his place on the remaining chair in the circle. He tamped his pipe and puffed as he watched me take the pipe and load it up.

As the tobacco caught fire I said, “Thanks Andrew I am sure it is fine. I have never been disappointed with your work. But I will lay the pipe I have in my mouth down for a bit, load this one up and let you know.” The draw was as good as it had always been before I dropped the pipe and ruined the old stem. The feel in the mouth was perfect. The taper of the stem and the button shape were exactly to my liking. The bend in the stem made it hang exactly the way I remembered it had before. “Andrew, you got it perfect. I can’t think of a thing I would change.” I puffed contentedly on my old friend with a new stem.

Andrew chuckled, winked at me and puffed on his pipe. “We will see if you still think that after I give you the bill Steve.” He poured himself a coffee, stirred in some cream and entered into the stream of conversation around the circle. He sipped his coffee while holding his pipe in his hand. It seemed to me that I had never seen him without a pipe in his hand or his mouth. There were beads of coffee on his moustache as he set the cup down and reinserted his pipe in his mouth. He puffed gently and the pipe came back to life with a puff of smoke.

The afternoon went on like that for a while until, one by one; the gathering broke up with promises of see you next week. Soon Pat and I were the only ones left in the shop. “Well I guess we should go and get some work done before the day is over, eh Pat,” I said. So we made our way to the cash register to settle up for the “new” pipes and the repair bill. I took out my wallet and handed Andrew the payment. He chuckled when I exclaimed at how little the bill was. I am constantly amazed at the prices he charges for the fine work that he does. But then again I know he does it for the love of the pipe. We bid farewell and left shop with our pipes in our mouths. Andrew waved through the window to us and went back to work on his buffer.

Review of a Hand Made Larrysson Apple

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Blog by Steve Laug

For quite some time I had wanted a pipe crafted by Paul Hubertt, a Larrysson pipe. Have a look at his website and you will see some of the beautiful pipes he has made and sold and those still remaining for sale http://www.larryssonpipes.com/index.php Several years ago I saw this one on his website and took the plunge. I have been smoking it since that time, enjoying it and thought it was about time to write a review. It is a beauty to be sure. The length of the pipe is a nice short 5 inches and the bowl height is 1 3/8 inches. The chamber diameter is 3/4 inches and depth is 1 1/8 inches. It is a perfect size for me, and feels great in the hand. The overall shape is something like a ¼ bent apple. The stamping is in a smooth oval on the underside of the shank. It is stamped Larrysson in script over HAND MADE over CORNWALL over ENGLAND and underneath all is the date stamp – 72-09 which I believe means the 72^nd pipe of 2009.

The finish on the outside of the pipe is a beautiful sandblast that highlights the ring grain on the pipe. There is a tactile feel that adds to the beauty of this particular sandblasted pipe. On the shank Paul continued the blast but left a smooth band near the stem shank junction and in an oval on the underside of the shank for the stamping. The rim and underside of the bowl obviously had a birdseye grain and the blast highlight that as well with small pits and whirls. The staining on this appears to use a contrasting series of browns to highlight the blast. There is a medium brown undertone that is interesting and over that is a lighter brown or almost tan overstain. The combination works very well and as I have smoked it the variation is developing depth. The stem itself is a well made saddle stem handcrafted from acrylic. The blade of the stem is well tapered and thin without sacrificing durability. The design along with the slight bend makes it fit very comfortably in the mouth. It also rests well enough that it can be clenched quite easily. The tenon is delrin and is countersunk at the end for good mechanics. The button is exactly the way I like them – thinner on the edges with a gentle rise at the centre top and bottom. It fits well behind the teeth for a comfortable feel. The draught hole in the end of the button is also funneled to deliver a mouthpiece that has the same diameter from start to finish. Comfortable and well executed. A pipe cleaner passes easily through the pipe with no obstruction.

The internal mechanics of the pipe are well executed. The bowl chamber is drilled to a ¾ inch diameter. The inner edge of the bowl us straight and clean to the rim. The outer edge is rounded down to the edges of the bowl with the blast coming right to inner edge. The bowl is not coated with a bowl coating and the raw briar was sanded smooth and very clean. There were no flaws or visible pits in the interior. The draught hole is centered at the bottom of the bowl and seems to have a slight funnel as well – like a shallow Y- leading into the shank and stem. There is a very easy and open draw to the pipe. The fit of the stem to the shank is very good – smooth and tight with no light showing at the joint. The tenon sits deep in the mortise – if not exactly the same length then impressively close! The fit of the tenon is also smooth. The drilling of the draught in the shank is straight and centered in the back of the mortise. The air pulls clearly through the pipe with no whistling at all. Using a light to shine through the various airways reveals smoothly executed airways on the inside. Paul’s mechanics are very well done.

Today I smoked it when I went for my walk. I loaded a bowl of aged McClelland’s 5100 and took a walk in the neighbourhood. The tobacco packed very easily and lit well. The draught on the pipe was superb. The smoke was uncomplicated and effortless. From the first bowl many years ago now until today this bowl smoked incredibly well. It always has delivered a flavourful and effortless smoke. I am looking forward to another bowl later this afternoon.

Thanks Paul for a well made pipe that smokes as good as it looks!

Sweetening a Pipe – An Alternative to the Salt and Alcohol Treatment

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Blog by Steve Laug

After writing the post about using the salt and alcohol treatment to sweeten sour pipes or estate pipes I decided I would also write about an alternative method that I have used and still continue to use at times. The process is much the same as the salt and alcohol treatment and the effect is much the same. In some sense the cotton bolls are easier to work with and there is certainly no leaching of salts or such into the briar of the bowl. The cotton bolls are neutral and work quite well. They are easy to remove. The only difference I find is that the alcohol does not dissipate into the air as well with the cotton and they are still damp when I remove them from the bowl the next morning.

The tools

Cotton bolls

COTTON BOLLS– I buy cotton bolls in bulk at pharmacies, variety stores or the local dollar store down the street from my house. I find that the cheaper ones work as well as the more expensive. The difference is in the number of bolls that it takes to fill the pipe bowl. There are several features of the cotton boll method that endear it for me. The first feature is that it is easy to stuff in the bowl of the pipe and is readily available. The second, like the salt method, is that it provides multiple surfaces onto which the leached out oils and tars can migrate. Like the salt treatment, I have used the cotton boll method for many years. And over the years I have never had a problem with it. I have never had a shank or a bowl crack or split after it has been cleaned using this method. So ultimately the choice is yours to make. Experiment with both and see which one you favour and continue to use it to your advantage.

Isopropyl Alcohol 99%

ALCOHOL – As before with the description of the salt and alcohol treatment, I use the highest percentage isopropyl alcohol that I can get through my local pharmacy. Most of the time I am able to purchase 99% Isopropyl alcohol or Rubbing Alcohol but have also used 91% Isopropyl with no ill effects. I just purchased a bottle of Everclear while traveling and will be trying it out as well. The water content in the 99% Isopropyl is 1% and I find that it evaporates quite quickly and does not saturate the briar. Much has been written about using an alcohol that is not a human consumable form. Many have spoken of the danger of using it in the pipe bowl or in cleaning the stem of a pipe that is going to be put in the mouth. However, I have found that once the cotton bolls and alcohol have been removed from the bowl and the pipe air dries there is no remaining alcohol in the bowl. With the removal of the cotton bolls I have found that there is always some residual alcohol in the bowl after I take out the cotton. It seems to keep the alcohol longer than the salt did. To remove the last of it I use a match and light the inside of the bowl to burn off any remaining alcohol. It quickly burns the alcohol and does not harm the pipe bowl. Once that is done the bowl is dry to the touch. From my experience the alcohol burns off and any remaining in the briar dries out quickly over the next few hours that the pipe sits.

EAR SYRINGE – I use the same ear syringe to fill the bowl with alcohol as I explained in the previous post. It truly is an indispensable tool for my refurbishing kit. I use it in this process and also in the process of removing excess water from the bowl when I am making a pipe mud patch. It is rubber and works incredibly well at keeping the alcohol off the outer finish of the pipe. By squeezing the bulb you can draw alcohol into the syringe and then be squeezing it again over the bowl of the pipe the alcohol is poured into the bowl quickly and without a mess. The syringe is resilient and durable. I have had mine for a long time.

The method

I remove the stem from the bowl and then stuff several cotton bolls into the bowl. An average sized bowl will take two or three cotton bolls pressed down tightly into the pipe. I press them tightly as I do not want them to spring up when I fill the bowl with the alcohol. I want them inside the bowl and not overlapping and touching the rim of the pipe. The photo below shows the bowl ready to be filled. The second photo below shows the bowl stuffed with the cotton bolls and the alcohol ready to be loaded into the syringe and then put in the bowl. When I pack the bowl with cotton bolls I try to leave it a bit below the edge of the bowl. I also insert a folded pipe cleaner in the shank and airway to close off the airway and provide a bit of a plug for the alcohol. It also acts as a wick and draws the tars and oils from the airway.

Tools needed for the cotton boll alcohol treatment – Photo 1

Tools needed for the cotton boll alcohol treatment – Photo 2

The next photos below show how I fill the bowl with alcohol. I have found that the cotton absorbs more of the alcohol than the salt does and it takes several syringe loads to fill the bowl. I pour Isopropyl alcohol into the cap of the alcohol bottle and get the ear syringe and the bowl ready for work. The first photo shows the loading of the syringe. The second photo shows the filling of the bowl from the syringe. I do this by putting the tip of the syringe in the top of the bowl and squeezing it until the bowl is filled with the alcohol.

Loading the ear syringe with alcohol

Putting the alcohol in the bowl of the pipe

Once the bowl is filled I place the loaded bowl in the ice tray that I use to keep the pipe upright while the alcohol and cotton do their work drawing out the tars and oils. The process works quite quickly and the salt begins to darken with the oils and tars within a few moments. The photo below shows the newly filled bowl as it sits on the ice cube tray.

The treatment has begun

The next series of photos shows the cotton turning brown beginning with the edges and working toward the centre of the bowl. The first photo below is taken after the bowl had been sitting for 2-3 minutes. At this point the cotton is beginning to darken at the edges but it is barely visible in the photos.

After sitting 2-3 minutes

The photo below was taken after the pipe bowl had been sitting 15 minutes in the tray. The brown colouration is moving around the edges and in toward the centre of the bowl.

After 15 minutes

After the bowl sat for a half hour, I took the picture below to show the movement of the brown tars and oils toward the centre. On this pipe I had cleaned the shank with many pipe cleaners before getting to this point so there is very little leaching of tars and oils into the pipe cleaner.

After 30 minutes

Forty five minutes later I took the photo below and then tamped the cotton bolls down with my thumb. Then I set the pipe aside for the night to let the treatment do its work.

After 1 hour and 15 minutes

This morning the cotton was darkened and the alcohol was evaporated. I used my dental pick to remove the cotton bolls from the pipe and threw them away. I removed the pipe cleaner from the shank as well. I used several pipe cleaners to wipe out the inside of the shank and several folded pipe cleaners to wipe out the inside of the bowl. The bowl was still wet from the remaining alcohol so flamed it with a lighter to quickly burn out the alcohol. The four photos below show the extent of the tars and oils removed in the brown cotton bolls and the dental pick I use to remove the cotton bolls. The final photos show the clean bowl. The pipe smells clean and fresh. When I have finished cleaning the pipe I set the bowl aside and let it dry for several days before smoking it.

The next morning

Removing the cotton bolls with a dental pick

An empty and clean bowl – still wet with alcohol

After flaming

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