Guest Blog by Robert M. Boughton
Member, North American Society of Pipe Collectors
http://www.roadrunnerpipes.com
http://about.me/boughtonrobert
Photos © the Author

“What’s this world without its pleasure? What is pleasure but a pipe?”
— W.H. Logan, author, “A Pedlar’s Pack of Ballads and Songs,” 1869

INTRODUCTION
I doubt anyone could have summed up my own thoughts on the matter better or with more conciseness than the eclectic author, W.H. Logan. My pipes are my great pleasure, my main collection, my hobby, my trade. When I found this Peterson Killarney Red Flame Grain Tall Billiard available online, for a price that seemed too good to be true, I suspected some serious flaws somewhere. But a close inspection showed only a few scratches on the shiny wax and perhaps high grade varnish surface as well as the kind of rim blackening and chamber buildup that scares away so many bidders who are not prepared to deal with these little matters.

I had to have it, and so once again I over-bid to ward away the timid masses. I never had to increase that one bid and got it for an incredible $38.01, which seemed so precise I knew one of the others watching the pipe had offered a mere penny more than the previous contestant. The day it arrived at my Post Office Box, I cut through the tape and package label of the parcel on my way to the car and then sat behind the wheel to take out the contents. I admit I was relieved to inspect the new prize and find there were no hidden damages.

Giving the seller a high rating in all areas and commenting that I got it for a steal, I received a response from the gentleman that thanked me for one more perfect grade on his spotless record and went on to add, in reply to my written comment, “Yes, you did get it for a steal.” I could hear him saying it with a touch of disappointment.

Still, I was surprised when I saw the following nomenclature on the right shank:In case the enlargement is unclear, it reads, in block letters, “A Peterson Product” (which was in fact in quotes) over “Made in the Rep.” over “of Ireland,” with the number 120 to the right of the bottom line. Looking it up on pipephil.eu, I was pleased to confirm that it was a Republic Era pipe, a fact I had not been able to determine when I bid for it, placing its date of manufacture at somewhere between 1950-1989. Given the discoloration of the stem and general appearance of long, hard use, I suspect it is from the 1970s.

Out of about 85 pipes I have in my collection, although the biggest part of that is comprised of meerschaums, a dozen are Peterson’s (and there is still another, a vintage Kildare, on the way). This old Killarney is not the best of them – being outdone by the tiny Gold Spigot natural grain, the Mark Twain Rusticated Bent Billiard system and the 150th Anniversary Special Edition natural bent billiard – but it is without doubt the most beautiful.

At one point believing I would never have the skill to restore a meerschaum, I did so with several and have a major project underway with one that is 115-120 years old. Among my other great wishes was to have the opportunity to restore a Peterson, and now it is a done deed, with even better results than I ever imagined.

Please don’t get the idea that I am bragging; far from it. I possess an acute awareness of my strengths and weaknesses (among the latter of which remains stem fitting, not to mention the mere idea of re-shaping one). Nevertheless, I have learned much during the past two years – most of it coming with ease due to my natural affinity for working with wood – but nothing more so than how much is left. In fact, I understand now, nobody knows everything about the craft/art of restoring pipes, not even my good friend and mentor or our host, both of whom are masters.

My greatest fear with the restoration of this Killarney was that after removing the burning of the rim I would be unable to return that thin, small but vital part of the pipe as a whole to its original, rich red color and shine. But almost by instinct, I worked out that problem when the time came.

THE RESTORATION First thing after my quick-clean inspection of the pipe’s interior integrity, I began my assault on the chamber with my Senior Reamer, the blades of which I retracted all the way and was still almost unable to insert it past the buildup of cake to the bottom. Turning the blades outward until they were stuck, I cranked in a slow, circular manner, pushing the top of the tool toward the rim as I listened to the carbon crumble. This step of the process took three adjustments of the blades to clear the cake.

After blowing through the shank to clear most of the leftover carbon dust, I wet a small square of cotton with alcohol and pushed it with a finger down the center of the chamber, then turned it a few times to soak up the rest. Using a 1-1/4×2” piece of 150-grit paper that, when curved to fit inside the chamber, just fit the diameter and left a little room above the rim with which to apply torque, I put a smaller finger inside the paper and began to twist it, first using the most pressure along the top of the chamber and working my way down. In this fashion I was able to clear the remaining carbon until briar showed most of the way through to the draught hole.

Having learned by the restoration of my third meerschaum that super fine steel wool is my favorite and, I think, the safest way to remove rim burning, I applied a pad of the 0000-grade to the blackness and watched as it disappeared with ease and left the rim clean and still shiny. However, there were some serious scratches covering the rim as well as a groove worn into it on the inner shank side.A little elbow grease and 1500 micromesh eliminated all of these blemishes, but at the same time dulled the finish. A piece of 2400 micromesh worked out the scratches on the bowl with minor effect on the original waxes.It was time to clean and sanitize the shank and stem. I dipped a cleaner into alcohol, and as I inserted it into the shank I felt the tar and other gunk resist. The cleaner came out pitch black. After seven identical runs, during which the grime inside at least lost its resistance, the cleaners were just as black. I decided to do a bowl and shank flush with alcohol, but first I ran about eight cleaners soaked in alcohol through the stem until it came out clean.

Following the alcohol flush, the shank was clean and the briar showed through from top to bottom of the chamber. That is the cleanest I have ever restored a chamber.

The stem was in good shape except for some tooth chatter in the lip. I used 400-grit paper on the chatter followed by 1500 micromesh again on the entire stem to remove minor scratches and discoloration. As usual, I buffed it with red and white Tripoli and White Diamond.

The end of my project being nigh so soon, it seemed, I looked over the bowl and shank. The next to last thing left to do was re-stain the rim using marine cordovan (burgundy) boot stain and flame it. I let it sit for a minute before turning to 2400 micromesh for a nice, slow, gentle rub to remove the black flakes left from the stain and get down just to the wood grain. Again, the color was lighter red than the rest of the bowl, which worried me, but there was no choice but to buff the whole thing.

I almost always use the same three waxes for this step: white Tripoli, White Diamond and carnauba. But this time I looked at the red Tripoli wheel and decided it could only help. Starting there and following with the rest, I was shocked to see that the finished pipe was uniform in deep red color and shine. The feeling when that kind of success occurs is indescribable. CONCLUSION
As I wrote this account, I smoked in the just restored Peterson’s Killarney a full bowl of Comoy’s Cask №. 5 Bullet Eye Select, with its tasty blend of bright orange Virginias, Burleys and Tennessee bourbon. The writing came to me with unusual ease, but still, that was one long bowl! This all just goes to point out that the beautiful, red, flame grain Killarney gives a long, excellent smoke, although the bowl does tend to get hot enough to hold the pipe as necessary by the shank.

Being a Peterson’s fan and collector, as I stated already, I’ve decided this is a keeper. There is just no way, no how, I am going to offer this pipe as the newest addition to my online store, as nice as it would be to post it for sale and take in the money.

Now the pipe is almost empty, and I am full.