Monthly Archives: June 2015

Peterson’s Sterling Pre-Republic 80

Mark posted this on his blog. It is a timely post for me as I have an old Dunnie that I need to use the trick on…. now to practice that! Thanks Mark

Lone Star Briar Works Blog

I had this Pre-Republic Peterson’s Sterling bent bulldog 80 with a damaged rim. It is marked Made in Ireland in block format which I think places this pipe pre 1946.

As you can see the main problem was the missing ridge on the side of the bowl.

I used clear superglue mixed with briar chips, not dust. I’ve found that dust turns black when mixed with the glue. I got the chips which are slightly larger by grinding down a donor stummel with a dremel. I filled in the missing area, let dry and sanded and filed down the excess

I used a needle file to cut a groove and finished deepening the grooves with a serrated kitchen knife.

. When I was almost finished, a piece broke off.

So I mixed up more glue/briar chips and made a second patch.

Again sanded and filed and then touched up the…

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NEPAL PROJECT PIPE SALE 11 – Restoring a LHS Certified Purex 97 Squashed Bulldog

4 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I decided to add this LHS Bulldog to the sale. It is thus the eleventh pipe from the box of pipes that I was gifted by a good friend of mine with the instructed purpose of cleaning them up and selling them with all of the proceeds going to the aid of earthquake victims in Nepal. Once again all funds raised will all go to the SA Foundation, and organization that has worked in Nepal for over 15 years helping provide recovery, housing and job training for women who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. The ongoing earthquakes (over 300) that continue to shake Nepal have left much in ruins. The SA Foundation Project there was able to find new housing for the women and help with staff as well. Every dollar raised from the sale of these pipes will go to the work in Nepal.

It is an old LHS (LH Stern) Bulldog. It is stamped on the left side of the shank with the shape number 97 and almost over the top of that stamp is the application of a white imprinted logo. The logo reads LHS in a flattened diamond. On the top of the diamond it reads Certified Purex and on the bottom of the diamond it read Imported Briar. I have had quite a few LHS pipes on my work table over the years but this is the first time I have seen this shape bulldog. It is squat and short but has a large bowl – the size of my thumb and the bowl is quite deep. There are two rings around the bowl and a bulldog cap. The rustication pattern is also quite unique – looking like a thatched pattern. There is an aluminum fitment in the shank of the pipe and an aluminum tenon with a separated stinger that screws into the fitment in the shank. The stem was slightly oxidized and underturned. There were no major tooth marks or chatter on the stem. The finish was in decent shape, just dirty and dusty. The rings around the cap were plugged with debris that would need to be cleaned out. The airway in the bottom of the bowl was very small looking. The bowl had been reamed recently and was clean that way.

If you look closely at the alignment of the metal band on the shank with the band on the stem you will see how it is underturned and how the band on the shank is slightly corroded next to the shank.

The close up of the bowl shows the constricted airway at the bottom of the bowl on the back side. Too me it looked to be almost plugged with tars and would not be too difficult to open. I unscrewed the stem from the shank to look at the internals. I have found that pipes with the metal fitment in the shank are generally quite dirty on the other side of the metal mortise and take some work to clean. This pipe was no exception. I tapped the metal end against my desk top and a lot of chunks of tar fell out on the desk top. The stinger was inserted into the threaded tenon and also was quite dirty and the slots in it were also restricted with buildup. I heated the tenon and stinger with the flame of the lighter hoping to loosen the tenon in the shank and straighten the fit in the shank. I heated it until the stem itself was warm and the metal tenon did not budge. I was able to remove the stinger for cleaning.

I examined the tenon insert in the stem (probably should have done this first). I found that the metal plate that acted as a stem adornment and the tenon were integrated into one piece and no amount of heating would ever loosen the tenon from the shank. I had to come up with another solution. I screwed the stem back on the pipe and set it aside to contemplate my course of action. I thought of adding a thin plate of Lucite or briar between the stem adornment and the shank adornment but decided against that. I let it sit for a while and worked on the stem.

Suddenly I figured out a potential fix. If I were to sand down the shank end enough to allow the stem to sit correctly I could possibly get the alignment correct. I measured the depth of the threads in the shank and then those on the tenon and found that the thread went deeper than the length of the tenon by about 1/8 of an inch. If I could remove some of the aluminum shank end plate I could get it to seat correctly. I used my topping board and pressed the end of the aluminum end plate flat against the board. I carefully worked it in a circular motion on the sandpaper. I checked frequently to make sure I did not take of too much or too little of the aluminum plate. The next photo shows the end plate after it had been topped sufficiently. The scratches from the sandpaper would easily be polished off with micromesh. I have also included four photos of the different angles on the stem to show how the underturn had been corrected. The fit was perfect.

With the stem fit corrected I then turned to cleaning out the inside of the stem and the shank. It took many pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. I also used the drill bit from the KleenReem reamer to open the airway into the bowl. I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl down with oil soap and a tooth brush. I picked out the debris in the twin rings around the cap. I sanded the stem down with 220 grit sandpaper and then followed that by sanding with a medium and a fine grit sanding sponge.

There were two small tooth marks in the vulcanite on the underside of the stem. I repaired those with a drop of clear super glue. I sanded the glue patch with 220 grit sandpaper and then repeated sanding it with the two sanding sponges. When finished I sanded it with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12,000 grit pads. Between each set of three pads I rubbed the stem down with an Obsidian Oil saturated sock that I use for this purpose. I let it sit for just a few moments before continuing with the next grit of pads. The oil gives traction for polishing the stem.

I used the micromesh pads to also polish the aluminum on the shank and the stem. I worked through all of the grits to polish it to a shine. I also used 0000 steel wool to polish the stinger and the tenon. Then I buffed the stem with Blue Diamond Plastic polish to further raise the shine. I put it back on the bowl and buffed the bowl and shank lightly with Blue Diamond. A light touch keeps the buffing compound from collecting in the grooves. I also carefully worked around the white stamping on the shank. I gave the stem several coats of carnauba wax and then rubbed the bowl down with Halcyon II Wax and hand buffed the bowl and shank with a shoe brush. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. I really like the shape and the rustication on this one. I am looking forward to loading a bowl and enjoying it on the weekend ahead. Thanks John.

This LHS Bulldog is a beautiful pipe and the rustication and stain gives it almost a multidimensional look. It should make someone a great addition. The entirety of the sale price will go to the Nepal project. I will pay the postage so that does not get taken off the proceeds. If you are interested in reading about the SA Foundation you can look at their website at http://www.safoundation.com.

Thanks for looking.

Peterson 999 Sterling (Pre-Republic) Restoration

4 Replies

Blog entry by Al Jones

The 999 is Peterson’s version of the Rhodesian pipe shape. Pre-Republic versions are slightly chubbier than a modern 999. A chubby shape 999 has been on my “Holy Grail” pipe list for a number of years. This one came to me via a member of the PipesMagazine forums. It was a piece in huge treasure trove of estate pipes he bought as a lot. The seller sent me good pictures of the pipe and disclosed the issues he observed. The biggest concern was the dark marks on the bowl side. The pipe arrived today and gratefully, as I suspected, they were indeed only scorch marks. Sometimes you don’t have to find a pipe, they find you.

The pipe is stamped “Made in Ireland” in the circle format, which I’ve learned was used for 1945 to 1947. While the band is stamped “Sterling” as is the finish, there are no date hallmarks on the pipe. This would indicate that the pipe was made for sale in the United States, where silver hallmarks weren’t required. The dimensions of this 999 are almost identical to those of my GBD 9438’s, including the weight of 54 grams.

The pipe had plenty of dings, including on the silver band. The nomenclature was legible with the naked eye, a detail that I needed to preserve

The stem had mild oxidation and a few tooth marks. The tooth marks lifted up nicely with some heat, a big restoration plus. I soaked the stem in a mild Oxy-Clean solution.

While the stem was soaking, I turned my attention to the bowl. I used a worn piece of 8000 and then 12000 grade micromesh sheet. I was able to diminish but not completely remove the scorch marks, but I’m satisfied with the result. I think using some lower grade wet paper, I could probably remove the marks. But, in doing so I might change the profile of the bowl and the pipe would certainly require a complete stain strip and restain. I then I didn’t want to risk the nomenclature to that process. I wiped on a very light coat of Medium Brown stain to blend in the lightened area with the existing color. I then buffed out that area with some Tripoli followed by White Diamond. After several coats of Carnuba wax, the effected area blends in well with the rest of the bowl. Here several bowl pictures showing the original marks, pipe after the micromesh treatment and one after the stain/buff and wax.

I removed the oxidation from the stem with 800 grit wet paper, and worked my way thru the 1500 and 2000 grade papers. Next up, 8000 and 12000 grade micromesh sheets were used. The stem was then buffed with White Diamond and Megiuars Plastic Polish. There was a stubborn burn mark on the stem that I was able to diminish but not remove completely. The large dent on the bottom of the stem finished off nicely and is almost invisible.

Below is the completed pipe. The pipe is far from “Mint” condition, but I think the patina earned after decades of use is fitting.

Update:
I went back and removed a little oxidation I observed around the P-lip button. I also was able to dimish the scorch mark on the stem.

Preserving a Early KBB Yello Bole Propeller Logo Premier Canadian

5 Replies

Blog by Troy Wilburn

I picked this early 30’s Yello Bole Canadian Premiere off EBay. When I saw this pipe I just knew I wanted it. It has original finish, lightly smoked with no teeth marks, with a large bowl and rusticated finish. The seller did clean out the bowl and such but left the finish and stem original. It was in just remarkable condition for its age to me.

Since it had only the markings of KBB and Yello Bole (No “Honey Cured Briar “) and a propeller logo it has to be a very early Yello Bole. Although it lacks a 4 digit stamp it’s the same size as the 2272 KBB YB Canadian I got from Steve, making it a shape 72.

Here are pictures of the pipe as it arrived in mail.

I decided not to do very much to it and just preserve it as it is. I cleaned the rustication with a tooth brush and mineral oil and then lightly sanded the bowl with 2500 grit and oil to knock down the rough edges of finish that was cracking and couple of very slight scratches.

Then I sanded stem with the same sandpaper and oil just to knock some of the rough surface down. You can still see the Yello Bole coating in the bottom of the bowl where it hasn’t been smoked enough to coat it with cake. I put a little bee’s wax on the tenon to keep it from getting to tight and snapping tenon. These old YBs can be bad about that. That’s it. Took me less than 30 minutes. Ready for some very slight buffing and wax.

Finished preservation of this old smoke pole.

Very nice crisp stampings on pipe.

I have been wanting a Large Bowl YB Propeller Canadian and was pleased as punch to find this one. It goes perfect with the 72 I got from Steve.

NEPAL PROJECT PIPE SALE 3 – Cleaning up and Restoring a GBD Bronze Velvet 548 Bulldog

3 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

This is the third pipe from the box of pipes that I was gifted by a good friend of mine with the instructed purpose of cleaning them up and selling them with all of the proceeds going to the aid of earthquake victims in Nepal. The funds raised will all go to the SA Foundation, and organization that has worked in Nepal for over 15 years helping provide recovery, housing and job training for women who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. The ongoing earthquakes (over 300) that continue to shake Nepal have left much in ruins. The SA Foundation Project there was able to find new housing for the women and help with staff as well. Every dollar raised from the sale of these pipes will go to the work in Nepal.

The third pipe I decided to clean up from the box of donated pipes is an interesting GBD Shape 548 – a shape I call an elongated bulldog. It is a unique shape that GBD made for quite a number of years. It is stamped GBD in an oval over Bronze Velvet on the left side of the shank. On the right side it is stamped with the shape number 548 and London over England. When it was introduced it had a natural finish and a swirled bronze acrylic bit. In a 1976 Catalogue it was billed by GBD as, “Our ultimate GBD! Only the choicest natural bowls are selected for this premium newcomer. The crowning touch is the handcut mottled Bronze Velvet mouthpiece blending in complementary contrast to the bowl.”

This one will also be sold and all the proceeds will go to the project in Kathmandu. It is a great looking piece of briar with no visible fills in the briar.

I examined the pipe before I went to work on cleaning it up and restoring it. The briar was very dirty and had sticky spots on the bowl and diamond shank sides. The double ring around the bowl was in excellent shape but had debris in the grooves. The rim was in rough shape. Not only was it caked with a lot of tars and oils but it had been knocked out on the front edge of the rim and there was roughening and damage to the front and the top of the rim. There were also notches in the top outer edge of the rim all the way around the rim. The inner bevel on the rim was also caked and hardly visible but appeared to be in pretty decent shape under the grime.

The stem was a marbled bronze as suggested in the catalogue. The sharp edge of the button had been worn down so that the button merely sloped into the end of the stem. The top side was clean and the underside had a well done repair to a bite through. It appeared to be made out of epoxy and was rock hard. There were slight dents in the surface of the repair but it was still solid.

I decided to work on the stem first. I used a flat edge needle file to sharpen the edge of the button and give it more definition from the rest of the stem surface. I worked on both sides of the stem to give it shape. I also used the file to scrape away some of the stem material in front of the edge to give depth to the button.

Once the button was cleaned up and defined I worked on the inside of the stem. I scrubbed the interior of the stem with alcohol, pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. I was surprised to find that the tenon had a metal tube that ran from the end into the stem to give the Lucite tenon more strength in an area where I have seen many of them snap off.

I also wiped down the surface of the stem and used a dental pick to clean up the epoxy repair on the underside. When I had the area cleaned up I used some clear super glue to fill the marks and dents in the epoxy repair and then sanded the stem in that area with 220 grit sandpaper and a medium and a fine grit sanding sponge to blend it into the surface of the stem and smooth it out. Once that was done I set the stem aside and worked on the bowl.
I used the PipNet reamer to clean up the bowl and remove the bits of carbon that were left behind. I also cleaned the airway and the mortise with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol until they came out clean.

The damage to the rim needed to be addressed so I topped the bowl with the topping board and 220 grit sandpaper until the damaged portion was gone. I did the topping in several steps. I took the top down until the major damage was gone and then did a little more to minimize the damage on the front of the bowl.

I reworked the beveled inner edge with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper until it was the same angles it was before I topped it. When that was sanding was complete I worked on the damage to the outer rim with the same sandpaper and then sanded the entire rim with a medium and a fine grit sanding sponge. I wiped the bowl and the rim down with alcohol on a cotton pad. When I had finished the bowl looked as it is shown in the next photo.

The next two photos show the bowl after I had scrubbed the surface of the briar with alcohol on a cotton pad. The natural briar looks clean and bears a slight patina of age. But is looking pretty decent at this point in the process – and I had not even buffed it yet.

I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12,000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil between each set of three pads. When I finished I gave it a light buff with White Diamond.

I buffed the entire pipe with Blue Diamond Plastic polish on the wheel and then gave it multiple coats of carnauba wax. I finished by buffing the pipe with a clean, soft flannel buff to raise the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. It is ready for its next pipeman to bring it home and bring it back into rotation.

This GBD Bronze Velvet should make someone a great addition. If you are interested in this pipe email me at slaug@uniserve.com and we can discuss it. The entirety of the sale price will go to the Nepal project. I will pay the postage so that does not get taken off the proceeds. If you are interested in reading about the SA Foundation you can look at their website at http://www.safoundation.com.

Thanks for looking.

Bringing a pre-1884 era CPF Bent Billiard Back to Life

4 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

My friend John gave me an old pipe that needed to be restored and it fits well into my collection of older CPF pipes. This one was a CPF bent billiard with the CPF logo in an oval and the word French arched above it and the word Briar arched below it. On the gold band around the shank were false hallmarks and the CPF logo in an oval. It was an old timer with the orific style button on a horn stem. The tenon on the end of the stem was bone and in excellent shape. The threads on the tenon were perfect and the tenon looked almost new. However, the threads in the shank were worn and would not hold the stem in place. It could be spun around and with a slight wiggle it came out of the shank. The threads on the tenon no longer aligned with the threads in the shank. The horn stem itself had some tooth chatter on both sides of the stem near the button and was dirty and tired looking. The finish on the bowl was in great shape. The bowl itself had been reamed but there was a light coat of ash in the bowl. The rim looked like it had been topped somewhere in its life but whoever did the work did it well.

I have written a blog about the history of the brand previously. You can read it for details at this link: https://rebornpipes.com/2013/04/14/some-reflection-on-the-historical-background-on-cpf-pipes/

For the sake of summary I include a portion of that blog here.

CPF stands for Colossus Pipe Factory. There is not much known about the Colossus Pipe Factory. I learned that by the mid 1890’s CPF was owned by Kaufman Brothers & Bondy (KB&B). They operated the factory at 129 Grand Street, in New York City, New York. I had a faint memory of some connection between CPF and Kaufmann Brothers & Bondy. But was unsure where I had heard or read that. In the process of reading information I came across this post by Bill Feuerbach on the Kaywoodie Forum it read as follows: “About 10 years ago I picked up two original invoices from KB&B. One is dated February 5, 1884 and the other December 9, 1898. Both have the address as 129-131 Grand Street, which is in Soho, adjacent to the Bowery in New York City. The 1898 invoice has in the upper left hand corner the initials CPF and Trademark. So by 1898 KB&B was making it known to the trade that they owned the CPF trademark. The 1884 invoice does not have CPF on it. Therefore I think we can assume KB&B acquired or started the CPF line sometime between 1884 and 1898.”

Thus we know that the brand was purchased by KB & B sometime between 1884 and 1898 and that it continued until 1915. That time frame gives help in dating some of the older CPF pipes you or I might find. It can be said that prior to the dual stamping it is fairly certain that the pipe is pre-1884 to 1898. After the dual stamping it can be placed post 1898 until the closure of the brand line in 1915. CPF made beautiful pipes. I believe Sam Goldberger was correct in his assertion of the potential carvers that made the pipes being of European training and the classic shapes and well aged briar. That coincides with all the CPF pipes that I have come across.

The pipe I got from John is one of the earlier pre-1884 as it only bears the CPF stamp in faded gold leaf on the shank. I took the stem off the shank to look over the connector in the shank. The threads were worn and there was a chunk of briar missing from the bottom side of the shank exterior inside the band. There also appeared to be a crack at the top of the shank but it turned out to not be a crack but rather an area where the end of the shank is stepped down. I filled in the hollow area with wood glue and used the dental pick to push it down in the divot area.

I tried several methods for dealing with the damaged threads in the shank. The first of these was to build up the tenon with wood glue and then also with super glue. Both methods failed. As soon as I twisted the tenon into the shank the threads were stripped of all of the glue buildup. Those two methods utterly failed. I cleaned off the tenon with alcohol on cotton pads and started over. I examined the threads in the shank and it suddenly dawned on me that I could build them up. I carefully used super glue on the threads keeping it totally out of the airway in shank. I filled in the threaded area with the glue and once it dried I was able to recut the threads with the bone tenon itself. The repair worked and the stem fit snugly in the shank.

I have learned over the years that using micromesh sanding pads on horn stems really raises a shine and brings out the grain in the horn. I started by wet sanding this one with 1500-2400 grit micromesh to take care of the tooth chatter and to reshape the oval button. It took some sanding but I finally got is shaped correctly. These first three grits of micromesh do the hard work in polishing the horn. When I finished I rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil. You can really begin to see the bands in the horn and the grain. This was one beautiful piece of horn. I dry sanded the stem with 3200-4000 grit pads and the grain began to really show and glow. I love the translucence of horn once it begins to really shine. This stem was truly a beauty to behold. I rubbed it down again with Obisidan Oil before moving on to the next grits of micromesh. I finished with the 6000-12,000 grit pads – dry sanding through each grit. I then buffed the stem lightly with the Blue Diamond Plastic Polish to give the final shine. I rubbed down the bowl with a light coat of olive oil and then cleaned up the band on the stem with silver polish and micromesh sanding pads. I finished the band by buffing it with a jeweler’s silver polishing cloth. The next photo shows the stamping with the gold leaf on the shank and also gives a clear photo of the stamping and faux hallmarks on the band. I buffed the pipe with multiple coats of carnauba wax and then gave it a final buff with a clean, soft flannel buffing pad to raise the shine. The finished pipe is shown below. Note the glow of the horn stem and the contrast of the brass/gold band. This old timer is ready for many more years of service. If you have not smoked a horn stem pipe you have to give one a try. They are a totally different experience from vulcanite or Lucite. They are comfortable and light in the mouth. I am looking forward to breaking this one in again and enjoying smoking it.

Thanks for looking

Closing the Gap: The Mythos of Peterson’s Space-Fitting System Stem

NEPAL PROJECT PIPE SALE 2 – Breathing New Life into a Lorenzetti Dublin

2 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug
I was gifted a box of pipes from a good friend of mine with the instructed purpose of cleaning them up and selling them with all of the proceeds going to the aid of earthquake victims in Nepal. The funds raised will all go to the SA Foundation, and organization that has worked in Nepal for over 15 years helping provide recovery, housing and job training for women who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. The ongoing earthquakes (over 300) that continue to shake Nepal have left much in ruins. The SA Foundation Project there was able to find new housing for the women and help with staff as well. Every dollar raised from the sale of these pipes will go to the work in Nepal.
The second pipe I decided to clean up from the box of donated pipes is a beautifully grained Lorenzetti bent Dublin. This one will also be sold and all the proceeds will go to the project in Kathmandu. It is stamped Lorenzetti over Italy over 2 on the left side of the shank. It is a great looking piece of briar with a few nicely done fills that blend into the briar.

When I brought it to the worktable the briar was very dirty. The finish was natural so it was not going to be a problem. It would need to be wiped down and scrubbed. The two rings around the top of the bowl were full of grime and needed to be cleaned as well. The silver on the shank and on the stem was oxidized. The top of the rim was covered with tars and oils that overflowed the bowl. The bowl itself was still round which was a plus but the cake in it was quite thick. The inner bevel of the rim was thick with tars and oils and I was concerned there would be damage underneath. The stem was Lucite and had minimal tooth chatter at the button. Looking at the Lorenzetti website I am uncertain the stem is the original but the fit and look are good.

Internally the airway in the stem was filthy. There was even build up on the end of the tenon. The slot in the end of the stem had some of the same debris built up in the corners. The shank airway and mortise was darkened with the tars and at the bottom of the mortise there were small chunks of debris. I reamed the bowl with a PipNet reamer to remove the cake. I took it back to bare wood to remove the crumbling cake and give whoever purchases this pipe the opportunity to build the cake the way they choose.

I touched up the reaming with a sharp pen knife and cleaned the internal edges at the top carefully. I scrubbed the bowl and rim with Murphy’s Oil Soap on cotton pads to remove the grime and the tars and oils on the top of the rim. I scrubbed the rings around the bowl with a tooth brush and the soap. I touched up the bevel of the inner edge of the rim with a folded piece of sandpaper and then a medium and fine grit sanding sponge to remove the stubborn buildup. When I had finished I rinsed the bowl with cool water to rinse off the oil soap and dried it with a cotton cloth. The rim came out looking far better than I expected. There was one spot in the front, directly at the centre that darkened but the overall rim looked very clean. I cleaned out the internals of the mortise and airway with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. I scrubbed until the cleaners came out white. I used the drill bit on the KleenReem reamer and ran it through the airway to remove any buildup there.

I scrubbed the silver band on the shank and the stem with silver polish on a cotton pad. I scrubbed until all the oxidation was removed. I then polished them both with a jeweler’s cloth. Then it was time to polish the stem. I used micromesh sanding pads to polish the Lucite. I worked to remove the tooth chatter at the button end by wet sanding it with 1500 grit micromesh pads. I wet sanded the entire stem with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanded with 3200-12,000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil between each set of three pads. I buffed it with White Diamond between the 2400 and the 3200 grit pads.

I rubbed the bowl down with a light coat of olive oil and let it dry. Then I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond Plastic Polish on the wheel. I gave it multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it to a shine with a clean, soft flannel buff. The finished pipe is shown below.

On EBay Lorenzetti pipes sell for between $180-$200 each for the sand blast versions. This is a smooth so I would think that it could easily sell for that or more should it strike someone’s fancy. If you are interested in this pipe email me at slaug@uniserve.com and we can discuss it. The entirety of the sale price will go to the Nepal project. I will pay the postage so that does not get taken off the proceeds. If you are interested in reading about the SA Foundation you can look at their website at http://www.safoundation.com.

Thanks for looking.

NEPAL PROJECT PIPE SALE 1 – A Quick and Easy Clean up on a Don Carlos Three Note Dublin

4 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I was gifted a box of pipes from a good friend of mine for the distinct purpose of cleaning them up and selling them with all of the proceeds going to the aid of earthquake victims in Nepal. The funds raised will all go to the SA Foundation, and organization that has worked in Nepal for over 15 years helping provide recovery, housing and job training for women who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. The ongoing earthquakes (over 300) that continue to shake Nepal have left much in ruins. The SA Foundation Project there was able to find new housing for the women and help with staff as well. Every dollar raised from the sale of these pipes will go to the work in Nepal.

The first pipe on the work table is a beautiful Don Carlos Three Note Dublin made by Bruto Sordini in 1977. It is a large straight grained pipe. The dimensions are as follows: length 7 inches, height 2 1/2 inches, external diameter at the rim 2 3/8 inches and the diameter of the chamber is almost 1 inch. I knew next to nothing about Don Carlos pipes. This one was stamped on the left side of the shank Don Carlos in script over Fatta a Mano over In Italia. On the right side it is stamped with three music notes and 50/2. The stampings would certainly tell others who know the brand a lot about the pipe but I had no idea what I was dealing with. So I did a little digging on the web to see what I could find out.
I found a website that had lots of info on the stamping and grades that Bruto used on his pipes. http://www.theitalianpipe.com/infowell/guides/doncarlos.htm It also gave the following information on him.

“Bruto was born in the small village of Cagli, where his world-famous Don Carlos pipes are currently being made. He’s in his mid-forties, married with three children. He first got into pipe making about 37 years ago. At that time, he was studying law, but slowly and surely he developed a passion for the artistry of making a work of art out of a piece of wood. After having worked for years and years for major pipe making establishments in the area of Pesaro, Bruto decided to get more independent; that was when he started a partnership with two other pipe makers and founded the Ser Jacopo. After a few years, Bruto took off and started the Don Carlos.”

On the PipePhil site I found this information: http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-d7.html Using the formula for dating found on the photo above I was able to date the pipe. The 50/2 stamping is identical to the information above. It states that in 2002 the pipes started to be stamped with this date reference. The explanation of the stamp is that 50/2 = 25 which was the number of years that Bruto had spent in making pipes in 2002 having started in 1977. So this pipe was made in 2002.

Don Carlos pipes are the products of the creative mind of Bruto Sordini. His unique, and often whimsical shapes are a refreshing departure from the ordinary, and his craftsmanship is readily apparent in each pipe. He grades his pipes using musical notes, and they all feature gleaming Lucite stems.
Looking on the Don Carlos website I found this quick summary of the ranges and grading of his pipes. http://www.doncarlospipes.com/eng/doncarlospipes.html

“Our range includes Rusticated, Sandblasted (under Rusticated), Smooth, Smooth Straight-Grain, and Specialty pipes. Also, as many loyal supporters of Don Carlos pipes know, within each finish the pipes are graded according to its grain and are graded with musical notes: starting from 1 note up to 3 notes, with a 3-notes grade as the highest representing the finest pipe.”

I also found the photo below that showed the stamping that was on the left side of the shank of the pipe I was working on. The pipe was in fairly decent shape when I received it. The finish on the bowl and shank were in excellent shape other than surface dirt. The natural colour of the briar was still in great shape and not darkened with use or age. The rim was the worst part of the exterior of the pipe. The back of the inner beveled rim had some tar build up and I was sure that once I removed it there would be some slight darkening there as well. The bowl also had developed a cake that came up over that beveled edge and would need to be removed. The next two photos show the rim condition and the state of the bowl.

I reamed the bowl with a PipNet reamer using the largest cutting head to cut the cake back to bare wood. You will notice from the angle of the reamer that the bowl follows the angle of the front of the pipe.

Once I had reamed the bowl I was ready to work on the inner edge of the rim. I scrubbed the rim with cotton pads and saliva. I put a lot of elbow grease into removing the buildup of tars and oils. I was able to remove the crust on the rim. There was indeed a little rim darkening in that spot but not nearly what I expected to find. I wiped down the exterior of the bowl with Murphy’s Oil Soap to remove the grime on the surface of the bowl. With the exterior cleaned it was time to address the inside of the pipe. The shank and airway was dirty and darkened. I cleaned it with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners until I was able to get clean pipe cleaners and swabs back after scrubbing. I also scrubbed the stem with the same and was able to remove all of the buildup from the tenon end and inside the airway. I wiped down the outside of the Lucite stem with alcohol on a cotton pad and used micromesh sanding pads to remove the light tooth chatter near the button on the top and bottom sides. I took the pipe to the buffer and buffed it with Blue Diamond Plastic Polish on the wheel and then gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I finished by buffing it with a clean, flannel buff to raise the shine. The finished pipe is shown below.

I am still researching the value on this pipe, but on EBay they sell for between $400-$500 each for the smooth 3 note pipes. This beauty is certainly worth that. If you are interested in this pipe email me at slaug@uniserve.com and we can discuss it. The entirety of the sale price will go to the Nepal project. I will pay the postage so that does not get taken off the proceeds. If you are interested in reading about the SA Foundation you can look at their website at http://www.safoundation.com.

Thanks for looking.

Bringing a Comoy’s Grand Slam 5 Straight Bulldog Back to Life

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on my worktable was a Comoy’s Bulldog. Personally, I think Comoy’s nailed the straight bulldog shape better than most others. It is a perfect bulldog shape and it is a pleasure to hold and smoke. The stamping on the left side of the shank reads Comoy’s over Grand Slam over Pipe. On the left underside of the shank next to the stem it is stamped X7. On the right topside it is stamped in the classic circle reading Made in London with the “in” in the centre of the circle. Underneath the circle it reads England. Further up that side of the shank is a number 5 stamped almost next to the bowl. I examined the C-inlay on the stem to see how it was made. I have learned over time and through research on these pipes that if it’s been applied in three steps, then it was made pre-1980. This one was indeed a three-step C-inlay. Thus I knew it was made earlier than 1980.

Like all of the pipes I work on, I took a moment to give the pipe a quick assessment. Before I even start the clean up and restoration I take time to look it over to make sure I see what I have to deal with on a particular pipe. The examination helps me to plan how I am going to address the issues on this particular pipe. The Comoy’s pipe was definitely in need of some TLC. The original finish on the Grand Slam Pipe line was rich and full of life. The contrast of dark stain that highlights the grain and the top coat of stain that varies from a rich red to a dark golden combine together to give a very beautiful finish. There were no major dents in the briar that needed to be addressed, though there was a small one in the shank near the stem junction on the sharp edge on the right side that could not be repaired. The briar itself was lifeless and faded looking dull and flat. There was some dirt and grime on it and particularly at the bowl shank junction. The rim had a thick coating of tars on top and some minimal damage to the inner bevel. The bowl had a light cake and seemed to have been reamed recently. It would need to be tidied up.

The stem was badly oxidized and had tooth marks on the top side and the underside near the button. The slot was partially plugged and would need to be opened.

I cleaned up the bowl with a wipe down of alcohol on a cotton pad to remove the dirt and grime and begin to soften the tars on the rim. I gave it a light sanding with 1500 grit micromesh sanding pads. Then I wiped it down once more with the alcohol and cotton pads. The buildup was just about gone. Just a little more scrubbing and the rim was finished. I lightly sanded the stem with a medium grit sanding sponge to loosen the oxidation and then dropped it in a bath of Oxyclean to soak overnight. In the photo below you can see the oxidation begin to run off the stem into the white bubbles of the Oxyclean mixture. The next morning when I took it out of the bath the mixture was yellow with the oxidation. I dried off the stem with a coarse cotton towel to remove the softened oxidation. The stem was much cleaner and black of the vulcanite was beginning to show. I put the stem on the shank and sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper followed by a medium grit sanding sponge to remove the oxidation that had come to the surface after the soak.

I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil and then took the following photos of the stem to show the progress so far.

I cleaned out the deep tooth mark on the underside of the stem with a dental pick and then a cotton pad and alcohol. Once it was clean I used clear super glue to make a patch on the marks. I over filled the repair so that it would dry and not shrink too much requiring a second coat. I set the repaired stem aside to dry for the day while I was at work. After work I sanded it smooth with 220 grit sandpaper and then with a medium and a fine grit sanding sponge. When the surface of the repair matched the stem material the sanding was finished. I then used a flat blade screw driver to unscrew the end of the stinger in the tenon. The cap on the end held a replaceable leather washer in place. Once the cap was off I was able to remove the washer. I then used a pair of needle nose pliers on which I have covered then ends with a thick wrapping of scotch tape. This provides a cushion when grabbing onto metal. The stingers in the Grand Slam were threaded and I heated the metal tenon until the goop holding it tight was loose. I turned it with the pliers until it was free of the tenon. With all of the parts removed from the stinger I cleaned it with a soft bristle brass tire brush to clean off the tars. I cleaned out the interior of the stinger with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. I used the brass brush to also clean the threads on both ends of the stinger. When I had them cleaned I used coated the threads on the front of the stinger with a light coat of Vaseline to protect it and lubricate them when I turned the cap onto the end. I had cleaned it with some soap and warm water and then used the Vaseline to give it some life. With it all cleaned and lubricated I put it back together and set it aside while I cleaned the shank and the stem. I used the drill bit on the KleenReem pipe reamer to clean out the airway from the end of the mortise to the bottom of the bowl. It had almost closed off with the tars. The draught on the shank was very constricted. Once I had run the bit through it several time cleaning out the buildup the draught was open and unrestricted. I cleaned out the shank and airway with alcohol on cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. Once they came out clean the shank was finished and ready for the stem.

I cleaned out the stem with pipe cleaners and cotton swabs while I had the stinger out. I was able to remove all of the buildup in the stem and then put it all back together again. The stinger end was lubricated and then threaded back into the tenon. It sits quite deep in the tenon and has a small flange that sits against the tenon end. Here are some photos of the stinger in place in the stem.

I used a 1500 grit micromesh pad to further polish the aluminum of the stinger. I sanded the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-4000 grit pads. Between the first set of three pads and after the second set I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil. When it dried I buffed the stem with White Diamond on the wheel to polish the vulcanite. I brought it back to the worktable and gave it a further coat of Obsidian Oil.

I finished dry sanding with 6000-12,000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I rubbed the stem down a final time with Obsidian Oil and buffed it with Blue Diamond Plastic Polish on the buffing wheel. I buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond and then gave it multiple coats of carnauba wax. Between each coat of wax I buffed it with a clean, soft flannel buffing pad to raise the shine. The photos below show the finished pipe. It is cleaned, polished and ready for that next inaugural smoke.