I managed to squeeze one more restoration in before heading away for a bit of Christmas R & R with the family. The pipe was sent to me by a fellow member of the Brothers of Briar pipe forum. He had been given this old Hardcastle but needed the stem repaired before he could use it. I offered to help, and before too long, the pipe arrived in my mailbox. I took this series of pics to show the pipe’s original condition.

As you can see, it arrived in well-used vintage condition. The finish was worn and spotty, with much of the tan/natural undercoat exposed where the black topcoat had been rubbed off by years of handling. The rim was tarry but otherwise looked okay, with no major dings or dents to the sandblast finish. The bowl had a light layer of cake, with a thicker ring of carbon about two-thirds of…