It’s officially Winter, and as the cold takes hold here in Southern Ontario, here is a pipe story that is sure to warm the heart. It involves a long-lost pipe, a walk in the pasture and a clever fellow who recognized a unique opportunity to secure the perfect gift for a hard-to-buy-for family member.

I was contacted by a DadsPipes reader with a restoration request. It would be, he said, a “full overhaul” job, and included this picture of the pipe – well, really half a pipe.

As you can see, the pipe was just a stummel and an old-style threaded reverse tenon. There were no obvious cracks or other major structural damage, and I was fairly certain I could find a suitable stem, so I asked the owner to send the pipe to me. In due time, a parcel arrived at the door. Here are a few pics of…