Monthly Archives: July 2017

1952 Dunhill Tanshell LBS Restoration

By Al Jones

This pipe belongs to a friend of mine who is a member of the Lehigh Valley Pipe Club (Allentown PA area). The pipe is a 1952 Dunhill Tanshell, which is his birth-year pipe. I’ve done several pipes for John but this one was special and I was honored to be entrusted with its care.

The pipe was in terrific condition, with the typical bowl-top build-up and an oxidized stem. The nomenclature panel was in fantastic condition. The panel serves to make the pipe a sitter, which extends to the profile on the bottom of the stem. The original owner must have never set the pipe down on that panel. There was a gap between the stem and shank, I assumed due to build-up inside the shank.

The pipe has Patent No9417574/34 with an underlined 2, which according to the dating guide at the Pipephil site, dates it to 1952. The LBS apparently stands for “Large Billiard Slim” and the pipe is a Group 4 size.

The pipe had a mild cake, which was removed with my Pipenet reamer. The interior of the bowl was in very good shape and protected by the cake. The draft hole was completely plugged. I soaked the pipe with alcohol and sea salt for several hours. While the pipe was soaking, the stem was soaked in a mild Oxy-clean solution.

Cleaning the bowl top was going to take some care, I didn’t want to damage the sandblast or the stain. I used a piece of worn Scotch-Brite and water to remove the heaviest build-up and then a water-soaked cloth. This left only some darkening on the rim top. The briar only need to be hand waxed with Halycon wax and a soft cloth.

The draft hole was cleaned with a soft shank brush dipped in alcohol. I cleaned the interior of the shank with a paper towel dipped in alcohol. Once the shank was clean, the stem fit perfectly.

The stem had several mild teeth indentions. I used the flame from a lighter to raise all but two. I used 800 grit paper to remove the oxidation on the stem, followed with 1,500 and 2,000 grades. I finished with 8,000 and 12,000 grade micromesh sheets. The stem was finished on the buffer with White Diamond and then Meguiars Plastic Polish. The two remaining tooth indentions are hardly noticeable. The button work is outstanding, truly a hand cut stem.

Below is the finished pipe, ready to be enjoyed.

BBB Centenary Bullcap Restored

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By Al Jones

I had never had a BBB pipe on work bench, but in the last month, I’ve acquired two. This one is a real curiosity. It is stamped as a “1847-1947 Centenary” pipe. Very little is written about BBB brand pipes. Steve posted a history of the brand to the blog several years ago, which can be seen in the link below. Beyond this piece, there is not much else available on the brand.

History of BBB Pipes – Reborn Pipes

BBB celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1947. They released a book on the brand, but it is rare. Someone shared with me that Vermont Freehand had reprints for sale. However I cannot find any reference to these “Centenary” pipes. I’ve found two or three that have been sold on Ebay, but the ads are old enough that the photos are no longer available. I posted the pipe to several pipe boards, but to date, I’ve received no answers on the history of this anniversary edition pipe. They did appear to come in different shapes. This one looks like the classic “Bullcap” shape. The pipe is a featherweight at 25 grams.

As you can see, the pipe was in relatively good condition. The sellers pictures were not very good and the pipe was advertised as having a box. Unfortunately, the seller made a mistake and there was no box. That was too bad, as the box may have contained some helpful information. The stamping is crystal clear. The stem has a “Hand Cut” stamp but no metal rhombus was shown. On receiving the pipe, there is a BBB rhombus stamp on the opposite side of the stem. The pipe came with a push fit stinger.

I used a worn piece of Scotch-Brite to remove the build-up on the bowl top, then finished it lightly with a piece of 2000 grit paper. After the build-up was removed, a nicely beveled bowl top was revealed. The rest of the briar was just about perfect. I reamed the pipe and soaked it with sea salt and alcohol. Following the soak, the briar was buffed lightly with White Diamond and several coats of Carnuba wax.

The stem had no bite marks, but was oxidized. Working around the stamping was going to be tricky. I cut two tiny pieces of masking tape to cover and protect them during this process. I started with 800 grit paper, than 1500 and 2000 grades. The then buffed with White Diamond and Meguiars Plastic Polish. I put some white, acrylic model paint over the logos. I let it dry for several days and then removed the excess. Unfortunately, the stamping is so shallow, that the white paint didn’t have much, if any effect. The beautifully shaped and detailed button definitely earn the “Hand Cut” stamp.

I’m not happy with the oxidized stamp sections, but I’m not sure there is much else that can be done.

If anyone has information about these “Centenary” edition pipes, please let me know.

Cleaning up an Interesting 1960’s Brigham 122L Twin-Bore Poker

Cleaning up an Unusual Petite WDC Monitor Disk Pipe

1 Reply

Blog by Steve Laug

This petite and unusual disk shaped pipe came to me in the lot my brother and I found on our virtual pipe hunt in Montana (https://rebornpipes.com/2017/04/26/a-virtual-pipe-hunt-a-new-way-to-experience-the-joy-of-a-pipe-hunt/). It was in the same lot as the older C.P.F. and WDC pipes that I have been working on. I am guessing it is from the same era as the rest – late 1880s through early 1890s – but I am not positive. I can find nothing on the WDC Monitor in my pamphlets, books or online. The dimensions give you a picture of the size – length 4 ½ inches, height 1 3/8 inches, diameter of the bowl 1 inch, diameter of the chamber ½ inch. I have also included a photo of the pipe next to a Canadian Toonie ($2 coin, same size as the American $2 coin) for you to get an idea of the size of the bowl (the second photo was taken after I had begun the cleanup on the stem and band).The pipe was in decent condition. The finish was worn and dirty. There was a cake in the bowl and the inner edge of the rim was damage slightly on the back edge. There was lava on the top of the rim but it looked like it was not too heavy and it did not appear that there was burn damage. There was one fill/sandpit on the front side of the bowl near the top. The stem was like the WDC Wellington faux P-lip with the airway coming out at the end rather than on top. It was oxidized and dirty. There were some light scratches and chatter on the stem but it was in decent shape. The brass band was oxidized and dirty with some heavy buildup on the edges where it met the briar. It was also loose on the shank. My brother took quite a few photos to show the look of the pipe. It really is an interesting shape and one that I have not seen in this aged pipe before.The stamping on the shank of the pipe had some faded gold leaf and read Monitor in script and underlined on the left side and WDC in a triangle on the right side. The stamping was very sharp with a little shallowness on the capital M of Monitor.The grain on the bowl was very nice and the carver had placed the shape on the grain to highlight the variety of grain – birdseye, cross grain and flame. It is a good looking piece of briar and I could only find the one fill. The next two photos show the bowl. Notice not only the cake and the lava overflow on the rim but also the small nicks on the back, inner edge of the rim in both photos.The stem was oxidized as noted above and had scratching but did not have any tooth marks or chatter. The airway in the button was still round and did not show signs of damage. The WDC triangle logo was stamped on the top side of the stem behind the saddle and on the underside of the stem it was stamped SOLID RUBBER. The Solid Rubber stamping was fainter than the WDC logo on the top side of the stem with the word Rubber fading toward the end.Jeff thoroughly cleaned the pipe before he sent it to me. He reamed the bowl and scrubbed out the mortise and the airway in the shank and stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the externals of the briar with Murphy’s Oil Soap and put the stem in a bath of Oxyclean to bring the oxidation to the surface and soften it. The next photos show what it looked like when it arrived in Vancouver. He did a great job cleaning up the rim and other than the small nicks on the back side of the inner edge it looked flawless.The oxidation on the stem came to the surface after the Oxyclean soak and it had that “wonderful” brown tint that would need to be removed.I wiped the bowl down with a soft cotton pad and a little alcohol to remove any dust or debris left behind by the packing material and dried it off. I used some Rub’n Buff European Gold to touch up the stamping on both sides of the shank. I reglued the band with a white all purpose glue and polished it with micromesh sanding pads.I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to work over the damage to the rim edge and it did not take too much work to remove it without damaging the shape of the rim or the bowl.I polished the rim top and rim edge with micromesh sanding pads to smooth out the remaining scratch marks from the sandpaper. I hand buffed the bowl a microfiber cloth and took the next four photos to show where I was at with the pipe at this point. I rubbed the stem down with Brebbia Stem Polish to remove as much of the oxidation as I could. I worked on it with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads. I took the next photo to show the stem at this point. There was still oxidation that shows up under the bright flash.I worked on the stem some more with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper to further remove the oxidation and when I was happy with the result I used some Rub ‘n Buff European Gold to fill in the WDC Triangle logo on the top of the stem behind the saddle. Like its name you put the gold on the place you want it to be and rub it off. The next two photos show the process. The excess gold turned the area around the stamping gold as well. I would need to buff it off and finish the polishing with micromesh pads.I buffed the stem with red Tripoli to polish it further and remove some of the excess gold on the stem and saddle. I polished it with 3200-4000 grit micromesh pads and rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil.I buffed the pipe and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel to polish it more. I gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine and hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. It is a nice piece of briar and a unique old timer that is over a hundred and twenty years old. In the photos the flash revealed yet more oxidation :(. This would have to be polished out later. Off to work now. Thanks for walking through the process with me.

Jen’s Trove #5: A ‘Savinelli’? Villager Grecian Poker Rescued

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Blog by Dal Stanton

When Jenny fished this iconic shaped Poker out of my ‘Help Me!’ basket, her time of consideration was very short. She added it to her Trove of pipes that she asked me to restore to gift the men her family when she returns to the US at summer’s end. She has worked here in Bulgaria with us for the past few years and she will be missed! All her Trove pipes benefit the work we do with the Daughters of Bulgaria, women and girls who have been sexually exploited and trafficked in Europe. I really like the Poker shape. It always elicits a ‘down home’ Mark Twain feel for me – I can easily imagine a vintage gathering of card players sitting around a poker table, dealing hands on a riverboat, and one old crust chewing on his ‘Poker’ as he considers his hand. Taking a puff, then placing the sitter on the table, he changes 2 cards in hope of his fortune changing! All that by looking at this pipe? For me, yes! This Poker got my attention on the eBay auction block and it’s now on my work table here on the 10^th floor of our former Communist apartment ‘blok’. Here is what I see. On the left side of the shank is stamped ‘Villager’ and on the right, ‘Grecian’ in a cursive script. The only reference to a ‘Villager’ in Herb Wilczak and Tom Colwell’s, ‘Who Made That Pipe?’ is to the renown Italian name, Savinelli. While Savinelli does boast a Poker shape in its Shapes Chart I found in Pipedia, this Villager is lacking some of the usual indicators of the Savinelli brand (Savinelli stamping, stem shield, etc.). Neither is ‘Villager’ included in the extensive list of Savinelli made sub-brands, seconds & order productions in Pipedia’s Savinelli article. I’m dubious of the Savinelli origin of this Poker, yet I was not able to find an example of a Savinelli ‘Villager’ line to compare. The only other marking is on the right side of the shank, ‘Grecian’. I’m assuming this is pointing to ‘Grecian Briar’ which I’ve seen marked on pipes’ right shank sides. After searching the ‘Villager Grecian’ together, I come up with nothing that helps to identify or disqualify (Savinelli) the origins of this Poker. I would welcome any leads! The one thing I can deduce with great certainty about this Villager Poker, is that it was a well-loved and smoked pipe! But it needs help!

There is heavy build-up of carbon cake in the chamber and the rim is well-crusted from lava and oils. The back-left side of the rim appears to have borne the brunt of the former stewards lighting activities – it is burned and the internal rim shape is out of round because of it. The stummel has normal grime coverage and sports a few small fills which have lightened over time and needing attention. The ‘seat’ of this Poker has been used and shows some wear. The stem has heavy oxidation and has been chewed on a bit and will need work. I’m anxious to recommission this Villager Poker for Jenny’s menfolk!

I begin by placing the stem into the OxiClean bath to raise the oxidation. I let it stew for several hours. Starting on the stummel, I use the Pipnet Reaming Kit to remove the heavy cake from the chamber. I will not be able to inspect the chamber wall for integrity until this is done. I take another picture of the chamber to mark the progress. After putting down paper towel to shorten the cleanup, I employ the smallest blade first then use the next two larger sizes. To fine tune the ream, I then utilize the Savinelli Pipe Knife to remove more carbon. After this, I roll up a piece of 240 grit paper around a Sharpie Pen and sand the chamber removing more carbon build up seeking a fresh briar surface. Finally, I wipe the chamber out with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95% to remove the carbon dust. I do not see any problems with the internal fire chamber’s integrity. The pictures show the progress. With Murphy’s Oil Soap, I begin working on cleaning the rim and stummel of the grime and oils. I use cotton pads and a bristled tooth brush to work around the stummel and rim. Into the scrubbing, I also use a brass bristled brush on the rim – this will not damage the wood. After rinsing off with warm tap water, I use the flat edge of my Winchester Knife to scrape more carbon off the rim surface. After rinsing off again with warm tap water, I look at the rim condition. I am left without any question regarding the need to top this Poker to remove the damaged briar and repair the inner-rim roundness. Pictures show the progress. Before I move to the external stummel repairs, I turn to the internal cleaning. I use cotton swabs and pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95% to do the job. I also utilized needle files and a small flat head screw driver to scrape the sides of the mortise to remove the plethora of tars and oil that have built up. After some time doing this, and with other commitments with my life on the horizon, I decide to utilize a salt/alcohol soak to continue to wage war even though I’m off doing other things! I use Kosher Salt, which does not leave an after-taste unlike iodized salt, to fill the bowl and after covering the bowl with my palm, I give the stummel a few shakes to displace and settle the salt. Then, I stretch and twist a cotton ball to form a wick which is inserted and pushed down into the mortise using a piece of metal coat hanger. As a wick, it acts to draw out the oils and tars as the alcohol and salt interact. I then place the stummel in an egg carton to stabilize it and position it at a slight angle and fill the bowl with isopropyl 95% until is surfaces over the salt. I wait a few minutes as the alcohol is drawn into the mortise and top the alcohol again. The Trojan Horse strategy commences. Returning several hours later, the salt is discolored and the wick shows the fruit of its labors. I toss the expended salt in the waste, clean the bowl with paper towel, and use long bristled brushes to rid the mortise of left-over salt crystals. I return to using cotton swabs and pipe cleaners to complete the internal cleanup job. Surprisingly, I am still scraping gunk off the mortise walls with small flat edged tools! This stummel is a nasty little bugger. Finally, the gunk is removed and cotton swabs are coming out clean. Mission accomplished! Pictures show the gunk removal. Turning now to the stem, I remove it from the Oxi-Clean bath and the oxidation has been effectively raised on the vulcanite surface. Using 600 grade sanding paper, I wet sand the stem removing the mother share of the oxidation. I follow with 0000 steel wool and then Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to finish the oxidation removal. Pictures show the process. Using pipe cleaners, I now attack the internals of the stem. Dipping pipe cleaners in isopropyl 95%, it did not take long before the airway was clean. The picture shows the results.Turning now to the stummel, I take another closer look at the rim. The damaged wood needs to be removed and the rim repaired. I take 240 grit paper and put it on a chopping board to form my topping board. Inverting the stummel, I rotate it over the paper taking off only as much briar as is needed to refresh the rim. I check the progress often to make sure I’m not dipping into softer damaged wood – keeping the top true. I take some pictures to show the progress. The 4th picture below shows the thinner area at the 2 o’clock section of the rim because of the scorching. I finish with the 240 grit paper, and I follow by topping it lightly with 600 grit paper. To shape a more balanced and rounded rim, I create an angled internal bevel of the rim using 120 grit paper. My aim is to create a bevel that evens out and blends with the angle created by the damaged area as much as possible. I also create a bevel on the external rim edge to take away damage as well as encourage more balance. I follow up the 120 grit paper by using 240 and 600 on both the internal and external rim bevels. I think the beveling looks good and succeeds in masking the problem areas on the rim. The pictures show the rim restoration. With the rim repair complete, I look to the stummel. With all the wear nicks and cuts that this loved Poker has endured, I decide to remove the old finish to get down to the natural briar. To do this I use cotton pads wetted with acetone and work on the surface. The acetone works very efficiently and the finish comes off easily. As I inspect the heel of the stummel, I see nicks on the edge. I decide to lightly ‘top’ the bottom of the stummel with 600 grit paper. I am surprised by how ‘not flat’ the bottom is as I top it. After finishing the topping of the seat of this sitter, I used rolled-up 240 and 600 grit papers respectively to bevel the bottom edge very lightly. This removed some remaining dents on the edge that the bevel did not remove. It looks good. The pictures show the progress. Next, using a medium grade sanding sponge I sand the stummel removing the nicks and cuts. I follow using a light grade sanding sponge. Looking at the fills on the stummel, I dig at them with a sharp dental probe to see if they are solid. They seem good, but I’ll need to darken them later. I move directly into the micromesh pad cycles. Using pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stummel. Following this, I dry sand with pads 3200 to 4000 then 6000 to 12000. I take pictures showing the progress of bringing out the briar grain on this venerable Villager Poker. This part is one of my favorites in restoring pipes – seeing the grain emerge with the hidden beauty displayed! At this point, I take cherry and walnut stain markers and touch up the lighter fills so that they will blend better. After touching up, I lightly feather dabbed the stained fills with a cotton pad with a lightly wetted with alcohol. This blended the fills more. The pictures show the progress. To cover the repairs and to blend increasingly a darkened part of the rim that had been scorched, I decide to go a bit darker in the staining of the stummel. Yet, I want to keep it lighter. To do this I mix at a 50% ratio Fiebing’s Dark Brown Leather Dye and alcohol in a shot glass. I want to start a bit darker, but have the option to lighten it by wiping the finish down with alcohol and cotton pad. After I mix the dye, I fit a cork in the shank to act as a handle. I first warm the stummel using a hot air gun to open the grain to receive the dye. Using a folded over pipe cleaner, I apply dye to the stummel thoroughly, aiming for complete coverage. I then ‘fire’ the stummel using a lit candle. This burns off the alcohol in the dye and sets the stain in the grain. After a few minutes, I repeat the process and then set the stummel aside to rest.With the stained stummel resting, I turn to the stem. Using micromesh pads, I wet sand the stem using pads 1500 to 2400. Then I dry sand using pads 3200 to 4000 then 6000 to 12000. After each cycle, I apply Obsidian Oil to the stem to revitalize the vulcanite. When completed, I set the stem aside to dry. The pictures show the progress. Turning again to the stummel, it is time to ‘unwrap’ the fire crusting to reveal the grain. Using a felt buffing wheel mounted on the Dremel, set at the slowest speed, I first purge the wheel using the Dremel’s metal adjustment wrench against the felt surface. This removes old compound and restores suppleness to the wheel. Then, I apply the abrasive compound Tripoli to the surface by rotating the buffing wheel methodically over sections at a time, removing the fire crusting. After completing the Tripoli cycle, I wet a cotton pad with alcohol and wipe down the stummel. I do this primarily to blend the dye more evenly over the surface. I don’t rub too much because I do not want to lighten the hue – it looks good. I then mount a cotton cloth buffing wheel on the Dremel, increase the speed a bit, and apply a slightly less abrasive compound to the surface, Blue Diamond. After the Blue Diamond compound, I buff the stummel with a felt cloth to remove the compound dust from the surface. I also notice that the fills that I had colored earlier had lightened again through the staining process and the alcohol wipe down (see third pictures below). I touched those up again with a black sharpie pen and a dark stain stick. The pictures show the progress. I reunite the Villager Poker’s stem and stummel to apply wax. With the cotton cloth buffing wheel dedicated to applying carnauba wax mounted on the Dremel, I apply several coats over the stummel and stem surface. I follow this with a clean cotton cloth buffing wheel on the Dremel and then a rigorous hand buffing with a microfiber cloth to raise the shine more.

The only direct identification of the name, ‘Villager’, pointed to a pipe bearing the Italian name, Savinelli. I was dubious that this Villager Grecian Poker rose to the quality one expects from Savinelli craftsmanship. Yet, I am very pleased with how this iconic Poker cleaned up. The rich depth of the briar tones and the variety of grain movement makes this ‘Ole Boy Poker’ a keeper and ready for his next steward, who will enjoy him as much as the last. Jen’s gifting this Villager Poker to one of her menfolk benefits the work we do with the Daughters of Bulgaria. For more information about this and my other restorations, take a look at my blog, The Pipe Steward. Thanks for joining me!

Jen’s Trove No. 4 – Reclaiming a Kaywoodie ‘Flame/Super Grain’ #11 Large Billiard

6 Replies

Blog by Dal Stanton

I think the reason this Kaywoodie stood out to Jen as she was rummaging through my baskets and boxes of ‘Help Me!’ pipes, was the ‘fancy stem’ and the strong, full look of the stummel. The grain is impressive and it will clean up nicely. Jen is leaving Bulgaria soon after working with us for a few years. She’s taking a trove of pipes back to the US to give to the men in her family. For her too, is the fact that each pipe she purchases will benefit our work with the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked in Europe and sexually exploited. This is the second Kaywoodie she has chosen. The first was a beautiful Kaywoodie Author (See: LINK) that needed extensive rim repair. The Kaywoodie now on the work table got my attention too, on the eBay auction block from a seller in North Carolina. After Jenny rescued it from the basket, I take some pictures of the Kaywoodie she chose. Generally, the pipe is in pretty good shape other than normal time wear and tear issues, but the stem bit might need some work. The rim and fire chamber are both in good shape, but in need of cleaning and the removal the light carbon cake to bring it to fresh briar for a new start. In the picture immediately above shows two fills – one filled and one emptied. The hole looks like a drill hole and I first suspected it was part of a cracked shank repair, but no cracks are evident. Only these two fills on the stummel will need to be refilled and I’ll see if the other needs to be replaced. The ‘Fancy Stem’ (I spent time trying to find a name for this type of stem and this is what I came up with via Steve’s assistance!) has serious tooth dents on the upper button lip and a significant dent and chatter on the lower bit. I also detected that the classic Kaywoodie Synchro-Stem threaded tenon is underclocked a bit – which over time, I discovered, is a normal happening with metal threaded tenons (See from Reborn Pipes: About Stem/Bit Shapes).The nomenclature on the sides of the shank are in bad shape – almost warn off and beyond history’s grasp. I had to take several looks at the stamping with a magnifying glass at different angles of light – lamp light and sunlight outside on my ‘Man Cave’ balcony on the 10^th floor of our former Communist Blok apartment building. What I can decipher with much effort, is a phantom “Kaywoodie” [over] “***in” offset to the far right of the Kaywoodie stamping above it (under the ‘-die’). On the shank’s right side, I make a guess at ‘11’ which is a shape number. These two pictures try to show what I can barely see! I mark with yellow pen where the ‘K’ starts of Kaywoodie and I underline the ‘***in’ and the 11 in the second picture.With a passion to understand as much as I can about the provenance of the pipes I restore, I know that I’m on a steep learning curve with this only being my second Kaywoodie. I’ve benefited much from Troy’s expertise, of Baccy Pipes, with Kaywoodie pipes and his help on this Kaywoodie. I’ve picked up some of the markers that help establish a Kaywoodie’s identity. The first thing to look at is, what is the “***in” refer to? Identifying the Kaywoodie line, at least partially, can help place a pipe. It did not take long as I search Pipedia for a listing of the names of the Kaywoodie lines (see LINK). What I found is that throughout the years, Kaywoodie has put forward several lines with the word “Grain” making sense of my mystery “***in”: Straight Grain, Super Grain, Flame Grain, Bird’s Eye Grain, Relief Grain, and Custom Grain – were the Kaywoodie lines that I cataloged from Pipedia. My next step was to go to the Kaywoodie section of Pipe Phil’s inventory of examples and to see if I could find an example of what appears to be the same script style for the ‘Kaywoodie’ [over] ‘*** Grain’ in cursive, simply to visualize. The only example I found of the same script for both ‘Kaywoodie’ and ‘Grain’ was this Flame Grain, Meerschaum from the 1947 catalogue that Kaywoodie produced. A close look of the script follows in picture two. I think this is a pretty good visual match of the nomenclature style.So, I think it’s safe to say that the Kaywoodie before me was a line suffixed by ‘Grain’. I don’t know how rare or common the use of the cursive script was with Kaywoodie ‘Grain’ lines, but it could possibly help in identification if one knew. Another concrete marker I identified was the shape number, ‘11’ which is identified as a ‘Large Billiard’ in the Pipedia Kaywoodie Shapes Guide. This description seems to be right on with the Kaywoodie before me – a handful of wonderful Billiard briar! The other marker that I was aware of was the iconic Kaywoodie stem shamrock or club. From PipePhil.eu, I found this concise description that indicates that the black shamrock in the white dot started to emerge on pipes since 1937:

The cloverleaf logo: the round logo (black cloverleaf in white circle or white cloverleaf in black circle) was first used in 1937. Up until the late 40’s this logo was used on all of the upper grades pipes. The concomitant use of the plain white cloverleaf and the disk inlaid logo continued until the early 80’s.

Up until the late 1940’s/early 50’s, the logo was on top of the stem. After that the logo was moved to the side of the stem (exceptions exist).

The other solid marker that I investigated was the No. ‘11’ shape number. In Pipedia’s Kaywoodie Shapes Number section, shape number 11 is described:

Shape #	Description	Years Produced
11	Large billiard	1935-1972

Troy later sent me another helpful link from Kaywoodie My Free Forum that allowed me to see all the Kaywoodie Billiard offerings with the comparison of 2 and 3-digit shape numbers.From the same Forum article, the center column reflects the 2-digit system employed from 1927 to 1972, when the system was changed to a 3-digit system when pipe production (for Kaywoodie, Yello-Bole and Medico) was moved to the Medico factory in Richmond Hill Queens NY as plans for new plant were in process. The left-hand column above was the 3 digit numbers used during this period for all Kaywoodie and Medico pipes, from 1972 to 1980. The same article indicated that the 2-digit numbers were only for Kaywoodies produced in the US – that Kaywoodie of London to Cadogan had their own three-digit system.

I took my search for a Kaywoodie ‘Something Grain’, shape #11 to the latest Kaywoodie Catalog that would have a representation of the #11 Billiard at Chris’ Pipe Pages that is consistent with the older Kaywoodie catalogues leading up to it (See: LINK). See the 5^th pipe down on the left:That is the Large Billiard stummel on my work table. There is one thing that doesn’t line up. The Fancy Stem. I spend extensive time trying to find the No. 11 with a fancy stem flipping through all the Kaywoodie catalogs (referenced above) and found no specimen – not even on another shape. During this exploration, I sent my forensic findings and some pictures to Troy whose experience with Kaywoodies is extensive. I wanted to know what I might be missing. After an enjoyable time of communicating back and forth – pipe restorers’ cyber fellowship, Troy’s experience with Kaywoodie pipes cut through my fog quickly. Regarding the nomenclature of the Kaywoodie Jenny chose as part of her trove, I’ll let Troy’s observations conclude this Kaywoodie origins adventure! Thanks Troy!

…if the shank is straight then the only thing I can think of is someone took a pre-1972 #11 and re-stemmed it with a 1970’s type quarter bent stem. If that is the case then it’s a 1955-1972 #11 Flame Grain with a different stem…. Or it could be a Super Grain (1955-1972) with a later Flame Grain type stem.

With a better understanding of this Kaywoodie in front of me, I start the restoration by reaming the fire chamber. Since the cake is so thin, I use the Savinelli Pipe Knife to do the job. After spreading out paper towel to catch the carbon, I employ the knife and it makes short work of the cake. I follow by sanding the fire chamber with a coarse 120 grade paper, then a 240 grade paper – in both cases wrapped around a Sharpie Pen. I finish by wiping the bowl with cotton wetted with isopropyl 95% to remove the residue carbon dust. The pictures show the initial clean up.

Next, using undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap I address the grime on the stummel using cotton cloth pads. After scrubbing, I rinse the soap off the stummel with cool tap water, not allowing water in the internals. While the stummel is still wet, I probe the fill on the left side of the shank to see if it had softened and might come out. It was solid. The pictures show the progress. I now turn to cleaning the stummel internals because I like working on clean pipes. Using pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in isopropyl 95%, I go to work. The internal gunk is thick – I use a curved, spaded dental probe to scrape the sides of the mortise and I remove a lot of old tars and oil built up. After some time working like this, I decide to switch tactics and use a retort to clean the internals and make more efficient headway! After setting up the system, putting a cotton ball in the bowl, and lighting a candle to heat the alcohol in the capped test tube, the alcohol heats and eventually boils. When it boils, the expansion forces the hot fluid into the stummel. Much of the alcohol is initially absorbed into cotton ball so I replenish the alcohol and continue the process. The rhythm of boil, expansion and then removing from the flame and tipping the stummel so that the expanded alcohol runs back into the test tube, is repeated several times. I pour off the first cycle into a Lord of the Rings commemorative shot glass to compare. I refill the test tube with alcohol, and continue several more cycles, pouring out the expended alcohol in another shot glass and refilling with fresh alcohol for a 3^rd and final cycle. There is a gradual lightening of the expended alcohol as I picture all three for comparison. After finishing use of the retort, I finish up again using pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. The pictures show the progress. Looking at the stummel surface, the old finish does not look uniform so I use cotton pads and wipe down the stummel with acetone to remove vestiges of the old finish. The acetone worked very quickly. I again look at the suspect fill on the left side of the shank, and this time I detect a gap on the edge of it. I use the sharp dental probe to remove the old fill. Looking now more closely at the rim, there is a dark ring around the external edge simply indicating wear. I take a picture of the right side of the rim that shows more wear. To freshen the rim lines, I decide to lightly top the KW Billiard. Using a chopping board topped with 240 grit paper I evenly rotate the inverted stummel, checking to make sure I’m staying true. After making sufficient progress with the 240, I switch to 600 grade to smooth further the top surface. The pictures show the topping progress. With the topping completed, I fine tune the rim freshening by beveling the internal edge of the rim. I use 120 grit paper rolled tightly to cut the initial angle of the bevel. I follow the 120 with a rolled piece of 240, then 600. To me an internal bevel adds class to a stummel. This #11 Large Billiard stummel looks good. I also lightly sand around the edge external rim. This softens the lines. The pictures show this rim fine-tuning process.To address the small holes on the left side of the shank, using a toothpick, I drop fill the holes using HOT STUFF Special ‘T’ – thick CA glue. I put a little CA glue on close to the end of the toothpick and allow gravity to run it to the tip to allow a surgical application of the glue. After applying the thick CA glue, I spray it with an accelerator to cure it more rapidly. In a few minutes, using a flat needle file then a rolled-up piece of 240 grit paper, I bring the CA patch mound down to the briar surface. I finish by using a rolled-up piece of 600 grit paper to smooth the patches more and blend. The pictures show the process. To prepare the stummel for sanding, to preserve what is the precious little of this Kaywoodie’s nomenclature, I cut small pieces of masking tape to cover the remnants. First using a medium grade sanding sponge, I sand the stummel gently removing very small nicks and pits to smooth the stummel. I follow with a light weight sanding sponge. Using strategically placed thumb and fingers the masking tape guards did the job.Now to the micromesh pad cycles to bring out the grain on this already attractive Kaywoodie Large Billiard. Using pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stummel, followed by dry sanding with 3200 to 4000 and then 6000 to 12000 – throughout, guarding the nomenclature. I am impressed by the quality of the briar grain emerging in the Kaywoodie Large Billiard. The pictures show what I’m seeing. Putting the stummel aside, it’s time to tackle the Fancy Stem. Using pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95% I work on the internals. I also employ the use of long wired brushes that more easily work up into the Kaywoodie 3-hole stinger/tenon system. Following this, I use a brass bristle brush on the exterior of the stinger/tenon and finish with shining it with 0000 steel wool.With stem internals clean, I look again at the work needed on the upper and lower bit. The upper button area has tooth chatter but more significant is the compression on the button lip that may need rebuilding. Looking at the upper lip from the slot side, the lip has a dent that compresses toward the slot. The lower bit has a significant tooth dent and chatter. The lower button lip is in better shape. I take some pictures to mark the problem areas. I decide to use the heating method first to see if this will minimize the damage. By heating the vulcanite over a flame, the expansion of the rubber will seek out its original shape – at least in part. I’ll give it a try, then move to sanding and filling. With a candle lit, I pass the button area over the flame – back and forth several times. The technique helps on the lower bit but not sufficiently. The upper bit, button repair was not helped much. So, using 240 grit paper, I work on the lower and upper bit. Using a flat needle file, I also try to remove dents from the upper button lip. Pictures show the progress. The first pictures below show the sanding/filing progress on the upper lip. I’m not satisfied with the results as I will need to remove more of the button than I want to remove the dents. I wanted to see if I could repair the lip without rebuilding the lip, but this will not be possible. I’ll need to mix activated charcoal powder with CA glue to rebuild the upper button lip and fill the dent on the lower bit.I open one capsule of activated charcoal and mix it with Hot Stuff Special ‘T’ CA glue. This CA glue is extra thick. After cleaning the patch areas with a cotton ball and isopropyl 95%, I place a small puddle of ‘T’ CA glue on an index card, and use a toothpick as a mixer and trowel. After reaching a molasses-like viscosity with the mixture, I apply the mixture to the dent and the upper button lip. I apply more mixture than necessary to enable later sanding down, shaping and blending the patches. To shorten the curing time for the patches, I spray each with an accelerator. The pictures show the progress. Back to filing and sanding. Using a flat needle file, I file the patches down. I follow by using 240 grit paper to fine tune bringing the lower bit dent patch down to surface level. I blend the patch further using 600 grit paper. I do the same with the lower button lip. After shaping the bit with the flat needle file, I use 240, 600 grit papers. The process with the button is a gradual filing, sanding and shaping until the button emerges and looks balanced. Pictures show the progress. Above the slot, during the sanding, I notice a pinhole – what appears to be a small air pocket. There are also very small air pockets on the upper button lip repair. This is normal and I use a toothpick and drop-fill the hole with CA glue. I then paint a thin coat of CA glue over the button lip to fill the air holes. I quickly spray the glue with an accelerator to shorten the curing. I then finish the button sanding out the air pocket fills. I complete this phase of repair by using 0000 steel wool to the upper and lower bit. The lower bit patch will blend more as I polish the stem. The button looks good. The pictures show progress. With the repair to the bit completed, I now turn to the Fancy Stem. Even though there is no oxidation, I use 0000 steel wool to buff the entire stem to remove many small nicks and scratches on the surface. I then begin the micromesh pad process by wet sanding with pads 1500 to 2400. I follow by dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 then 6000 to 12000. After each cycle, I apply Obsidian Oil to revitalize the vulcanite. The Fancy Stem is looking good. The pictures show the progress. I again take the stummel after completing the stem sanding. During the stem work, I had in the back of my mind the consideration of the next step working with the Kaywoodie ‘Flame/Super Grain’ stummel. The stummel’s natural briar color is dark and rich with grain flow – horizontal, bird’s eye and flame. My idea is to add some pop to the grain by staining the stummel with a light brown dye. This will not darken the stummel, but perhaps it will lighten the softer wood grains. We’ll see! I take a few pictures of the stummel to mark the progress. Using a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95%, I wipe the stummel down to assure it’s clean. I use a cork inserted into the bowl to use as a handle and I warm the stummel using the heat gun to warm and expand the grain helping it to be more receptive to the dye. I then apply a generous amount of Fiebing’s Light Brown Leather Dye to the stummel using a folded pipe cleaner. When covered thoroughly with dye, I ‘flame’ the stummel with a lit candle which immediately burns off the alcohol in the aniline based dye. This sets the hue in the grain. After a few minutes, I repeat the process again and then set the stummel aside to rest. The pictures show the process. After several hours, the stummel is ready to ‘unwrap’. Using the Dremel, mounting a felt buffing wheel, at the slowest speed, I apply Tripoli compound to the surface to remove the fired crust. I take a picture to show the contrast from the crust, and the emerging grain. After the Tripoli, I lightly wipe the stummel with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95% to blend the dye further. After this, using a cotton cloth buffing wheel mounted on the Dremel, and notching up the speed to ‘2’ (fastest is 5), I apply the slightly less abrasive compound, Blue Diamond. I love to see the rich tones of the briar grain emerge during this process. Before I apply the carnauba wax to the stummel, I have a couple of corrections to apply. The first is to correct the under-clocked stem. Using a lit candle, I heat the metal tenon so that the vulcanite loosens its grip and I quickly screw the tenon in until it tightens and I apply pressure carefully to advance the stem. I repeated the heating process a few times until I reached the desired stem position. The pictures show the process. The second thing I wanted to do before applying the carnauba wax was to coat the fire chamber with pipe mud. I have this tutorial bookmarked on Reborn Pipes here: LINK. I noticed minor heat fissures in fire chamber earlier which is shown in the first picture below. Applying a coat of pipe mud will simply coat the chamber, filling the fissures, and provide the foundation for a new cake to develop. To create the pipe mud, I use a mixture of cigar ash (thanks to my colleague, Gary!) and water. I make sure that the cigar ash is finely ground using the flat end of a pipe nail and I remove any solid debris. I put ash in a shot glass and water in a small bottle and I add water using a large eye-dropper and mix with the pipe nail until I achieve a paste like viscosity. I then use a pipe cleaner to paint the mud to the chamber wall and tamp it using the spoon end of the pipe nail tool. I’ll wait about an hour for the mud to fully set up. The pictures show the process. Now for the home stretch. With stummel and stem reconnected, I apply several coats of carnauba wax to the Large Billiard stummel of this Kaywoodie Flame/Super Grain. I use a cotton cloth buffing wheel mounted on the Dremel at the same speed (2) and methodically apply the carnauba using the sheen reflection on the surface to guide my application. After applying carnauba, I change to a clean cotton cloth buffing wheel and go over the surface again to bring out the shine and more fully blend the wax. Finally, I hand buff the pipe with a microfiber cloth to raise the shine more.

While we don’t know with 100% certainty whether this Kaywoodie #11 Large Billiard is a Flame Grain or a Super Grain, I believe the grain is a cut above the norm looking at its quality. It has a beautiful flow of grains and is quite attractive. The Large Billiard fills the hand well with an interesting, tapered Fancy Stem, that probably came later and is not original with the older #11 stummel. I’m happy to provide this Kaywoodie to add to Jenny gift trove as she goes back to the US. Jen’s purchase benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria, our work here in Bulgaria with women and girls sexually exploited and trafficked. For more information about this work, take a look at The Pipe Steward. Thanks for joining me!

Rejuvenating a Beautiful Koncak Pegasus Carved Meerschaum

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I chose to work on today is a nicely carved meerschaum by Koncak. I have never really collected meerschaum pipes so I do not have much knowledge of the various makers or carvers. I did some looking in some of the references I have here in the shop and found that Koncak is a Turkish meerschaum pipe brand. The meerschaum factory was founded by Ekrem Koncak in 1934 in Eskiehir, Turkey. It is one of that country’s oldest producing meerschaum pipe factories. They carve some highly unusual shapes. In 1974, Ekrem was succeeded by his son, Sadat, and in 1980 his daughter, Nurham took over the running of the company. In the meantime, Sedat Koncak bought the Austrian brand Bauer, and the two companies have maintained close commercial ties (from Pipes, Artisans and Trademarks, by José Manuel Lopes).

Jeff bought the pipe on EBay because the carving and shape stood out to him as beautiful. It is a large bowled unique. The sides and back of the bowl are carved with fronds of leaves possibly tobacco leaves. The front of the bowl is carved with reclining Pegasus – winged horse with some pock-marked stone around him. The end of the shank is smooth culminating in a silver band with a rope twist and a single line and a beaded line on each side of the rope. The shank is lined with Delrin and the push tenon is either Delrin or nylon. The stem is Lucite/acrylic and had a saddle and a wide blade that has tooth marks and file marks on both the top and bottom sides in front of the button.

The first photos below on the green background were taken by the seller. I include them here so that you can appreciate what caught my brother’s eye when he saw this beauty.

The photos on EBay show the dirty condition of the pipe but also show that it is in excellent shape under the grime and the dirt. My brother was wise in bidding and winning this beautiful example of Koncak workmanship. The photo of the bowl front shows the winged horse, Pegasus in a reclining position. The carving is quite well done. The details of the feathers on the wings, the mane on the horse’s head and the surrounding foliage around Pegasus are well done.

The bowl was shown with a thick cake that was spread throughout the bowl and there was an overflow of lava on the top. The shank and the underside of the bowl was already beginning to show a golden colouration and once the bowl was scrubbed clean I was pretty certain that the rim top and edge would also show the same kind of developing colour. My brother did very well in his purchase of this one. Now I just need to decide whether I keep it or let it go on the rebornpipes store. I guess that by the time I finish the pipe and do this write up for the blog the decision will have been made. I will let you know once the post has been completed. Thanks.

The EBay sellers photos also showed the condition of the stem (at least from the top view).When the pipe arrived in Idaho, Jeff took some more photos of it so that I could see the condition of the pipe. While it looked much like the seller’s photos it was both in better condition and worse condition at the same time.The case it came in was well fitted to the pipe. It was in good condition though there were places that the leather cover would need to be reglued. (When it arrived in Vancouver this was the first thing I took care of and set the case aside to let the glue cure.) There was a sewn in Koncak logo on the inside top of the case. The dirtiness of the pipe was as shown in the seller’s photos and surprisingly there were no areas that were damaged or broken. I was grateful that the pipe was in dirty but undamaged state.The next two photos show the condition of the cake in the bowl and the lava overflow on the rim top. The cake was thicker than it had appeared in the seller’s photos and the lava overflow was heavier and thicker.The next series of photos show the ornate leaf carvings around the bowl and shank leaving the centre of the front piece open for the carving of Pegasus, the winged horse. The next two photos show the stem and band work on the pipe. The silver band is quite beautiful and really stands out against the colouring meerschaum shank. The next photos that my brother took show the condition of the stem far better than the seller’s photos had. It had a lot of tooth chatter and dents on both the top and underside near the button extending about one inch up the stem. Jeff reamed the bowl carefully with a PipNet reamer and a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife scrapping the cake back to the meerschaum wall of the bowl. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe and rim with Murphy’s Oil Soap and was able to remove the entire lava overflow on the rim and the dust and grime from the nooks and crannies of the carving. He cleaned the internals with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol until the surface was clean and refreshed. I took photos of the pipe when it arrived in Vancouver to show his craftsmanship in the cleanup phase of refurbishing. He does very good work and it makes my job much easier on this end. His work on the rim top is an example of how clean he gets the pipes. He was able to remove all of the lava overflow and leave behind a bit of patina.He had cleaned up the tooth chatter with the soap and scrubbing and what tooth chatter was left behind was minimal. There were also some tooth marks that would need to be addressed.I sanded out the tooth chatter and the tooth marks with 220 grit sandpaper to clean them up as much as possible. I wiped down the surface of the stem with a damp cotton pad to remove the sanding dust. I filled in the deeper tooth marks with clear super glue and set the stem aside to wait for the repair to cure. While the repairs cured I worked on polishing the bowl. I used micromesh sanding pads to polish the smooth portions of the pipe. I wet sanded them with 1500-2400 grit pads and wiped the bowl down with a damp cotton pad between each grit of micromesh. I dry sanded it with 3200-12000 grit pads and repeated the wipe down after each pad. By this time the glue had cured so I sanded the repairs on the stem smooth with 220 grit sandpaper blending them into the surface of the stem on both the top and bottom sides. At this point the stem is looking really good. Still work to do in reshaping the button but the repairs are getting there.I recut the sharp edge of the button with a needle file and smoothed out the edge with the thin edge of the file. The button was looking right. Now I needed to polish the stem.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-2400 grit pads. I wiped the stem down with a damp cotton pad to remove the dust. I buffed the stem with red Tripoli on the buffing wheel before continuing to polish it with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. When I had finished the polishing I wiped it down with a damp pad and gave it several coats of Conservator’s Wax. I buffed the stem with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I gave the bowl a coat of softened white beeswax called Clapham’s Beeswax Polish and hand buffed it with a shoe brush. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It is a large pipe whose dimensions are length: 6 inches, height: 2 ½ inches, outer diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, chamber diameter: 7/8 inches. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. Well the decision has been made as I hoped it would by this time in the write up of the restoration. While working on the pipe and cleaning it up I realized that it is too big for my liking and thus I will part with it on the rebornpipes store. I will list it shortly and if it is a pipe that you want to add to your collection you can email me at slaug@uniserve.com or send me a private message on Facebook. It truly is a stunning pipe. Thanks for walking with me through the cleanup.

Comoy’s Shape 17 Guildhall Restoration

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By Al Jones

This bent billiard, shape 17 was in pretty decent shape. There was build-up on the bowl top and the stem had the typical layer of oxidation. The Guildhall finish should not be mistaken with the Comoy’s 2nd line called “The Guildhall” (the stem logo on those pipes has three slim slats). The Guildhall pipes, with drilled, 3 piece “C” stem logos have all had matte, contrast staining.

The pipe as it was delivered.

I used a piece of worn Scotch-Brite to remove the build-up from the bowl top, than lightly finished it with 2,000 grit wet paper. the beveled bowl top was in very good condition and seemingly protected by the build-up. The briar was then reamed with alcohol and sea salt. While the pipe was soaking, the stem was soaked in a mild oxy-clean solution.

Following the soaking process, the briar bowl was cleaned with brushes and paper towels (screwed into the shank). The stem was mounted and oxidation removed first with 800 grit paper, than 1500 and 2000 grades. 8,000 and 12,000 grade micromesh was used next. The oxidation hid a few teeth marks. I used the flame from a lighter to raise some of them. A few stubborn dents remained on the bottom side of the stem. I decided to let well enough alone. The stem was then buffed lightly with white diamond and Meguiars Plastic Polish. The stem was buffed with White Diamond and several coats of Carnuba wax.

This one was a relatively easy restoration. Below is the finished pipe.

Restoring a Unique Alternative Wood C.P.F. Tulip

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Blog by Steve Laug

This is yet another unique older C.P.F. pipe find from our Virtual Pipe Hunt in Montana. It is amazing the number of older C.P.F. and other brands we found in that antique shop. Even more amazing is the sheer number of shapes that I have never seen or worked on before. This one is a C.P.F. that is made in two parts – a bowl that is screwed onto a base. The wood is not briar. The bowl is olivewood and the base is cherry. The pipe has the C.P.F. in an oval stamp on the left side of the shank. It is also stamped on the band with the faux hallmarks from that era and the logo. The stem is made of horn. It is a graceful and elegant looking pipe and one that I look forward to working on. My brother took quite a few photos of the pipe before he cleaned it up to show the details of the carving and the wood. I have included them at the beginning of the blog. My guess is that this pipe also comes from the mid-1880s to the early 1890s like the other C.P.F. pipes in the lot.The pipe was in pretty rough shape. The bowl had a thick cake with lava overflowing the rim. The finish was very dirty though appeared to look good underneath the grime. The screw in bowl was stuck in place on the base and we were uncertain that it would even come off. It looked like it originally was a separate piece but the grime and grit had locked it in place. The grooves in the base were filled with grime and the silver band was tarnished. The gold C.P.F. logo on the shank was faint. The horn stem had the usual tooth chatter and marks but other than that was in decent condition. With a little work this would be a beautiful pipe.

If you would like to read a bit of history on the brand you can have a look at a blog I wrote concerning C.P.F. or the Colossus Pipe Company https://rebornpipes.com/2013/04/14/some-reflection-on-the-historical-background-on-cpf-pipes/.The next series of photos show the condition of the bowl before cleaning. It was very dirty and there appeared to be cracks in the backside of the bowl. I would not be certain until it was cleaned and I had it in hand. The next photos show some of the detail on the base of the pipe. It is an interesting piece of carving. I have never seen one like it in either the old C.P.F. catalogues or in my online research regarding the brand. The bottom of the base shows the grain on this portion. Notice how well the carver centered the grain pattern on the base. It is a beautiful piece of wood. I am guessing cherry but I am not certain. You can see from the unique vertical grain on the bowl portion of the pipe that it is not briar. My thoughts are that it is olivewood but I could be wrong. Note also the buildup of grime around where the bowl sits on the base.The C.P.F. oval logo can be seen on the left side of the shank and also on the silver band. You can see from the photo that the band appears to be loose. Later photos reveal that it was indeed loose and could be slipped on and off the pipe.The next two photos show the shank with the band sitting under it and the threaded bone tenon on the horn stem. It is really dirty looking in the shank and mortise.The stem was probably in the best condition of the entire pipe. The graceful curve of the horn was undamaged. The striations were not separating and the variation in colour was stunning. The overall condition was really good. There was some light tooth chatter and marks near the button on each side but otherwise it was clean. The button was not chewed and the orific airhole in the centre of the button looked good. Jeff cleaned up the pipe – reaming the bowl with a PipNet reamer and cleaning up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Reamer. He took the cake back to bare wood. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and rinsed the soap and grime off the pipe. He removed the band and scrubbed under that as well with the soap. He cleaned out the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. He cleaned the horn stem with some oil soap as well. I took these pictures when the pipe arrived in Vancouver. It was in better shape than when we picked it up. Jeff had not been able to unscrew the bowl from the base as it was stuck with the goop that had covered the bowl and base. The rim top still had some darkening and spotty damage to the surface. Jeff and I were talking last evening on FaceTime and I decided that I would tackle the restoration on this old timer next. While we were chatting I held the base in one hand and wiggled the bowl with the other. After a few moments I was able to turn it from the base. What was underneath was absolutely gross. It looked like someone had packed the base with some kind of coarse material to act as a filter to trap any moisture that came from the combustion of the tobacco above. I also noticed that the bowl bottom had three airholes and one was entirely plugged and could not be seen from the inside of the bowl. The bowl had some dark staining and build up on the bottom of the bowl. I put the junk back in the bowl and set the pipe aside for the night.In the morning I took the pipe apart again to clean out the bowl base. I used a dental pick and a spatula to clear out the debris and hard build up in the base. I scraped out the threads on the bowl and the base to remove the debris. I scraped out the rounded base bottom to also remove the debris. I twisted the tip of a dental pick through the clogged third hole in the bottom of the bowl. I worked it from both the inside and the outside of the bowl until I had cleaned out the blockage. Once again the bowl had three holes that worked.I scrubbed the base and the bottom of the bowl with alcohol and cotton swabs. I scrubbed until it was absolutely clean. I scraped out the ledges on the inside of the base to remove the buildup that was there as well.I painted the shank end with Weldbond white glue so that I could put the band back in place. The band had a split on the right side that would need to be worked on as well. I put the band on the glue and held it in place until the glue had dried. I sanded the split in the band with 220 grit sandpaper and filled it in with clear super glue. There were also cracks in the bottom of the base just below the threads that matched the grooves carved on the outside of the shank. Once the glue dried I sanded the inside of the base smooth. With the repairs done to the base I turned to what had appeared to be cracks in the bowl sides and base. I sanded the stained and dirty base and the part of the bowl that had been seated in the base behind the leaves. I used clear super glue to fill in the small cracks on the bowl sides and bottom. They were very tight and did not move when I worked them with a dental pick. When the glue dried I sanded the bowl with 220 grit sandpaper until they were smooth and blended in well with the surface of the olivewood. I lightly topped the bowl with 220 grit sandpaper on a topping board until all of the damaged areas were removed and the rim top was smooth once again. I polished the olivewood with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding it with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each of the micromesh sanding pads with a damp cotton pad to remove the sanding dust. The photos below show the progress of the polishing. I sanded the stem to remove the tooth chatter on the top and underside near the button. There was one deep tooth mark on the underside that I could not remove by sanding. I filled it in with clear super glue and let it dry. Once it had cured I sanded it smooth with 220 grit sandpaper to blend it into the rest of the stem surface. It was smooth but a bit lighter in colour than the surrounding area. Thankfully it was on the underside.When the stem was turned on to the shank it was slightly underclocked and there was no give in the stem to get the alignment correct. I carefully heated the bone tenon without burning it to soften the glue that held it in place. While it was still warm I was able to screw it in and align the stem properly.Now that things were aligned it was time to polish the stem. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding it with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each of the micromesh sanding pads with Obsidian Oil to remove the sanding dust and give it more life. The photos below show the progress of the polishing. I love polishing horn stems because as you work them over they seem to take on a life of their own with a deep and resilient sheen. I took the pipe apart and buffed the parts. I buffed the bowl and the bottom and sides with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I buffed the stem with Blue Diamond as well to polish out the tiny scratches that were left behind by the micromesh. I gave the parts multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed them with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed all of the parts with a microfiber cloth and put the pipe back together. I hand buffed it once again to finish the restoration. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. It is a remarkable example of pipe making at the end of the 19^th Century. The wood and the shape work well with the beautifully striated and gracefully bent horn stem. The silver band with the hallmarks and C.P.F. logo is a nice transition between the stem and the cherry wood base. Thanks for walking with me through this restoration.

Restoring a Unique Horn Stem W.E. Hooker System Pipe

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Blog by Steve Laug

Another one of the pipes found on the Virtual Pipe Hunt in Montana was this interesting old piece. It is an oddity and I was sure when we found it that it was another example of the eternal hunt for the dry, perfect smoke. I joking call it a camel pipe for the humps it has from a side view. This old timer is stamped on the left side of the shank with the words W.E. Hooker and on the right side of the shank it is stamped Patented over May 17, 1910. The pipe was in pretty rough shape at first glance with wear and tear to the finish and the rim caked with lava flowing over to the top. The inner edge of the bowl was out of round and there was some damage to the surface. There were some small sandpits on the right side of the bowl and on the top of the shank. The vulcanite cap in the middle of the shank perplexed me a bit so I was curious what we would find beneath the cap. The stem was horn and it had a lot of tooth damage to the top and underside at the button as well as some significant damage to the button itself and the edges around it. It looked as if someone had taken a knife to it and done some whittling on the horn. It had originally had what looked like a faux P-lip as the airway left the button on the end rather than the top. It was going to be a fun one to clean up.My brother Jeff took quite a few photos of the bow from various angles to give an idea of the overall condition of the pipe.The function of the cap on the top of the shank intrigued me and the overall airflow of the pipe was a mystery. When I put a pipe cleaner in the shank it came out in the sump under the cap. There were two other holes in the sump – one at the top front that connected to the airway as it entered the bowl and one at the top back that went back into the shank and the stem. When I pushed a pipe cleaner through the stem it stopped at the bottom of the sump under the cap. Now I really wanted to know how this worked. I Googled W.E. Hooker tobacco smoking pipe and came up with a patent number 958,398. The inventor was a William E. Hooker of Buffalo, New York. He filed the patent October 13, 1909 and it was patented on May 17, 1910 (just like the stamping on the right side of the shank). I have copied that information below. Note the airflow in the diagram accompanying the patent, I have inserted red arrows how it flowed through the pipe.

I have included the complete text of the patent below. It explains the letters A-H in the above diagram.

W.E. HOOKER- TOBACCO SMOKING PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910.

PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER: WILLIAM E. HOOKER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TOBACCO-SMOKING- PIPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 13, 1909. Serial No. 522,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Tobacco-Smoking Pipe, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in a tobacco smoking pipe and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to figures and letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of my improvements are: First: To provide a chamber or receptacle wherein can be collected all the moisture, nicotine and other foul secretions usually present in a tobacco smoking pipe and prevent the said moisture, nicotine and foul secretions from reaching the mouth of the smoker by means of the aforesaid chamber or receptacle and smoke channels, thereby insuring a clean and sanitary smoke. Second: By means of this chamber or receptacle and smoke channels and drainage channels, to prevent all moisture or saliva that might collect in the pipe stem from flowing into the pipe bowl. Third: To provide ample and easy facilities and means for cleaning the pipe. I attain these results by the position and location in which the nicotine receptacle or chamber and the smoke and drainage channels, are constructed or drilled in the pipe bowl, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which forms a part of this specification.

The accompanying drawing is a central vertical longitudinal section of my pipe embodying my invention.

A is an ordinary pipe bowl. B is a chamber or receptacle, for the purpose of collecting nicotine, moisture and other foul secretions, situated between the pipe bowl A and the pipe stem H, in a vertical position and parallel with the pipe bowl A, with an opening at the top. I prefer to have said chamber or receptacle in a vertical position as indicated and parallel with the pipe bowl, to insure the best results with my invention, although it is not absolutely essential that the chamber or receptacle aforesaid, should be nearer to the pipe bowl than to the pipe stem, but the vertical position and location of the chamber or receptacle is essential and necessary. This chamber or receptacle in the position or location described, serves as a collector of all moisture, nicotine and foul secretions which might flow through channels D and E and also has for its purpose the conveying of smoke from channel D to channel E. The opening at top of the aforesaid chamber permits of the easy cleaning of the nicotine and moisture chamber B, and the smoke channels D and E.

C is the well or socket, into which the mouth-piece or stem H fits and also serves as a smoke conductor from channel E, to stem H and as a conductor of any moisture or nicotine which might collect in said well, to the bottom of chamber or receptacle B, through channel F.

D is a smoke channel leading from the bottom of pipe bowl A to the top of chamber or receptacle B and serves as a smoke passage to convey the smoke from the bottom of pipe bowl A to the top of chamber B, thence across said chamber B into and through smoke channel E into the well C and thence to the mouth of the smoker through stem H.

E is a smoke channel leading from the top of chamber B into well or socket C and terminating midway between the end of well or socket C and where the pipe stem or mouth piece H enters said well or socket, and is a conductor of smoke from top of chamber B to the well.

F is a drainage channel to convey saliva, moisture, nicotine and foul secretions which might form in the well or socket C, from said well to the bottom of chamber or receptacle B. By the particular position and location of this drainage channel F, any moisture, saliva, nicotine or secretions, which might form and collect in said well or socket C, pass through this drainage channel and into the bottom of the chamber or receptacle B, and a free and unobstructed draft is thus obtained.

G is a cap which can be removed and it screws into the top of chamber B, to close opening of said chamber and can be easily removed for the purpose of cleaning chamber B and smoke channels D and E.

H is a pipe-stem or mouth piece.

I am aware that prior to my invention, Patented May 17, 1910. tobacco smoking pipes have been made with nicotine chambers or receptacles. I therefore do not claim the invention of a nicotine receptacle; but having thus fully described my invention, I claim: In a tobacco smoking pipe, a moisture or nicotine receptacle, situated or located between the pipe bowl and pipe stem

or mouth piece, in a vertical position and parallel with the pipe bowl, having an opening at the top of said moisture or nicotine receptacle or chamber, with two smoke channels entering said receptacle or chamber at the top and a drainage channel entering said receptacle or chamber at the bottom as substantially set forth herein and for the purposes specified. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of October, 1909. WILLIAM E. HOOKER. Witnesses: Himmler BOWEN, CHAUNCY W. ABBOTT.

Now, I had it in the words of the inventor himself – he designed a different kind of sump vertically in line between the bowl and the stem. That made his invention different from the sump in a Peterson System pipe designed to accomplish the same thing. This is truly a complicated piece of tobaciana.

My brother took close up photos of various angles showing the grain of the pipe, the structure and the pipe taken apart. These give a clear picture of what we would have to deal with in the restoration process. The rim top photo shows the cake in the bowl and the overflow of lava on to the rim top. You can also see the damage to the inner edge of the bowl at the back of the pipe.The next series of photos show the hard rubber cap on top of the entrance to the sump on the shank. It is threaded and can be removed by unscrewing it from the briar shank. The horn stem was held onto the shank by a threaded bone tenon that screwed into the threaded mortise in the briar. Both threaded portions were in excellent condition. The second photo below shows the view of the pipe with the three openings showing from the shank to the bowl.The stamping on both sides of the were faint but readable. As mentioned above the left side read W.E. Hooker and the right side read Patented over May 17,1910. I was dealing with an old pipe.The horn stem had tooth chatter and tooth marks as well as some nicks from a knife that had been used to try and reshape the stem. The next photos tell the story. Jeff did a pretty thorough job cleaning this old timer up. The finish was really rough and dirty and the cake in the bowl foretold a very dirty interior. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet reamer and took the cake back to briar. He cleaned the interior of the bowl with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He worked through the various channels and airways in the shank and the stem until they were clean. I took the photos below to show the condition of the pipe when it arrived in Vancouver, clean and ready for me to work on. I took a close up photo of the bowl with the sump cap on and off. Note the nicks out of the inside edge of the bowl leaving it out of round.I took some photos of the stem to show the cleanness of the horn and the damage to the various parts – sides near the button, the button surface and the stem next to the button on the top and underside.I worked on the inner edge of the bowl to smooth out the damaged areas and even out the rim top. I wanted to work as much as possible to bring the bowl back into round. Once I had sanded the edge I mixed some putty of clear super glue and briar dust to build up the back edge of the rim. Fortunately the damage did not go deep into the bowl but was concentrated at the top.I sanded the repaired area with 180 and 220 grit sandpaper and took the following photo. I still needed to do more sanding but the rim top is taking shape.I wiped down the bowl and rim with cotton pads and alcohol to remove the sanding debris and any remaining finish on the bowl. I did that in preparation for repairing the filled areas on the right side of the bowl and the top of the shank. I put drops of clear super glue in the fills and sandpit areas on the bottom of the bowl and right side. Once they had dried I put some in the sandpits on the top of the shank near the stem shank junction. I sanded the repairs smooth with 220 grit sandpaper and blended them into the surface of the surrounding briar. I wet sanded the areas with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads. I used the needle file to reshape the stem edges and button and smooth out the damage that had been caused by the knife. I smoothed out the flow of the P-lip style button and recut the ledge on the underside of the stem.I cleaned the airways in of the pipe and stem with pipe cleaners and alcohol. I cleaned out the sump area with cotton swabs and alcohol. There was still some sludge in the bottom of the sump that came out with coaxing. I cleaned out the mortise as well for good measure.I continued to reshape the stem some more with 220 grit sandpaper. I really wanted to have it smooth to touch and closer in appearance to what it must have looked like when it left the factory. When I was done with the sanding the shape was looking much better.I touched up the repaired areas of the bowl and rim with a dark brown aniline stain pen. The colour matched perfectly with the existing stain. I wiped the bowl down with a light coat of olive oil and took the following photos to show where things stood at this point in the process. With the bowl finished I went to work polishing the stem with micromesh sanding pads – I wet sanded with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanded with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each pad. It is always amazing to me to see the horn begin to develop a deep glow and shine. I polished the hard rubber sump cap with the micromesh once I finished the stem. I buffed the pipe and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel to remove any minute scratches that remained in the stem and the briar. I gave the pipe multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise a shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine on the briar and horn. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. I am really having a bit of a dilemma with these old pipes – in all of my time refurbishing and restoring old pipe I have never seen pipes like these… I am so tempted to hang on to the lot of the old C.P.F. pipes and the rest that come from that era as I probably will never see them again… ah well definitely a first world problem. Time will tell. Thanks for coming with me on this interesting old restoration. It was a fun one to work on.