Monthly Archives: May 2020

A Fresh Start for a Pipstar Standard Dublin Sitter of Saint Claude, France

Blog by Dal Stanton

The Pipstar Standard 06 026 Dublin Sitter now on my worktable, is simply a cool looking pipe. I was attracted to it because of the Dublin Sitter shape eBay description and the grain had great potential. I like the lines and the very gentle bend of the stem flowing out of a rounded sitter heel. The pipe really doesn’t sit well as a sitter, but the flat rounded bottom is more for artistic consideration (as a French pipe) than utilitarian. I saw it on the eBay auction block from a seller in Akron, Ohio. My bid held true and the Pipstar Standard Dublin made its way to Bulgaria where I posted it in the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” Only! online virtual ‘Help Me!’ baskets where pipe men and women commission pipes to be restored. These hopeful restorations benefit the Daughters of Bulgaria, the work in Bulgaria helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. This is where Nathan saw the Pipstar along with 3 other pipes he commissioned to benefit the Daughters. Here are pictures of the Pipstar Dublin Sitter that got his attention. The nomenclature is found stamped on the underside of the shank. The stamping reads ‘PiPstar’ bracketed, followed by ‘STANDARD’. Underneath this is stamped ’26 026’ which I assume is a shape number that I’m sure, will remain a mystery. The stem bears an interesting stamp of a ‘P’ and a miniature star to its right.There isn’t much information about the Pipstar name. Pipedia shows it to be a brand of C.J. Verguet Frères – a French factory in St. Claude that began in the 19th century. It also cites that,

In 1906, its merger with Sina & Cie., gave rise to a large company within the Oppenheimer Pipe group and run by Lucien Verguet. In 1917, the factory produced 4.8 million pipes and bowls.

More information was offered on pipephil.eu with a Pipstar panel stating that the company closed it’s doors in St. Claude in 1970. This let’s me know that the dating of the Pipstar on the table is at least that old. Now looking at the St. Claude, France, made Pipstar Dublin Sitter on the worktable, it appears to have originally had an Oxblood or red finish. Looking at the stummel there are a few blotches of what appears to be dye hanging on from former days. What’s interesting to me is that the brown leftover is attractive. I’ll be interested to see how the stummel cleans up. There are also nicks and scratches on the stummel from normal wear and usage. The chamber has thick cake buildup which will need to be cleaned out to allow fresh briar to emerge. This also allows inspection of the chamber walls to detect heating problems.The stem has thick oxidation which needs addressing. The picture from the eBay seller shows this very well. There is a bite compression on the lower bit, but overall, not in bad shape.Beginning the process of restoring and recommissioning this French Pipstar Standard, I clean the airway with pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95%.Next, to begin addressing the deep, heavy oxidation on the entire stem, a ‘Soft-Scrub-like’ product called CIF, available here in Bulgaria, is used along with 000 steel wool. I use the steel wool and CIF to break up the oxidation with the hope that it enables the Before & After Deoxidizer soak to follow to be more productive. After a few hours, I fish out the Pipstar stem and clear the liquid from the airway with pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 95%. Cotton pads wetted with alcohol are also used to wipe away oxidation that has been raised.To help begin the conditioning process, paraffin oil, a mineral oil, is applied to the vulcanite stem. The stem is then put to the side to absorb the oil.After putting the stem to the side, I start the work on the stummel by cleaning the chamber of the cake build-up. I take a starting picture and using the Pipnet Reaming Kit, I go to work starting with the smallest blade head. I discover quickly that the conical Dublin chamber angles too sharply for a ‘regular’ reaming blade to traverse. Instead of pressing down on the blade head, which will cause a ‘reaming ridge’ I simply press toward the walls of the chamber to remove cake buildup. I use two blade heads in this manner and then switch to the Savinelli Fitsall tool to reach the narrower areas of the chamber. I also utilize an older, vintage Kleen Reem Pipe Tool which can close and expand the cutting blades orientation. It works well in the Dublin chamber! After cleaning the cake buildup, I wipe the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95% to clear the carbon dust and examine the chamber. The chamber is healthy regarding heating and burning issues, but I detect what I was mindful of earlier – what I call a ‘reaming ridge’. Overzealous reaming when the chamber narrows to a tighter angle than the reaming blade can pass results in the blades cutting into the chamber wall above the floor of the chamber. Moving on to the cleaning of the external surface, undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap is used with a cotton pad to scrub the smooth briar surface. I’m interested to see how the Oxblood spots fair in the cleaning. A brass bristled brush is also employed to clean the rim as well as my Winchester pocketknife to scrape some hard gunk carefully off the rim. Next, the stummel is transferred to the kitchen sink where the cleaning commences on the internals. Using shank brushes and anti-oil liquid dishwashing soap with warm water, I work on the internals of the pipe, scrubbing the mortise. After a thorough rinsing, the pipe is back on the worktable.After the cleaning, the Oxblood stained spots are as firm as ever hanging on while the rest of the briar surface is cleaning nicely. I’ll need to address these spots. I continue with the internal cleaning regimen using cotton buds and pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 95%. I also utilize a small dental spoon to scrape the internal walls and excavate old tars and oils. This helps a great deal. After some time, the buds and pipe cleaners begin to emerge lighter. I stop cleaning now to continue at the end of the workday with a kosher salt and alcohol soak to continue to clean and freshen the internal briar.I take another look at the Oxblood stains on the stummel. I first try rubbing alcohol on the spots, but this does not phase them. Next, using a cotton pad, acetone is applied to the stains and some color was raised on the cotton pad. In the end, I decide to put the stummel in a soak with acetone to break down the old dye. With the stummel soaking, I return to the stem. The lower bit has a small bite compression which I address using the heating method. I use a Bic lighter to paint the lower bit and as the vulcanite heats, the compression expands to regain its original condition, or closer to it. This compression responds well as the comparison of the pictures shows. Sanding should easily dispatch the compression.Next, using a flat needle file, the button lips on the upper and lower sides are refreshed. With 240 grade paper, the bit is sanded and the remaining compressions are dispatched.Using 240 grade paper, sanding is expanded over the entire stem to address latent oxidation. Not shown is the plastic disk I use to sand against to prevent shouldering the stem facing.Next, 600 grade paper is used to wet sand the stem followed by applying 000 grade steel wool. Throughout the sanding I’m mindful of the Pipstar stem stamping.Moving now to apply the full regimen of micromesh pads, using pads 1500 to 2400, I wet sand followed by dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. Between each set of 3 pads Obsidian Oil is applied to further condition and to prevent the development of oxidation. The stem pops! The stummel has been soaking in an acetone bath for a few hours. After fishing the stummel out of the acetone, steel wool helps in removing the Oxblood stain spots that lingered. It continued to need quite a bit of sanding from the steel wool but in the end, the stummel is now clean, natural briar. Due to this soak, there is no need to further soak the stummel with alcohol and kosher salt. To clean the stummel of the minor nicks and dents that comes through normal wear, and to freshen the surface, sanding sponges are used starting with the coarser sponge and graduating to the finer sponges. In total, 4 sponges are applied in sanding the briar surface. The pictures show the results after 4 sponges. The grain has started to make a nice appearance! Continuing with the external briar sanding and polishing, the full regimen of micromesh pads is applied. Beginning by wet sanding with pads 1500 to 2400, then dry sanding follows with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. I reunite the St. Claude made Pipstar Standard Dublin stem and stummel to get a fresh look at the progress. It’s looking great! I’m at the point in the process where a decision is needed regarding whether to apply a dye to the briar surface or to leave the natural briar hue that is emerging through the process. The purpose of applying a dye, probably Light Brown, would be to bring more distinction to the dark grains and the lighter wood. Yet, the natural grain is rocking by itself. I decided to ask the expert – my wife. Without hesitation she said that this pipe needed no dye to help it. Decision made!Staying with the natural briar hue, next Mark Hoover’s (www.ibepen.com) Before & After Restoration Balm is applied. This is an excellent product Mark has produced that teases out and deepens the natural hues of the briar. Applying it now, I place a small amount on my fingers and word it into the briar. At the start, it has a cream-like texture but thickens as it’s worked into the briar surface. After applied, I set the stummel aside for 15 or so minutes while the Balm does its thing – the picture below is during this period. I then use a microfiber cloth dedicated to wiping off the excess Balm (and I use the cloth to refresh other pipes with a quick buffing) and then buff the surface. The results are as good as hoped!While the Restoration Balm was working on the stummel, the Pipstar stem also receives the treatment of Before & After Fine and Extra Fine Polishes. Starting with the Fine Polish, I apply the black oily liquid to the stem and work it in well. After some minutes, the excess polish is wiped off. Following this, the same process with the Extra Fine Polish is done. After some minutes, the excess is wiped off and the stem is buffed up with a microfiber cloth. These polishes continue the removal of oxidation and conditions the stem according to Mark’s billing.Before moving on to apply compound and wax, the Pipstar stem stamping needs refreshing. To do this, white acrylic paint is used. I place a small amount of paint onto the stamping and then I dob it dry using a cotton pad. Following this, the flat side of the toothpick is used to scrape the excess gently from the stem surface. The stamping is left refreshed with new paint. The star looks good! On the home stretch – after rejoining stem and stummel and mounting a cotton cloth buffing wheel on the Dremel set and 40% full power, Blue Diamond compound is applied to the pipe. After completing this, the pipe is wiped/buffed with a felt cloth to clean it of compound dust in preparation for application of the wax.Next, another cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted on the Dremel at the same speed. A few coats of carnauba are then applied to stem and stummel. After application of the wax, a microfiber cloth is used to give the pipe a rigorous hand buffing to raise the shine and to disperse any wax that was not distributed.Wow! I’m pleased with the results! The French Pipstar Standard’s grain is beautiful as it climbs the Dublin bowl and swirls here and there with bird’s eye and flame formations. The original presentation of this pipe was with an Oxblood or reddish stain, but I believe the natural grain is much more appealing when the grain is as expressive as on this gently bent Dublin semi-Sitter. The rounded rim and the rounded heel complement each other and the gentle slight bend of the oval stem create an extremely attractive ensemble. This is the third of the 4 pipes that Nathan commissioned from the For “Pipe Dreamers” Only! online collection. He will have the first opportunity to acquire the French Pipstar Standard in The Pipe Steward Store benefitting the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Thanks for joining me!

New Life for a Comoy’s Second – A Town Hall Made in England 136 Billiard

Restoring a Second Linkman’s Dr. Grabow 9771 De Luxe Bruyere Acorn

6 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I am getting to the bottom of the current box of pipes for restoration. I think there were probably 40+ pipes in the box when I started. I am down to the last four. Two of them are Linkman’s Dr. Grabow pipes. The first Linkman’s I took out of the box and restored was a billiard. It is stamped Linkman’s Dr. Grabow on the left side of the shank and 9708 De Luxe on the right side of the shank (https://rebornpipes.com/2020/05/20/113190/). It was time to work on the second Linkman’s pipe – an Acorn shaped pipe. It was stamped the same way as the first on both sides of the shank – Linkman’s Dr. Grabow on the left and with a different shape number 9771 De Luxe Bruyere on the left side. On the underside it bears a Patent Number 1896800. The pipe was dirty and there was some lava and burn marks on the inwardly beveled rim top and inner edge. There was a thick cake in the bowl. The exterior of the pipe was varnished and was scratched and wearing off. The stem was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his work on it. Jeff took some photos of the rim top from various angles to show the condition. You can see the thick lava on the top and the dust and debris. The varnish coat is crackling and will need to be removed. There is a thick cake in the bowl and lava on the inner edge. The varnish coat was crackling and scratched on the exterior of the bowl but there was great grain shining through. This would be a beautiful pipe once the varnish coat and grime was removed. The next photos capture the stamping around the sides of the shank. They read as noted above and they are clear and very readable. I forgot to note above that there was a worn silver chevron on the top side of the shank at the end. The topside of the stem had the propeller logo that was always associated with the Linkman brand. Jeff removed the stem from the shank and took a picture of the stinger apparatus. This time it is not missing and it is not removable but is an integral part of the tenon. Is it and earlier or a later edition of the pipe? Who knows! The stem was oxidized and calcified and the photos below show the tooth marks and chatter on the surface. They do not look deep but there a lot of them. I have included the same information that I included in the previous restoration of the first Linkman’s Dr. Grabow for ease of reference.

I turned to Pipephil to pin down the dates of the pipe (http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-l4.html). I have included the screen capture of the section on the brand below.The M. Linkman and Co. was established by Louis B. Linkman and August Fisher in 1898. The company closed down in the 1950s and the Dr Grabow branch was sold to Henry Leonard and Thomas Inc. Early Linkman’s pipes were stamped MLC in an oval.

I then did a patent search on the US Government Patent site using the patent number on the underside of the shank. I found the following Patent information. It specifically refers to the stinger apparatus that is attached to the tenon. It was filed in April 11, 1932 by L.B. Linkman. I am including the full patent information below. I knew that I was working on a pipe made after Feb. 7, 1933 when the patent was granted and prior to the early 1950s when the company was closed. Armed with that information and a clearer picture of the original pipe I turned to work on the pipe on my work table. Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet reamer and cut back the cake back to the bare briar. He cleaned up the walls with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He worked on the rim top lava and darkening with the soap and tooth brush. He scrubbed the inside of the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior with Soft Scrub and then soaked it in Before & After Deoxidizer. He washed it off with warm water to remove the Deoxidizer. The pipe looked far better. I took photos of the pipe when I received it before I started working on it. I took a photo of the rim top showing the damage to the inward bevel on the rim and the damage on the inner edge of the bowl. There was some darkening and nicks around the out edge of the bowl and some burn areas on the inner edge. The stem looks very good – light tooth marks near the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the shank. The stamping is clean and still readable.I took the stem off and took a photo of the appearance of the pipe. It is missing the stinger. It is not cut off but it is a removable one. It is missing but the draught is much better without it.I decided to address the damage to the beveled rim and the edges of the bowl – both outer and inner. I sanded it with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to remove them and to remove the damages. Once it was finished it looked a lot better.I polished the rim top and bowl with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad. I rubbed the briar down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the briar with my fingertips. The product works to clean, enliven and preserve the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes while I worked on the stem. After the time passed I buffed it with a cotton cloth to deepen the shine. The briar really comes alive with the balm. I set the bowl aside and turn to address the issues with the stem. I filled in the deep tooth marks on each side of the stem just ahead of the button with clear super glue. Once the repairs cured I sanded them out with 220 grit sandpaper and started polishing it with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down after each pad with some Obsidian Oil to preserve the stem and to give some bite to the sanding. I finished the polishing with Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine polishes. I rubbed the stem down with the polishes and buffed it with a cotton pad. I gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. This older Linkman’s Dr. Grabow 9771 De Luxe Bruyere straight Acorn is another interesting piece of pipe history. The mix of brown stains highlights the mix of nice grain around the bowl – sides, top and heel. With the varnish removed the finish on the pipe is in excellent condition and the contrasting stains work well with the polished black vulcanite saddle stem. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel using a light touch on the briar. I gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Linkman’s Dr. Grabow De Luxe Bruyere Billiard is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. This pipe will be added to the American Pipe Makers section of the rebornpipes store soon. If you want to add it to your collection send me an email or a message! Thanks for your time.

Restoring a Linkman’s Dr. Grabow 9708 De Luxe Billiard

2 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I am getting to the bottom of the current box of pipes for restoration. I think there were probably 40+ pipes in the box when I started. I am down to the last four. Two of them are Linkman’s Dr. Grabow pipes. The first one I took out of the box was the billiard. It is stamped Linkman’s Dr. Grabow on the left side of the shank and 9708 De Luxe on the right side of the shank. On the underside it bears a Patent Number 1896800. The pipe was dirty and there was some lava on the inwardly beveled rim top and inner edge. There was a thick cake in the bowl. The exterior of the pipe was varnished and almost looked like it had been done over the grime on the briar as a sales ploy. The stem was slightly underturned but would be fine once cleaned up. It was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his work on it. Jeff took some photos of the rim top from various angles to show the condition. You can see the lava on the top and the dust and debris. The varnish coat is crackling and will need to be removed. There is a thick cake in the bowl and lava on the inner edge. The varnish coat was crackling on the exterior of the bowl but there was great grain shining through. This would be a beautiful pipe once the varnish coat and grime was removed. The next photos capture the stamping around the sides of the shank. They read as noted above and they are clear and very readable. I forgot to note above that there was a worn silver chevron on the top side of the shank at the end. The topside of the stem had the propeller logo that was always associated with the Linkman brand.The stem was lightly oxidized that the photos below show the tooth marks and chatter on the surface. They do not look deep but there a lot of them.I turned to Pipephil to pin down the dates of the pipe (http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-l4.html). I have included the screen capture of the section on the brand below.The M. Linkman and Co. was established by Louis B. Linkman and August Fisher in 1898. The company closed down in the 1950s and the Dr Grabow branch was sold to Henry Leonard and Thomas Inc. Early Linkman’s pipes were stamped MLC in an oval.

I then did a patent search on the US Government Patent site using the patent number on the underside of the shank. I found the following Patent information. It specifically refers to the stinger apparatus that is attached to the tenon. It was filed in April 11, 1932 by L.B. Linkman. I am including the full patent information below. I knew that I was working on a pipe made after Feb. 7, 1933 when the patent was granted and prior to the early 1950s when the company was closed. Armed with that information and a clearer picture of the original pipe I turned to work on the pipe on my work table. Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet reamer and cut back the cake back to the bare briar. He cleaned up the walls with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He worked on the rim top lava and darkening with the soap and tooth brush. He scrubbed the inside of the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior with Soft Scrub and then soaked it in Before & After Deoxidizer. He washed it off with warm water to remove the Deoxidizer. The pipe looked far better. I took photos of the pipe when I received it before I started working on it. I took a photo of the rim top showing the damage to the inward bevel on the rim and the damage on the inner edge of the bowl. There was some darkening and nicks around the out edge of the bowl and some burn areas on the inner edge.I took a photo of the stamping on the shank. The stamping is clean and still readable.I took the stem off and took a photo of the appearance of the pipe. It is missing the stinger. It is not cut off but it is a removable one. It is missing but the draught is much better without it.I decided to address the damage to the beveled rim and the edges of the bowl – both outer and inner. I sanded it with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to remove them and to remove the damages. Once it was finished it looked a lot better.I polished the rim top and bowl with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad. I rubbed the briar down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the briar with my fingertips. The product works to clean, enliven and preserve the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes while I worked on the stem. After the time passed I buffed it with a cotton cloth to deepen the shine. The briar really comes alive with the balm. I set the bowl aside and turn to address the issues with the stem. I sanded out the tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside of the stem with 220 grit sandpaper and started polishing it with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down after each pad with some Obsidian Oil to preserve the stem and to give some bite to the sanding. I finished the polishing with Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine polishes. I rubbed the stem down with the polishes and buffed it with a cotton pad. I gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. This older Linkman’s Dr. Grabow 9708 De Luxe straight Billiard is another interesting piece of pipe history. The mix of brown stains highlights the mix of nice grain around the bowl – sides, top and heel. With the varnish removed the finish on the pipe is in excellent condition and the contrasting stains work well with the polished black vulcanite saddle stem. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel using a light touch on the briar. I gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Linkman’s Dr. Grabow De Luxe Billiard is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. This pipe will be added to the American Pipe Makers section of the rebornpipes store soon. If you want to add it to your collection send me an email or a message! Thanks for your time.

A Savinelli Sherwood Rock Briar 608 Bent Billiard

Recommissioning a Smart Savinelli Dry System 3621 Bent Dublin

4 Replies

Blog by Dal Stanton

This is the second of 4 pipes that pipe man Nathan, from St. Louis, has commissioned from the online ‘Help Me!’ baskets that I call ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” Only!’ – a collection of pipes waiting to be commissioned by pipe men and women which benefit the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. I acquired this Savinelli Dry System along with almost a twin brother from a seller in Poughkeepsie, New York. What attracted me initially to the pair was the ‘Peterson-like’ description – ‘Dry System’. I also liked the tight 3/4 bend and the ‘Dublin-esque’ conical bowls – a tight configuration that got my attention immediately. They almost seemed identical, but one had the shape number 3621, the one on my worktable now, and the other had 362. When I unpacked them here in Bulgaria and took a closer look, I could see the differences. Both have identical shapes but the 362 was a lighter rusticated finish with a smooth rim. The 3621, Nathan’s choice, is a darker blasted finish with a blasted rim. These pictures show the before & after comparison of the results of my first restoration, the Savinelli Dry System 362, which is now under the watchful care of a steward in Jackson, Mississippi. It turned out great!Nathan commissioned 4 pipes after seeing some of my other restorations posted on various pipe Facebook groups. I appreciate the opportunity to work on this next pipe that got Nathan’s attention, the Savinelli Dry System 3621. The smooth underside panel holds the nomenclature. To the left is stamped arched, SAVINELLI [over] DRY [over] SYSTEM (reversed arch) forming a unified oval stamping. The Savinelli crown ‘S’ logo is to the right of this. Then on the far right of the logo is 3621 [over] ITALY. The nickel shank cap is stamped on the left side with ‘SAVINELLI’ along with ‘S’ on the topside of the military stem. In my previous research, I found nothing about the Dry System on Pipedia but Pipephil.eu helped with some useful information – especially about the shape number differences. Looking at the Savinelli shapes chart on Pipedia’s Savinelli article, shapes 362 or 3621 were not among those listed. Pipephil.eu provided this on the Savinelli Dry System with the information that the Dry System could be stamped with either 3 or 4 digits for the shape number:I find interesting that the panel above also references a link comparing Savinelli’s Dry System P-Lip stem with the Peterson standard. Repeating my previous research: I found the most information about the Savinelli Dry System on another site as I broadened my online search. A South African based tobacconist, Wesley’s (See LINK), provided a gold mine of information about the Savinelli Dry System:

Launched in 1981, it had taken several years of research into the negative points of existing system pipes, in order to improve on them. Perseverance paid off – by combining trap and filter, and enlarging the smoke hole, Savinelli achieved the “Dry System”, which in our opinion is the best answer to “Wet Smoking” so far developed.

Especially for new pipe smokers, the Savinelli Dry System pipe incorporates everything needed to provide a cool, dry smoke.

The name “Dry” comes from the introduction of the Balsa “filter” into the traditional system pipe – the “System” being the presence of the built-in moisture trap in the shank, linked with the “smokehole on the top” mouthpiece. The balsa mops up the moisture in the smoke hence the term “Dry” system, and if the pipe is smoked without the balsa all that will happen is that this moisture will condense and collect in the trap. It can then either be mopped up with a folded pipe cleaner or flicked out. Just be careful where you flick it!

Put this all together and you can see why we say these are technically our best designed pipes. But the technical qualities are not all these pipes have to offer. Extra bonuses are the feel, the finishes and the balance.

This information marks the genesis of the Savinelli Dry System line in 1981. Added to this information, Wesley’s included the following benefits of the Savinelli system with a helpful cut-away showing the internals:The description of the ‘smokehole’ of the mouthpiece, is interesting in the way it disperses the smoke so that it avoids tongue burn as well as keeping moisture entering the stem from the mouth. The trademark filtering system is also optional – use of the balsa insert which I use with great satisfaction with some of my own Savinelli pipes. Yet, even if you do not utilize the absorbing qualities of the balsa insert, the built-in moisture trap will hold the moisture for clean-up after smoking. Sounds good!

Wesley’s Tobacconist also included this helpful Shapes Chart for the Savinelli Dry System pipes. The description for the 3621 suggests:

Regular shapes 3613 & 3621 are ideal for the new pipe smoker or for a short smoke for anybody.

Looking now at the 3621 now on my worktable, the chamber shows thick cake that will be removed to recover fresh briar and to inspect the condition of the chamber walls. The blasted rim and stummel have grime and in need of cleaning. The blasted briar landscape is attractive, and I look forward to what cleaning will reveal. The nickel shank cap is in ok shape but needs cleaning and polishing. There are evidences of the nickel plated surface around the facing having come off revealing the base metal beneath. The stem has deep oxidation and will take some work to clean it out. The P-Lip, which is much easier to clean than Peterson’s version, has some compressions and chatter and needs sanding out.

To begin the recommissioning of this Savinelli Dry System 3621, the military stem’s airway is cleaned using pipe cleaners and a cotton bud dipped in isopropyl 95%. As I said above, this P-Lip system is much friendlier than Peterson’s! The cotton bud reaches up into the balsa wood filter cavity to clean. The pipe cleaner works through the airway and P-Lip ‘smokehole’.To get a head start on the deep oxidation, a ‘Soft-Scrub’ like product available here in Bulgaria is used with 000 grade steel wool. I’m hoping to break up the oxidation to enable the Before & After Deoxidizer to be more productive.Next, the Savinelli stem joins other stems in the Before & After Deoxidizer soak. I leave it in the soak for several hours, but it seems that more hours does not translate into more effectiveness.After removing the stem from the Deoxidizer, the liquid is drained back into the vat and I help by squeegeeing with my fingers. Pipe cleaners and cotton buds wetted with isopropyl 95% are used to clear the liquid from the airway and filter cavity. Cotton pads wetted with alcohol also wipe the surface to remove raised oxidation.To help with conditioning the vulcanite stem, paraffin oil is applied, and the stem is set aside to absorb the oil.Turning now to Dublin stummel, I first take a picture to show the starting point. I remember my experience with the 3621’s brother – the conical chamber is angled severely toward the floor of the chamber. To avoid carving a reaming ‘shelf’ from using the regular reaming blade heads, I go directly to using the Savinelli Fitsall Tool which lives up to its billing. My general rule of thumb in reaming to determine if you’ve removed all the carbon cake build up is, cake crunches as you’re using the tool, but wood surface is smooth. After cleaning the carbon cake off the walls of the chamber, the chamber is sanded using 240 paper wrapped around a Sharpie Pen.After reaming is completed, an inspection of the chamber reveals healthy briar – no burning or heating problems.Next, using undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap, a cotton pad goes to work on cleaning the blasted surface of the Savinelli Dublin stummel. A bristled toothbrush assists in cleaning the blasted surface and the brass wired brush helps with lava flow on the blasted rim.Next, the stummel is transferred to the kitchen sink where internal cleaning is commenced using warm water with anti-oil dish liquid soap and shank brushes. After scrubbing and rinsing thoroughly, the stummel comes back to the worktable.Next, internal cleaning is continued using pipe cleaners and buds wetted with isopropyl 95%. The built-in moisture trap has done a good job of trapping the gunk in the trap. It takes many buds and pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 95% to do the job. Using a small dental spoon also helps by scraping the buildup on the internal walls allowing me to scoop out the old gunk left behind. When the buds and pipe cleaners start emerging lighter, I call it a cease fire with the plan of continuing the cleaning at the end of my work day using a kosher salt and alcohol soak to further clean and refresh the internals for the new steward.Pausing now to examine the stummel after cleaning, I like the blasted finish. The finish is thin, but a good foundation is present. On the rim, I’m interested to observe that the right side has more of a rough blasted surface, but the left side is smoother. Looking at the picture above you can see the grain moving upwardly toward the rim. What one would expect the rim to be showing as a result, would be the bird’s eye grain formations. Hence, smoother roughness on the left side of the rim. Also, on the rim, the Savinelli folks cut a ‘smart bevel’ on the internal rim edge. My next step before sprucing up the stummel’s color is to refresh the bevel. To do this, I use a hard surface to back 240 sanding paper and recut the bevel. I follow the 240 paper with 600 grade paper. The results are good! This slight bevel which reveals some smoother briar will look great later in contrast to the rough, blasted rim surface. To refresh the stummel’s hue, I use Fiebing’s Dark Brown Leather Dye to provide an undercoat foundation. The great thing about blasted surfaces, they are forgiving but later with some light sanding, the tips of the blasted briar landscape can give an attractive lighter contrasting that gives the surface depth and character. I assemble the desktop staining module and after covering the nickel shank cap with masking tape, I heat the stummel with the hot air gun to help the briar surface to open and be more receptive to the dye. I then paint sections of the stummel with a folded pipe cleaner and flaming it as I go. The lit candle ignites the alcohol in the aniline dye and after it combusts it leaves the pigment in the grain.I then put the newly stained stummel to the side for several hours allowing the new dye to set.With the stummel on the side, I turn to the military mount P-Lip Savinelli stem. I take another closer look at the issues with the stem. Both upper and lower bit have some tooth chatter, but it is minor. It should sand out without difficulty. The bigger issue is the oxidation. The picture below tries to show the contrast between the inserted part of the stem that is black, without oxidation, and the rest of the exposed stem. UV light is not good for vulcanite and the oxidation comes primarily because of this.To address the oxidation and the light tooth chatter, 240 grade paper is used to sand the upper- and lower-bit area.The sanding it expanded to address the oxidation throughout the stem. To protect the Savinelli ‘S’ stem stamping, I cover it with masking tape.After the 240 grade paper, the entire stem is wet sanded with 600 grade paper and this is followed with 000 grade steel wool.Continuing with the stem, the full regimen of micromesh pads is applied. Starting with pads 1500 to 2400, the stem is wet sanded. Following this the stem is dry sanded with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. Obsidian Oil is applied between each set of 3 to condition the stem as well as protect it from oxidation. Turning now back to the stummel, the flamed dye has been resting for several hours and ready to be unwrapped. To do this, a cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted to the Dremel with the speed set at about 40% full power. Tripoli compound is used to help clear the fire crusted dye revealing the blasted surface beneath.After using the cotton cloth buffing wheel, I transition to a felt buffing wheel again using Tripoli compound with the Dremel set to the slowest speed. I lightly go over the rough blasted surface primarily to buff the peaks of the blasting with the coarser wheel to create flecking in the surface. This gives the surface more contrast and depth.I then wipe the dyed surface with a cotton pad wetted with alcohol not so much to lighten the dye but to blend the hue and to dissolve any dye clumps that didn’t dissolve during the buffing process.I reattach the stem and mount another cotton cloth buffing wheel to the Dremel setting it at 40% full power. I then apply Blue Diamond compound to the Savinelli blasted surface and to the stem.After completing the application of Blue Diamond compound, I look at the stummel more closely. I’m getting the desired flecking affect in the blasted surface, but I’m not satisfied with the hue of the flecks. The flecks appear more of a light brown rather than a darker, richer reddish bend. I decide to apply a dye wash of red aniline dye over the dark brown. After heating the stummel once again, I apply the red dye over the entire stummel surface with a folded pipe cleaner. After applying the dye thoroughly, the stummel is set aside for a few hours for the overcoat red dye to set.After a few hours, I again use the Dremel and apply Blue Diamond compound with a cotton cloth buffing wheel. I realize later that I didn’t picture this process. I like the results of the overcoat red dye wash. Next, to prevent the new dye coming off on the hands later when the pipe is put into surface, I warm the stummel with the hot air gun. This emulates the heating up of the stummel when lit and this usually is when newly dyed briar leaches dye onto the hands. After heating the stummel, I give it a rigorous hand buffing using a cotton cloth to remove the raised dye. Before moving on to the waxing of the stem and stummel, I have a few mini projects to do. The first is to clean and shine the nickel-plated shank cap. I first use a tarnish remover which is applied to the nickel with a cotton pad. After the liquid is buffed on, I rinse the cap with tap water. The tarnish remover does some good but leaves a lot to be desired. The nickel cap is rough, and you can see some small patches of the nickel I referenced earlier have worn off.After the tarnish remover, I transition to using Blue Diamond compound on the nickel. After mounting another cotton cloth buffing wheel onto the Dremel dedicated to nickel buffing and I methodically apply the compound to the metal working around the cap. I like these results. The nickel has cleaned and shined up very nicely.The second mini project is to color the Savinelli ‘S’ stamping on the stem. Using white acrylic paint, I place a small amount of paint on the ‘S’ and then dob it dry with a cotton pad.Then I use the flat edge of a toothpick rubbing gently over the stamping removing the excess paint from the stem. The ‘S’ is left with color and with definition.In the home stretch – another cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted on the Dremel with the speed at 40% of full power. Carnauba wax is then applied to both stem and stummel. After a few coats of wax, the pipe is given and rigorous hand buffing to raise the shine and to disperse undissolved carnauba wax.Ugh – I thought I was finished but remembered that I was going to further clean and freshen the internals with a kosher salt and alcohol soak. After twisting and stretching a cotton ball to form a wick, I use a wire to help guide the cotton wick down the airway into the mortise/trap and airway. The cotton wick serves to draw out the residual tars and oils during the soak process. After inserting the wick, kosher salt is placed in the bowl. Kosher salt has no aftertaste unlike iodized salt. Using a large eye dropper, Isopropyl 95% fills the bowl until it surfaces over the salt. After a few minutes, the alcohol is absorbed into the internal cavity and I top off the alcohol once again. After several hours, the wick and salt do not appear to have been soiled at all. I hope this means that the internals are clean. After removing the expended salt from the bowl, paper towel is used to wipe the chamber and I blow through the mortise to make sure all the salt crystals have been removed. I follow this by using one cotton bud and pipe cleaner to confirm that the internals are indeed clean. I forgot to picture this!After reassembling the pipe and a quick hand buffing with a microfiber cloth, the recommissioning of this Savinelli Dry System 3621 is completed. The tight Dublin bend presents a smart, compact look, with a genuinely nice flow from the bowl through the nickel shank cap that is carried through the military mount P-Lip stem. The smooth briar contrasts are nice – the internal rim ring and the nomenclature panel. Nathan commissioned this Savinelli Dry System 3621 and will have the first opportunity to acquire him in The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Thanks for joining me!

Cleaning up an Interesting Hardwood All Wood Cutty

16 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

Jeff sent me this interesting looking hardwood all wood Cutty in one of the last boxes he shipped to me here in Canada. It was a dark tightly grained hardwood. My first thought was ebony but it was too light weight for that wood. The more Jeff talked about it the more I thought it was more likely to be black walnut that had been stained. You can look at the pictures below and see what you think. Keep in mind it is very lightweight wood. The pipe was unsmoked but dirty from sitting. There was dust in the bowl and shank. The wood was unblemished – no tooth marks on the stem portion of the pipe and no darkening from smoked tobacco in the chamber. The rim top was clean. The pipe was unstamped so there was no information on the maker but it was well made and very smoothly finished. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he did his clean up on it. The bowl was well drilled and smooth. The grain on the inside of the bowl also makes me think Black Walnut. The grain around the rim top is tight and beautiful. The airway enters the bowl slightly to the right side rather than dead centre at the bottom of the bowl.The grain around the bowl is a mix of cross grains. There is a bit of a sparkle to the exterior of the bowl that shows up in the pictures but was not visible once I had it in hand. The nub on the bottom of the bowl/shank junction is also well done.The long shank of the pipe was straight and carries on the grain pattern of the bowl. It is straight and well done unlike many homemade pipes that I have worked on. The mouthpiece portion of the shank was a round button with an orific opening in the end of the mouthpiece. The draught on the pipe is wide open and smooth.Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the dust and debris. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the dirt and dust from the finish. Because the pipe looked so good I decided to move on to rubbing the wood down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the wood with my fingertips. The product works to clean, enliven and preserve the wood. I let it sit for 10 minutes and after the time passed I buffed it with a cotton cloth to deepen the shine. The wood really comes alive with the balm. This interesting hardwood Cutty that is a unified bowl, shank and stem is a quite unique and nice looking pipe. The dark stain on the wood highlights the grain patterns around the bowl sides, top and bottom. The finish on the pipe is in excellent condition and the contrasting stains work well. I buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel and gave it multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished small Cutty is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 inch, Chamber diameter: 5/8 of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. This pipe will be added to the METAL PIPES FROM VARIOUS PIPE MAKERS & OTHER PIPES section of the rebornpipes store soon. If you want to add it to your collection send me an email or a message! Thanks for your time.

Stanwell Really Made Some Stunning Pipes Like this Royal Guard 182

New Life for a Peterson’s Republic Era System Standard 317

1 Reply

Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the table came to us from one of Jeff’s pipe hunts or auctions. It is a smaller nicely grained and I would say classic Peterson’s System Standard. The finish is quite nice with an instantly recognizable Peterson’s look. The pipe was dirty, with grime and dust ground into the finish. The bowl had a thick cake in the bowl and a lava overflow on the inner edge of the rim and spilling onto the rim top in some spots. The pipe is stamped on both sides of the shank and reads Peterson’s System Standard on the left side of the shank. It is stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland followed by the shape number 317 on the right side of the shank. The metal ferrule is stamped K&P Peterson’s. The stamping is clear and readable on the pipe and ferrule. The stem was dirty and oxidized. There were light tooth marks and chatter on the stem near the button on both sides and some on the surface of the button as well. There was a faint partial Peterson’s “P” on the left side of the taper stem. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he cleaned it up. Jeff took photos of the rim top to show the cake in the bowl and the overflow of lava onto the rim top and filling in the beveled edge. The photos show the rim top and bowl from various angles.He took some photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the interesting grain that was on this bowl. It is a dirty but quite beautifully crafted pipe. The stamping on the underside of the shank read as noted above. The photo shows that they are very clear and readable. The P on the left side of the stem faint and part of it not stamped into the surface of the stem. The stem was a very good fit to the shank. It was oxidized, calcified and had debris stuck to the surface of the vulcanite. There were tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. I am including the information from Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). I have included a bit of the pertinent history here.

1950 – 1989 The Republic Era – From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland” in a block format generally in three lines but two lines have been used with or without Republic being abbreviated.

During the 1950’s and 60’s the Kapp & Peterson company was still in the ownership of the Kapp family. However 1964 saw the retiral of the company Managing Director Frederick Henry(Harry) Kapp.

With that information in hand I knew what I was dealing with in terms of the stamping and the age of this pipe. I knew from the information that the pipe was made during the Republic Era between 1950 and 1989. Pipedia then qualifies the dating as follows: From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland”. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

Armed with that information I turned to work on the pipe itself. Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet reamer and cut back the cake back to the bare briar. He cleaned up the walls with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He scrubbed the inside of the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He cleaned the oxidized silver with Soft Scrub and buffed it off with a soft pad. He scrubbed the exterior with Soft Scrub and then soaked it in Before & After Deoxidizer. He washed it off with warm water to remove the Deoxidizer. The pipe looked far better. I took photos of the pipe when I received it before I started working on it. I took photos of the bowl and rim top to show how clean it was. There is some darkening around the inner edge and the rim top is roughened. The stem looks clean of oxidation and there are some tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem.The stamping on both sides of the shank was very clear and readable as noted above.I took a photo of the pipe with the stem removed to show the overall look of stem, tenon and profile of the pipe. It is a great looking pipe.I started my part of the restoration by working on the damage to the inner edges of the rim and the rim top. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth them both out. There was a fill that was chipped on the bottom of the shank so I repaired it with clear super glue. Once it cured I sanded it smooth with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiping the briar down with a damp cloth after each pad. The micromesh worked to blend in the cleaned rim top and the repaired fill on the shank. I would not need to stain either area. I rubbed the briar down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the briar with my fingertips to get it into the deep briar. The product works to clean, enliven and preserve the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes while I worked on the stem. After the time passed I buffed it with a cotton cloth to deepen the shine. The grain came alive with the balm. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I touched up the P stamp on the left side of the stem with Paper Mate Liquid Paper and once it dried I scraped off the excess. The P stamp is far from perfect but it definitely looks better.This stem was in great condition so I polished it with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 317 Smooth Bent Billiard is a nice looking pipe. The combination of brown stains really highlights the grain around the bowl sides and shank. They begin to really stand out with the polishing. The finish on the pipe is in excellent condition and the contrasting stains work well to give some contrast to the pipe. The polished black vulcanite P-lip taper stem adds to the mix. With the grime and debris gone from the finish and the bowl it is really is eye-catching. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel, carefully avoiding the stamping on the shank. I gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Peterson’s 317 System Bent Billiard is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 inch, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another interesting pipe. This Peterson’s System Bent Billiard 317 will be added to the Irish Pipe Makers section of the rebornpipes store soon. If you want to add it to your collection send me an email or a message! Thanks for your time.

Restoring a Kriswill “Golden Clipper” Freehand Chimney

5 Replies

Blog by Paresh Deshpande

The next pipe selected for refurbishing is a uniquely shaped Danish pipe. I say unique because it has a tall chamber, rounded shank with a rim cap, a slight bent to the stem and is a sitter! It’s a shape that I had never come across and was unable to classify its shape. I shared pictures of the pipe with my Guru, Steve and he opined that it could be called a Rhodesian, stack, sitter or Bulldog as it has characteristics of all these shapes but looks like neither. Thus, we concurred that it’s most appropriate to call this pipe a freehand!!!! The bowl shape reminds me of the chimney of early steam locomotive engines with their bellowing huge plumes of smoke as they rush forward.This pipe has shallow sandblast and a natural finish (I guess) that has darkened over a period of time. For a pipe with a length of 5 ½ inches and bowl height of 2 inches and chamber depth of 1 ¾ inches, it’s pretty much ultra light weight, making it a perfect smoker to clench. The vulcanite saddle stem is thin and delicate. The shallow sandblast form the asymmetric patterns look interesting. The foot of the stummel is flat and elongated, making it a perfect sitter. A smooth briar band at the shank end breaks the monotony of the blasted surface and also provides a surface for stamping the model number. The pipe is stamped on the bottom smooth surface of the shank as “Kriswill” in script hand over “GOLDEN CLIPPER”. Further to the right towards the shank end on the smooth briar band is stamped the shape (?) code “1894”. Truth be told, the shape code stamping of the numeral 8 appears smudged. Having worked earlier on Kriswill pipes, I realized that the stamp “HAND MADE IN DENMARK” is conspicuous by its absence. The thin delicate vulcanite saddle stem is devoid of any stampings.A couple of years back I had worked on a Kriswill Golden Clipper and on a Chief. Here is the link for the Kriswill Chief write up…

https://rebornpipes.com/2018/08/04/breathing-new-life-into-a-kriswill-chief-20/. I am sure you will find it an interesting read.

I had researched the brand at that time and all that was now needed was to refresh the memory. I went through the above write up and also through the material that was available on pipedia.org and pipephil.eu. There are two facts which I wish to highlight, firstly, “Prior to 1970 the stampings are in script letters on the shank and on the mouthpiece. The star on the stem and block letters on the shank were introduced from that date on”

Second, is deciphering the four digit model coding system adopted by Kriswill. The last two numerals are the model numbers for smooth finish and all sandblasted have numeral 18 preceding the model number. Thus the pipe currently on my table is a model #94 and since it is a sandblast variant, the number is 1894.

Thus from the above, the pipe that I am now working on dates to pre 1970s since the stamping is in script and the stem is sans the star.

With the provenance of the pipe satisfactorily established, I proceeded to carry out a visual inspection of the condition of the pipe in my hand. This helps me map the road to restoring the pipe by identifying the issues involved and identify methods/ options to address the same beforehand.

Initial Visual Inspection
The chamber is so filled with cake that I am unable to reach the bottom of the bowl with my little finger. The build-up of the cake is heavier on the bottom half of the bowl, but overall well maintained. The condition of the inner walls of the chamber can be commented upon after the cake has been taken down to the bare briar. The rim top is thin and has the same shallow sandblast surface as the rest of the stummel, has darkened and is covered with dust, lava and grime. I don’t think that there is any charring to either of the rim edges and they appear to be in pristine condition. The chamber odors are not very strong and should be completely eliminated once the cake has been removed and the shank has been thoroughly cleaned.The stummel surface appears dull and lackluster due to the accumulated dirt, dust and grime of years of usage and subsequent uncared for storage. There are no fills or chips or nicks over the stummel surface. There are no other stummel issues that I have to deal with on this pipe. The mortise is relatively clean with small amount of oils and tars accumulated on the walls of the mortise. This should be an easy clean up job. The delicate vulcanite saddle stem is heavily oxidized. The lip has some minor bite marks on both surfaces and will need to be rebuilt and reshaped. There is some calcification seen around the lip on both the surfaces. The airway in the stem is blocked and the draw is restricted. I will need to clean it to ensure a full and open draw. The tenon and the horizontal slot show accumulation of dried oils, tars and gunk on the inside as well as on the outside, this will have to be cleaned. The Process
The process of refurbishing this pipe started with the cleaning of the stem. Abha, my wife, cleaned the stem air way with regular and bristled pipe cleaners dipped in 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol. She further cleaned the stem internals with thin shank brushes and dish soap to remove the stubborn and thick gunk from within the airway. The heap of pipe cleaners and their appearance tells a sordid story. With a sharp fabricated knife, she scraped off all the dried tars and gunk from the tenon end.The stem surface was sanded down with a worn out piece of 180 grit sand paper. I have realized that following this step prior to immersion into the “Before and After Stem Deoxidizer” solution has two advantages, firstly, the stem surface oxidation gets loosened and the solution works deeper and more efficiently in pulling the deep seated oxidation from the stem surface. Secondly, the minor tooth chatter and calcium depositions are taken care of prior to the immersion. I immersed it in “Before and After Deoxidizer” solution along with the stem of other pipes in line for restoration. This solution has been developed by Mark Hoover and works to draw out all the deep seated oxidation from the surface making its subsequent cleaning and polishing a breeze. I would definitely recommend this product as it saves on to time and efforts. The pipe has been marked with a red arrow for easy identification.Abha, my wife, dealt with the cake by reaming the chamber with a Castleford pipe tool using size 1 followed by size 2 head of the reamer. Using the fabricated knife, she further scraped the cake from the bottom of the bowl and also the walls of the chamber. She was especially very careful while reaming with the knife so as not to damage the inner edge of the rim. Once the solid briar was exposed, she further smoothed the walls and removed remaining cake by sanding with a 180 followed by 220 grit sand paper. Another advantage of this process is the elimination of traces of ghosting to a great extent. She wiped the chamber with a cotton swab wetted with 99.9% isopropyl alcohol. The chamber walls are pristine and solid with no heat fissures or pits. Simultaneously I cleaned out the internals of the shank/ mortise and airway using q- tips, pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. I scraped the walls of the mortise with my fabricated knife till the accumulated gunk was removed. Further cleaning of the shank internals will ensue during the external cleaning of the stummel.Thereafter, I generously rubbed “Briar Cleaner”, a product that has been developed by my friend Mark Hoover, into the external surface of the bowl and the rim top surface. It works similar to Murphy’s oil soap and needs to be applied to the stummel surface and set aside for 5- 10 minutes. The product pulls out all the dirt and grime to the surface making further cleaning easy. I am quite happy with this product. I used a hard bristled tooth brush to scrub the stummel and rim top with the solution. After the scrub with Briar cleaner solution, I washed the stummel under running warm water with anti oil dish washing detergent till clean and dried it using paper towels and soft cotton cloth. I simultaneously cleaned the shank internals with the detergent and hard bristled shank brush. The stummel surface has cleaned up nicely with the intricate sandblast patterns on full display. The stummel now looks and smells fresh and the old smells are all gone. I set the stummel aside to dry out naturally. The next morning, Abha removed the stems that had been soaking in the deoxidizer solution overnight. She cleaned the stem and the stem airway under running warm water and scrubbed the raised oxidation from the stem surface using a Scotch Brite pad and the airway with thin shank brush. She further removed the oxidation by scrubbing the stem with 0000 grade steel wool and applied a little olive oil to rehydrate the stem.I further sanded the stem surface with a folded piece of 220 and 320 grit sand papers to further remove the traces of oxidation and reduce the sanding marks and followed it with wet sanding the entire stem with 1500 to 12000 grade micromesh pads (1500 to 2400 grit micromesh pads have completely worn out and unable to order a set due to lock down and so had used 1500 and 2000 grit wet or dry sand paper). I wiped the stem with a moist cloth to remove the dust and monitored the progress being made after every three grit pads. The stem polished up nicely and had a rich deep black shine to it. I applied a little Extra Virgin Olive oil to rehydrate the vulcanite and set the stem aside.Next, I rubbed a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” in to the briar with my finger tips, working it deep in to the sandblasts and let it rest for a few minutes. The balm almost immediately works its magic and the briar now has a nice vibrant appearance with the beautiful sandblast patterns displayed in their complete splendor. The contrast of the light brown of the raised sandblast portion with the dark brown of the rest of the stummel adds an interesting dimension to the appearance of the stummel. I further buffed it with a horse hair brush. On to the home stretch!! I mounted a cotton cloth buffing wheel on to my hand held rotary tool and applied several coats of carnauba wax. I finished the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to raise the shine further and remove any residual wax from in between the sandblasts. The finished pipe looks amazingly beautiful and is now ready for its long second innings with me. P.S. I am not really pleased with the restoration projects that I can choose due to paucity of equipment and materials that are required. Today I realized that I have run out of the medium superglue I use and that the spare one has mysteriously hardened within the tube. With my country under lock down to arrest the spread of the COVID- 19 virus, no delivery can take place. So I am being forced to improvise and that I shall continue to do!!

The next project that I have earmarked is interesting in that it is the very first time that I shall be undertaking repairs of this nature. Be sure to read that write up and help me improve my skill sets.

I wish to thank each one for sparing their valuable time to read through this write up and praying for the health and safety of entire mankind. Stay home…stay safe!!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: