Lockdowns, closures and other by-products of the COVID pandemic have revived (for some) or reintroduced (for others) the “Mend and Make Do” attitude prevalent among the British during World War II. Purchases of new things – cars, clothing, home improvement projects, etc – have been delayed or given up altogether as people tighten their proverbial belts and hunker down until the crisis passes. I have noticed a similar shift among pipe smokers.

While I applaud the reduction in what might be labelled “convenience buying”, there is a point at which it is always better to bring in qualified help, and pipe repair is, more often than not, one of those times.

This Savinelli Chocolat 122 is a good example of a “mend and make do” DIY repair that had outlived its usefulness. When it arrived on the work table, it became clear to me that this was a well-loved pipe…