By Al Jones

This is the second vintage Kaywoodie that had been on my bench in less than one month. This one is stamped as a Supergrain Handmade. It went largely unnoticed on Ebay . The seller didn’t show pictures of the stinger, and on delivery, I was delighted to see an intact 4-hole “Drinkless” stinger. With no shape number, this one is a little harder to date, but my original estimate was from 1936 to the early 1950’s. Key factors include:

• “Imported Briar” stamp – use started in 1936 (I’m not clear when it was changed)
• Just prior to WWII, the four-hole stinger ball was downsized and the shaft only said “Drinkless” (no “Reg” number). The four-hole stinger was replaced by a three hole stinger in the early 1950’s

Update: Nathan Davis, the new owner of Kaywoodie pipes commented on the Kaywoodie Pipe Smokers Facebook page that the pipe was made from the early 1940’s to 1955

The stinger was unusual as I’ve never seen a four-hole with the holes on the top and bottom. All the other four-hole stingers I’ve encountered had the holes on the left and right.

The pipe had a thick cake and the stem was heavily oxidized. There was some buildup on the bowl top. Below is the pipe as it was received.

Using a screw extractor, I removed the female stinger insert and scrubbed the shank with a bristle brush dipped in alcohol. I plugged the shank and soaked the bowl with Sea Salt and alcohol. Following the soak, I used a piece of scotch brite to remove the buildup on the bowl top. That lightened the stain, so I used a very diluted solution of Feiblings Medium Brown stain to bring back the color. I wiped the bowl with a paper towel dipped in the stain then rubbed it off. The bowl was buffed with White Diamond and several coats of carnuba wax.

I mounted the stem, and used heat to lift the minor teeth indentions. I used 600, 800 grades of wet sandpaper to remove most of the oxidation. Then, it was finished with 1,500 and 2,000 grade paper. The stem was then buffed with White Diamond and Meguiars plastic polish. I used some steel wool to remove the buildup and oxidation on the stinger, then some Mothers Mag and aluminum polish to brighten it up.

Below is the finished pipe.