by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the worktable is a nice looking Stanwell pipe that we purchased from a fellow in Ogden, Utah, USA on 12/21/2024. The stamping on the pipe was very clear and readable. On the left underside of the shank it reads Stanwell [over] Danish Design [over] Trio. On the right side of the shank it is stamped with the shape number 118 mid shank. The finish was in good condition though it was dirty. The grain shone through the grime and was beautiful. There was a light cake in the bowl and some light lava on the inner edge and rim top. The dirty acrylic stem had some light tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. It is a 9mm filter stem. It looked very good. Jeff took photos of the pipe as he saw it at this stage of his examination. Jeff took close up photos of the rim top from various angles to show the general condition of the bowl and rim. The photos show the thickness of the cake in the bowl and the lava build up on the inner edge – heavier toward the back of the bowl. The edge looks like it might have some damage on the back of the bowl but will probably be fine once the bowl is reamed and cleaned. The acrylic stem was dirty and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. Jeff took a photo of the sides and heel of the bowl to give an idea of the beauty of the grain on the heel and sides of the bowl. The stamping on the underside of the shank is clear and readable as noted above. The shape number on the right side is also clear. He also took a photo of the Stanwell Crown S logo on the left side of the stem. I did some reading to see if I could find out anything about the Danish Design Trio Line of Stanwell pipes. The pipe I have does not say Made in Denmark and from what I can find it seems that the line is a newer one and was made in Italy. I can’t find anything listed on the line itself so that is what I am left with.

I did find several listed on the web for sale so they are available. I found the line offered online on cigarsunlimited.co.uk site (https://www.cigarsunlimited.co.uk/product-category/pipes-pipes/pipes/stanwell-pipes/stanwell-trio-serie-pipes/). The description was helpful so I have included that below.

Dark brown polished bowl with a superior grain and a combination of metal and acrylic rings on the shank. The rings create a perfect match to the pitch-black acrylic mouthpiece displaying the Stanwell Silver S. The Trio Series is an example of a pipe that will suit any occasion.

I also did some looking through the catalogues on Pipedia and the information there and did not find the line listed. I did have a look at the article on Shape Numbers and Designers there (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell_Shape_Numbers_and_Designers). From there I found that the shape 118 is Freehand, slightly bent, saddle mouthpiece designed by Sixten Ivarsson.

Jeff had done his usual thorough clean up of the pipe. He had reamed it with a PipNet reamer and finished with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and the interior with isopropyl alcohol, shank brushes, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He worked on the acrylic stem with Soft Scrub then let it soak in Before & After Pipe Stem Deoxidizer. It has a few tooth marks and chatter on both sides. I took photos of the pipe before I started my work.  I took some close up photos of the bowl/rim top and the stem to show the condition they were in at this point. The rim top and edges looked good and the bowl was clean. The stem had light tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It is clear and readable as noted above. I also captured the shape number on the right side of the shank. I removed the stem from the shank to give a sense of the pipe. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth. The finished bowl and shank look very good. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my finger tips. The product is amazing and works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let it sit on the briar for 10 or more minutes and then buff it off with a soft cloth. It really makes the briar come alive and look quite rich. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. The chatter and marks were light enough that I polished it with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a cloth and Obsidian Oil. I finished the polishing with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. I fitted the 9mm Filter tenon with a Dr. Perl Junior 9mm filter. The fit is perfect and it will provide the option of smoking with a filter or without.I am excited to put the finishing touches on this Sixten Ivarrson Danish Design Stanwell Trio 118 Pot. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine and hand buffed it with microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with the polished black, fancy turned vulcanite stem was beautiful. This Stanwell Danish Design Trio 118 is nice looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.59 ounces/44 grams. It is a beautiful pipe and one that I will be putting in the Danish Pipemaker Section on the rebornpipes store. Thanks for walking through the cleanup with me as I worked over this pipe.