Blog by Al Jones

I’ve never owned or smoked a Churchwarden style pipe.  Last year I added finding the right one to my pipe wish list.  When I started investigating vintage Kaywoodie options, I learned they are somewhat rare and that I would face some fierce competition.  I had just about given up hope on finding one and I did a generic search on Ebay for a Churchwarden pipe.  I thought that it would be necessary to settle for Savinelli or Peterson.  To my surprise, in the middle of my 100+ pipe search list, was this Kaywoodie Churchwarden, complete with box and bag.   I had somehow missed this pipe on my daily Ebay search results.

The pictures show some promise, but the bowl top had seen some abuse.  I didn’t know at the time if the pipe had the stinger intact.  I won the auction and waited in anticipation for the pipe.  When it was delivered, I was pleasantly surprised as the stem and briar looked to be in terrific condition.  And the icing on the cake was an intact 4-hole “Drinkless” stamped sting with a small ball.    The pipe is just under 12 inches long and weighs a svelte 32 grams.   Cleaning the briar and stem was a little nerve wracking as I didn’t want to damage the fragile looking pieces.

After the pipe was delivered, I exchanged some communication with the seller.  I learned that original owner was the Great uncle of the sellers wife.  His name was Harvey Shue and he was from Spring Grove Pennsylvania. Harvey worked for the PH Gladfelter Paper Mill. He passed in 1971 at the age of 64. His wife Florence held on to the pipes. Florence passed away in 1996 and the family found 50 pipes in a dresser drawer from their home.  It’s pretty rare to find out the history of a pipe.  Now I know a little bit about this one.  Harvey lived pretty close to where my brother currently lives in Pennsylvania.

This is the pipe as it was delivered.  The box is in great shape and a literature piece was also included.  The stem only had light oxidation and the nomenclature was like new.

I used some alcohol to remove the build up from the threads on the stem fitment.  This allowed the stem to fully seat in the correct position.  I reamed the bowl, which still had some remnants of tobacco inside.  The bowl was then soaked with some alcohol and sea salt.  A little Mag & Aluminum auto metal polish took the rest of the oxidation off the stinger.  This one has the smaller ball and no Registration number, a style used by Kaywoodie after WWII.

I learned thru the Kaywoodie Forums that the side placement of the stem logo was used in the late 1940’s.  The brochure included with the pipe advertises “97 Years of Pipemaking” Kaywoodie was founded in 1851, which would place the brochure as being used in 1948.  Kaywoodie also placed the grade of the pipe (Supergrain) above Kaywoodie until 1955.   Thanks to the forum feedback, an educated guess is that the pipe was made sometime in the late 1940’s to early 1950’s.  I haven’t yet learned why this one does not have the Shape number stamped on the pipe.    Below is a page from the 1947 Kaywoodie catalog, showing the Shape 95.

This picture shows the detail of the “Drinkless” 4-hole stinger.  Earlier 4-hole stingers used a larger ball.

After the bowl soak was complete, I scrubbed the inside of the slender shank with some bristle cleaners soaked in alcohol.  I also ran some cleaners with alcohol thru the long stem and stinger.

The scorched material on the bowl top was removed with a mild solution of Oxyclean and distilled water.  The lighter used had damaged the inner portion of the bowl but a worn sheet of 8000 grit Micromesh removed most of the scorch marks without removing the stain.   The rest of the bowl only required a light buff with White Diamond (staying away from the nomenclature) and some Carnuba wax.

I mounted the stem onto the shank and stared with a sheet of 800 grit wet paper to remove the oxidation.  I proceeded thru 1000, 1500 and then 2000 grit paper to bring back the shine.  The button was amazing like new.  Finally, I used 8000 and 12000 grit sheets of Micromesh.  The stem was then buffed lightly with White Diamond rouge.

I always chose a unique pipe to smoke on Christmas Eve and I’ll save this one until that special night.  Here’s the finished pipe.

Blog by Al Jones

This pipe came from the table at the recent Richmond CORPS show.  The seller, Ned Baylor, is a member of the club.  I always try and make at least one purchase from a club members table.  Ned’s daughter was helping him at the show and he was pretty enthusiastic about making his first sale.  He included a Savinelli box and a nice Mark Tinsky sock, which I needed.  One of the Christopher Morley club members grabbed the box for a Savinelli he purchased.  I already had this GBD shape but thought the pipe would make a fun restoration project.

As I mentioned the pipe was in pretty decent overall condition and this was not a challenging restoration, but with pleasing results.  The nomenclature was in very good shape as well.  The brass rondell and straight line “London,England” stamping indicate that the pipe was made before the merger in approximately 1981.

The pipe was in pretty good condition, with a little tar build-up in the bowl and a few teeth marks on the stem.  The stem was only mildly oxidized.

I removed the cake from the bowl with my Castleford reamer and found the bowl to be in very good condition.  The bowl was soaked with alcohol and sea salt.

I put a dab of grease on the brass rondell and soaked it in a mild Oxy-Clean solution for several hours to loosen the oxidation.  I started with 800 grit wet sandpaper, progressing to 1000>1500 and 2000 grades.  I then used the 8000 and 12000 grade Micromesh papers to finish polishing the stem.  There were a few teeth marks on the top and bottom of the stem.  A little heat almost removed the one on the top of  the stem and minimized the dent on the bottom.  The stem was then buffed lightly with white diamond rouge, with the stem mounted in the briar.  The stem was a little loose so I put some distilled water in the shank, which made the briar swell a bit and tighten up the stem.  I felt after smoking that the stem would tighten nicely.

I removed the tars on top of the bowl with some distilled water and a cotton cloth.  The a worn piece of 8000 grit Micromesh was used to minimize the rim darkening without lifting the stain.  The stem was already getting snug due to the water used in the shank.  It was just a little bit loose and I smoked one bowl of My Mixture 965 in the pipe during which time it snugged up nicely.  I had bought this one to restore and sell, but it smoked so nice, I almost changed my mind.  It did end up going to a member of the Allentown and Philly pipe clubs who is also on the PipesMagazine.com forums.  I hope he enjoys it for many years.

Below is the finished pipe.

Blog by Al Jones

This pipe was an acquisition from the recent CORPS Show in Richmond, VA.  The gentleman who sold it to me is a fellow member of the SmokersForums.uk.  I really wasn’t looking to add any more pipes at the show, but I can’t resist Sasieni pipes from the Family Era, which were made prior to 1979.  I think they offer a great value in an English estate and my others smoke wonderfully.  The stem and button work I feel is slightly better than Comoys pipes of that era.  “Ruff Root” pipes in particular are quite light, even in a large pipe such as this “Stratford” model.  While not as graceful in appearance as my Viscount Lascelles, it’s angular jaw has a sort of rugged appeal that grew on me as work progressed.   The oval bowl top is also a unique feature.

The pipe was in excellent condition and I knew it would only require a minor clean-up effort.   To my eye, the robins-egg blue four dot stem logo is one of the most appealing of any British maker.  Some dots fade over time but the one on this stem were perfect, as is the button.

There was a very slight cake in the pipe, which I carefully removed.  The bowl was soaked with Sea Salt and alcohol.  While the bowl was soaking, I dabbed some grease on the stem logo and soaked it in a mildy Oxyclean solution.  Nestled with the Sasieni is a GBD New Standard 549 that was also a CORPS show purchase.

After soaking in the Oxyclean solution, I removed the oxidation from the stem starting with 800 grit wet paper, then progressing thru 1000, 1500 and 2000 grades.  I followed those with 8000 and 12000 grades of Micromesh paper.  The stem was free of any bite marks.

I make a collar to use between the briar and vulcanite stem out of light grade plastic.  Small boxes that hold auto fasteners or product blister packs work well. I cut out small circles then punch a hole for tenon using an office punch.  The collar allows me to remove the oxidation near the stem and briar junction without taking the edge off the stem.

The stem was buffed lightly with White Diamond.  The briar only required hand polishing with Halycon II wax.  The nomenclature was in outstanding condition.

Below is the completed pipe.  Ruff Root pipes are light for their size and this one only weighs 51 grams.

Blog by Al Jones

The GBD 9438 in Virgin grade was near the top of my “Holy Grail” list. two years ago, I found and restored one with a Perspex stem (that article is in the archives here). I prefer a Vulcanite stem and finally won an Ebay auction for a suitable example. My collecting strategy is that once a pipe from my list is acquired, to keep an eye out for a pipe in better condition. The pipe arrived in very good condition, with a few bumps in the briar and an oxidized stem. This restoration required two repairs I had not yet completed.

The pipe as received, show a lot of potential.

The tenon had a “bullet” shaped head, which is similar to another GBD in my collection, a Virgin 28D with a “Hand Cut” stamp on the stem. Unfortunately the stem on the 9438 does not have this stamp. The draft hole in the tenon was curiously very small, not like any GBD I had ever encountered. The opening was so small, a pipe cleaner could barely pass through. Testing the draft, there was no way that this would smoke well. It appeared as if something was in the standard hole. I explored carefully with a drill bit and discovered that the material was made of wood. It appeared that someone had inserted a wooden plug into the tenon and then drilled it. Fortunately, the wood piece came out easily and the pipe now passes a stem straight into the bowl. Here you can see the plug. I have no idea why someone would think that this was a good idea and I can’t imagine the pipe smoked well.

And the tenon with the plug removed.

There were two creases in the otherwise unmarked briar. I thought they would come out with some steam. Using a heated kitchen knife and a piece of wet cloth, folded over four times, the creases came out nicely. Here you can see the before and after pictures. The steam lightens the briar somewhat, but buffed and waxed it comes right back.

The bowl had only a very light cake, I’m guessing the pipe was put aside before much use. I soaked the bowl in some sea salt and alcohol. The stem was also soaked in a mild solution of Oxyclean with a dab of grease on the brass rondell. I buffed the bowl lightly with White Diamond and then several coats of Carnuba wax, carefully working away from the stamped nomenclature, which was in very good condition.

The stem had a very heavy coat of oxidation. I started with 800 grit wet paper, than worked up to 1000, 1500 and 2000. I then used the 8000 and 12000 grades of Micromesh. The stem was then buffed lightly with White Diamond rouge. Here is the pipe after using the 800 grit paper.

The few teeth scratches came out but the stem had an odd kink and not the standard graceful curve. I inserted a cleaner into the stem and warmed the vulcanite with heat from the flame of a propane torch. There is probably a less risky way to heat the vulcanite, but that is what I had in my shop. The stem was slowly moved back into it’s original position. I was tempted to let well enough alone, but I think the pipe looks much better with the correct stem bend.

Below is the finished pipe. I’m very pleased with this Virgin 9438.  The wood is flawless and or a GBD, it has decent grain.

I love older Kaywoodies, with the four-hole stinger and have several Super Grain models. This is my first Flame Grain, in the tapered stem bulldog shape, 99B.

This is one of the older Flame Grains as that stamping is over Kaywoodie. The stinger is a four-hole and the Flame Grain stingers were not stamped “Drinkless”. The four hole stinger was dropped in the early 1950’s. Kaywoodie collector Tony Soderman recently posted a similarly stamped pipe on Ebay and the ad said this about the age.

“This Flame Grain dates from the LATE 1940’s. It has a 2-Digit Shape Number so it is made after 1937 but “Flame Grain” is OVER “KAYWOODIE” in the Nomenclature, and it has a LARGE BALL, 4-HOLE “STINGER” (without the word “DRINKLESS” on the shaft of the “Stinger”)!!! These features come together after World War II and prior to 1950. So it is easily dated to the LATE 1940’s!!! (Tony Soderman ad)

The bowl had a heavy cake and there was even some old tobacco in the bottom of the bowl. Somehow, the stem was in terrific shape, only oxidized with nary a tooth mark. Flame Grain pipes had the reverse cloverleaf logo.

I reamed the bowl and discovered the previous owner had at some point reamed the pipe and apparently used a penknife as there were some irregular gouges inside the bowl. The rim was sightly out of round. I soaked the bowl in sea salt and alcohol. The shank was very difficult to clean and took nearly an hour with an assortment of brushes and alcohol. The four holes on the stinger ball were completely caked with build-up.

I remove the oxidation on the stem first with some 800 wet paper, than 1000, 1500 and 2000 grades. I then used the 8000 and 12000 grades of micromesh. The stem was mounted and then lightly buffed with white diamond rouge.

The grime revealed a very nice grain pattern and some birdseye on the bowl top. I’ll look forward to adding this one to my rack of older Kaywoodies.

Update:
This pipe had an issue with the stem fitment that I had not yet encountered on a screw-stem Kaywoodie. The stem insert was off by a few degrees. Steve suggested trying to tweak the insert using a pair of needle-nosed pliars, but I couldn’t budge it and getting a grip without damaging the briar was just about impossible. I was ready to give up, but wondered if one of the bits in a Matco screw-extractor set would remove the stem completely. I thought perhaps then I could screw it back to the correct orientation. The screw-extractor is a reverse thread so it grips and I did successfully remove the insert. Here you can see the insert partially removed and the extractor.

When I screwed the fine threaded insert back into the briar, it would not screw in all the way and the alignment was way off on the other side. I removed it again and cleaned the threads on the insert and in the briar (just blew out some debris). I added a little lithium grease to the first couple of threads. This allowed the insert to fully and squarely seat against the briar. This was truly nerve-wracking work but a good result.

Blog by Al Jones

I’m a big fan of the pre-transition era Sasieni “Four Dot” pipes. This era was from 1946 to 1979 and while that makes a precise dating impossible, I’ve found them to be very well made and excellent smoking pipes. This Grosvenor Ruff Root Bulldog showed up on Ebay last week, complete with small and somewhat fuzzy photographs. From what I could see, the pipe looked solid and it pretty much flew under the radar. When the pipe arrived, it was easy to see that I had made a wise choice. The stem was only slightly oxidized with no teeth marks or other damage. The nomenclature was very clear and complete. The first picture was from the eBay ad.

I own a Sasieni Grosvenor Walnut, an “S” model, which indicates the tapered stem. But, my favorite pipes are Bulldog or Rhodesians with a tapered stem.

The bowl had only a slight cake and the shank was very clean. I carefully reamed the cake out and soaked the bowl with some alcohol and sea salt.

I polished the stem with 800 grit paper, then 1500 and 2000 grade wet paper. Then I moved to the 8000 and 12000 grade micromesh paper, also wet. The stem was lightly buffed with white diamond. I’ve learned that the light blue Sasieni stem dots can fade over time, but the color of these dots was perfect.

I polished the bowl by hand with some Halycon wax and the pipe was complete, a very easy restoration.

If you follow my restorations on Steve’s blog, you already know I love the Rhodesian shapes made by classic British pipe makers. I have a “Holy Grail” list of desired shapes and marques. The GBD 9242 has been at the top of that list for three years. In the past few years, this shape has been hotly contested and infrequently sold. I had resigned to myself that the probability of finding one, within my means, was slim. This week, a somewhat tired New Standard grade 9242 was listed and I was surprised to win the auction at a modest price. The pictures were fuzzy and showed it would need a lot of work. The stem did look quite promising and I hoped the tars and cake build-up on the bowl top would come off. The nomenclature, button, rondell and bowl beading all looked to be in very good condition.

I used some distilled water and a rag to remove the tars from the bowl top, which did come off. That revealed a few dents and dings. I then removed the cake with my Castleford reamer and was pleased to find some very solid wood inside the bowl and a nicely drilled pipe. The shank was filthy inside and required a lot of cleaning with brushes and alcohol.

I worked on removing or minimizing some of the dings and marks on the briar. I used a kitchen knife, heated with a propane torch and a wet rag to steam out the dents. Some of the crease could not be removed, but I was able to minimize them.

The bowl and shank were then packed with sea salt and alcohol to soak. The bowl and shank came out very clean inside, which should help reduce any ghosts. The stem was soaked in a mild Oxyclean solution, with a dab of grease on the rondell.

After the bowl soak was complete, I started to work on the stem. It had a pretty rough layer of oxidation near the button and I used 600 grit wet paper on that area. Then, progressively, I used 1000>1500 and finally 2000 grade wet paper on the rest of the stem, button and crease. Miraculously, the stem only had some mild teeth chatter under that oxidation. I then moved to Micromesh sheets in 8000 and 12000 grades. The stem was then polished, mounted on the pipe, with White diamond rouge (lightly!). The briar was also polished with White Diamond, but I was careful to stay away from the all important (to me) nomenclature.

Below is a comparison shot with a GBD 9438 New Standard. The 9438 weighs 55 grams and my scale shows the 9242 comes in at 45 grams. Now I can see why this shape was so appealing to me, and others. That tapered shank and stem really make the pipe.

The pipe still has a few “character marks”, but I’m quite pleased to add this one to my collection. A piece I thought was almost unattainable.