Category Archives: Pipe Refurbishing Essays

Essays and pictorial essays on the art of refurbishing

New Life for a Unique Ratos N7 Sitter Billiard

Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table is an interesting pipe in many ways – shape, style and stamping. We purchased it on 11/14/2022 from our connection in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a shape that is hard to define – a cross between a Billiard and a poke. The bottom of the shank and heel of the bowl is flattened and the pipe stands leaning to the right side. This makes it quite unique. The stamping is clear and readable. On the left side it reads RATOS [over] Standard. That is followed by a stamping that runs at an angle toward the stem and reads Old Briar. On the right side it is stamped N7 which I assume is a shape number. The bowl had a thick cake and lava overflow on the inner edge of the rim. It was hard to estimate the condition of the edges with the cake and lava coat but I was hoping it had been protected from damage. The outer edge appeared to be in good condition. The finish was dull and dirty but had some nice grain under the grime and the finish appeared to be in good condition. A lot would be revealed once Jeff had worked his magic on it. The 9mm filter stem was dirty, lightly oxidized, calcified and had tooth chatter and tooth marks near the button on both sides. There was a faint RATOS stamp on the left side of the taper stem. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his cleanup work.Jeff took some close up photos of the rim top and the inner edge of the bowl to give an idea of the condition the pipe when he received it. I am sure glad that this was another one that he worked on. The bowl has a very thick cake and the rim top and a lava overflow around the entire top. The stem was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides. Jeff took photos of the sides of the bowl and heel to show the finish around pipe. You can see the grime and the oils in the finish that are ground into the bowl. You can also see the great looking grain around the bowl. The next series of photos capture the stamping. The stamping is clear and readable as noted above. I turned to Pipedia and looked up the Ratos brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Ratos). I quote from the article below to show the information that was available on this brand.

Ratos is a Swedish classic that has been on the Swedish market for more than 40 years. Pipe smokers know Ratos as an affordable quality pipe in many different shapes. Quality are all equally high, only genuine ‘Old’ briarroot may be used. Some of the pipes have meerschaum lined bowls. In 2009, all Ratos pipes are fitted with filters.

Some of these pipes are distributed by the Borkum Riff tobacco brand at pipe smoking contests.

In 2009, Ratos pipes are manufactured in France, in the oldest factory still operating.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet Pipe Reamer and cleaned up the remnants with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took close up photos of both the rim top and the stem. Jeff had been able to get the grime and lava off the rim top and it looked much better. There was some darkening on the rim top and edges. The stem looked very clean. The tooth marks and chatter were minimal and should be easy to remove. I took photos of the stamping on the shank sides to show that they are very clear and readable.I started my work on the pipe by addressing the remaining darkening on the rim top and the inner edge of the bowl. I sanded the bevelled edge with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I worked over the rim top at the same time and smooth out and remove the darkening. It looked much better.Now it was time to do my work on the pipe. I polished the bowl and rim top with micromesh sanding pads using 1500-12000 grit sanding pads and wiping it down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust and debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the finish of the bowl and shank with my fingers. I want the product to go deep into the finish because it works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. Once I was confident that it was deeply worked into the finish I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth to polish it. The pipe really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. The grain really stands out on the pipe in the photos below. I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I polished the vulcanite stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Polish – both the Fine and Extra Fine polishes. I gave it a final coat of oil and set it aside to dry. This RATOS Standard Old Briar N7 Sitter Billiard was another fun pipe to work on and I really was looking forward to seeing it come back together again. With the grime and debris gone from the finish and the rim top the birdseye grain is beautiful. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I carefully avoided the stamping on the shank during the process. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad on the buffer. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The rich finish on the bowl looks really good with the black vulcanite stem. It is very well done. Give the finished RATOS N7 Standard Old Briar a look in the photos below. I can only tell you that it is much prettier in person than the photos capture. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/8 inches, Chamber diameter: 5/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 42grams/1.48oz. This is truly a great looking Ratos Sitter Billiard. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be adding it to the rebornpipes store in the Pipes From Various Makers Section. If you want to add it to your collection send me an email or a message! Thanks for your time.

As always, I encourage your questions and comments as you read the blog. Thanks to each of you who are reading this blog. Remember we are not pipe owners; we are pipe men and women who hold our pipes in trust until they pass on into the trust of those who follow us.

Rebuilding a Scorched & Shattered Dunhill Cumberland Dublin

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Good job Charles. It was certainly more work than met the eye at first.

One of the things I enjoy most about operating a web-based business is that I never know where my next job will come from. Nearly a decade after …
Rebuilding a Scorched & Shattered Dunhill Cumberland Dublin

Restoring a Sasieni Fantail 93 Stack

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Blog by Steve Laug

The pipe was purchased on 02/02/22 from an online auction from a seller in Colts Neck, New Jersey, USA. It is a smooth finished Sasieni Stack with a unique shape and smooth finish. It has a Fantail stem that is unique to the Sasieni Fantail line. It is stamped on the left side of the shank next to the bowl/shank junction and has the football shaped Made In London stamp vertically. That is followed by Sasieni [over] Fantail. On the right side of the shank it is stamped London Made and the shape number 93. The stamping around the shank end near the stem reads PATD-170067. The pipe is very dirty with grime ground into the finish of the tall bowl. The bowl was thickly caked with an overflowing lava coat on the top of the rim. The edges looked to be in good condition though I would not know for sure until the bowl and rim had been reamed and cleaned. The stem was oxidized, dirty and had light tooth chatter and marks on the top and underside near the button. The stem had a very lightly stamped “F” on the left side of the fantail stem. The fit of the stem in the shank was tight and clean. The pipe had promise under all of the grime and dirt. Jeff took some photos of the pipe before he started the cleanup work. Jeff took some close up photos of the rim top and the bevelled inner edge of the bowl to give an idea of the condition the pipe when he received it. I am sure glad that this was another one that he worked on. The bowl has a thick cake and the rim top and a lava overflow at the back of the bowl. The stem was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides. Jeff took photos of the sides of the bowl and heel to show the finish around pipe. You can see the grime and the oils in the finish that are ground into the bowl. You can also see the scratches and small nicks in the finish. The next series of photos capture the stamping. The stamping is clear and readable as noted above. I have included a screen capture of the pertinent section of the Sasieni section of PipePhil’s Logos and Stamping website and included the link should you want to look at on the site. (http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-sasieni2.html). The second pipe in the photo below shows a pipe with the same stamping as the one that I am working on. It reads Sasieni Fantail, London Made, PAT D -170067. The difference is the location of the Patent stamp. On the one that I am working on is around the shank end.I turned to Pipedia and found a patent diagram for the Fishtail stem that Doug Valitchka posted (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Sasieni). I have included that document below. It was filed in 1953 and received the patent July 21, 1953. Which helps to date this pipe as post patent. That helps to cinch the dating of this pipe as Family Era pipe made somewhere between 1946–1979. The change of “Sasieni” script without the fish-tail initiated by Alfred Sasieni occurred after Second World War. This puts the date of the pipe between 1946 and 1979 – a large spread.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet Pipe Reamer and cleaned up the remnants with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took close up photos of both the rim top and the stem. Jeff had been able to get the grime and lava out of the plateau on the rim top and it looked pretty incredible. There was some darkening on the high spots on the sandblast rim top and edges. The stem looked very clean. The tooth marks and chatter were minimal and should be easy to remove. The stamping on the shank sides was faint but still readable as noted above. I also took a photo with the stem removed to give an idea of the perspective and design of the pipe. Now it was time to do my work on the pipe. I polished the bowl and rim top with micromesh sanding pads using 1500-12000 grit sanding pads and wiping it down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust and debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the finish of the bowl and shank with my fingers. I want the product to go deep into the finish because it works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. Once I was confident that it was deeply worked into the finish I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth to polish it. The pipe really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. The grain really stands out on the pipe in the photos below. I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I painted the tooth marks with the flame of a lighter to lift them. All of the came up slightly. I filled in those that remained with some black rubberized CA glue. I set it aside to cure. Once it had hardened I flattened out the repair areas with a small file. I sanded the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface of the stem. I started polishing with 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the vulcanite stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Polish – both the Fine and Extra Fine polishes. I gave it a final coat of oil and set it aside to dry. This Sasieni Fantail 93 Stack is a beautiful looking pipe. I put the stem back in place in the shank and buffed the bowl and stem lightly with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel. I buffed the pipe and stem with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the bowl with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The contrast of the dark brown and a medium brown that shines through give the finish a rich patina. The Sasieni Fantail London Made 93 Stack has some amazing grain around the bowl sides and shank. The bowl has been cleaned and the entire pipe is ready to smoke. The stem is in great shape with a few small nicks in the surface of the top and underside. It is a beautiful pipe, just a little big for my liking or I would hang on to it. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 ¼ inches, Outer diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ inches. The weight of the pipe is 1.59 ounces/45 grams. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store soon in the British Pipemakers Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection email me at slaug@uniserve.com or send me a message on Facebook. Thanks for looking.

Breathing Fresh Life into a Georg Jensen 08 or is it an 80 Canadian?

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Blog by Steve Laug

This particular pipe came to us from our source in Copenhagen, Denmark on 01/26/2023. We have purchased a lot of good pipe from him over the past several years. The pipe was stamped on the topside of the shank and read Jensen [over] Made in Denmark. On the underside of the shank it is stamped either 08 or 80 depending on how you look at it. The rustication on the bowl and the smooth shank on the Canadian make it comfortable in the hand. It has some nice mixed grain on the shank sides and the sandblast on the bowl shows a lot depth. The finish was dirty with hand oils and grime ground into the finish. The blasted rim top had lava from the bowl and darkening in the rough finish. The inner edge of the rim also has thick lava and a thick cake lining the bowl walls. The stem has a short vulcanite taper stem. The stem has light tooth marks on the top and underside ahead of the button. The pipe is very dirty but you can see the beauty through the grime. Jeff took some photos of the pipe before he worked his magic in the cleanup process. Jeff took some close up photos of the sandblast rim top and inner edge of the bowl to give an idea of the filthy condition the pipe was in when he received it. I am sure glad that this was another one that he worked on. The bowl has a thick cake and the blast on the rim top is almost filled in with the lava overflow at the back of the bowl. The stem was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides. Jeff took photos of the sides of the bowl and heel to show the sandblast finish around pipe. You can see the grime and the oils in the finish that are ground into the bowl. You can also see the scratches and nicks in the finish. The next series of photos capture the stamping. The stamping is clear and readable as noted above. The shape number on the underside of the shank can be read as either 08 or 80. The is a faint GJ stamp on the top side of the stem. When I brought the pipe to the worktable this is what I saw. Jeff had reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and followed up with a Savinelli Fitsall pipe knife to remove the cake. He scrubbed out the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl, rim, shank and stem with a tooth brush and Murphy’s Oil Soap to remove the oils and tars on the bowl, rim and shank. He rinsed it under running water. He dried it off with a soft cloth. The lava mess on the rim was thoroughly removed without harming the finish underneath it. Without the grime the finish looked really good. He soaked the stem in Before and After Pipe Stem Deoxidizer. He rinsed it under running water and dried it off with a clean cloth. He cleaned out the airway with pipe cleaners and alcohol. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was very clean. I took photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. It really is quite a beauty. I took close up photos of both the rim top and the stem. Jeff had been able to get the grime and lava out of the plateau on the rim top and it looked pretty incredible. There was some darkening on the high spots on the sandblast rim top and edges. The stem looked very clean. The tooth marks and chatter were minimal and should be easy to remove.The stamping was still readable and curved around the underside of the shank. It reads as noted above. I also took a photo with the stem removed to give an idea of the perspective and design of the pipe. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the grooves and crevices of the sandblast finish of the bowl and shank with my fingers and a horsehair shoe brush. I want the product to go deep into the finish because it works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. Once I was confident that it was deeply worked into the blast I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth to polish it. The pipe really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. The blast has depth and the grain really stands out on the shank in the photos below. I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I sanded out the tooth chatter and marks on the stem surface with 220 grit sandpaper. I started polishing with 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the vulcanite stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad.I polished it with Before & After Pipe Polish – both the Fine and Extra Fine polishes. I gave it a final coat of oil and set it aside to dry. I polished the Georg Jensen 08/80 Canadian and the stem with Blue Diamond to polish out the remaining small scratches. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The pipe polished up pretty nicely. The mix of brown stains worked really well with the black vulcanite stem. The darkened plateau really sets of the pipe and gives it a unique look. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outer diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ inches. The weight of the pipe is 34 grams/1.23 ounces. I will be putting this unique freehand on the rebornpipes store in the Danish Pipemakers Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection please let me know. Thanks for walking through this restoration with me as I worked over this beauty.

Restoring a Wenhall Dane Craft E Freehand

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Blog by Steve Laug

Jeff and I love picking up freehand pipes that are unusual or have unique grain around the bowl. This particular pipe came to us from a lady in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on 04/09/2022. We purchased her husband’s estate pipes from her and there were some very nice ones. The pipe was stamped on the underside of the shank and read Wenhall [over] Dane Craft [over] E. The shape and the unusual stem combination are familiar with other freehands in this series. It is an unusual piece with some grooves in the bowl sides and a “nose” on the front of the bowl at the heel. These make it very comfortable in the hand. It has some nice straight grain on the bowl sides and shank. The finish was dirty with hand oils and grime ground into the finish. The plateau rim top had lava from the bowl and darkening in the rough finish. The inner edge of the rim also has thick lava and a thick cake lining the bowl walls. The stem is different in that it is one that I would expect on a Danish Made Celius pipe or possibly some of the British style Hardcastle freehands. The chairleg style stem seems to be made of high-quality vulcanite as it is not oxidized. The stem has tooth marks on the top and underside ahead of the button and a hole in the top surface. The pipe is very dirty but you can see the beauty through the grime. Jeff took some photos of the pipe before he worked his magic in the cleanup process. Jeff took some close up photos of the plateau rim top and inner edge of the bowl to give an idea of the filthy condition the pipe was in when he received it. I am sure glad that this was one that he worked on. The bowl has a thick cake and the plateau rim top is almost filled in with the lava overflow at the back of the bowl. The stem was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides. There was also a bite through on the topside of the stem ahead of the button. There was a calcification on the surface of the stem and some minor oxidation. Jeff took photos of the sides of the bowl and heel to show the grain around pipe. You can see the grime and the oils in the finish that are ground into the bowl. You can also see the scratches and nicks in the finish. The next series of photos capture the stamping. The stamping is faint on the edges but together you can see that it reads Wenhall over Dane Craft over the letter E. The last photo in this series shows the fit of the stem to the dirty shank. There is a gap that should disappear with cleaning. I remembered working on a Wenhall Dane Craft Freehand in the past so I turned back to a previous blog I had written on that one (https://rebornpipes.com/2018/06/18/new-life-for-a-wenhall-dane-craft-b-freehand/). I reread the blog and was reminded of the background information on the brand that I had researched prior. It is a beautiful pipe. I quote from that blog below.

In the back of my mind I remembered a connection between Wenhall and Karl Erik pipes. I could not remember the details of the connection but I remembered there was one. I’ll tell you what, even that is pretty good for this old bird. I looked it up on the pipephil pipes, logos and stampings website and found nothing on that site that linked the two. I turned to Pipedia and looked it up in the Pipe Makers list that is included there. I found the link to Wenhall pipes that I was looking for. Here is the link, https://pipedia.org/wiki/Wenhall. It was a short article but it made a lot of connections to names that I was familiar with from working on pipes. I include the majority of the article because of the pertinent information that it provides.

Wenhall Pipes Ltd. was a distribution company out of New York City.

By the end of the 1970’s Wenhall approached Michael Kabik and Glen Hedelson, at that time operating from a farm house in Glen Rock, Maryland to create a line of freehands called Wenhall. The situation was favorable, because Kabik & Hedelson had ended their cooperation with Mel Baker of Tobak Ltd. to produce the famed Sven-Lar freehands shortly before.

Upon Wenhall’s offer the partners got a bank loan and set up a studio of 2000 square feet in a fairly new industrial park in Bel Air, Maryland and took on the name Vajra Briar Works. Wenhall initially wanted 500 pipes a week! But Kabik & Hedelson doubted that they could move that much product and told them they would produce 250 pipes per week. Happily, some of the old crew from Sven-Lar joined them at Vajra Briar Works, and thus they rather quickly met the production demands.

Furthermore during this time, Wenhall requested to create a line of pipes consisting of 12 different shapes. The line was called “The Presidential” and, while they repeated the same 12 shapes for this series, each one was freehand cut. Although they came up with interesting designs, mainly developed by Hedelson, especially Kabik was never really happy with the line or the concept, but, by this time, they had nine people on full-time payroll.

The stint with Wenhall lasted a couple of years, at which time they asked them to join Wenhall in a move to Miami, Florida. But by this time Kabik and Hedelson felt very uncomfortable with the owners of Wenhall and decided that they’d rather close the shop than make the move. Time proved that decision very wise, as Wenhall folded shortly after the move. All the same they had to close Vajra, but scaled down to the two of them and moved the operation to the farm house Glen was currently living in.

I could see the link to Michael Kabik and Glen Hedelson and the Svenlar line of pipes that I have worked on in the past. The problem was that these were American made pipes and I was pretty sure that they would have been stamped accordingly. Even though they were Danish style I don’t know if they would have stamped their pipes Danish Craft. The next short paragraph made the link to Karl Erik that I was looking for.

Presumptively for a shorter period only Wenhall had pipes made in Denmark by Karl Erik. (BTW K.E. Ottendahl ceased all sales to the USA in 1987.)…

The article went on to tie the pipes to some Italian makers as well. I stopped reading at this point and tried to summarize what I had found out so far. I knew that the pipe I held in my hand was made between the late 1970s and 1987. It possibly could have been made by Michael Kabik and/or Glen Heldelson or even by Karl Erik. Something about the flow of the shape and the way the bowl flows with the grain reminds me a lot of Karl Erik pipes that I have worked on. Either way the pipe is between 36-53 years old and in great condition for an older piece.

Jeff had reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and followed up with a Savinelli Fitsall pipe knife to remove the cake. He scrubbed out the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl, rim, shank and stem with a tooth brush and Murphy’s Oil Soap to remove the oils and tars on the bowl, rim and shank. He rinsed it under running water. He dried it off with a soft cloth. The lava mess on the rim was thoroughly removed without harming the finish underneath it. Without the grime the finish looked really good. He soaked the stem in Before and After Pipe Stem Deoxidizer. He rinsed it under running water and dried it off with a clean cloth. He cleaned out the airway with pipe cleaners and alcohol. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was very clean. I took photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. It really is quite a beauty. I took close up photos of both the rim top and the stem. Jeff had been able to get the grime and lava out of the plateau on the rim top and it looked pretty incredible. There was some darkening on the high spots on the plateau and lighter brown colouring in the valleys and crevices particularly on the back side of the bowl. The stem looked very clean. The tooth marks and chatter were very visible and would need to be addressed. The tooth hole on the top of the stem will need to be repaired. The stamping was still readable and curved around the underside of the shank. It reads as noted above. I also took a photo with the stem removed to give an idea of the perspective and design of the pipe.I turned to work on the pipe. I started with the darkening on the plateau rim top. I used a brass bristle wire brush and worked over the plateau rim. It looked much better. I worked in some Murphy’s Oil Soap with the brass brush and rinsed it off with warm running water. It look significantly better one it was rinsed and dried off.I polished the briar bowl with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the debris from the sanding. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the grooves and crevices of the plateau rim top and the smooth finish of the bowl and shank with my fingers and a horsehair shoe brush. I want the product to go deep into the finish because it works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. Once I was confident that it was deeply worked into the blast I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth to polish it. The pipe really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. The grain really stands out in the photos below. I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I decided to address the bite through in the top of the stem. I cleaned out the hole with alcohol and then greased a pipe cleaner with Vaseline and inserted it beneath the hole. I filled in the hole with black CA glue. I sprayed it with accelerator to cure it. I removed the pipe cleaner and filled in the remaining small pinholes with more CA glue. I set the stem aside to let the repair cure. Once the repair had hardened I used several small files to flatten the repairs and the marks on the underside as well. I smoothed out the surface with 220 grit sandpaper and blended them into the surface of the stem. I started polishing the stem with 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the vulcanite stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Polish – both the Fine and Extra Fine polishes. I gave it a final coat of oil and set it aside to dry.I polished bowl and the stem with Blue Diamond to polish out the remaining small scratches. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The pipe polished up pretty nicely. The medium brown stain worked really well with the black vulcanite stem. The darkened plateau really sets of the pipe and gives it a unique look. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 ½ inches, Outer diameter of the bowl: 1 ¾ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 inches. The weight of the pipe is 56 grams/1.98 ounces. I will be putting this unique freehand on the rebornpipes store in the Danish Pipemakers Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection please let me know. Thanks for walking through this restoration with me as I worked over this beauty.

Doing a Clean up and Restoration of a Kaywoodie Super Grain 5 Medium Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table is one that a fellow just dropped by. He had written to me earlier this week about a pipe he found. He wanted to drop it off and have me clean it up for him. Here is his first email.

Steve, found a Kaywoodie medium billiard that I’d like to get cleaned up. Can I drop it off this weekend? Take care, Robert

I replied to him as follows:

Drop it by. Can you send me a photo of the pipe so I can see it? Thanks – Steve

We made an appointment for Saturday or Sunday.

After viewing the photo and talking with Mike about the pipe when he dropped it off I knew what I was dealing with. He found it when he was visiting his parents in New York. I took photos of the pipe once it was dropped off before I worked on it. My evaluation of the pipe included the following observations. The pipe was actually quite clean. The bowl had been reamed quite recently and the internals were clean. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl showed some damage. There were some nicks and marks on the surface and edge. The walls of the bowl seemed be to quite smooth and did not show any checking or damage from heat or fire. The finish was dark but quite clean. There were just a few nicks and scratches in briar. The stamping was faint but read Super Grain [over] Kaywoodie on the left side. On the right side the numeral 5 was stamped. There was a inlaid white Kaywoodie Shamrock inlaid in the briar on the right top of the shank. The shank was quite long and had a shorter stem. Kaywoodie called the shape a Medium Billiard. The Kaywoodie threaded tenon and stinger had been clipped and filed smooth. The stem was vulcanite and quite clean but had tooth marks on the top and heavier ones on the underside. It is a great looking pipe that I really like the looks of and I think that once it is cleaned up it will be a real beauty. I took photos of the bowl and rim top as well as the stem. The rim top shows the damage and nicks on the top and the inner edge of the bowl. It is uneven and quite messed up. You can see the tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It is faint and hard to read but with a bright light and lens it reads as noted above. The pipe is quite nice with the stem removed. You can see the flow of the design and the look of the parts.The inlaid white shamrock/club on the shank side/top was a clear clue to the age of the pipe. I turned to Pipedia to an article entitle Guide to Kaywoodie Pipes to see what I could find that would help date it (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Collector%27s_Guide_to_Kaywoodie_Pipes). I quote a section of the article below. I have highlighted the portions that apply to this particular pipe in red.

THE 1936 KAYWOODIE LINE OF PIPES

The 1936 Kaywoodie catalog lists only four grades of pipes (Table 1). These four grades, however, were available in 140 shapes (see Appendix). These 140 shapes included many that differed only in size (small, medium, large). For example, the “In-Between”, “Colt” and “Freshman” shapes listed in the Appendix were merely smaller versions of the standard shapes, and the “E-Z-Set” shapes were “flat-bottom” versions of the standard shapes.

Table 1: Kaywoodie Pipe Grades and Prices (1936)

Straight Grain: $10.00
Super Grain: $5.00
Carburetor: $4.00
Drinkless: $4.00

As shown in Table 1, the Straight-Grain pipe was Kaywoodies’ top-of-the-line, selling for $10.00 in 1936. The Straight Grain pipe did not appear again in the catalogs reviewed in this research until 1968-69 (see Section 3.4).

The 1936 catalog shows 3 Super Grain models, selling for $5.00 each. One model is introduced as the “New Banded” Super Grain. The banded Super Grain had the white Kaywoodie cloverleaf logo in the bit and a wide metal band. The non-banded (“original”) Super Grain had the white Kaywoodie cloverleaf logo in the shank of the pipe and was offered in two finishes, virgin and miami (slightly darker than virgin). Due to the gap in catalogs used in this research, it is not known precisely when the practice of putting the cloverleaf in the shank of the Super Grains was discontinued (the 1947 catalog shows the cloverleaf on the bit). The Super Grain was later downgraded and many new grades appeared above it (see subsequent sections of this Chapter). The early (original) Super Grains are particularly interesting not only because they were high quality briars, but because they were the only Kaywoodies (in the author’s knowledge) to have the logo inlaid in the shank of the pipe…

Thus, I knew that the pipe in hand was a Super Grain with the inlaid Kaywoodie cloverleaf was done in 1936 and we do not know when it ceased. It had the darker finish called Miami (a darker stain). It was time to work on the pipe.

I started my work on this pipe by reaming the bowl. I cleaned out the remaining cake with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I took it back to bare briar to carefully examine the walls of the bowl. I finished by sanding the walls of the bowl with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel to smooth out the interior of the bowl. It was quite clean and undamaged. I cleaned out the internals of the bowl, shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners until they were clean. Next, I addressed the damage to the inside edge and top of the bowl. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean up the inner edge and give it a slight bevel. I smoothed out the damage and once done I wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. It looked much better than when I started.I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. The bowl began to take on a rich glow. I rubbed down the bowl and shank with Before & After Restoration Balm. It is a paste/balm that is rubbed into the surface of the briar. The product works to deep clean the finish, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit for 10 minutes then wiped it off with a soft cloth then buffed it with a cotton cloth. The briar really began to have a deep shine in the briar and the grain shines through. The photos I took of the bowl at this point mark the progress in the restoration. It is a gorgeous pipe. I set the bowl aside and turned to the stem. It was in good condition but had some buffed tooth marks on the surface and what looked like a repair on the underside next to the button. I painted the surface of the stem with the flame of a Bic lighter to try and lift the marks. I lifted them some but they were still distinctly present. I filled in the marks with black rubberized CA glue and set it aside to cure. Once cured I flattened the repairs with a file and then followed that up with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I started the polishing the stem with 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. It looked much better. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit sanding pads and water to wet sand the stem. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil on a cotton rag after each sanding pads. I know that many say Obsidian Oil does nothing for acrylic stems, but I find it does two things – first it gives some protection to the stem from buildup and second it give the sanding pads bite in the polishing process. I like to use Before & After Fine and Extra Fine stem polish as it seems to really remove the fine scratches in the vulcanite. I rub the Fine Polish on the stem and wipe it off with a paper towel and then repeat the process with the Extra Fine polish. I finish the polishing of the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set the stem aside to let the oil absorb. This process gives the stem a shine and also a bit of protection. The final steps in my process involve using the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish out the light scratches in the briar and the vulcanite. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I have found that I can get a deeper shine if I follow up the wax buff with a buff with a clean buffing pad. It works to raise the shine and then I hand buff with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It is always fun for me to see what the polished bowl looks like with the polished stem. It really is a nice pipe. The smooth finish around the bowl sides and shank looks great. The vulcanite taper stem works well with the pipe. The Kaywoodie Super Grain 5 Medium Billiard feels great in my hand. It is a well-balanced pipe. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.13 ounces/32 grams. It is a beautiful pipe that I will soon be giving back to Robert who dropped it off for restoration. I am sure he will enjoy it and it will give many more years of service to him.

New Life for a WDC Milano Genuine Briar DeResino Processed 18 Lovat

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Thanks Dal nicely done. I read about the process previously but great research.

The Lovat now on the worktable came to me off the online auction block in January 2018, from a seller in Indiana. The pipe was bundled with 5 other …
New Life for a WDC Milano Genuine Briar DeResino Processed 18 Lovat

Breathing Life into an Older Choquin A Metz Egg with a Wing Bone Shank Extension and Horn Stem

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the table was in a box of Danish pipes that Jeff and I had put aside. I actually had no idea (nor did Jeff) why we had put it in that box. The stamping was completely worn off and unreadable. I could make out a faint ghost of a stamp. But the shape reminded me of a Choquin A Metz Origine made by the company that came to be known as Butz-Choquin. The pipe was in rough condition. The finish on the bowl and shank were worn and dirty with spotty grime spots on the surface all around the bowl sides. There was a large, solid fill on the left side toward the bottom of the bowl. Under the tars the rim top and inner and outer edges of the bowl had darkening and light burn damage. The shank end had a metal shank cap that was tarnished looking and I was not sure what the metal was underneath. Inserted in the shank cap was a tube that was made of an albatross wing bone. It fit in the shank cap and was discoloured for the first half inch. The other end of the shank tube was also darkened for the same distance ahead of end cap that was attached to the horn stem. The metal had the same pattern as the previous one. The stem and cap fit snug on the wing bone extension. The horn stem was dirty and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the orific button. I took photos of the pipe before I started my clean up work on it to give a clear photo of the condition of the pipe before I started my work. I took a photo of the bowl and the rim top. The bowl had a thick cake on the bowl walls and there was tobacco debris in the bottom of the bowl. The rim top was dirty and had darkening and some burn damage on the inner edge of the bowl. The shank cap and stem cap were tarnished and dirty. The horn stem shows the tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button as mentioned above. It had promise but it was dirty!I took photos of the shank sides to try to capture the faint stamping on the briar. If you look closely you can see something there. It is unreadable as it is so faint but on the left side it looks like it possibly reads Choquin [over] A Metz [over] Origine. Because I expected this I can faintly see it. The stamping on the right side is not readable at all.I was able to remove the stem from the albatross bone shank extension. I set it aside and dribble some alcohol with a pipe cleaner on the shank cap that held the other end of the extension tightly in place. It took a little work but I was able to wiggle it free. I took a photo of the parts of the pipe to show the overall size and ratio of the parts. It is going to be a pretty pipe!I had worked on two of the Second Generation A Metz Origine in the past. These had an acrylic stem and an acrylic shank extension. I have included the links to those blogs below for your information and for a quick review of the shape and the differences with the one I have in hand now.

https://rebornpipes.com/2020/04/13/new-life-for-a-second-generation-butz-choquin-a-metz-origine/

https://rebornpipes.com/2021/05/28/what-an-interesting-sandblast-butz-choquin-2nd-generation-a-metz-origine/

Back in 2018 I had worked with Paresh on Facetime on a First Generation Choquin A Metz. It was very different than the previous two. It had a horn stem and an albatross wing bone as a shank extension (https://rebornpipes.com/2018/11/17/a-challenging-restoration-of-vintage-era-first-choquin-a-metz/). Given that information, I knew that I was looking at another First Generation A Metz. It had the horn stem and the albatross wing bone shank extension. The pipe on my worktable brings back a lot of fond memories for me. I remember walking through the restoration of Paresh’s Grandfather’s A Metz Origine with him. We chatted on Facetime many times during this particular restoration. Paresh had determined that this pipe was very old. I quote below and also have included a photo:

From all the input that I have gathered, the flat bottom bowl, the stamping, the sterling silver adornments, the bone shank extension and horn stem, I can safely place this piece as being one of the first A Metz pipes from the 1858 era! That was the first memory of Paresh’s A Metz Origine. The second memory is also one I cherish. On a trip to India to visit Paresh and Abha and their daughters Mudra and Pavni in 2019, Jeff and I had the privilege of not only seeing this pipe up close but I also was the first one to smoke it since the restoration. What a privilege to be able to smoke Paresh’s Grandfather’s pipe. It was so light weight in hand and it was an amazing smoke. It was cool and dry to the end of the bowl. I cannot thank Paresh enough for letting me fire up this old timer. Dal wrote about this in a great blog about the trip called West meets East in India (https://rebornpipes.com/2019/05/30/west-meets-east-in-india-to-restore-a-grandsons-treasure-an-1846-bbb/). I quote Dal as he so ably described this experience and have also included a photo panel from the blog:

As we had planned, in celebration of the completion of the restoration together we smoked 3 unbelievable vintage pipes with albatross shank extensions and horn stems – all from the 1800s. Oh my…. We each thoughtfully packed our bowls with our choice of blends and lit up and, well…. What a treat for Paresh to share the treasure trove of pipes left to him by his grandfather. Jeff did the honor of commemorating this event with pictures. (Photo from Dal)I had written a previous blog on a restoration of a second generation Butz-Choquin A Metz Origine (https://rebornpipes.com/2020/04/13/new-life-for-a-second-generation-butz-choquin-a-metz-origine/). It was a smooth briar pipe but the information that I included was helpful and applicable. I am including some of that below.

I turned to Pipephil (www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-butzchoquin.html) to get a bit of background on the brand and found this write up and photo of the second or the modern version of the Origine pipe. I have included a screen capture of the pertinent section below. (Interestingly the notes below the photo speak of the one that I have in hand.)On the GQ Tobaccos site I found some interesting information about the brand and this particular pipe. The link is: http://www.gqtobaccos.com/pipes/butz-choquin-origine-sandblasted/. I quote in full from the website.

The Butz Choquin Origine pipes represent one of the first designs created by Jean-Baptiste Choquin and Gustave Butz in the mid 1800’s. The Original Origine made use of an albatross wing bone, for the long, extended stem. The deep billiard style bowl, sports a slight foot on the base and is finished sandblasted with a brown stain. The stem extender is made from Acrylic (faux bone effect) and fitted with a nickel spigot and matching band near the mouthpiece. The black acrylic mouthpiece is curved, making this demi warden/reading pipe ideal for hands free smoking. The spigot fitting makes the use of the common 9mm filter impossible, but it can be used without easily.

Butz Choquin started life back as a tobacconist in Metz, during 1850’s run by Jean-Baptiste Choquin. One of Jeans longest serving members of staff was a young Gustave Butz who had a desire to not only sell pipes, but also create them. In 1858 Gustave married Jeans eldest Daughter Marie and become an actual part of the family.

The pair set about creating a unique and distinct pipe, the now world famous “BC Origine” was first created in same year. This flat bottomed bowl was fitted with a long albatross bone shank and dual silver rings. To this day this pipe is one of the most iconic from Butz Choquin range, although sadly it no longer has the natural shank, replaced with acrylic.

Over the years the pair created a large range of pipes which not only sold within their own, but exported all over Europe and further field. The popularity of the pairs pipes grew and grew and by the 1951 the Berrod-Regad company brought out the family company. Production continued in Metz until 2002 when the whole operation was shifted to the mountain community St Claude. This picturesque village had been the centre of the worlds Briar trade for generations and the local craftsmen continued to produce high quality pipes.

To this day Butz Choquin are renowned for their desire of making more interesting and left field colour schemes. Using high quality briar, original equipment and colourful dyes/acrylic rods.

With that information I turned to work on the pipe. Looking at the bowl it is very different from the photos of the ones that I have seen online. The extension is not the white acrylic and the plumbing for holding it all together is very different from the current photos. It makes me wonder the age of the pipe. We purchased it from the fellow in Denmark that we have purchased many pipes from.

I started my work by reaming the bowl with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I scraped the bowl walls back to bare briar so that I could examine the walls for damage. I followed that by sanding the walls of the bowl until they were smooth with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel. The bowl walls showed no checking or cracking which is remarkable.I cleaned out the airway and mortise in the shank, the airway in the wing bone tube and the airway in the horn stem. I used 99% isopropyl alcohol, pipe cleaners and cotton swabs to remove the tars and oils. It was extremely dirty and once cleaned smelled and looked better.I cleaned up the rim top and the inner and outer edge of the bowl with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. Once finished it looked much better. The finish would need to be removed to deal with the grime and the large fill on the left side of the bowl. (Note I had also used some worn sandpaper to remove some of the tarnish on the band).I stripped off the finish with acetone on cotton pads. I wiped it down repeatedly until the shiny finish was removed and the briar was clear and clean. I polished the briar and the albatross wing bone shank extension with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. After each pad I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. It really took on a shine by the last three sanding pads. The fill is still visible but it is solid. I decided to polish it out and leave it. I rubbed the bowl and wing bone shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the surface of the briar and the bone where it works to clean, restore and preserve them. I let it do its magic for 15 minutes then buffed it off with a cotton cloth. I put the wing bone tube back on the shank after polishing. The pipe looks incredibly good at this point in the process. I filled in the deep tooth marks on the top and underside of the horn stem with clear CA glue. I set it aside to cure. Once the repairs cured I flattened out the repairs with a small needle file to blend them into the stem surface. I continued the process by sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper and started polishing it with 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. It looked very good at this point. I set the bowl aside at this point and turned my attention to the stem. I polished the stem and cap with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit sanding pads and water to wet sand the stem. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil on a cotton rag after each sanding pads. I find that Obsidian Oil does two things for all stems – first it gives some protection to the stem from buildup and second it gives the sanding pads bite in the polishing process. I have found that Before & After Fine and Extra Fine stem polish works well to remove the fine scratches in the horn stems. I rub the Fine Polish on the stem and wipe it off with a paper towel and then repeat the process with the Extra Fine polish. I finish the polishing of the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set the stem aside to let the oil absorb. This process gives the stem a shine and also a bit of protection. I am excited to finish restoration of this late 19th/early 20th century, First Generation Choquin A Metz Egg. 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 hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. I decided to leave the filled flaw on the left side intact as it is a real part of the story of the pipe. I love the look of the polished grain on the pipe with the bone shank extension and horn stem. This smooth Older Choquin A Metz Egg with an Albatross Wing Bone shank extension and a horn stem is great 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: 7 inches, Height: 2 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/8 inch, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 38 grams/ 1.34 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will be adding this to my collection of older pipes. Thanks for your time reading this blog. If you have any questions or insights into the pipe and its age and making please feel free to ask.

Restoring an Old Malaga Canadian

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Next on the chopping block is a beautiful and unusual, long, partially-rusticated, Canadian-shaped pipe from the old Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan. I acquired it from eBay for a reasonably good price because it is technically a Malaga “second” – although I know from Steve that Malaga “seconds” are frequently indistinguishable in quality from their firsts. Truth be told, I’m not a fan of the rustication on this pipe, but the actual shape of the pipe itself was so charming to me that I knew I had to add it to my collection. The slightly-canted, apple-shaped bowl, attached to the long oval shank is particularly beautiful. The only markings on the pipe are on the underside of the shank. They read “Malaga” M-2. The M-2 indicates that this is a second, as I mentioned above. Steve has worked on quite a few Malaga pipes and blogged their restorations over the years, so rather than repeat previous blogs, I am including the link to one that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA from a catalogue: https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. I assume (but don’t know) that the name from comes from the Spanish port city of Málaga – a place I visited in my youth. The founder of the company, George Khoubesser, is of Turkish ancestry and, given Málaga’s importance to the ancient Caliphate of Córdoba, I wonder if there is a distant connection. But I digress…

My pipe is very similar, but not identical, to the one in the image below from the Malaga catalogue. The pipe must have been a favourite of the previous owner, as it was heavily and lovingly smoked. The stem had little oxidation but was well-chewed and dented. It would require some considerable attention. The stummel was in good shape, albeit dirty; there was the odd scratch and nick, but nothing problematic. The rim of the pipe had a substantial burn. We’ll see how much of that can be repaired. The insides of both the stem and the stummel were pretty filthy, and STUNK very badly of some sort of aromatic tobacco. As usual, I wiped the stem down with Murphy’s Oil Soap on some cotton pads. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. As you can see, this one had a lot of filth in it! I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame to lift the few bite marks and dents. This was quite successful in raising the dents, but the tooth damage was significant enough to need more work. I then wiped down the stem with SoftScrub cleaner to remove surface oxidation. Once this process was done, the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. This allows me to clean the oxidation off in a couple of ways: by applying a mild cleaner to the surface and sanding the stem. The next day, I used SoftScrub again with some cotton rounds. I built up the dents on the stem and repaired the button with black cyanoacrylate adhesive and let them fully cure. I then sanded the adhesive down with 220- and 400-grit sandpapers to meld seamlessly into the stem. I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to bring out the lovely black lustre on the stem. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing. Moving on to the stummel. Firstly, I decided to ream out the bowl. I used the PipNet Reamer to remove the built-up cake and followed that with 220-grit sandpaper taped to a dowel to eliminate as much as I could. I took the chamber down to bare briar, as I wanted to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the wall. As it turns out, there were several heat fissures which I’d have to deal with later. I started to do my normal cleaning procedures on the shank, but the shank was completely blocked with debris and filth. I resorted to using a drill bit (by hand) and a dental tool to clear it out. Just look at the debris! Then I carried on cleaning out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. I thrust some cotton balls into the bowl and the shank and saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton. After this, it was clean alright, but most certainly not de-ghosted. I mentioned earlier that the ghost in this pipe was quite disgusting and very strong. This step turned out to be only one of several steps to remove the smell.Leaving the ghost for the moment, I used cotton rounds and some Murphy’s Oil Soap to scrub the outside of the stummel and a toothbrush with Murphy’s for the lava on the rim of the pipe. At this point, it seemed sensible to set up a retort and further clean this whole pipe out – in hope of scaring out the ghost. I put the stem and stummel back together and used my pipe retort system. This system uses boiling isopropyl alcohol and a vacuum (a void, not the household appliance) to clean the interior of a pipe. I forgot to take photos of this, but the retort worked. I managed to improve the state of the pipe.

Back to this obstinate Ghost of Tobaccos Past. I was frustrated. The stench still lingered and was really getting on my nerves. I remembered some time ago that Steve told me about a technique that Greg Pease used to remove especially stubborn ghosts. One might call this the exorcism technique. The procedure is as follows: First, warm your oven to its lowest baking temperature (in my case, 170° F). Second, place the stummel (no stem) in the oven for three hours to warm up and allow the pores of the wood to open. Third, pull the stummel out, fill it with activated charcoal and place it back in the oven for another three hours. This will (hopefully) remove the remaining smells into the charcoal. Once the three hours are up, dump out the activated charcoal and you’re done. Here is a link to the original article by Greg Pease: http://glpease.com/Articles/Spot.html.With all that done, I could address the burn on the rim. I took some oxalic acid, used several Q-tips, and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed. The burn improved quite a bit, though there are still some signs of it left.Alas, as I mentioned earlier, there were some small cracks inside the bowl. The solution to this problem is always a tricky one: epoxy. I prepared some J.B. Weld epoxy and filled the cracks, ensuring that the epoxy was evenly spread. Once done, a good 24 hours was needed to ensure that the epoxy was properly cured. After that, I gently sanded the inside of the bowl to provide a rough surface for what was to come next. I coated the entire inside of the bowl with a mixture of activated charcoal and my wife’s homemade yogurt. Once hardened, this provided a good, slightly rough surface for a new cake to build. I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 220-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner side of the chamber. This achieved two things: first, it removed some of the burn marks on the inner edge of the rim; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returned the edge to a perfect circle. Then, I took my entire set of Micromesh pads to finish off the sanding of the stummel. After that, a light application of Before & After Restoration Balm brought out the best in the stummel’s grain. Finally, it went off to the bench polisher. In the photograph, I show White Diamond and carnauba wax, but after taking the photo, I realized that Conservator’s wax would be better suited to the purpose. So that’s what I used. This is a wonderfully crafted pipe and has a very handsome feel to it. It took some work, but I am proud of it and the final product suits me to a T. It retains some wounds from battle, but, as Steve would say, they are part of this pipe’s story. This is one pipe that I am keeping for myself and adding to my collection. I am sure that I will be enjoying this one for many years to come. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6⅝ in. (168 mm); height 1⅞ in. (48 mm); bowl diameter 1⅝ in. (41 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (20 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¾ oz. (53 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

A Simple Refurbishing Of A Meerschaum Bulldog From Renowned Turkish Pipe Carver Ismet Bekler

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Blog by Paresh Deshpande

I had completed the restoration and repairs of an early (probably 1920s) cased pair of meerschaum pipes with Amber stems and had sent this pipe out to its new owner. Though the end results were very satisfying, this pair had proved to be more than handful and had tested all my skills and patience. Well, all’s well that ends well! The feedback I got from my friend as to the smoking qualities and aesthetics was greatly satisfying.

From amongst the pile of 10 odd Meerschaum pipes that awaits restoration, I selected a cased Meerschaum pipe that appeared to be in great condition requiring minimal work. That being one reason for selecting this particular pipe, the second and important reason was the classic Bulldog shape which I am quite fond of (in fact I just love all the classic British shapes). This is a large sized meerschaum pipe with a tortoise shell acrylic stem that is beautifully cut, most likely hand cut. The following picture is of this meerschaum with a group 4 sized Dunhill Bulldog and should give you an idea of the size of this pipe.The only stamping that could be seen on this pipe is on the left shank surface and is stamped as “I. BEKLER”. The stem is devoid of any stampings.This is the first time that I have worked on a pipe that is stamped as such. Curious to know more about this pipe maker, I visited pipedia.org and a search on this site lead me to a Turkish pipe company, CAO. (https://pipedia.org/wiki/CAO)

It was revealed that Ismet Bekler was a pipe carver who had carved many meerschaum pipes for CAO. I have reproduced certain relevant snippets of information from that article on pipedia.org.

C.A.O International, Inc. is the producer of one of the country’s top lines of premium cigars, cigar accessories, Meerschaum pipes, and pipe tobaccos. CAO’s Meerschaum pipes are smoked by presidents, senators, actors and other dignitaries. CAO was founded in 1964 by Cano A. Ozgener. Using his initials as the company logo.

Cano Ozgener’s interest in tobacco began on the banks of the Bosporus. Born on January 19, 1937, Ozgener was raised in his birthplace of Istanbul, Turkey, by his Armenian parents. His father was a jeweller, his mother a homemaker. He studied at a Jesuit French grammar school before being accepted into the American-run Roberts College in Istanbul, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1960.

As a student in Turkey, Ozgener enjoyed smoking pipes, especially those made from meerschaum.

Graduating from Columbia in 1964 with a professional engineering degree, Ozgener was recruited by DuPont to work in the firm’s Kinston, North Carolina, plant. It was during his stint in the textile division at the age of 27 that he came across some imperfect Turkish meerschaum pipes. In his spare time, he decided to use his engineering abilities to improve the pipes.

As Cano and the tobacconists were not happy with the quality of Turkish meerschaum, he decided to take the meerschaums and change the stems, make modifications and work with the carvers to improve them,” One day a tobacconist from Wilmington, Delaware, asked him where had he found the meerschaum, that he had never seen such quality. Cano told him that he had modified them. The tobacconist then ordered a dozen or two. That was just the beginning.

Ozgener kept his engineering job as he built his company. He worked constantly; his vacations from DuPont were spent attending tobacco conventions, which left little time to relax with his wife and two young children. Finally, in 1977, he left his engineering position to devote more attention to his growing business and to spend more time with his family.

The preceding article is reprinted here with the permission (forth coming) of Bennington Tobacconist

Ismet Bekler carved many meerschaum pipes, which were signed by him and sold by CAO, beginning in 1977. CAO actually trademarked his last name for use in 2001. Other carvers also provided pipes to CAO, and at least one other, Kural, also signed pipes made for CAO.

I surf the net to know more about the pipe carver Ismet Bekler. I chanced upon a website that had some beautiful pipes on sale and most prominently, had many un-smoked meerschaum pipes carved by Ismet Bekler. Here is the link to the website. I have also noted some information about Ismet Bekler which is given in the introduction on this website.

https://www.therightpipe.com/meerschaum-pipes/ismet-bekler-c382.html

Ismet Bekler was a prolific and popular carver. He began carving in the early 1970’s. Bekler is known as one of the best carvers in the history of Turkish Meerschaum. Master carver Bekler passed away in 2018 at the age of 84.

In 1980, the CAO Meerschaum Company contracted with Bekler to sell all of his carvings to them. CAO wanted to make Bekler a more well-known carver in the US and it was at this time he began signing his pipes.

Thus, from the above, my guess would be that this pipe is from the period post 1980 but could be pre- 2001 since it is signed in full. However the lack of CAO in brass logo on the stem makes matters murky. Any inputs on this would definitely help me and other readers to know more about this pipe maker whose demise has left a void in the pipe carver’s community.

Initial Visual Inspection
The pipe, as compared to the many pipes that I have worked on till date, is in excellent condition. The case that housed this pipe and the green velvet inner lining is also in good condition. The chamber has a thick layer of cake with the rim top surface covered in overflowing lava. The stummel is in pristine condition with just a few hand stains and dust covering the stummel. The meerschaum has started coloring at the shank end. The stem too is in pristine condition with just faint traces of accumulation of old oils and tars on the metal tenon. Here are a few pictures of the pipe as it sits on my worktable. Overall, this pipe is in excellent condition and should be an easy refurbishment project.

Detailed Inspection
There is a heavy build up of cake in the chamber with a thicker layer seen at the bottom half of the chamber. The cake has dried and is crumbly due to prolonged storage. The condition of the inner walls of the chamber can be ascertained only after the cake has been removed completely. The rim top has darkened due to thick overflow of lava. This should be a fairly simple cleaning of the chamber.The stummel, likewise, is in good shape. There a few specs of dirt and grime on the surface that have accumulated due to oils on the human palms. These should clean up easily by wiping the stummel with oil soap. There are a couple of very light scrub marks on the base of the stummel. The mortise is not visible due to the small opening in to which fits the brass metal tenon. This would need to be cleaned using bristle and regular pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. The stem is a beautiful acrylic tortoise shell with beautiful transparency, sharp buttons and a nice slot end. The bite zone in the stem shows slight calcification with no tooth chatter. There is a slight build up of oils and tars in the stem airway that can be seen. The brass tenon too has traces of dried oils and tars. This stem should clean up clean up easily and I just can’t wait to see the stem after all the cleaning and polishing process.The Process
I started the refurbishing of this gorgeous pipe by cleaning the stem first. I cleaned the brass tenon and stem surface with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. I ran a few bristled and regular pipe cleaners, also dipped in alcohol, through the stem airway till it was clean and transparent.I followed this cleaning up with internal cleaning of the chamber. Using my fabricated knife, I carefully scraped the accumulated cake from the walls of the chamber. I avoid using a pipe reamer while cleaning the chamber as the rotational movements of the reamer head exerts outward longitudinal forces on the walls of the chamber and may damage the walls of the chamber. Next, I used a 220 grit sand paper, pinched between my thumb and forefinger, to sand the inner walls of the chamber of the pipe. Once I had reached the bare walls, I wiped the chamber with a cotton pad dipped in isopropyl alcohol. This removed all the residual carbon dust and also rid the chamber of all ghost smells. The walls of the chamber are nice and solid with no signs of cracks. Using a sharp knife, I gently scraped out the overflow of lava from the rim top. Though the lava flow over the rim top surface had been scraped out, the darkening persisted. I would further clean out the rim surface while I cleaned the stummel surface using oil soap.Next, I cleaned out the mortise and shank airway using shank brush and pipe cleaners. I started the process with cleaning the shank internals using shank brush dipped in isopropyl alcohol (I use only 99.9% pure alcohol). I ran this shank brush wetted with alcohol through the shank a few time and thereafter ran a couple of bristled pipe cleaners through the shank to draw out the loosened gunk. I continued the cleaning of the shank internals with pipe cleaners and alcohol till the pipe cleaners came out clean.I cleaned the surface of the stummel with cotton swab and Murphy’s oil soap. I also cleaned the rim top with the soap on a cotton swab. I further wiped the surface with a moist soft cotton cloth till all the traces of the soap were removed from the stummel surface. Thereafter I dried the stummel with a soft dry cotton cloth and set it aside to dry out naturally. The dark areas on the rim surface are still visible and would need to be addressed using higher invasive methods. While the stem was drying out naturally, I worked the stem. I began the process of polishing the stem by wet sanding the stem surface with 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit sandpapers. I wiped the surface with a moist cloth and wiped the surface with a little EVO just to clean and bring a shine to the stem surface.I addressed the darkening over the rim surface by sanding the rim with a folded piece of 320 grit sandpaper. I sand the rim surface with minimum force as my intent was only to remove the dark stains and not removal of any meerschaum material from the surface. The rim looks much better now at this stage in restoration. I polished the stummel and specifically the rim, dry sanding with 1500 to 12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped the stummel regularly with a dry soft cloth. I like the pristine look of the stummel after this polishing. Thereafter, I polished the stem by wet sanding the surface with 1500 to 12000 grit micromesh pads. The last item that required cleaning was the leather covered case that housed this pipe. Using a hard bristled toothbrush and soap water, I cleaned the velvet lining on the inside of the case. I dried the lining with paper napkins. Next, I cleaned the external surface with a moist cloth and polished the surface with a neutral color shoe polish. Once the wax was absorbed, I polished the surface with a horse hair shoe brush.Since this Meerschaum pipe is now looking fresh and the coloration is not too developed, I decided to forego the step of polishing the stummel with beeswax. I gave a final rub down to the entire pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. This is one gorgeous looking pipe which I am happy to include in my personal collection. Here are a few pictures of the finished pipe.