A Unique Handmade Single Piece Black Walnut Pipe

Blog by Steve Laug

My brother Jeff found this handmade Black Walnut pipe on one of his eBay shopping forays. He loves the hunt for pipes and has a habit of finding some unique pieces for me. One of the beauties of having him picking up pipes for me is that he always finds stuff that I would never even look at. This was one of those that I would not even have looked at. But I am glad that he did. It is actually a beautifully made pipe that is a single unit – the stem is integral to the body of the pipe. The delicate curves of the bowl and shank make maxim use of the grain pattern in the wood. The bowl is drilled lower than the entrance of the airway into the shank and obviously the carver used a regular wood drill bit as there is a pilot hole at the bottom of the bowl. The drilling of the airway follows the curve of the stem and shank into the bowl. It enters the bowl about 1/8 inch above the bowl bottom. A pipe cleaner passes easily through the stem/shank to the bowl. The draw is very easy and it is quite open. There is not a button cut on the end of the stem, rather it comes to a sharp end and a round opening in the end. The top of the bowl is also really well done and for a hand shaped pipe it is quite round. The bowl walls are quite thin. The pipe remains unsmoked. I sanded the natural finish with micromesh sanding pads from 1500-4000 grit. I cleaned up some of the sanding marks that remained on the finish. I gave the bowl multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a clean buffing pad on the wheel. The grain began to pop even more with the shine and the curves of the pipe followed the grain in an amazing way. The anonymous pipe carver did an amazing job carving this one and using the best lay of the piece of wood. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. I did a bit of hunting on the web and I am pretty sure that the pipe is walnut. Do any of you have any other ideas what it is made of? Thanks for looking.

Unzipped an old Pouch and found a Butz Choquin Oval Shank Capitan 1635

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Blog by Steve Laug

My brother sent me another box of pipes that he had picked up on eBay and in different shops. Included in this lot was a suede leather pipe pouch. It was dried out and worn with a zipper on the top and a zipper on the bottom. I unzipped the top area and found that it was canvas lined and had an old 3 way pipe tool inside. I unzipped the bottom and found a small compact Dublin pipe. It was a mess and looked well smoked and poorly cared for. The finish was worn and dirty but had an interesting sandblast poking through. The rim was caked with lava and it was hard to see any of the blast on the surface. The bowl had a very thick, hard cake inside that would need to go. The pipe was stamped Butz Choquin over Capitan on the underside of the shank. At the stem shank union it had the shape number 1635. The mouthpiece did not sit against the shank. There was a gap on both sides with the stem touching in the middle. When held up the light this gap was angled and large. It was also wider on the underside of the stem than the topside. The stem was oxidized and dirty. The slot in the button was closed to the size of a small thumb tack. I took some pictures of the pipe before I started working on it (I remembered to do that once again!). You can see the issues that I pointed out above as you look at the photos. I took some close up photos of the rim/bowl and the stem to try to capture how dirty this pipe was when I removed it from the pouch. In the photo of the stem you can see the gap I mentioned at the stem shank union. I decided to try a variety of methods to try to tighten up the fit of the stem. I started by carefully facing the shank on a topping board. I have had success in the past with this and was hoping that it would solve the issue.I also used a sharp knife to bevel the end of the mortise thinking that it would better accommodate the rise around the tenon.But none of these measures solved the issue of the fit against the shank. The fit was better but the gap remained. I would need to come up with another solution. I laid that issue aside and reamed the bowl with a PipNet reamer. After reaming I used a brass brush to clean off the buildup on the rim. I was able to get rid of the thick tars and reveal the sandblast that was underneath.I scrubbed the finish on the bowl with acetone and cotton pads to remove the grime and grit in the crevices of the blast. The more I looked at the pipe the more I wondered if someone had not cut off the end of the shank to shorten it or to remove damaged areas. The number stamping was really close to the stem even before I faced it. I worked on the stem to clean it up. I used a dental pick to open the slot on the end and then used pipe cleaners and alcohol to clean out the tars and oils.I cleaned out the shank at the same time with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. While I was at it I thought a band might look good on the pipe and give me a clean edge to fit the stem against. I went through my box of bands and found a round one that was the correct diameter. I squashed it to the shape of the shank and heated it with a lighter. I pressed it onto the shank. It covered the shape number but did not affect the rest of the stamping.I liked the classic look of the nickel band on the shank of the Dublin and figured that once I had polished it and the stem I would have a good looking pipe. I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to clean up the bite marks, the tooth chatter and the build up around the button. It also loosened the oxidation. I wet sanded it with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads and gave it a rub down with Obsidian Oil. I dry sanded it with 3200-4000 grit micromesh pads and then gave it another coat of oil. I finished sanding it with 6000-12000 grit pads and gave it a final coat of oil. I let the oil dry. I buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel to raise the shine on the stem and the band. I lightly buffed the bowl so as not to damage the sandblast. I gave the bowl a light coat of carnauba wax and the stem several coats of wax. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad and then by hand with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. I think the band gave this particular pipe a touch of class. The pipe is a beautiful example of this shape. Thanks for looking.

GBD 508 International

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By Al Jones

This GBD 508 “International” was a relatively simple restoration. The stem was heavily oxidized and it had a few teeth ripples, but the bowl interior and shank were very clean. International grade pipes all appear to have black, plateau tops.

There was only a slight cake in the bowl, it was reamed and soaked with alcohol and sea salt. I put a dab of grease on the brass stem rondell and soaked it in a mild Oxy-Clean solution for several hours. Using a lighter flame, I was able to raise the tooth indentions. The stem was then sanded with 800 grit paper to remove the heavy oxidation. I didn’t take it all off at the stem junction, as I didn’t want to change the fitment. That was followed by 1500, 2000 grit paper and 8000 and 12000 grade micromesh sheets. The stem was then buffed with White diamond and Meguiars Plastic Polish.

The bowl was buffed lightly with White Diamond and several coats of Carnuba wax.

Below is the finished pipe.

Freshening up an old BBM 736 Billiard

1 Reply

Blog by Steve Laug

This one came to me through my brother. It seems like he is on a roll finding some nice old pipes. This one is in really good shape. I will need to clean it up and remove some tars on the rim but the finish is in great shape. The inner rim edge has some damage at the front. There are some small scratches and wear on the bowl but nothing significant. The bowl is dirty and lightly caked but otherwise in good shape. The stem is lightly oxidized but should clean up pretty easily. The stamping on the shank is clear. On the left side it reads De Luxe over BB&M in a triangle. On the right side it reads 736 which is the shape number. I can find nothing on any of my usual web sources or Who Made That Pipe or Lopes that gives me any information on the brand. So it is another unknown brand to me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The photos below were included in the eBay ad and were taken by the seller. They show the state of the pipe very well and when it arrived there were no surprises. When I got it to the work table I took my usual pre-work photos. They were probably not necessary but I am working on keeping the habit so that I do not forget to document the work I am doing on pipe restoration. I worked on the rim of the pipe with saliva and cotton pads and a 1500 grit micromesh sanding pad. I was able to remove the build up on the rim. The damage on the inner edge at the front is very visible.I lightly topped the bowl with micromesh pads. I then used my new Savinelli Pipe Knife to ream the bowl and clean out the buildup.I worked on the inside of the rim edge with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper and beveled edge inward.Even though the stain on the bowl was a dark oxblood colour it also had some dark brown overtones. I used a dark brown stain pen to touch up the rim top and edges. I buffed the rim with Blue Diamond to blend the stain into the rest of the briar.I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the oxidation and also the slight pitting on the surface of the vulcanite. I cleaned out the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners to remove the tars and oils. I also cleaned out the shank and mortise with alcohol, pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. I was surprised to see that what came out was the red stain. It appears that the pipe may well have been dipped in stain. It took quite a few cotton swabs to remove the stain. I wet sanded the stem with 1500-2400 micromesh sanding pads to smooth out the pitting on the surface and to remove the oxidation. I rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil and then dry sanded it with 3200-4000 grit pads and gave it another coat of oil. I continued to sand it with 6000-12000 grit pads and gave it a final coat of oil. I let it dry. I buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel and then gave it multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad and then by hand with a microfibre cloth to raise the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. It is a beauty with a long stem – almost a Bing Crosby style pipe. The grain is beautiful and it was great to have an easy pipe to work on for once. Thanks for looking.

Got a New Pipe Reamer – A Savinelli Pipe Knife

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Blog by Steve Laug

I don’t know how long I have been looking for a Savinelli Pipe Knife but I have had an eye out for one for quite a while. Not too long ago I found this one on eBay and asked my brother to put a bid in on it for me. He won the knife. It came in the mail today. I unpacked the box of pipes he sent and in the lot was this beauty. It has a triangular stainless steel blade that is sharp on three edges. The point is slightly angled inward and neatly fits the bottom a bowl. The blade was dirty with some dried oils and carbon. It did not take too much to clean it up and freshen the cutting edges on the blade. The blade is stamped Savinelli with the Shield logo next to the name. Next to the handle it is stamped stainless steel. I lightly sanded the blade with 1500-2400 grit micromesh to polish the steel and also to clean up the edges as there were small nicks in the blade. The handle on the knife is round where the blade enters it. There is a small round piece of acrylic that separates the blade from the briar handle. The body of the handle is sand blasted briar and is oval and fits neatly in my hand. There is a smooth round band of briar next to the acrylic end so the contrast is really quite beautiful. I am looking forward to putting this knife to good use on the next pipes I work on. I can’t wait to see if it is as good to work with as many have said. But you know what? Even if it isn’t it is still a beautiful looking, well made tool.

Restemming a Comoy’s Sandblast Goldenbark 6 Billiard

1 Reply

Blog by Steve Laug

This sandblast bowl came to me in a lot of pipes from eBay. When I saw it I was pretty excited about refurbishing it. It had a great blast and really appeared to be a decent looking pipe. With a little bit of elbow grease it would be a beauty. It is stamped on the on the underside of the shank in a smooth flat base. It reads COMOY’S over SANDBLAST on the bottom of the bowl. Next to that is stamped GOLDENBARK followed by the Com Stamp – a circle composed of MADE ENGLAND with IN stamped in the middle of the circle. Following that it is stamped with the number 6. The finish was dirty but underneath there was some great grain showing through the blast. Someone had reamed the bowl before I got it so it was really quite clean. Once the grime was cleaned out of the swirls and ridges in the blast it would look really sharp. I would need to fit a stem to the shank to complete this pipe but it had a lot of promise. I went through my can of stems and found this one. It took very little sanding on the tenon to get a snug fit in the shank. I scrubbed the top of the rim with a brass bristle brush to remove the tars and grit in the sandblast in that area. The blast looked really good under the grit. So far so good!I scrubbed the finish with acetone on cotton pads to remove the finish and the grit. With the grime cleaned off the rim I found three disturbing looking cracks on the rim. One of them was small and was on the top with minimal cracking down the side of the bowl. One of them was cracked down the inside of the bowl about ½ of an inch and the third was cracked down the outside of the bowl almost an inch. This was a huge disappointment. I figured I had a nice example of a Comoy’s Sandblast and while it was the cracks gave me serious pause. This one would clean up and be good basket pipe but never one that is stellar. It would probably last longer than me but I was choked.

I almost stopped working on it at this point and pitched it back in the refurb box but I decided since I was so close to finishing it I would complete the task. I rubbed the bowl down with a light coat of olive oil and dried it off. I buffed the bowl with a shoe brush. The photo below of the top of the rim shows the crack toward the back of the bowl that ran down the back side for almost an inch. I would need to drill the end of the crack and repair it. The other cracks are not as visible but they are at about 10 and 4 if the front of the bowl is 12. I used a micro drill bit on the Dremel to drill a small hole at the bottom end of the largest crack. The crack on the inside of the bowl was irreparable at this point and I drilled a small hole at the end of the small crack as well. I used a tooth pick to push super glue into the holes and then pushed super glue into the cracks on the bowl sides. At the top of the rim I also used the tooth pick and pressed the glue down into the cracks. Once the glue had dried I used a sanding stick to gently sand the glue that was on the surface of the rim and in the cracks on the bowl sides to remove the excess. The repairs to the cracks were as complete as I could make them so I set the bowl aside and worked on the stem. I have to tell you the pleasure of fitting this stem and making it shine had pretty much dissipated. This is one of the frustrating things about pipe restoration. You find what appears to be a great pipe only to run into unforeseen issues in the restoration. For me this one had move from a pleasure to a “get it done” pipe! I wet sanded the stem with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads and then rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil. I dry sanded with 3200-4000 and gave it another coat of oil. I finished with 6000-12000 grit pads and gave it a final coat of oil. I set it aside to dry. I buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel – careful to have a light touch on the bowl. I then gave the pipe several light coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I then buffed it by hand with a microfibre cloth. The look of the blast is quite beautiful it is only a shame that the bowl had the cracks in it. The repairs are quite invisible but I know that they are there and to me it diminishes the beauty of the pipe. It will likely smoke well and last longer than me. One day I will likely gift it to a friend. Until then it will reside in my collection. The photos below show the finished pipe. Thanks for looking.

Restoring a William Demuth Co. Wellington

1 Reply

Blog by Alan DP

I was going through files on my computer the other evening and came across an article I picked up somewhere on the web back in October 2008. Alan DP wrote this and posted it February 25, 2008 for one of the Pipe Forums or online pipe communities. I have always liked WDC pipes and have had many over the years that I kept for my own collection or repaired and restored for others. The vast array of styles, shapes and designs may contribute to my like of the brand. I have older ones from the late 1800’s and later ones as well. When I came across this post of Alan’s I read with interest his work on the Wellington and his helpful information and thought I would share it here. Alan if you happen to read this thank you for your post. It is a great read. Here are Alan’s own words.
–Steve

Here’s a scannergraph of the old Wellington not long after I brought it back from the brink of oblivion. It was part of an eBay lot and I immediately decided it was a keeper, because I had no other pipe like it. WDC1

The Wellington is the WDC copy of the Peterson System pipe. Here’s a cutaway diagram that I snagged from Pipe & Pouch to help explain this pipe’s design. WDC2

The bit, rather than connecting directly to the bowl via the shank, fits into a sort of pocket or reservoir where the air sort of swirls around as it goes into the bowl. The upper air passage goes on into the bowl, and the bottom reservoir collects moisture. This looks like another odd gimmick, but in my opinion, this one works very well. Of course, it requires additional attention when cleaning. I use a cotton swab to clean out the reservoir, and pipe cleaners as usual to clean the air passage.

WDC3

Another thing about the Wellington (and other Peterson copies) is the military bit. Rather than the traditional tenon/mortise arrangement, the bit simply tapers down slightly and wedges into the shank, remaining in place from the pressure of insertion. This design makes it safe to remove the bit while the pipe is still warm–something that is not a good thing with a tenon/mortise design.

A third thing that sets the Wellington/Peterson pipes apart is the button on the bit. Go back and look at the first photo as well as the cutaway graphic and pay attention to the end of the bit. This is a bit design created by Peterson and is called the P-lip. The hole is on top of the button rather than in the very end, and is angled upward to direct smoke toward the roof of the mouth rather than straight into the tongue. Also, the curved underside of the bottom helps to prevent the tongue from touching the opening of the air passage. The upward-pointing opening is supposed to help prevent tongue-bite, and the curved “tongue shield” helps keep saliva from getting into the stem by being touched with the tongue (something that is a troublesome unconscious reflex for some pipe smokers).

Some people hate the P-lip because it feels different. I have no special preference nor objection to it, at all. To me it’s just another bit. The P-lip bit does have a more rounded shape than most bits, and it does feel somewhat different, but it’s nothing that anyone shouldn’t be able to get used to.

This old Wellington has become one of my favorite pipes. Its size and deep bend gives it an impressive appearance and a comfortably low center of gravity. As you can see in the second photo, I have managed to wear off some of the finish since it came into my hands, and I will eventually be refinishing this one. Meanwhile, this is one of my regular truck pipes and I often smoke it on the long commute home in the afternoon. If I manage to come across any more of these pipes in my eBay adventures, I will probably keep them all–at least until I build up a good week’s worth of pipes for rotation.

FYI, Kaywoodie also had a copy of the Peterson System pipe, called the Chesterfield. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to acquire one of those yet.

A New Brand for me – A Riff 221 Horn Stem Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

This was a new pipe brand for me. It is stamped RIFF in a double lined diamond on both the left side of the shank and on the horn stem. On the right side it is stamped CHELLA over *** (3 stars). On the underside of the shank it is stamped Made in Morocco and the shape number 221. This has to be the first Morocco made pipe that I have worked on. It was in pretty decent shape in terms of the bowl. There was a shiny shellac coat over a natural finish. The rim had some tars and oils built up on the back top side but inner and outer edge was in perfect shape. There was a slight burn mark on the front right top of the rim. The bowl had a slight cake that was uneven around the inside. The problem lay in the stem. There was a large crack in horn on the top that traveled half way down the stem. There was also a large chunk of horn missing on the underside of the stem. It was a very smooth scooped shape chunk that made me wonder how it had happened. When I pulled the stem out of the shank there was a large stinger apparatus that extended the length of the shank and ended in the bottom of the bowl. The tenon was metal. The internals of the shank and stem were quite clean. I was jazzed to work on this stem as it provided several challenges to me. I forgot to take pictures before I started but caught myself just after I started to work on the underside of the stem. I wiped the stem down with a cotton pad and alcohol to clean off the surface. I began to fill in the edges of the missing chunk with clear super glue. I layered the glue in place on the area until it was filled. Once it had cured overnight I would sand it down smooth with the surface of the stem. I cleaned out the crack with a dental pick. I drilled a tiny hole with a micro-drill bit at the end of the crack – toward the button. I filled in the crack and the drill hole with clear super glue and squeezed the crack together. I repeated the fill process until it formed a ridge along the crack. Once it cured I would sanded it smooth as well. While the repairs on the stem dried I worked on the stinger. I used the brass bristle brush and alcohol to scrub off the oils and tars.In the morning I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper. I had built up the edge that faced on the shank to fill in the gap caused by the crack. In the photo of the top view of the stem it is the darkened band around the edge of the stem next to the shank. I sanded the stem smooth and blended the repairs into the surface of stem. I took some close-up photos of the stamping to show it to you. It was unique to me. The first photo shows that the underside of the shank reads Made in Morocco 221. The second photo shows the stamping on the left side and the horn stem – RIFF in a double diamond. The third photo shows the stamping on the right side of the shank – CHELLA ***. At this point you can see the repairs have blended into the surface quite well. They are darker than the stem material but most of that will disappear as the stem is polished. The stem is smooth on the top and the bottom and the crack and the missing chunk are no long detectable to touch. I continued to sand the stem until the repairs were very smooth. With the initial work done on the stem I worked on the bowl. I reamed it with a PipNet reamer and took the cake down to bare wood. The rim top was damaged with heavy tarring and a small burn mark on the front right side. I topped it lightly with a topping board to remove the damage and the build up. I scrubbed the shellac off the bowl with acetone on cotton pads to get down to the natural briar. I cleaned the stem with pipe cleaners and alcohol and the shank with the same using cotton swabs along with the pipe cleaners. It did not take much to remove the grime on the inside. I wet sanded the stem with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads to begin to polish it. The first photo below shows the top of the stem and the second shows the underside. I rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil and then dry sanded with 3200-4000 grit pads. The cracked area on the top of the stem is visible when you look for it but it is smooth to touch. It is interesting to see the striations begin to show in the polished horn.I gave it another coat of oil and then finished sanding it with 6000-12000 grit micromesh pads. The crack is definitely less visible on the top side of the stem (first photo below) and the filled in area on the underside is almost invisible (second photo). I rubbed the briar down with a light coat of olive oil and then buffed the stem and bowl with Blue Diamond on the wheel. I gave the pipe multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a clean buffing pad. I had buffed it with a microfibre cloth. The finish pipe is shown in the photos below. I tried to give a variety of photos and angles so that you can see the repaired areas. The photo below shows the underside of the stem and the repaired area mid stem near the spot in the photo.The next two photos below show the repaired crack in the top side of the stem from various angles. While it is visible to the eye it is smooth to the touch. The crack has been stabilized and the drilled spot at the far end has stopped it from spreading further. I am happy with the finished pipe. Thanks for looking.

1947 Parker Super Briar Bark Prince

5 Replies

By Al Jones

It has been a while since I’ve been so excited to work on a pipe. This Parker Super Briar Bark was snagged by my friend Dave. He always has a good eye for a great pipe and asked me to restore this for him. The blast on the pipe is hard to believe and I was thrilled to open his package and handle the pipe. The pipe had a thick cake,but the briar looked magnificent. The stem was heavily oxidized and had a hole in the stem and some teeth intentions. Overall, it didn’t look like a difficult restoration. George Dibos reminded me that removing all of the oxidation would decrease the stem dimensions.

The pipe is stamped with the Patent number and a two-digit “22” (not underlined). I’ve learned that the dating for this pipe starts with the number 20 in 1945, making this pipe a 1947 manufacture.

Below is the pipe as received.

I reamed the bowl and found what appeared to be a heavy cake was only loose tobacco that was never removed from the last time it was smoked. The bowl interior was in outstanding condition. The tars on the bowl top were removed by rubbing with a cloth dipped in Oxy-clean solution.

The biggest issue and a huge concern was that the stem was stuck fast to the bowl. The pipe is so small, and stem so slim, I had to be careful to not break the tenon. Typically, a pipe can be placed in the freezer, which allows the briar to expand and release the stem. This also makes the tenon incredibly brittle. I decided to first try filling the bowl with alcohol and plugging the button end. After an hour of soaking, I was able to remove the stem without damage.

I put a dab of grease on the stamped “P” stem log and soaked it in a mild Oxy-clean solution for several hours. After the soak, I started removing the oxidation with 800 grit wet paper. Once the heavy layer was removed, I started to work on the hole near the button. I put packing tape on an index card, then cut that into a shape that would slip into the stem. I put a light coat of grease on the taped piece of index card to keep glue from sticking to it. I used the Black Super glue product to slowly fill the hole. Here is the stem with several layers of super glue, then sanded smooth.

The oxidation on the stem was removed starting with 800 grit paper, moving thru 1500 and 2000 grade. 8000 and 12000 micromesh was used and the the stem was buffed with White Diamond and Meguiars Plastic Polish. I covered the P stem logo with a small piece of masking tape.

Below is the finished pipe.

Restemming a GBD International London Made – 508 Bent Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

Quite a while ago now my brother Jeff picked up a handful of pipes from an antique shop in Montana. There were quite a few GBD pipes in the lot. One of them was this GBD International bent billiard. It came with a gnawed off stem that was irreparable. The bowl was caked and dirty and the rusticated/plateau top was filled with grime to the point that it was almost smooth. The bowl looked good under the grime and the finish looked salvageable. The pipe was stamped GBD in an oval over International over London Made on the left side of the shank. On the right side it was stamped with London England over the shape number 508. I failed to take photos of the bowl before I cleaned it up as I was on a roll with about four bowls going at the same time. Here is what it looked like after I had wiped it down with alcohol. I scrubbed the plateau top with a brass bristle brush and some Murphy’s Oil Soap. I rinsed it down with cool water and dried it off. It is in very good shape. I had reamed the bowl with a PipNet reamer and cleaned out the shank and the bowl. I went through my stem can and had several potential stems there. I chose one that was slightly larger in diameter than the shank. I had to shorten the tenon as it was too long to sit correctly in the shank. With the tenon shortened the stem fit nicely in the mortise. The diameter was close and I would adjust it to fit.The stem was a used one that I recycled and it had one deep bit mark on the top side near the button. I sanded it smooth and cleaned it before I filled it in with black super glue. Once the glue cured I sanded the repair with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out. I used the Dremel and sanding drum to reduce the diameter of the stem. I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper until the transition was smooth. I wiped down the bowl with acetone on cotton pads to clean off the remaining grime before restaining the rim with a Black Sharpie. I heated the stem over a heat gun until it was pliable and bent it to the proper angle. I set the bend with cold water. I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the scratches left behind by the Dremel and smooth out the flow of the stem. I sanded the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil and then dry sanded it with 3200-4000 grit pads. I gave it another coat of oil and then finished sanding it with 6000-12000 grit pads. I gave it a final coat of oil and let it dry. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel and then gave the pipe multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad and then hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The grain on this pipe is spectacular – great birdseye on the sides and cross grain on the front, back and bottom. The plateau or rustication on the rim that I stained black gives it a unique look. I think it is a beauty! Thanks for looking.