Tag Archives: article by Kenneth Lieblich

The Nameless Pipe has a Name

Leave a reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with a family – and nine of the male family members each wanted a pipe! I was only too happy to help them out. The youngest member of this throng was 18 years old and picked out the pipe you see here. It is a charming and beautifully curved Zulu. I decided to work on it first because I liked it so much. Not only is it handsome, but it is well made too. However, there were no pipemaker’s marks on the pipe at all. No name of any sort – kind of. The only thing to be seen was that the previous owner carved his own name into the shank: Ray. I’m afraid I don’t know who Ray is, but he had a nice pipe. So, the nameless pipe has a name after all. It’s now being passed on to a fine young man with a good head on his shoulders. When I was talking to him about the pipe, I commented that I could investigate sanding off the name if he wished. He said no – it was part of the pipe’s history and he wanted to leave it. Smart kid. Alas, no markings mean no history. However, I can report that the pipe was well smoked in its past. The stummel was in good shape, but there was evidence of lots of smoking once upon a time. As you can see, there appears to be some burning on the rim, but I’ll have to take a closer look for damage. The stem was pretty worn – lots of tooth marks and scratches. Also, a bit of calcification and oxidation.

As a first step, I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on. I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, it actually worked fairly well and I got some improvement. The primary cleaning comes next. I cleaned the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was really clean.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. Once clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I use all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There is a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I am done.Now that the stem is (nearly) complete, I can move on to the stummel. The first step for me is to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplishes a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleans the bowl and provides a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake is removed, I can inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed that – Deo gratias – the burning was superficial and the underlying wood was totally intact.The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. With this pipe, it didn’t take too long to get it clean. I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then 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.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton. This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This is the culmination of a lot of work to get the pipe clean.The charring on the rim is notable. I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 220-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieves two things: first, it removes some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returns the edge to a perfect circle.

I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood.  I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and stem glows.This is a very handsome pipe and will provide many years of smoking pleasure for my friend. I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe as much I 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. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅝ in. (142 mm); height 1¾ in. (44 mm); bowl diameter 1⅓ in. (33 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (31 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration 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 send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Finding a Stem for a Bjørn Thurmann Hand Made

Leave a reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

Steve’s recent foray into re-stemming pipes inspired me to try the same. In my box of various-and-sundry pipes, I was drawn to a nifty Danish freehand – but it was missing its stem. The beautifully rugged and chunky stummel has a real charm to it. The grooves and trenches are quite remarkable. This is a pipe that deserves a new stem. Let’s take a deeper dive into Thurmann’s pipes. The pipe was made by the esteemed pipemaker, Bjørn Thurmann. Unfortunately, I am not able to date the pipe, as the photo below shows all of the markings to be seen. On the underside of the stummel were some identifying markings. They read Thumann [over] Hand Made [over] Denmark [over] 3.Thurmann passed away a few years ago, but his company, Thurmann Piber, is still well known in Copenhagen for the fine quality of his work. The reference book, Scandinavian Pipemakers by Jan Andersson, provides us with a nice overview of his background and work. I will quote a bit of it here:

Bjørn Thurmann was born in 1946 – some would say, born into the tobacco trade. In 1953, his parents opened a pipe shop in central Copenhagen and Bjørn helped them there from the beginning, mainly by sorting pipes. Initially, the pipes were bought from a firm called Larsen & Stigart, but eventually they decided to start their own production.

Bjørn’s parents thought that their son ought to widen his views and get some international experience, so, in 1968, he was sent to London to work in different tobacconists shops, a period of learning that ended at Dunhill’s famous shop on Duke Street. After returning home, he almost immediately received an offer to work for Iwan Ries & Co. in Chicago, an offer that was hard to resist, so off he went.

 In 1976, Bjørn established himself as an independent pipemaker, and since then he has had shops in several places in Copenhagen. Bjørn has also written a book called Pibemagerens Handbog (The Pipemakers Handbook), which tells how to make pipes using simple tools most people have at home.Clearly, Thurmann was a vastly experienced and talented pipe man. One can not only see, but also feel, the quality of the briar. Here is a screenshot from Pipephil:Let’s get working! The first step for me is to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplishes a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleans the bowl and provides a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake is removed, it allows me to inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. I’m pleased to report that the inside of the bowl looks good.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took an old butter knife and gently scraped the lava away. This provides an edge that is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim.The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. So I then cleaned it with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. It took some work to get clean!I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then 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.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a toothbrush). This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some all-purpose cleanser and tube brushes. This is the culmination to a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.Before picking a stem and slapping it on, there is quite a bit of prep work required. First, the flat face of the shank obviously once had a shank extension. A few years ago, I worked on another Thurmann pipe that also had a shank extension, so this didn’t surprise me. However, there was no shank extension anymore, so I had to improvise.After pondering the situation, I decided to carve the shank face in a style similar to the rest of the pipe. I took my Dremel and a couple of different burrs, and carved a trench that matched those on the bowl. I think it came out really well.The edge of the shank face was quite sharp. This makes sense when one considers that the extension would have butt up against it. However, it didn’t look right anymore. Instead, I very carefully sanded this sharp edge to match the rim’s edge. After that, I used some of my furniture pens (which is just dye in pen form) and matched the colours. Looks great.I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and left it to sit for 20 minutes or so. I also had to use my horsehair brush and a cotton swap to get into the nooks and crannies. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth. Now, I had to find a suitable stem and make it work with the stummel. I quickly found a stem in my stores that worked perfectly. It matched the style and shape of the pipe, and I felt that it was a great choice. First, I reduced the thickness of the tenon until it fit snuggly in the stummel’s mortise. I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even everything out, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done. The final step is buffing. I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound for the stem, then with three coats of conservator’s wax for the stummel. Naturally, this procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.All done! This Bjørn Thurmann Hand Made was a pleasure to work on. It looks fantastic and is ready to be enjoyed again by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Danish’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅝ in. (12 mm); height 1¾ in. (44 mm); bowl diameter 1⅔ in. (43 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅞ oz. (54 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration 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 send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

An Unusual and Beautiful Peterson 221 Sterling Silver Prince

2 Replies

by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe came to me in a collection of pipes that gave new meaning to the phrase, ‘trash and treasure’. Everything from the sublime to the ridiculous was in here, but when I saw this Pete, I was immediately enchanted. It is a Peterson 221 prince. This is a stunning pipe. It’s an older one and it’s a real veteran, with a few mild battle scars which are part of its history. I can’t help but think that this pipe should be in someone’s Peterson collection – it’s lightweight and breathtaking. This was one of the more difficult restorations I’ve ever undertaken. You might read through this blog post and think that it doesn’t seem particularly unusual. And, superficially, you’re right. Most of the steps in this restoration are run-of-the-mill, but, in many cases, these steps had to be done and redone so many times that I nearly launched the pipe across the room. So, settle in for a wild ride. The pipe is marked as follows: on the left side of the shank, it says K&P [over] Dublin. On the left side, it says Made in Ireland in the form of a circle and, next to that, the shape number 221. The circular Made in Ireland suggests that this is an older pipe, possibly (but not definitely) pre-republic. On the sterling silver band is displayed three shields each containing the three marks K&P [over] Sterling [over] Silver. The stem is the traditional Peterson P-lip, but it has no logo.This is an unusual Peterson, by shape and number. There are Pete princes and there are Pete 221s (bent billiards), but I hadn’t seen a 221 prince. I searched extensively for this very pipe and came up empty. I looked at Pipedia and Pipephil – nothing. Many more searches also came up with nothing. Steve kindly referred me to a couple of his articles (from 2016 and 2020) that gave a good clue:

https://rebornpipes.com/2016/09/13/petersons-pipes-brochure-from-genin-trudeau-co-montreal-quebec/

and

https://rebornpipes.com/2020/03/13/final-pipe-from-the-19-pipe-eastern-canada-lot-a-republic-era-peterson-1312-system/

The key information is on the old Peterson brochure shown in the blog post. In previous times, Petersons were imported into Canada through a company called Genin Trudeau & Co. (nowadays just Trudeau – the kitchen wares company). Genin Trudeau had the Peterson firm stamp their own shape numbers on the pipes they imported. This brochure supposedly dates from around 1974 and includes a silhouette of a 221, as you can see here in a cropped photo:However, there’s a problem: the 221 in the brochure is close – but not identical – to the 221 I’ve got here. Mine has a gentle bend; the one in the brochure does not. Clearly, my 221 was from a different time. Steve suggested that I contact Mark Irwin at Peterson Pipe Notes, as he is a great repository of Peterson knowledge. Mark was his usual obliging self and directed me to a page from his blog:

https://petersonpipenotes.org/280-canadian-shape-numbers-from-a-gtc-pipe-box-brochure/

In this post, he shows an older brochure, also from Genin Trudeau & Co. and dated to approximately 1955, which also shows a 221 prince. This time, however, it is the correct pipe!Although the brochure shows a rusticated pipe and mine is smooth, it is clear that the shape is identical. I suspect that this pipes dates from well before 1955, but I cannot prove this. Nonetheless, it is an exciting tidbit of information – thank you to Steve and Mark for their help.

The photos show that this pipe’s former owner must have loved this pipe – it was smoked to the Nth degree. Although it must be a fantastic smoker, it has clearly never seen a pipe cleaner or reamer! The stem is filthy beyond words and it has scratches, bites, oxidation, and calcification. Most unfortunately, the stem also has a significant bite-through on the underside.The stummel is also quite rough. There are a few minor nicks in the wood, but nothing serious. The main issue here is the cake in the bowl. Wow. The bowl is literally completely blocked. The cake is rock hard and its lava has erupted all over the rim. This is going to take some work!I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can often cause the dents in vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, the dents were alleviated somewhat, but not enough. Better than nothing.The calcification was quite substantial. I used an old butter knife and gently scraped some of the thicker accretion off. Taking the opportunity to do this now helps later in removing the oxidation.I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down. This provides a preliminary cleaning of filth off the stem before moving on to the next steps.The primary cleaning comes next. I cleaned the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly and made sure the interior was clean. I used a lot of pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. This was a very dirty pipe.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it. This particular stem was so dirty that I also applied the cleanser to the inside with some tube brushes.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering de-oxidation fluid with a toothbrush. Once clean and dry, I set about fixing the bite marks in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.My next task was repairing the large hole on the underside of the stem. There are several methods of doing this and individual circumstances will dictate how to proceed. In this case, I used a straightforward method of employing the same black cyanoacrylate adhesive mentioned above. Before applying the adhesive, some preparatory work is required. With such a large gap in the vulcanite, any applied adhesive will simply run through the aperture and fill the airway. To prevent this, I coated the end of a pipe cleaner with petroleum jelly and lodged it in the airway. This provides a platform for the adhesive to sit on while curing and prevent it from entering the airway. The petroleum jelly is used to prohibit the adhesive from attaching to the pipe cleaner. This repair was much more labour intensive than normal. The adhesive patch I created failed three times before I finally made it work. The precarious nature of the repair impelled me to lay the patch much thicker than I might otherwise have. I am pleased with the final result, but I am not utterly convinced of the patch’s long-term structural integrity.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I first used my set of needle files to reduce the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I do not want to cut into the vulcanite, but I want to lower the height of the adhesive to as close as possible above the surface. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There is a wonderful, deep-black shine to the stem when I am done.Now that the stem is (nearly) complete, I can move on to the stummel. The first step for me is to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplishes a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleans the bowl and provides a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake is removed, it allows me to inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. More about that later. In the meantime, I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. However, this pipe needed a jackhammer to deal with the rock-hard cake in the bowl. Since I don’t have a jackhammer, I used a ½” rotary burr on my Dremel. This is a tricky procedure and I would not normally use this burr except as a last resort. The cake was so hard, that I had no other option at my disposal. Working with great care, I managed to clean out the bulk of the material and then returned to my normal tools to finish the work. As you can imagine, there was an extraordinary amount of debris in the bowl.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal provides an edge that is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed a lot of damage underneath: burning, scratches, gouges, etc. This would have to be addressed later.The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. However, this pipe’s shank was so clogged, that I first needed to open the horribly occluded airway. So, I took a long drill bit, held in a drill chuck, and hand-cranked it to dislodge the dreadful detritus inside. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with plain 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a toothbrush). This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar.The last step of the cleaning process is to wash the inside of the stummel with some liquid cleanser and tube brushes. This is the culmination to a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean. As you can see, this pipe still has some visible wounds. The damage to the rim is significant. In order to minimize the burns and nicks on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently, slightly, and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. This effectively takes down the damage, without altering the look of the pipe.A notable burn remained on the rim, so I took some crystalized oxalic acid and dissolved it in warm water. I then took some cotton swaps, dipped in the solution, and rubbed the burned spot vigorously. The acid works well to alleviate superficial burns (burns where the integrity of the wood is still good).All the cleaning I did revealed an important problem. The photos do not show it well, but the previous owner reamed this pipe overzealously. The heel of the bowl was gouged out through reaming and is now very thin. I had to fill this. To fill a gap like this, I use an epoxy adhesive that is extremely hard, resistant to high temperatures, and completely inert when cured. It works superbly. I filled the affected area with the epoxy and let it cure for a full 24 hours. The next day, I roughened up the epoxy’s surface for the next step. I thinly coated the inside of the bowl with a mixture of my wife’s homemade yogurt and activated charcoal. Once hardened, this provided a good, slightly rough surface for a new cake to build.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood surface. I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and left it to sit for 20 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth. The final step is buffing. I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. Naturally, these finishing touches make the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.

All done! This Peterson 221 sterling silver prince was a lot of work, but it looks fantastic and is ready to be enjoyed again by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Irish’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6⅛ in. (155 mm); height 1⅛ in. (30 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (36 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (17 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (29 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration 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 send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

A Gold Star Diplomat 9486 from my Grandfather

2 Replies

by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe has a bit of a story to it. Every once in a while, I pull out a pipe from my late grandfather and clean it up. The pipe today is a charming hexagonal panelled billiard, with a square shank, and a straight square stem. I do not know where my grandfather acquired it (or under what circumstances), so I asked my father but he didn’t know either. It doesn’t really seem like the sort of pipe he would have selected, so I wonder if it was given to him. After my grandfather died, his pipes ended up wrapped in newspaper, in a cardboard box, in a basement – as so many grandfather’s pipes do. In this case, it was the basement of my parents’ home. About fifteen years ago, my parents had a small flood and this box (along with several others) got wet and stayed wet for a long time. This had ramifications… The pipe’s markings on the left side of the shank read Gold Star [over] Diplomat. On the right side, they read London England [over] 9486. Also, on the stem, there is a star enclosing the letters GS.Very little information turned up about the brand, Gold Star. Nothing from Pipedia. Over at Pipephil, they had the following:This suggested to me that the pipe was a Sasieni sub-brand. Crucially, however, Pipephil also included this line:

The pipes temporarily gathered under the “Gold Star” label obviously aren’t from the same maker.

This was important to me, because the shape number, 9486, didn’t seem to correspond to anything that Sasieni made. So, I did some sleuthing and figured out that, in fact, the name Gold Star was also produced by GBD. This did fit, and I found some examples of GBD 9486 online, including this one (among others) from Iwan Ries’ website:Clearly, my grandfather’s pipe was one of these and I can confirm that both Sasieni and GBD (at least) made the Gold Star name. I am pleased to say that this post has added that small tidbit to the collective knowledge of pipe making in the twentieth century.

Anyway, on to the pipe – and this poor pipe had some issues. Sitting in moist newspaper for as long as it did had some very negative effects. I don’t remember the crack on the shank being there in the past and I wonder if the water induced stresses in the wood that caused the crack. There were other small fissures in the bowl, I don’t think they were flood-related. Another problem related to the water was the colour of the wood – any staining this pipe had was long gone. Finally, as I was examining the pipe, I didn’t realize it in the moment, but the yellow stem would prove to be the biggest problem of them all. The effect of water on vulcanite stems is well known, but stems don’t normally sit in water for an extended period of time. Aside from the above, the stummel had the following problems: lava on the rim, charring to the rim, some cake in the bowl, and a few substantial fills. Meanwhile, the stem had its own set of problems (besides its colour): tooth marks and scratches, and a filthy stinger. The stinger was first on my list. It went for a soak in some lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I let it set for several hours and then cleaned it off and it looked much improved. I then finished it with some 0000-grit steel wool and moved on.I wiped down the outside of the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. That did next to nothing. I took my BIC lighter and painted the stem with its flame. This helped a bit, but not much. Then, I cleaned out the insides with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol.Now it was time to remove the horrific yellow on the stem. I used some cream cleanser on the outside to remove the oxidation. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Then, the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The following day, I cleaned the de-oxidizing mess off with alcohol, pipe cleaners, et cetera. I scrubbed again with cream cleanser on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation. This worked only so well. I put the stem down, thought about it for a while, and decided to repeat that entire procedure: scrub with cream cleanser, soak overnight, and scrub with cream cleanser. This made the stem so much better than before, but still not great. Steve reminded me of an additional technique to try: soaking in Oxyclean. Again, this helped a bit, but it was just not going to be enough. This stem was definitely improved, but would always show the signs of its time in the water.I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the stem to make it look as good as possible. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing.On to the stummel. I used the KleenReem to remove the built-up cake, and followed that with 220-grit sandpaper to remove as much as I could. I wanted to take the bowl down to bare briar to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the walls of the bowl. Fortunately, there were none. I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, and isopropyl alcohol. There was quite a bit of filth inside this stummel – it took many pipe cleaners et cetera to clean it out.I decided that a de-ghosting session would be a good idea. I thrust cotton balls into the bowl and the shank and saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some Castile soap and tube brushes. I then moved on to cleaning the outside of the stummel with oil soap and some cotton pads. That removed any remaining dirt. The bowl was nice and clean after this. Having completed that, I was able to address the crack on the shank and the nicks on the bowl. This took some careful work. I filled the crack and the tiny divots with cyanoacrylate adhesive then let them cure. Now, with the nicks and crack filled, it was time to sand down the stummel. I used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand everything smooth. Much improved. I felt that this pipe really needed a bit of colour – it had lost it during the flood. However, I only wanted a light stain. So I made a very dilute mixture of leather dye and alcohol. This didn’t really work well, so, instead, I simply put a drop (literally) at a time on my dauber and gently coated the wood with theat. I flamed it with my Bic lighter and let it sit overnight. Upon the morrow, I used isopropyl alcohol to wipe down the pipe and remove excess stain. I am very happy with the results.After that, a light application of Before & After Restoration Balm brought out the best in the stummel’s grain. What a difference that made! Then it was off for a trip to the buffer. A dose of White Diamond and a few coats of carnauba wax were just what this pipe needed. The lovely shine made the wood look great. This Gold Star Diplomat 9486 panelled billiard has an elegant feel to it. It took a lot of work – and the results were not exactly what I had hoped for – but I am proud of it and the final product is (hopefully) worthy of my beloved grandfather’s memory. Obviously, this is one pipe that I am keeping for myself and adding to my collection. I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe as much I as I did restoring it. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅛ in. (130 mm); height 1½ in. (39 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (31 g). 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.

Salvaging a Beautiful Royal Danish from Sixten Ivarsson

Leave a reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

I picked this pipe up recently and was immediately charmed by it. This is a really good-looking Royal Danish 990, designed in 1951 by Sixten Ivarsson. It’s got that lovely tomato shape, with a lovely sandblast, and a lovely smooth panel on each side of the bowl. The combination of smooth and sandblasted briar is very attractive. When I got my hands on it, it was one dirty, dirty pipe. But I was sure this one was going to shine once I worked my magic on it. This is a Royal Danish ball-shaped freehand with a saddle mouthpiece –that’s what the description of Stanwell pipes calls it, though I’ve called it a tomato. I learned from previous research that “Royal Danish” is a Stanwell sub-brand. As is typical of Stanwell sub-brands, the quality is immaculate and it’s not at all obvious why this wasn’t a full-blown Stanwell. This ball is a very attractive shape and it really makes an impression. The underside of the shank reads 990 Royal Danish [over] Made in Denmark and, on the stem, a lovely crown.Both Pipedia and Pipephil list Royal Danish as being a Stanwell sub-brand (and not much else), as per the photo below.The Royal Danish line uses the same shape numbers as Stanwell, but adds a 9 in front. That’s why this pipe corresponds to Stanwell 90. Meanwhile, Pipedia has a good amount of nformation on the Stanwell brand and its history. I certainly recommend looking it over: https://pipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell.

Anyway, this really is a good-looking pipe. No major issues to resolve – just a few minor ones. The stem was very dirty, and had some small dents. There was also some oxidation on the vulcanite. The stummel was sooooo dirty. Inside and outside the bowl were pretty gross. The stummel would need some considerable work to clean. The stem was first on my list. I wiped down the outside of the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame in order to lift the bite marks and dents. This worked reasonably well, but I would still need to sort out the dents. The stem was clogged enough that I actually needed to scoop out gunk from inside with a dental tool. Then, I cleaned out the insides of the stem with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. Once this process was done, I used some cleanser and cotton pads to wipe down the stem before throwing it in the oxidation remover overnight. The following day, I cleaned all of the de-oxidizing mess and again scrubbed with the cleanser on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation. This worked well. I used some silver Rub’n’Buff to restore the crown logo on the stem. I painted the area carefully and let it fully set before proceeding. Before I moved on to the Micromesh pads, I built up the dents on the stem with black, carbon-and-rubber-infused cyanoacrylate adhesive and let them fully cure.At this point, I turned my attention to the bend in the stem – or, rather, the lack of bend. Over time, the stem had gradually uncurled and straightened, so that it now no longer looked quite right. To correct this, I gradually heated the stem with my heat gun and then carefully bent it bank into shape, using a large wooden dowel as my guide. Worked perfectly!I sanded the adhesive down with my needle files 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 pipe stem oil in between each pad scrubbing (from 3600 on up). On to the stummel, and the usual cleaning procedures were in order for this pipe. I used both the PipNet reamer and some 220-grit sandpaper (taped to a dowel) to remove the enormous amounts of cake and take the bowl down to bare briar, as I wanted to ensure there were no significant flaws in the walls of the bowl. Fortunately, there were none.I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, and isopropyl alcohol. There was considerable filth inside this stummel.I decided to de-ghost the pipe, so I thrust 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. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. The bowl was nice and clean after this. I then moved on to cleaning the outside of the stummel with oil soap, some cotton pads, and a toothbrush. That removed any latent dirt hidden in the lovely recesses of the sandblast.There were a few nicks on the smooth section of briar on either side of the bowl. In order to try and improve this, I took a wet piece of cotton cloth, draped over the affected area, and used a hot iron to produce steam. This steam can sometimes cause the dents to swell back into place. Since this was a partial sandblast, I only needed to use the Micromesh pads on the smooth sections near the rim and shank. I applied some Before & After Restoration Balm to the wood and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. I then used a horsehair brush to ensure the balm got into those lovely sandblast grooves. The balm does wonderful things to the wood and really emphasizes how beautiful this pipe is. I’m going to be sorry to see it go. I took the pipe to my bench polisher and gave it a thorough going-over with my buffing compound and conservator’s wax. This pipe was a delight from the start and its beauty only increased through the restoration process. This Royal Danish 990 freehand ball is elegant, light, and incredibly comfortable to hold. Finally, I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Danish’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5 in. (127 mm); height 1½ in. (37 mm); bowl diameter 1¾ in. (44 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1½ oz. (46 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Having Fun Restoring Four Charming Pipes

Leave a reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

A great customer of mine recently sent me some pipes for repair and restoration. I was happy to help out and the pipes were sent to me post-haste. There were some surprises to be discovered and challenges to be overcome. On this occasion, I did something different than I usually do: I restored all four at once, rather than one at a time. This blog is more of a show-and-tell than my usual restoration stories. This blog post is going to give a good overview of the restorations but doesn’t need to provide detail on each individual pipe. Let’s jump right in and see what we’ve got.First is a Comoy’s Castleton 126 large straight pot. Second is a Savinelli Oscar 622KS Lucite king size bent pot. Third is a GBD London Made 1978 bent Dublin. Fourth is a Peterson Sherlock Holmes Watson P-lip. All four are very attractive and I’m sure will be good smokers. A first glace at them all suggests that everything is fine, but things are not always what they seem… As I was inspecting the Comoy, I noticed, to my chagrin, that the shank was completely snapped. Someone had glued it back together, but it wasn’t well done and I was going to have to redo it. Similarly, when I dug deeper into the Savinelli, I noticed that there was a lot of damage to the inside of the bowl. That’s a problem! But I’ve got a solution. Fortunately, the GBD and Peterson didn’t have any major issues. That was good news. With all four stems, I wiped down the outside with some oil soap on some cotton rounds. Naturally, the insides needed to be cleaned too, and I did that with some pipe cleaners and 99% isopropyl alcohol. Two of the stems were vulcanite and two were acrylic, so I only needed to soak the vulcanite stems in the deoxidizing liquid. When they were done, I wiped them down with some cleanser on cotton rounds. After that, I sanded all four stems with my Micromesh pads – and I used the pipe stem oil towards the end of the sanding. They all looked so much better when I was done. Next step, of course, was removing all the cake from inside the bowls. I took out my PipNet reamer and my KleenReem and went to work. There was plenty of filth inside and it took a little while to get it all out of four bowls. I followed that up by sanding the insides with a piece of 220-grit sandpaper on a wooden dowel. I also gently scaped down the bowl rims in order to remove any lava there. Working through these pipes reminded me that most of my cleaning techniques for these pipes came from Steve and his brother, Jeff. They personify the standard for which all pipe restorers should strive. Thanks again Jeff and Steve for all your help to me.Before I moved on to cleaning the inside of the stummels, I decided that it made sense, at this point, to take apart the broken shank. This would make it easier to clean. I used my heat gun, softened the glue, and it came apart easily. I wiped down the ends with acetone to ensure that no glue remained.Now, it was time to clean the insides. As usual, I used a truck load of pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, and isopropyl alcohol to get everything spick and span.Following that, I set all four stummels up for a de-ghosting session. The bowls were stuffed with cotton balls and then socked with alcohol. This works to draw out any remaining filth. It really makes things look and smell better. When that was done, I used some soap and tube brushes and scoured the insides. They looked fabulous. I also cleaned the outsides with some oil soap on some cotton rounds.Next, I needed to repair the broken shank on the Comoy and the gouges in the Savinelli. The location of the break on the shank was awkward and wouldn’t allow for a strengthening tube to be installed. So, I simply had to glue it with great care. I used wood glue, as it has the best strength for what was needed. I also coated a couple of cotton swabs with petroleum jelly and shoved them down the shank to prevent any glue from dripping into the shank. I clamped the two parts together and left them overnight. I was quite pleased with the results.Meanwhile, I needed to mix up some heat-resistant epoxy for the Savinelli. I stuck a petroleum-jelly-coated pipe cleaner into the draught hole of the pipe and applied a thin layer of epoxy. I also let this cure overnight. I then sanded down the excess and made the bowl a new coating – a mixture of yoghurt and activated charcoal. This also sat for some hours to try and it makes a wonderful coating for a new cake to build on. I then moved on to sanding down the wood on all four stummels. I used all of my Micromesh pads and endured that everything was smooth and lovely. There was, however, considerable burn damage on the Comoy. After topping the pipe and reshaping it, I decided that this one needed a new stain on the wood. With the broken shank, burns on the rim, and topping, it needed a beauty treatment. I ended up staining this one with Fiebing’s mahogany stain – it turned out absolutely beautifully, but, for whatever reason, the photos here show it as being much darker than it is in person. Trust me: in person, it looks great. All four pipes got a nice coating of the restoration balm and were left to sit for 20 minutes or so. I then buffed them by hand with a microfibre cloth. I took the pipes to my bench buffer and spiffed them all up with some White Diamond and carnauba wax. My last step was to polish the sterling silver band on the Peterson with my jewellery cloth. And voilà! These beauties are already on their way back to their owner. I trust that he will enjoy their new and improved status. I hope you enjoyed reading this quick write-up of this lovely bunch of pipes. If you are interested in 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.

Restoring a Handsome Peterson Deluxe System 9S

Leave a reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

This is the second of the Deluxe Petes I restored recently. You can read about the other one here. This one is a good-looking bent billiard, with a sandblast finish. It comes from the Republic era, has a sterling silver band, and has the classic Peterson P-lip. This one has already been sold, but I thought I’d show it to you anyway. Let’s have a look at the markings on this pipe. The underside of the stummel reads, Peterson’s [over] DeLuxe [over] Made in the [over] Republic [over] of Ireland. Next to that is the shape number, 9S. The band has markings too. First are the words Peterson [over] Dublin. Next to that are the words Sterling [over] Silver. Finally, it has a set of proper hallmarks: Hibernia, which indicated that it was made in Dublin. Next is the Harp Crowned, which indicates sterling silver. Third is the date letter. In this case, it’s a stylized H. Checking the Irish hallmarks chart tells me that this pipe dates from 1975 – almost fifty years ago. For more information on Peterson Deluxe System pipes, click on the link to my previous article and it will provide some useful information.Time to get on with it! The stem was pretty dirty. It had some calcification on it and I used a sharp edge to carefully scrape that off. Once done, I scrubbed the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame in order to lift the few bite marks and dents. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. You can see just how filthy it was inside. I wiped down the stem with cleanser to remove surface oxidation. Then the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The next day, I used the cleanser again with some cotton rounds.I also took the opportunity to clean up the aluminum chimney with some isopropyl alcohol, then sanded with some 0000-grit steel wool.I built up the small tooth marks on the stem with black cyanoacrylate adhesive and let them fully cure. I then used my needle files, Micromesh pads and Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil to make it look great. Onto the stummel – it was both beautiful and a mess! The first thing I did was to ream out the mountain of cake inside the bowl. I used the PipNet, and some sandpaper taped to a dowel. Fortunately, there was no damage to the interior walls. I used cotton rounds and a toothbrush with some oil soap to scrub the outside of the stummel. I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I followed that up by de-ghosting the pipe and the bowl was nice and clean after this. I then cleaned the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. In the process of cleaning, however, I noticed something unfortunate. The underside of the stummel has a small crack. After inspecting it closely, I saw that it wasn’t too serious at all and would be an easy fix.Repairing the crack first involves drilling a tiny hole at each end of the crack to stop it from elongating any further. I took my micro drill bit and delicately drilled a hole into the briar. I then administered a dose of CA glue (mixed with briar dust) along the crack and let it cure. It came out really well and, after sanding it smooth, I touched up the colour with my furniture pens. I then worked on cleaning up the sterling silver band. I taped it off, as I didn’t want to damage the wood. This worked well and I was pleased. I followed that up with some Before & After Restoration Balm. I let it sit on the wood for 20 minutes or so, then buffed it off with a microfibre cloth. I took the pipe to the buffer. I gave it a good application of conservator’s wax, since carnauba wax will gum up in the grooves. This made all the difference. It really sparkled after that. I also polished the silver with my jewellery cloth. This Peterson Deluxe System 9S Bent Billiard is such a good-looking pipe. I’m sure my customer will enjoy this one for many years. I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe as much I as I did in 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.

Restoring a Peterson Sterling Silver Deluxe System 11S Pipe

1 Reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

Ah, the Peterson Deluxe System – such a lovely pipe. Good fortune has provided two such pipes for me. First is the one you’re about to see restored and the second in a few days time. The two pipes didn’t come into my possession together, but they are being restored together. Despite both being Deluxe Systems, they have different finishes, come from different eras, and had different challenges in restoration. This 11S is really a fantastic pipe with wonderful grain. I am delighted with the way it cleaned up and I hope you are too! Our first Pete is this handsome fellow. It’s an 11S shape, has a smooth-finish, comes from the Republic era, and has the classic Peterson P-lip. Let’s have a look at the markings on this pipe. The left side of the stummel reads, Peterson’s [over] DeLuxe. The right side of the stummel reads, Made in the [over] Republic [over] of Ireland [over] 11S. The band has markings too. It has a set of faux hallmarks which read K&P. Over that are the words Sterling [over] Silver. To the right, are the words Peterson [over] Dublin. Finally, the stem reads Hand [over] Cut. In order to find out a bit more about the Deluxe System, I looked at Peterson’s own website and they furnished this information:

While the Deluxe stamp first appeared on our System pipes in 1940, the design itself dates to our 1896 and 1906 catalogues and, with the exception of the Supreme, has always marked our highest tier of System pipe. Like the System Standard and System Spigot lines, the Deluxe System pipe incorporates Charles Peterson’s patented System design, including a deep reservoir to collect excess moisture from the smoke; a graduated-bore mouthpiece that funnels the smoke and allows moisture to collect within the reservoir; a sturdy sterling silver military mount, which allows the pipe to be broken down and cleaned without damage or warping; and our patented P-Lip bit, which draws the smoke upward, thus reducing tongue bite. The Deluxe differs from those aforementioned lines, comprised of bowls with only the finest grain patterns and featuring a sterling silver mount and a push-gap stem, which was never designed to be flush-fitting, the space between the mount and stem base gradually decreasing with prolonged use. The Deluxe also elevates the System pipe by fixing each stem with a traditional chimney, an aluminum fitment that extends the tenon past the chamber’s airway for optimal System performance. Created for Peterson enthusiasts interested in acquiring the finest System pipe on the market, the Deluxe System will serve as the crown of any collection.

Then, over at Pipedia, there is the following commentary:

The handsome and very distinctive Deluxe system pipes, include the Darwin, Mark Twain and the Charles Peterson 140 year anniversary Pipe. These pipes are at the top of the ‘system’ series in terms of quality and finish. Each Peterson Deluxe is made from carefully selected, age mellowed root briar. In matt finish with hallmarked sterling silver mounts and a unique space fitting mouthpiece to allow for years of wear. They are available in a wide range of shapes numbered, as follows: 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 8s, 9s, 11s, 12.5s, 20s, XL5s, 20FB and 11FB. The pipes are well carved and construction, engineering and workmanship, is outstanding. The stems are well drilled and aligned. Silver work is excellent, finish very good, and the often maligned briar is of outstanding quality. The design is a very typically Peterson classic shape. Apart from the Darwin, the balance can be stem heavy, the bit is thick and chunky, especially in the larger versions. I also enjoy the sense of presence they give to the pipe, particularly if smoking in company with friends or strangers. They have a sophistication about them. The smoking qualities are excellent, dry and cool. The draw is good, and the flavour is particularly great in new pipes. The Mark Twains are outstanding in this department. As for the aesthetics and ergonomics, I find some shapes much more attractive than others. Favourites for me are the 1s, 2s, 3s, the Mark Twains and the Darwin deluxe. As a clencher most are very good to hang, except the beautiful Darwin which is more of a ‘hand holder.’ The one weakness I find is the modern orange/golden colour, (the so called natural) it is, in my opinion, less attractive than that found in the older Walnut finish of the eighties. As far as value and cost is concerned, for the excellent quality finish, these are competitively priced at around $135 to $250 depending on size and briar grade. For what it is worth, I reckon the Deluxes are probably the best value range of pipes that Peterson produce, both in terms of functionality and value. There is not a thing wrong with these pipes. Those who malign the brand because they’re made by the hundreds using machines, are very wrong, in my opinion. I like them a lot and the bang for the buck is the best I’ve ever seen for new pipes of this quality.The Deluxes are all excellent smokers. The Darwin, of course, is a truly outstanding pipe, its only “flaw” being that it’s not a clencher. One particular aspect of this pipe that appeals to me most is its physical beauty and presence. They are a pipe like no other. For me, they also offer a bowl capacity that I like and a balance in the hand that I appreciate. They are well named Deluxe s for giving that special experience.

These Petes with the faux-marks are a bit tricky to nail down in date. Mark Irwin, who runs the great Peterson Pipe Notes blog, has a whole page here on this topic. He writes:

Pipe smokers new to Peterson sometimes wonder what the “K&P” stamp is all about, not realizing the company was known as “Kapp & Peterson” until the 1970s and is still referred to as “Kapps” by the old hands who work in the shop. Most Peterson pipes with metal mounts (and all nickel-mount Systems) have a “K & P” Maker’s Mark, also called a Sponsor’s Hallmark, which is used by The Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin (est. 1637) to identify the silversmith or goldsmith responsible for making the article. The “K & P” maker’s mark was registered at the assay office shortly after Kapp & Peterson’s incorporation and appears either in capital letters (on early sterling and later nickel mounts) or capital letters in shields (on sterling). The maker’s mark was later placed in shields, which may be flat or pointed at the top. After 1938, the K&P maker’s mark became a stand-in for the Company of Goldsmiths (aka Dublin Assay Office) date letter and was usually accompanied nearby by the STERLING over SILVER stamp. The practice of stamping sterling with the date letter wasn’t resumed at Peterson until 1969, for rather humorous reasons explained in the Peterson book.

Sadly, I don’t have the Peterson book, so I cannot enlighten you on the humorous reasons. It would seem from Mark’s words that this pipe falls into the period between 1938 and 1968. However, we can refine that a bit, as the pipe’s markings clearly indicate that it’s a republic-era pipe. Ireland became a republic in 1949, so a date range of 1950-1968 seems suitable for this pipe.

Time to get on with it! The stem was pretty dirty. It had some calcification on it and I used a sharp edge to carefully scrape that off. Once done, I scrubbed the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame in order to lift the few bite marks and dents. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. You can see just how filthy it was inside. Also, it’s worth noting that the aluminum chimney that often goes with these pipes is missing – but a replacement could be sought from Peterson’s. I wiped down the stem with cleanser to remove surface oxidation. Then the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The next day, I used the cleanser again with some cotton rounds. I built up the small tooth marks on the stem with black cyanoacrylate adhesive and let them fully cure. I put a tiny piece of hockey tape over the “Hand Cut” words, so I wouldn’t accidentally sand them. I then used my needle files, Micromesh pads and Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil to make it look great. Onto the stummel, and the first thing I did was to clean up the rim a bit. I took a piece of machine metal and meticulously scraped away the cake without affecting the finish of the wood.Then I reamed out the stummel and removed all the cake. I used a bit of everything to get it all out: PipNet, KleenReem, knife, sandpaper, etc. Fortunately, there was no damage to the interior walls. I used cotton rounds and some oil soap to scrub the outside of the stummel and a toothbrush with oil soap for the lava on the rim of the pipe. I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I followed that up by de-ghosting the pipe and the bowl was nice and clean after this. I then cleaned the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. I then worked on cleaning up the sterling silver band. I taped it off, as I didn’t want to damage the wood. This worked well and I was pleased. There were a couple of very small knocks in the wood and I opted to use a damp cotton cloth and an iron to help. By laying the wet cloth over the affected area of wood and applying the hot iron, steam is generated in a way that can often swell the wood back into place.Next, I sanded all of the wood down with my Micromesh pads and made it lovely and smooth. I followed that up with some Before & After Restoration Balm. I let it sit on the wood for 20 minutes or so, then buffed it off with a microfibre cloth. I took the pipe to the buffer. I gave it a good application of White Diamond and a few coats of carnauba wax. This made all the difference. It really sparkled after that. I also polished the silver with my jewellery cloth.

This Peterson Deluxe System 11S pipe looks amazing now. It’s really a beautiful pipe and it is ready to be enjoyed by the next owner! I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Irish’ Pipemakers Section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6 in. (152 mm); height 3⅔ in. (93 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (37 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (17 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2¼ oz. (67 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration 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 send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Uncovering the Identity of a Classic Metal Pipe

4 Replies

by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe is one of those that makes you raise an eyebrow and wonder. I acquired it a while ago in a large lot of pipes and, although it was a mess, it always had appeal and intrigue. Initially, I didn’t know what the pipe was or who made it. Why? Alas, no markings of any kind! It turns out that Steve restored a pipe very much like it about four years ago, but because I had no way of searching for it (I had no brand name), I had to be creative – or, perhaps, I had to be the opposite… I went to a very fine resource on metal pipes, a website called www.smokingmetal.co.uk, in hope that I could learn more. I hunted around somewhat randomly for a while but came up empty. Then came the stultifying part. I started going through the entire list of pipes in order to find a match. There were a couple of times when I though I had found it, but it just wasn’t quite right. Eventually, after going through nearly 200 listings, I found it. This is an L&H Stern (aka LHS) pipe and – boy-oh-boy – was I ever relieved. When Steve last restored one of these, more than four years ago, he described it as follows:

It has a briar bowl with the screw holding it to the top of the metal tube that forms the shank. The smooth finished bowl is either a buldog or Rhodesian bowl with the twin rings around the cap. The shank piece is oxidized aluminum with cooling fins and a threaded end cap that is removable for cleaning. The stem is plastic (perhaps nylon or an early acrylic).

It certainly does have a futuristic look, very characteristic of mid-twentieth-century industrial design. Unfortunately, SmokingMetal didn’t have any information on LH Stern as a company, but they did have these two photos of similar pipes: Pipedia has an article on L&H Stern and I would encourage you to have a look: https://pipedia.org/wiki/LHS. Among other things, they write

Ludwig Stern, a successful pipe manufacturer since 1893 and closing around 1960, reorganized his company along with his brother Hugo Stern, opening a factory in 1911. They named the company L&H Stern Smoking Pipes & Holders. The newly formed company was moved into a six story building on the corner of Pearl and Waters street Brooklyn, NY.

Pipedia also provided a photo of a pipe like mine from a 1946 catalog. It’s difficult to be accurate in dating the pipe, but the late 1940s seems to be a reasonable supposition.Time to get to work. This pipe was a bit of a mess. The metal was dirty and dull, and the insides were filthy. The stem was worn and had some micro-cracks in it. In the following picture, you can see the pipe as I disassembled it. There are seven pieces, even though the photo appears to show only five. Allow me to explain: there is a stem, a shank (or main section of the pipe), the briar bowl, a nut on the underside of the bowl, a screw that attaches the bowl to the shank, a valve screw at the far end, and a gasket to go along with it.First things first. Before I started working on the stem, I put the metal pieces in an acetone bath. Who knows what sort of horrors might be stuck to the metal and I wanted to get it as clean as possible. I left that to sit for a few hours.The stem was first on my list. As usual, I wiped the outside down with oil soap on some cotton pads. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. It was dirty, but not terrible. I’ve seen far worse.As the photos show, there was a small chunk missing from the end of the stem and, although it didn’t affect anything significant, I wanted to ensure that it was repaired. I rolled up a piece of duct tape and fitted it snugly inside, before making a repair with amber cyanoacrylate adhesive. I used duct tape because the outside does not stick to CA glue. I built up the adhesive on the stem and let it fully cure. At this point, I also added some extra, clear CA glue to the end because the fit was very loose. I then sanded the adhesive with some sandpaper to meld seamlessly into the stem. I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to smooth the entire stem and highlight the variegated design on the stem. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing. I’m not convinced that this did anything, but it’s just what I do! I yanked the metal bits out of the acetone and wiped them down. Since most of the pipe was made of aluminum, the cleaning procedures were different than usual. The inside of the shank was much more cavernous than normal, too. I started with pipe cleaners and Q-tips for the inside, but that only worked so well. I ended up using some of my usual cleanser to clean the metal shank, including the interior – and I made extensive use of some tubes brushes to get it all really clean.Polishing up the metal was tricky because the cooling fins were relatively deep and would need to be addressed separately. I used some very fine sandpaper to work on those grooves. I then used some 0000 steel wool to give a beautiful polish to the shank. This worked spectacularly well, but it’s such a mess! I laid out some newspaper to catch the debris because it goes everywhere. I did all the same stuff on the two metal screws as well. Now for the briar bowl. This is more standard fare, since I’m working with wood again. I took a small wedge of machine metal and, holding it at a 45-degree angle, gently scraped the lava and carbon off the rim.I reamed it with the KleenReem, and 220-grit sandpaper taped to a dowel to eliminate as much build-up as possible. I took the chamber down to bare briar to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the wall. Fortunately, there were none. Then I used cotton rounds and some oil soap to scrub the outside. However, this wasn’t good enough. There were some odd blemishes to the wood and I had to fix that. I went back to the acetone and removed the blemishes thoroughly. I was amazed at how much better the bowl looked after that. I used the Micromesh pads on the bowl and made them beautiful. As I mentioned earlier, there was a small nut in the underside of the bowl. This popped out while I was working and I cleaned it as I had the other metal parts – then I glued it back in place. I then applied the Before & After Restoration Balm on the wood, as this always makes the briar sing. The buffing procedure was different because of the metal – although the briar bowl did receive the normal White Diamond and carnauba wax treatment. I used Red Tripoli first and White Diamond second to polish the metal nicely. It came out so well! When I went back to my workbench, I cleaned the grooves in the metal with some soft pipe cleaners – just to remove any slight, remaining polishing compound. I then took a microfiber cloth to wipe the metal parts of the pipe to make it shine! This L&H Stern looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by the next owner! I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘American’ Pipe Section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 4⅞ in. (125 mm); height 1⅔ in. (43 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (38 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (17 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (39 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration 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 send me an email. Thank you very much for reading, and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring a Very Handsome Custombilt Lovat

1 Reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

My last blog post was the restoration of an Oversize Kaywoodie and, in that article, I mentioned that it reminded me of a Custombilt. Well, lo and behold! I have a Custombilt to present to you all. I was rummaging through a box of junk (and calling it ‘junk’ is being kind) and came upon a really good-looking, substantial Lovat with a great saddle stem (which is ever-so-slightly bent). It’s a pipe that instills confidence. An interesting coincidence (or is it?) is that both the Kaywoodie and this Custombilt were made at almost exactly the same time. Read on. As you can see, the pipe has the classic Custombilt rustication on it. There’s something quite satisfying about this rugged rustication. These marks are reminiscent of Tracy Mincer’s original work and are seen as something of a hallmark of the brand. On the left side of the shank, the markings were as follows: Custombilt [over] Imported Briar. No markings on the right side and no markings on the stem. The history of Custombilt pipes is an interesting one and the most comprehensive source of information comes from Individual as a Thumbprint: The Custom-Bilt Pipe Story by Bill Unger. It is a very good book. Since the last time I worked on a Custombilt, I acquired a copy and it is an excellent resource on these pipes – as well as an entertaining read.

Unger’s book gives us some good information about the dating for this pipe. He displays five different logo stampings and this particular pipe corresponds to stamp number two. Unger writes:

The second stamp, which was used during the Eugene Rich years, from 1946 through 1952 (at the latest; it could have been 1950 or 191), is also quite unmistakable. Custom-Bilt became Custombilt in 1946, and the stamp reflects the major advertising campaign that was undertaken. The script letters do not slant, but the major feature is the big, looping C, which extends over the t (although, in some cases, it extends just to the top of the t). The t has a longer cross than on the Custom-Bilt stamp, but a shorter one than would be used during the Wally Frank era. Remember that the Eugene Rich-era stamp was used on pipes still being made in [Tracy] Mincer’s Indianapolis factory.

Pipedia’s article on Custombilt consists primarily of reviews of Unger’s book. It offers a cursory view of the markings and their approximate dating. This information confirms what I found in Unger’s book. Meanwhile. Pipephil provided a bit more information on the brand, although not strictly related to my pipe. In short, I think it’s fair to say that this sturdy pipe dates from the late-1940s.Let’s get on with cleaning up this pipe. I worked on the stem first and, I must say, I was surprised at its good condition. Not too dirty, not beat up at all.I wiped the outside with some oil soap on some cotton pads. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. The stem had a bit of oxidation, so I let it soak overnight in pipe stem oxidation remover. The following day, I cleaned all of the de-oxidizing mess off with a toothbrush. The oxidation had migrated to the surface and I scrubbed with SoftScrub on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation. The stem turned out very well. I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) all over the saddle stem to remove any scratch marks and make it smooth and lovely. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing.All that finished, I set the stem aside and I began work on the very dirty stummel.Firstly, I decided to ream out the bowl. This is a large bowl and I used the PipNet Reamer’s biggest blade to remove the built-up cake, and followed that with 220-grit sandpaper taped to a couple of dowels 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. Fortunately, there were none. As the photos show, there was quite a mound of debris.I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. It was ridiculously dirty and took up the country’s supply of cotton to get it clean. To exorcise the demons of tobaccos past, I decided to de-ghost the pipe. I thrust 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. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. Spic and span after that. There was still quite a bit of debris on the ample rim and it was time to address it. I took a piece of machine metal and meticulously scraped away the cake without affecting the finish of the wood. This quite a while – but it is most certainly worth it. Following that, I used some oil soap and a toothbrush to clean up the balance of the rim – especially the grooves of the rustication. I was really pleased with the results.Then I sanded the stummel down with the Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit). The smooth areas got all nine pads, whereas the rusticated areas on received only the last three or four. I then coated the pipe with restoration balm and let it sit for 20 minutes or so, before polishing with a microfibre cloth and a horsehair brush. The balm does wonderful things to the wood and makes the whole stummel sing. Finally, I took it to the buffer and applied some White Diamond and a few coats of Conservator’s Wax. The lovely shine made the wood very attractive. This is a very handsome pipe and will provide many years of smoking pleasure.This handsome Custombilt Lovat looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed again by the next owner! I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘American’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 7 in. (177 mm); height 2⅛ in. (53 mm); bowl diameter 1⅝ in. (41 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2¼ oz. (65 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration 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 send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.