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Resurrecting a Stanwell Royal Silver #214 Following A Duped Deal

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Blog by Paresh Deshpande

Stanwell pipes have always been one of my favourites and I seldom miss an opportunity to lay my hands on one whenever I come across a good deal, especially the older early era ones. These are some of the best factory-made pipes coming out of Denmark. Most of the Readers are more than aware of the history of these pipes; however, I feel it is prudent to reintroduce a brief history of this brand to refresh the memory. Pipedia.org (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell) has an excellent compilation of the brand’s history, picture gallery, various lines etc and a few important pieces of information has been produced from this site.

When pipe smokers talk about pipes that are consistently great smokers, exhibit the creative and beautiful designs that exemplify Danish pipemaking and offer the best value in factory produced pipes, they are talking about Stanwell. We hear time and time again, from customers and top pipe makers from around the world, that Stanwell is the best factory produced pipe in the world. During WWII, Danish pipe smokers could no longer buy the English made briar pipes they preferred to smoke. In 1942, because of the unavailability of English pipes and raw briar, Poul Nielsen began making pipes from beech wood for Danish customers. At the time, Poul was managing a company called Kyringe, which made various wood products.

At the end of the war, briar became available again, so Nielsen began importing his own briar and started making briar pipes to compete with the English manufacturers. It must be remembered that in 1948, England was the single great center for pipe making. Therefore, Nielsen changed the name of his pipes to “Stanwell”, which sounded much more like a proper English name than “Nielsen”. He also created the horse drawn carriage logo for its English connotations. He later changed his own last name from Nielsen to Stanwell, a testament to his devotion to the pipes he made. Stanwell’s relationships with Danish pipe makers goes back to Sixten Ivarsson, who is considered the originator of modern Danish pipe making. Ivarsson was commissioned to design Stanwell shapes. In 1969, the factory was moved a town called Borup, just outside of Copenhagen to be closer to Ivarsson.

Stanwell relies on designs from the great Danish pipe makers, from Sixten Ivarsson to Jess Chonowitsch from which they create their hundreds of shapes. Since most sandblasting for Danish pipemakers is done at the Stanwell factory (Stanwell has a reputation for excellence in sandblasting that is used by many, many Danish carvers from Poul Winslow to Jess Chonowitsch), many of the pipes that they sandblast are then observed and used as starting points for Stanwell shapes with the consent of the original carvers. This interesting and unusual symbiotic relationship gives Stanwell the opportunity to offer hundreds of unusual and interesting shapes at an affordable price. Once a new shape is established and hand carved, it is then reproduced using a lathe. Following the initial carving of the pipe which is done by machine, all other processes are done by hand, from the final sanding and staining to the application of the wax finish. There are approximately 120 manual steps to Stanwell’s pipe making process. The Stanwell factory is arguably the most efficient pipe operation in the world. It is this efficiency that has made Stanwell so remarkably price competitive and able to offer pieces of superior quality to those created by other large factories.

Essentially the goal of Stanwell is, and always has been, to produce high quality pipes at a price that is truly within the reach of the common man. In this they have succeeded admirably, offering perhaps more pipe for the money than any other pipe manufacturer in their price range. Stanwell pipe offers exceptional quality at a remarkably affordable price.

Stanwell pipes are a must for any pipe collection. The Stanwell name is a cornerstone of Danish pipe making. In owning a Stanwell, you will not only enjoy beautifully styled, great smoking pipe at a great price, you will own a piece of pipe making history.

Pricing on top models – mid to late 1980s

  • Golden Contrast 600 DKK.
  • Silver S 600 DKK.
  • Hand Cut, sandblasted 1200 DKK.
  • Hand Cut, smooth 1500 DKK.

Another important aspect of Stanwell pipes is the determination of designers of a particular pipe that is well documented with the help of shape numbers. This pipe has the shape number #214 and from a visit to the under mentioned site it is determined that this pipe is classified as a freehand but without any designer specified.

https://pipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell_Shape_Numbers_and_Designers

  • 210 Sixtus, with hexagon stem and mouthpiece, brass ring, Pot by Tom Eltang.
  • 211 Sixtus, with hexagon stem and mouthpiece, brass ring, Freehand by Tom Eltang.
  • 212 Sixtus, with hexagon stem and mouthpiece, brass ring, Freehand by Tom Eltang.
  • 213Sixtus, with hexagon stem and mouthpiece, brass ring, Freehand by Tom Eltang.
  • 214 Freehand, slightly bent, square stem and mouthpiece.
  • 215 Freehand, slightly bent, triangular stem, saddle mouthpiece by Poul Ilsted.
  • 216 Zulu with tapered stem, by Tom Eltang.

This pipe came to me from eBay.com as one of the lot of four pipes, three Stanwells and one Vauen pipe in a pipe bag, from a Germany based Seller. The following pictures were uploaded by the seller with no description at all and based on which I had made my decision to purchase it.Once these pipes reached me here in India, I was aghast to note that each of the pipes had one or the other serious major damage which will be brought out as I work on each of these pipes. This was another sour deal on eBay!!

The first pipe from this lot that I decided to work on is what I consider being a variation of the horn shape but described as a freehand in Stanwell’s shape charts as brought out before and is from the late 1980s. It is stamped as “STANWELL” over “MADE IN DENMARK” over “ROYAL SILVER” on the left panel of the square shank while the right panel is stamped with the shape number “#214”. The stem bears the trademark “S” with a crown in silver. Initial Visual Inspection
This horn shaped Stanwell has many things going in its favor; be it the shape that is eye-catching with paneled surfaces, a size that feels perfect to hold, light weight, quality acrylic stem and capable of housing a 9 mm filter for those who prefer them. A thick layer of cake is seen in the chamber. The rim top and edges are clean with no lava overflow or evident signs of charring. The four paneled stummel is clean and the reddish hued stain makes it a looker! However, I have noticed a darkened spot (encircled in yellow) over the front panel towards the foot and that could potentially be bad news (read a burnout). The mortise has minute traces of old oils and tars, but the airflow is smooth and open. The thin white metallic band (or is it silver?) at the shank end lends the pipe a classy bling. The acrylic black stem is in good condition. The tenon housing for 9 mm filter is clean and so it the horizontal slot. Overall, save for the dark spot over the stummel surface, the condition of the pipe is good. Detailed Visual Inspection
The chamber has a thick, hard and uneven layer of cake. The upper portion of the cake is slightly thicker than at the heel. I am curious to know the condition of the chamber walls, more so the area corresponding to the dark area observed over the stummel surface but that will have to wait till the cake is removed and the walls are exposed. The inner edge is uneven (encircled in green) but not charred. This could be a result of reaming using a sharp knife edge. The rim top surface is clean with no damage or crud accumulation.The stummel has been carved out of a beautiful piece of briar and in true quality assurance that Stanwell is so well known for. The four panelled stummel with square shank has cross grains on either side with mixed grain to the front and aft of the surface. The surface is clean and sans any dents or dings and grime. The red stain with a shank end band contrasts beautifully with the black acrylic stem. The only cause of concern is the dark area seen to the front of the stummel and is highlighted by an encircled yellow. The spot within this darkened area (encircled in orange), so to speak, is the eye of the damaged area. Now, this could just be a darkening of the surface due to a burning cigarette placed in proximity of the pipe or it could be the beginning of through burnout and the clue for the exact reason lies within the chamber walls. However, the dark area feels no different from the rest of the surface…or not? The mortise is clean with just minor traces of old dried oils and tars over the mortise walls. The square silver (?) band at the shank end is dull and would benefit from a nice polish. The square faced acrylic stem contrasts with the red stained stummel surface adding an attractive eye candy affect to the overall appearance of the pipe. The buttons in particular and the bite zone in general, is sans any tooth indentations or scratches. The tenon houses a 9 mm filter and shows minor accumulation of oils and grime, ditto for the horizontal slot. The stem logo of silver letter S with a crown atop is slightly oxidized, but otherwise in pristine condition.The Process
The first step in restoring this particular pipe was the cleaning of the chamber. I began the process of refurbishing this pipe by reaming the chamber with a PipNet reamer tool, using the first and second head. Using my fabricated knife; I further took the cake down to the bare briar. That the cake was thick and hard made this cleaning a lot difficult and a long drawn affair. With a folded piece of 180 grit sandpaper, I took the cake down to the bare briar and also smoothened the chamber walls. A final wipe with a cotton swab moistened with isopropyl alcohol removed the carbon dust from the chamber. I had expected that any damage to walls of the chamber would reveal itself at this stage. However, I could not decipher any prominent damage corresponding with the dark area seen on the outer surface. I decided to subject the chamber to a cotton and alcohol bath in the hope that the damage, if any, would reveal itself in the form of seepage of the alcohol or deep heat lines/ fissures.Moving on to deeper cleaning of the chamber and the mortise in an attempt to highlight any damage to the chamber walls… I subjected the chamber to a cotton and alcohol bath. I draw out a wick from the cotton and along with a folded regular pipe cleaner; insert it in to the mortise and through the draught hole in to the chamber. Thereafter, I pack the chamber with cotton balls to about quarter of an inch below the rim inner edge and soak the cotton balls with isopropyl alcohol up to the brim. About half an hour later, the level of alcohol had gone down, having being absorbed by the cotton. It was here that I anticipated seeing seepage to the front of the stummel through what I have assumed to be a burnout. However, this did not happen. Also even at this stage I did not feel any give in the briar in the darkened area as compared to the rest of the stummel surface.  I topped it up once again with alcohol and set it aside overnight. By next afternoon, the cotton and alcohol had drawn out all the remaining oils and tars from the chamber and mortise, fulfilling its intended task. I removed the cotton balls and ran pipe cleaners through the mortise to clean out all the loosened tars and gunk. I set it aside to dry out naturally.Next, I decided to clean the exterior surface of the stummel. I had also hoped that further cleaning of the stummel would reveal the extent of damage or otherwise lurking beneath the darkened area. I used a hard bristled tooth brush and Murphy’s oil Soap, to scrub the stummel, chamber walls and rim top. I washed the stummel under running warm water with anti oil dish washing detergent till the stummel surface was clean. I simultaneously cleaned the shank internals with the detergent and hard bristled shank brush and dried it using paper towels and soft cotton cloth. At this stage in restoration, I still could not fathom the nature and cause of the dark area. I was still not clear if the dark spot was an indicator of the beginning of a burnout or was it just a superficial darkening of the surface. I turned to Steve to seek his advice and sent him pictures of the suspected damaged area. He enquired if the spot was a little soft to the feel or did it sound any different when tapped with finger nail as compared to the rest of the surface. I tried and couldn’t notice any change. Here Steve suggested that I thoroughly clean the darkened spot with oxalic acid. If it is just a superficial burn, oxalic acid would lighten it and reveal the exact condition and that is exactly what I did. When I was done with this step, I shared pictures of the result with Steve. He pointed out that it appeared that the center of the dark spot (encircled in red) maybe damaged and to confirm the same by tapping the area with a screw driver or some such hard tool.As discussed with Steve, I tapped the suspected damaged area, lightly at first and then a bit more firmly and the briar gave way leaving behind a gaping hole. I used a needle file to remove the charred briar from around the burned out spot. I continued to remove the charred briar around using rounded needle file till I reached solid intact hard wood. Now that all the charred briar wood was removed, it was necessary to smooth out the edges of the burned out area to ensure an even round hole for a snug fitting briar plug. I fine tuned the rounded hole at the foot of the stummel using 180 grit sandpaper wound around a thin bamboo dowel. Next, I cut a suitably sized block of briar to be shaped into a plug using a small hacksaw blade.Using a sanding drum mounted on a rotary tool, I roughly shaped the plug that would fit into the foot of the stummel. I deliberately left the top of the plug duly flanged (indicated with blue arrows). The general idea was to push the plug from inside the chamber to the outside so that the plug flanges will sit over the remaining intact heel of the chamber forming a new heel with the rest of the plug protruding outwards of the foot of the stummel. With the rough shape of the plug completed, I began the process of fine tuning the fit of the plug to seat snugly in to the hole at the foot of the stummel. Using a flat head needle file and a folded piece of 180 grit sandpaper, I sand down the plug and its flanges checking frequently for the fit in to the hole. I avoided further sanding of the plug once I reached the stage where with a tap of a small hammer, the plug sat firmly in to the hole with no gaps. The plug flanges are also covering the hole at the heel of the chamber (indicated by yellow arrows). To fix the briar plug in to the heel of the chamber, I decided to apply a layer of JB Weld to the bottom of the entire heel. J B Weld is a two-part epoxy Cold Weld that consists of two parts; hardener and steel which are mixed in equal parts in a ratio of 1:1 with hardening time of 5-6 minutes and complete curing time of 6-8 hours. I poured the contents of the two tubes and mixed it well. With a flat bamboo frond, I applied this mix over the heel of the chamber from inside. I turned the bowl over and filled the minor gaps between the briar plug and the adjoining stummel surface with the J B Weld mix and set the stummel aside for the epoxy to cure overnight.  By evening when I continued my work on this pipe, the J B Weld had cured completely. Using my hand held rotary tool mounted with a 150 grit sanding drum, I sand down the plug from the foot (outside) and heel (inside) of the stummel and achieved a rough match with the surrounding surface. I further matched the plug with the rest of the stummel foot with a flat head needle file. I perfectly matched the plug with the rest of the surrounding surface, both inside and out, by sanding with a folded piece of 180 grit sandpaper. The plug is now flush with the foot of the stummel while the flanges of the plug provide additional support to the plug from within the chamber. I had reached that stage in restoration where an important decision was required to be taken which would affect the aesthetics of the pipe. To blend in the repair, I had an option of staining the entire pipe red or to rusticate only the front panel of the stummel right up to the shank end and further stain this rusticated panel in contrasting black/ dark brown. I discussed this step with Abha and she was of the opinion that a perfect geometrical pattern does go with the flow of the shape and recommended a complete rustication of only the front panel followed by the contrasting stain.

To rusticate, I firmly held the stummel in my left hand and with my right hand and began gouging out the briar. The technique is to firmly press the pointed four prongs of the modified Philips screwdriver into the surface, rotate and gouge out the removed chunk of briar. I worked diligently till I was satisfied with the rustications and the appearance of the stummel. I cleaned the debris off the rusticated surface with a brass wired brush. The high points in the rustications were lightly sanded down using a piece of 220 grit sandpaper.Next, I polished the stummel using micromesh pads, wet sanding with 1500 to 12000 grit pads. I also polished the high spots in the rustication with the micromesh pads. I wiped the bowl with a moist cloth after each pad to clean the surface. I rubbed a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” into the briar with my finger tips but not in to the rusticated surface. The balm almost immediately works its magic and the briar now has a nice vibrant appearance over the smooth surface with the beautiful grain patterns on full display on the smooth surface of the stummel. I further buffed it with a horse hair shoe brush. The rusticated part of the stummel is now ready for a fresh coat of stain. I had decided to stain the rusticated surface with a black dye which would contrast beautifully with the red of the rest of the smooth surface. I heated the rusticated portion with my heat gun to open up the pores on the stummel so that the stain is well absorbed. I used Fiebing’s aniline black leather dye and liberally applied it over the heated surface, flaming it with the flame of a lighter. This helps in the setting of the stain in the grain of the briar. I ensured that every inch of the rusticated surface was coated with the dye while the smooth surfaces are not stained. I set the stummel aside for a day to set the dye into the briar surface.Once the stain had set, to highlight the contrast of the high points in the rustication, I lightly sanded the high points with a worn out piece of 180 grit sandpaper followed by dry sanding with 1500 to 12000 grit micromesh pads to polish the high points. I rubbed a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” with my finger tips deep into the nooks and crannies of the rustications as well as the smooth surface and let it rest for a few minutes. With this, save for the final polish, the stummel repairs and refurbishing are now complete.It was now time for me to work on the stem. Using thin shank brushes and anti-oil dish washing soap, I cleaned the stem airway. I have modified this process of cleaning the stem airway by doing away with pipe cleaners and alcohol as it saves me a ton of pipe cleaners, which is a precious commodity for me here in India. I continued this cleaning till only white clean foam came out of the stem airway, indicating that the airway was nice and clean. I ran a couple of pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol through the airway to dry it out and make sure that there are no traces of soap and gunk hidden in the airway.Next, I progressed to wet sanding the entire stem surface with 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit sand papers. I rubbed a small quantity of EVO into the stem surface and set it aside for the vulcanite to absorb and hydrate.To complete the restoration, I mounted a cotton cloth buffing wheel on to my hand-held rotary tool and polished the stem with Blue Diamond compound. This compound helps to remove the minor scratch marks that remain from the sanding. I followed the Blue Diamond polish by applying several coats of Carnauba Wax with a cotton cloth buffing wheel dedicated to Carnauba Wax. I finished the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine further. The finished pipe looks amazingly beautiful and has been transformed from being a write off to being one that is now ready to provide years of happy smokes to one of my club member who had commissioned this beauty! The Pipe Gods are being very kind to me now-a-days and pray that they continue to be so. Following are the pictures of the restored pipe. P.S. The last functional aspect which I addressed was to protect the repairs to the heel of the chamber. I mixed activated charcoal and yogourt to a consistency which allows for an easy and even spread and evenly applied it on the inner walls and heel of the chamber. This coating helps in preventing the epoxy at the heel of the chamber from coming into direct contact with the burning tobacco, a sort of insulation and assists in quicker formation of a cake. I set it aside to dry out naturally for a week before it makes its way to my friend. This was an interesting project that was labor intensive involving long man hours but equally satisfying one. I appreciate all esteemed readers who have dedicated their time in reading this article and thus joining me along on this journey of bring back pipes that are deemed to be lost case!

A Touch of TLC to Resurrect a Luigi Viprati 5* Grade Volcano

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Blog by Paresh Deshpande

When I first laid my eyes on this pipe, I knew I had to have it. It was not the brand nor was it the shape and size that got me attracted, but it was the beautiful straight grains all around that caught my attention.

This is a beautiful volcano with perfectly straight grains all around and a flat bottom with some fantastic bird’s eye grains. This flat bottom extends to the lower shank surface and is adorned by; you guessed it right, bird’s eye grains. It is stamped on the left shank surface as “L. VIPRATI” in flourishing cursive hand over “HAND MADE ITALY”. The bottom flat surface of the shank bears five clover leaves, which I think is the grading for this pipe. The top surface of the black acrylic stem bears a fancy intertwined letters L and V in metal, most likely aluminum.Luigi Viprati is a brand that was completely unknown to me until the moment I laid my eyes on this handsome hunk and thus I set about to know more about the brand and it’s carver. Reborn pipes is usually the first place where I hunt for information on all things related to pipe brands and apparently, this may be the first Luigi Viprati pipe to feature on Reborn pipes. The next site I visit for pipe related information is pipedia.org and sure enough there was information on the brand. Given below is the link to the Viprati page on the site and snippets of information reproduced for quick reference.

https://pipedia.org/wiki/Viprati

Though we are accustomed, in Italy, to the quality of design and have always abounded in beautiful and bizarre models of pipes, the creations of Luigi Viprati strikes our eyes. And … think that he is a self-taught.

As a pipe smoker, he began to realize pipes during the free time since the 1972, either for himself than his friends. But his hobby has been stronger and stronger during the years so to become his real job. From then on, his pipes, that in the upper quality have a perfect veining of pellet or flame, are really required. Viprati offers numerous series; one of them the “”Collection Special”” is decorated with silver ornaments applied on the blowpipe and on the head: they are really works of art.

HANDMADE PIPES, HOW IS BORN MY PASSION FOR THE PIPE?

“If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail,
If you can’t be the sun, be a star; It isn’t the size that you win or you fail… Be the best of whatever you are.” Martin Luther King

When a passion catches you when you are young, you will be fascinated by it for your whole life. It all began in 1972, during my military service, when I bought a briar root and I carved a pipe just for fun. This is how a long life passion was born. In the following years, I became more and more expert on briar wood, delving into the ancient culture of pipes. In 1984, I started to sign my pipes with the brand “La Pipa di Viprati” and soon after I met Alberto Paronelli, a well-known producer and founder of an important museum dedicated to the pipe. It was then that I clearly realized my purpose: creating high quality pipes. Now, after having created so many pipes which have made a lot of pipe smokers happy, the idea of this website has come into my mind, in order to show what my hands and my mind have been able to create in these forty years. Years dedicated to a unique and special object, a great companion of our life.

SALVADOR DALI COLLECTION

Each year, beginning in 2003, Luigi Viprati creates a new limited edition pipe for his Salvador Dali Collection, in homage to the great artist’s centenary. Each pipe in the series incorporates unique and distinctive characteristics seen in Dali’s paintings, as interpreted by Luigi. The pipes are numbered and available in smooth or sandblasted/rusticated finishes.

I think I have just added a pipe to my ever growing bucket list of desirable pipes! Continuing with further exploration on the carver to better I visited various sites and have reproduced relevant information below along with the source.

https://www.pipeshop-saintclaude.com/luigi-viprati-handmade-pipes-49

Pipes made by the Italian craftsman Luigi Viprati are all unique handmade creations. Luigi Viprati first worked with renowned Italian pipe makers for a number of years, before starting his own brand in 1984. He only uses briar from the Italian regions of Liguria, Tuscany and Calabria. Nowadays, thanks to the very high quality of his work, Luigi Viprati’s pipes are famous all around the world. His pipes are classified according to a 1-to-5 clover-scale.

https://www.bollitopipe.it/en/60-viprati

Luigi Viprati has built a justifiably powerful reputation for hand crafting some of the most breathtaking straight grains available anywhere. No one realizes this more than Viprati who has built strong personal relationships with the mills or “segerie” which supply his briar, and he visits them periodically to hand select each block of the extra-extra plateaux briar. Recently, Viprati lengthened his usual visit by accompanying the harvesting crew into the dry hills of Tuscany. There he saw how the briar is wrested from the earth, and the meticulous handling it goes through to ensure the smoking characteristics of fine briar.

https://www.tobaccoreviews.com/an-artists-soul-pipemaker-luigi-viprati/

Luigi Viprati says that he’s retired, but he has a damn funny sense of retirement. While he’s no longer putting in the daily grind of work each day to produce the 1,500 or so pipes he used to make each year, he’s still committing a good amount of his time inside his small workshop in Pontoglio, Italy, refining the art he loves most. Instead of donning his fishing cap or buying a set of golf clubs, Viprati is spending his “retirement” passionately pursuing and perfecting the craft for which he has become world-famous—and he is now aiming to produce just 100 pipes of his best quality each year. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting the Italian pipemaker, who is now in his mid-60s, wouldn’t expect anything less from him.

Great pipes cannot be created without excellent quality briar. Throughout the years, Viprati has placed such importance on obtaining the best briar available that he regularly went up into Italy’s forested mountains in Sicily, Calabria and Tuscany with the briar harvesters to be the first to pick through the harvest and select the best pieces for himself, including some of the largest briar roots cut from the earth. After selecting the briar boles he wished to purchase, he also discussed with the briar cutters how he wanted his briar to be cut into blocks, preferring larger ebauchons that routinely gave him more options when it came time to carve them into pipes. Once he had returned to his workshop with a ready supply of briar, Viprati always set aside the best in his inventory because he knew that it would be those briar blocks that would yield the super high-quality pipes he really wanted to make.

For most of the pipes he made throughout his career, Viprati typically used briar that had been aged between three and four years; for the highest quality lines—Straight Grain, Collection and Ciro’s Collection—the briar has been aged for at least seven years, and more often it has been aged for at least 10 years.

“A good pipemaker tries to follow the briar and understand the grain,” Viprati explains. “I start with an idea, and the briar tells me what it wants, and I adapt the idea. I use only Italian briar from Tuscany, Calabria and Sicily because Italian briar is the best. The most important thing is who cuts it—he has to be clever to cut it the right way. You can have the best piece of briar and cut it the wrong way, and then it is [crap].”

Having now armed myself with the information and a better and deeper appreciation of the art, skill, ethos and mindset of the carver, LUIGI VIPRATI, it’s time for me to move ahead with inspection of this pipe.

Initial Visual Inspection
There was a thick layer of hard and even cake in the chamber. There was no crud and gunk nor any signs of charring/ lighting marks over the rim top surface. The mortise was relatively clean. The stummel surface appears clean but the appearance was dull and lifeless. The acrylic stem was also very clean with some minor scratches and tooth chatter in the bite zone. All said and done, this pipe was very clean and would just require some cleaning and polishing to bring this pipe back to it’s former glory. The following pictures will give the readers a general idea about the condition of the pipe as it sat on the work table. Detailed Inspection
This pipe has a huge chamber and at 31/4 inches, is one of the larger ones in my collection. The chamber widens considerably at the heel of the bowl while being narrow at the mouth of the chamber. There is a thick layer of hard and even cake inside the bowl and more so towards the bottom of the chamber. There is no lava over flow on to the rim top surface and the inner and outer rim edges are in good condition. The chamber walls will be inspected for signs of damage like heat fissures, pits or burnouts after the cake has been completely eliminated and the bare briar is exposed. However, given the solid feel of the external stummel surface this seems unlikely. The ghost smells points towards Virginia tobacco that the previous custodian had likely smoked in this pipe. The stummel boasts of beautiful straight grains all around the surface and along the sides of the shank while fantastic bird’s eye grains adorns the foot of the stummel, top and bottom surfaces of the shank. It is evident that Luigi Viparti has let the grains of the wood dictate the shape of this pipe in consonance with his design philosophy. The dark stains of the grains contrasts with the lighter hues of the rest of the briar further accentuating the straight and bird’s eye grains. The stummel surface is very clean but dull and lackluster due to use and storage. There are a few very minor thin fills towards the aft of the bowl and can be identified by the pale putty (encircled in yellow) which can be seen in the following pictures. The mortise is also relatively clean. This pipe does seem to be well cared for and must have been a treasured pipe of the previous owner. The acrylic stem surface has a few scratches and minor tooth chatter in the bite zone on either surface. The tenon opening and the slot are clean without any accumulation of old oils and gunk.The Process
I started this project by running a pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol through the stem airway and was pleased to note that it came out perfectly clean. The previous steward had really looked after this pipe with great care.Next I addressed the minor scratches and tooth chatter in the bite zone by sanding the surface with a folded piece of 400 grit sandpaper. I ran the sandpaper along the button edges also to sharpen it a bit.The excitement of seeing a nicely polished and shining stummel with those exquisite straight and bird’s eye grains resplendent in all it’s glory made me decide to work on the stummel. The narrow mouth of the chamber with a slight broad heel of the stummel meant that use of my trusted PipNet reamer was ruled out. Thus, I reamed the chamber with my knife. Once the cake was taken down to the bare briar, I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to sand the chamber walls to remove residual cake and even out the wall surface. I wiped the chamber with a cotton swab wetted with alcohol to clean the carbon dust and expose the briar. There is a web of very thin minor heat veins toward the back and above the draught hole. Though not an immediate major concern, it needs to be addressed now to prevent any disasters in future. However, there was a spot on the right side of the chamber where the briar was slightly more charred (encircled in red). I cleaned out all the charred briar from that area and will address it towards the end. I believe that this damage to the inner walls of the chamber was caused by the use of a jet lighter to light the tobacco and hence must be avoided at all costs. This was followed by cleaning the mortise with pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl alcohol. I scraped the walls of the mortise with my fabricated knife to remove the dried oils and tars. The old smells of the tobacco are still strong and would need more invasive methods to get rid of these odours.I continued the cleaning of the chamber and shank internals with a salt and alcohol bath. I used cotton balls which is an at par substitute as I have realized over the years. I drew out a wick from the cotton and along with a folded regular pipe cleaner; inserted it into the mortise and through the draught hole into the chamber. Thereafter, I packed the chamber with cotton balls to about quarter of an inch below the inner rim edge and soaked the cotton balls with isopropyl alcohol up to the brim. About half an hour later, the level of alcohol had gone down, having being absorbed by the cotton. I topped it up once again and set it aside overnight. By the next morning, the cotton and alcohol had drawn out all the remaining oils and tars from the chamber and mortise, fulfilling it’s intended task. I removed the cotton balls and ran pipe cleaners through the mortise to clean out all the loosened tars and gunk. The chamber now smells clean and fresh. I set the stummel aside to dry out naturally.With the bowl internals clean, I moved to clean the exterior of the stummel. I used a hard bristled tooth brush and wood cleaner soap to scrub the stummel and rim top. I washed the stummel under running warm water with anti oil dish washing detergent and Scotch Brit pad till the stummel surface was clean and dried it using paper towels and a soft cotton cloth. The stummel surface, including the rim top has cleaned up nicely with the beautiful grain patterns on full display. The three very small fills that I had noticed under magnification, are all solid and refreshing them is not required. I simultaneously cleaned the shank internals with the detergent and hard bristled shank brush and set the stummel aside to dry out naturally.While the stummel was set aside to dry, I decided to complete the preliminary polishing of the stem. I wet sanded the stem surface with 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit sandpapers. This progressive use of higher grit sandpapers helps to eliminate remaining oxidation and also eliminate the sanding marks left behind the lower grit sandpapers. I wiped the stem with a little EVO to hydrate and deepen the shine over the stem surface.I went through the 1500 to 12000 grit micromesh pads to wet sand the stem. The stem now has a nice deep shine with no traces of oxidation around the entire stem surface.Next, I polished the stummel with micromesh pads, wet sanding through 1500 to 12000 pads, wiping the surface with a soft cloth at the end of the micromesh cycle. The stummel looks amazing with a deep shine and beautiful grains popping over the stummel surface. I massaged a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” with my fingers into the briar. The immediate and incredible transformation that takes place is a worthy reward for all the efforts!!! I let the balm sit on the surface to be absorbed in to the briar for about 20 minutes. The bowl now looks fresh and attractive with the grains popping out any which way you look at the briar. I polished off the balm with a soft cloth to a lovely shine. To apply the finishing touches, I mounted a cotton cloth buffing wheel on to my hand held rotary tool and applied a coat of Blue Diamond to the stummel and the stem to polish out the minor scratches. This was followed up by polishing the entire pipe with a fresh cotton buffing wheel to remove any excess compound that is left behind. A wipe with a microfiber cloth and the pipe is ready for the next stage of polishing.With a cotton buffing wheel that I use for carnauba wax, I applied a coat of carnauba wax and continued to work on it till the complete coat of wax had been polished out. I mounted a clean cotton cloth buffing wheel and gave the entire pipe a once over buff. I finished the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to raise the shine further. The finished pipe looks beautiful and is ready to be added to my personal collection of pipes. There was only one more issue that needed to be addressed and one that could not be ignored, being a functional issue. Remember the charred spot on the walls of the chamber caused by a jet lighter and the thin web of heat lines? I addressed the former issue first. I decided to fill only the area from where I had removed the charred briar with layer of J B Weld. J B Weld is a two-part epoxy Cold Weld in two tubes; hardener and steel which are mixed in two equal parts (ratio of 1:1) with hardening time of 5-6 minutes and complete curing time of 6-8 hours. I poured the contents of the two tubes and mixed it well. I applied this mix, as evenly as possible, over the heat lines in the chamber wall surface. I worked fast to ensure an even coat before the weld could harden. I set the stummel aside for the application to harden and cure overnight.By the next afternoon, the J B Weld had cured and hardened considerably. With a folded piece of 150 grit sandpaper, I sanded the filled JB Weld from the area till all that remained was a smooth surface with the weld deeply embedded into the heat lines and protecting the briar from further damage.Next, to prevent the walls from coming in to direct contact with the burning tobacco, I mixed activated charcoal and plain yogurt to a thicker consistency, just enough that it would spread easily and applied it evenly all along the chamber walls after inserting a folded pipe cleaner through the draught hole to keep it open. Once dry and set, this will not only protect the walls but also aid in faster build up of cake. This also addressed the minor thin web of heat lines noticed above the draught hole. I set the stummel aside for 2-3 days for the pipe mud to dry out completely. I wish to thank each one for sparing their valuable time to read through this write up and each one is always in my prayers.

Another Of My Inherited Pipes Restored…. A “Drury Lane # 484”

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Blog by Paresh Deshpande

As I was winding up my stay at the old duty station, I came across a neatly packed zip-lock pouch that was stowed away in to the deepest part of the cupboard. In that pouch were three pipes; two Comoys and one Drury Lane # 484. I remembered that the Comoy’s had stingers that needed leather gaskets and one needed a top nut for the stinger. Steve had sent me the leather gaskets while a replacement for the stinger that required top nut, was in post that was delayed for more than a year due to the prevalent worldwide pandemic situation. I decided to work on the Drury Lane and the one Comoy’s that just needed the leather gasket to be replaced.

The Drury Lane pipe is stamped on the left of the shank as “DRURY LANE” in an arch over “LONDON”, all in block capital letters. The right side of the shank surface bears the shape number “484” towards the chamber end with the COM stamp “MADE IN ENGLAND” with “MADE” at the top, “IN” in the middle, and “ENGLAND” forming the bottom of the circle (Football shaped stamping). The high quality twin bore vulcanite saddle stem bears the stamping “BITE” over “PROOF”. All the stampings are crisp and easily readable save for the stem logo which has a faint and the worn out letter P in the word PROOF.The stampings on the pipe were categorical in pointing out that the pipe is an English made and the way Drury Lane is stamped in an arch helped me narrow down the connection to early production of either Barling’s or Comoy’s brands as both had an arched stamp. To be sure of my assumptions, I visited pipephil.eu which confirmed my assumption; this brand is indeed linked with Comoy’s. Here is the link: Dra-Duk — Pipes : Logos & Markings (pipephil.eu)

Next, I visited pipedia.org for detailed information on the brand Comoy’s in general and this line of pipes in particular. The information that is given on the website makes for an interesting read and should anyone be interested in referencing the brand, the link is given below. Comoy’s – Pipedia

Further down under on the same web page, under the sub head “SECONDs MADE BY COMOY’S” is the complete list of seconds and I reproduce the same for ease of reference. The pipe on my work table finds a mention here and is highlighted in red.

Seconds made by Comoy’s
Academy Award, Ace of spades, Ancestor, Astor, Ayres, Britannia, Carlyle, Charles Cross, Claridge, Coronet?, Cromwell, Damman?, Dorchester, Dunbar, Drury Lane, Emerson, Everyman, Festival of Britain, Golden Arrow, Grand Master, Gresham, Guildhall, Hamilton (according to Who Made That Pipe), Kingsway, Lion’s Head, Lord Clive, Lumberman, Hyde Park, Lloyds, Mc Gahey, Moorgate, Newcastle, Oxford, O’Gorman, Rosebery Extra, Royal Falcon, Royal Guard, Royal Lane, Scotland Yard, St James, Sunrise, Super Sports, Sussex, The Academy Award, The Golden Arrow, The Mansion House, The Exmoor Pipe, Throgmorton, Tinder Box Royal Coachman, Townhall, Trident, Trocadero, Westminster, Wilshire.

Next, I was keen to research and link the shape code with Comoy’s pipes and at the bottom of the page is the link to Comoy’s Shape Number Chart (Comoy’s Shape Number Chart – Pipedia)

Comoy’s pipes were given shape numbers in the 1909 catalogue and also names for each shape, but it would seem that these numbers were NOT stamped on the pipes until sometime in the 1920’s. The earliest known is from 1925. The shape numbers are all 3 digits until after the Cadogan acquisition of Comoy’s in 1979, when some shapes were introduced with 4 digit numbers. However, they may have been introduced earlier in 1976, 1977 or 1978. On pre- Cadogan pipes additional letters can be found after the three numbers:

  • M on Meerschaum lined pipes.
  • P on Panel shaped bowls. ( This may not always be the case as I have now seen a photograph of a non panel Shape 309 with a P)
  • C on some shapes with curved bits. This does not seem to be universal for all curved bits and it would appear to be mainly on Princes and Bulldogs.
  • F believed to indicate a “Fishtail” bit. Verified on an early 1930’s Virgin Briar with the shape number 206F and a fishtail bit exactly like the Dunhill F/T, that was not introduced until 1950.

(S)=saddle bit – A/M=army mount – sq=squat – sq.shank=square shank

S=small – M=medium – L=large – XL=extraordinare shape – LW=lightweight shape

Circa 1975 (Pre-Cadogan) Shape Charts, courtesy Dough Valitchka which have been uploaded, finds a mention of the exact shape code seen on the Drury Lane that I am working on and is indicated with a red arrow. It is a Large Billiard with saddle stem.Here is another link from the same page which takes the readers to an absolutely well researched page on Dating of Comoy’s;

Comoy’s Dating Guide – Pipedia
Though the pipe currently on my work table is a Comoy’s second, I have attempted to date this pipe based on the stampings, particularly the COM stamp and have reproduced the relevant portions which have helped me in dating this pipe.

Made in England
This is stamped in a circle with “MADE” at the top, “IN” in the middle, and “ENGLAND” forming the bottom of the circle. This can be seen on a Cecil as early as 1910 and on an Old Bruyere of 1921 and more frequent from the 1930s. It can also appear as “MADE” arched, “IN” below, and “ENGLAND” arched the other way. These stamps are in an oval rugby-ball shape rather than a circle round shape.Thus I can conclusively say that the DRURY LANE pipe on my work table is from the period 1910 to 1930s

Initial Visual Inspection
The pipe that is currently on my work table has a classic Billiard shape with thick walls. The stummel has rich medium brown stain and is covered in dirt and grime through which flame grains can be seen around the sides of the stummel and over the shank surface while Bird’s eye adorns the front, aft, rim top and the foot of the stummel. There is a well maintained layer of cake in the chamber with heavy lava overflow over the rim top surface. The inner rim edge has a nice bevel that is covered in lava overflow. The twin bore vulcanite saddle stem is heavily oxidized with minor damage to the bite zone on either surface. The buttons on both surfaces show bite marks. The following pictures will give readers an idea of the overall condition of the pipe as it sits on my work table. Overall, the thin layer of cake and excellent condition of the stem are pointers to the fact that the pipe seems to be well looked after. It should be an easy restoration project, unless some gremlins pop up during the process. Detailed Visual Inspection
A thin and even layer of cake is seen in the chamber. The rim top surface is covered in overflow of lava, dirt, dust and grime through which a number of dents and dings can be seen. The exact condition of the inner walls of the chamber and rim top surface will be known once the cake has been taken down to bare briar and the rim top crud has been scraped off completely. The outer rim is uneven with a couple of dents/ chipped surface in 2 ‘O’ clock and 6 ‘O’ clock directions (marked in yellow circle). Only once the stummel has been thoroughly cleaned that I can be sure of my initial appreciation. The beveled inner rim edge is covered in lava overflow, masking the real condition of the rim edge. The chamber odor is strong and should be addressed to some extent once the cake has been taken down to the bare briar and the shank internals have been thoroughly cleaned. The stummel feels solid to the touch and I do not foresee any major issues with the condition of the chamber walls. To be honest with you, this being a Comoy’s seconds pipe, I had expected to find a few fills and some non-descript grain on the stummel briar. However, I was surprised to note that there are only four very minute fills (encircled in yellow) in the stummel surface and the surface boasts of some beautiful cross grains around the sides and over the shank surface while beautiful packed Bird’s eye adorns the front, aft and foot of the stummel. The stummel surface is covered in dirt and grime giving the stummel a dull and dirty appearance. The stummel surface shows a few dents and dings. It does have a quality which is seen on vintage pipes, not to forget, this is nearly an 80 plus year old pipe, but difficult to explain in words. The mortise shows minor accumulation of old oils and tars which would need to be cleaned. The fills over the stummel surface is one issue that I am not sure about dealing with since I absolutely love the old dark brown color and the patina that has developed over time that needs to be preserved and also since these fills are too minor to be noticed. A nice polish with micromesh grit pads will bring a nice shine to the stummel and highlight the grains.The twin bore vulcanite saddle stem is heavily oxidized, but otherwise in a decent condition. The bite zone on either surface shows some minor tooth indentations with a small amount of calcification at the base of the button edge. The twin holed slot and tenon opening shows accumulation of dried oils and tars. All in all, the stem presents no major damage and should be an easy clean up.The Process
I started the restoration with cleaning of the stummel as I was keen to know the condition of the walls of the chamber. I worked on the stummel by first reaming the chamber with size 3 PipNet reamer head. With my fabricated knife, I further scraped the chamber walls to remove the remaining carbon deposits and also scraped out the lava overflow from the rim top surface. Once the cake was reamed back to the bare briar, I used a 150 grit sand paper followed by 220 grit sand paper to remove all the traces of remaining cake and also to smoothen out the inner walls of the chamber surface. Finally, to remove the residual carbon dust, I wiped the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol. Few very minor webs of heat lines can be seen along the heel and walls of the chamber. I am not sure if these are heat lines or remnants of old cake over the wall surface. With the same sharp knife, I gently scraped off the lava overflow from the rim top surface. The inner rim edge bevel has darkened, but I don’t think it is charred. Gently running a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper along the inner edge should suffice to clean up the bevel. The issue of dents and dings over the rim top surface will be addressed by topping it over a 220 grit sandpaper.Next, I cleaned out the internals of the shank and mortise. Using my dental tool, I scraped out all the dried oils, tars and gunk that had accumulated in the draught hole and on the walls of the mortise. I finished the cleaning by running a few pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl alcohol through the mortise. I shall continue with further cleaning of the shank internals when I clean the external stummel surface.With the bowl internals clean, I moved to clean the exterior of the stummel. I used a hard bristled tooth brush and Murphy’s Oil Soap to scrub the stummel and rim top. I rinsed the stummel under running warm water with anti oil dish washing detergent till the stummel surface was clean and dried it using paper towels and soft cotton cloth. I simultaneously cleaned the shank internals with the detergent and hard bristled shank brush and set the stummel aside to dry out naturally. The stummel surface has cleaned up nicely and the beautiful grain patterns are now on full display.With the stummel internals and externals cleaned and spruced up, I turned to address the stem issues. I cleaned the internals of the stem using hard and normal bristled pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. I addressed the deeper oxidation by sanding the entire stem with a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper. Once the oxidation was completely removed, I wiped the surface clean with Murphy’s oil soap on a cotton swab. I rubbed a little Extra Virgin Olive oil to hydrate the stem and kept it aside. The stem at this point in restoration is shown below. The deeper tooth indentations on either surface of the stem were filled with a mix of CA superglue and activated charcoal powder and set aside for the fill to cure.Now that the rim top surface is clean and free of the entire lava overflow, the extent of the darkening to the inner bevel and dents and dings over the rim top surface are fairly apparent. I addressed the darkened inner edge by running a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper pinched between my thumb and index finger along the beveled surface and polished the freshly cleaned inner rim edge bevel with a piece of 600 grit sandpaper. I am very happy with the way inner rim edge bevel appears at this stage in restoration.I addressed the dents and dings over the rim top surface by topping it over a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I checked the progress frequently to ensure that the topping is just adequate. This also addressed the issue of damage to the outer rim edge at 2 o’clock and 6 o’clock directions.The stem repairs had hardened considerably and I decided to complete the stem refurbishing. Using a flat head needle file, I reshaped the button and followed it up by sanding the stem with a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper to achieve a rough match with the rest of the stem surface. I further dry sanded the stem with 400, 600 and 800 grit sand papers. This helps to fine tune the matching of the fill with the stem surface while removing the deep rooted oxidation from the stem surface. I followed it up by wet sanding with a piece of 1000 grit sand paper to completely rid the surface of the oxidation and bring out the shine in the vulcanite. Once I was satisfied that the fills had perfectly matched with the rest of the stem surface and oxidation has been eliminated, using micromesh pads, I completed the polishing cycle by wet sanding the surface with 1500 to 12000 grit pads. The stem looks great with the fills nicely matched with the rest of the surface. I rubbed a little quantity of Extra Virgin Olive oil into the stem surface.  I gave a final rub with “Before and After Extra Fine” stem polish compound from Mark to remove fine scratches from the stem surface. Then I rubbed a little quantity of Extra Virgin Olive oil in to the stem surface and set it aside to be absorbed by the vulcanite. The stem polished up nicely and appears as good as new. Turning my attention back to the stummel, I subjected the stummel to a complete cycle of micromesh polish, dry sanding with 1500 to 12000 grit pads. I paid greater attention to polish the rim top surface and the bevel created on the inner rim edge. I wiped the stummel with a moist cloth after every grit pad to remove the sanding dust left behind by the pads. This also helps in monitoring the progress being made and provides an opportunity to take early corrective action, if required. I am happy with the progress being made till now. The briar has taken on a nice deep shine with the original medium brown of the stummel and the darker brown stains to the grains contrasting beautifully. I really like the dark brown coloration and the patina that is seen over the stummel surface. Next, I rubbed a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” into the briar with my finger tips and worked it deep in to the surface and let it rest for a few minutes. The balm almost immediately works it’s magic and the briar now has a nice vibrant appearance with the beautiful cross and Bird’s eye grain patterns on full display. The contrast of the dark browns of the grain with the light brown hues of the rest of the stummel adds an interesting dimension to the appearance of the stummel. I further buffed it with a horse hair brush to further deepen the shine. To refresh the stem logo, I coated the stem logo with white correction ink and let it dry out completely. Once the ink had dried out, with a toothpick, I gently removed the excess ink from the surrounding surface. I am happy with the crisp stem stamp, even though the alphabet “P” is a bit worn out.To put the finishing touches, I mounted a cotton cloth buffing wheel on to my hand held rotary tool and polished the stummel and stem with Blue Diamond compound. This compound helps to remove the minor scratch marks that remain from the sanding. Next, I mounted another cotton buffing wheel that I have earmarked for carnauba wax and applied several coats of the wax. I mounted a clean cotton cloth buffing wheel and gave the entire pipe a once over buff. I finished the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to raise the shine further. The finished pipe with the aged patina to the briar looks amazingly beautiful and is now ready for its long second inning with me. P.S. I have attempted to preserve the aged patina which has developed over the stummel surface with the passage of time. I did accept the minor fills that were seen over the stummel surface and let them be as they had blended in perfectly with the rest of the stummel surface.

Even though this old vintage pipe is a seconds from the Comoy’s brand, it has the same high quality feel and geometry as one expects from the top of the line Comoy’s.

Praying for the health and safety of all the readers and their loved ones in these troubled times…