Tag Archives: Bowl – finishing

Giving Life to an Old Smokewel of Mysterious Origin

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Blog by Kenneth Lieblich

Next on the chopping block is a bent billiard sandblast Smokewel (one “L”), which I acquired in a lot of pipes from a gentleman living on Vancouver Island. He had quite an assortment of pipes and they ranged from utterly horrible to surprisingly beautiful – fortunately, this was of the beautiful variety. The pipe is very well made: the proportions are right, the drilling is accurate, and it just oozes competence. This is a sandblasted bent billiard, with a tapered, vulcanite stem. And what a wonderful, rugged blast on this one! On the underside of the shank, the markings read ‘Smokewel [over] London Made’, and, off to the right, the shape number ’26’. This pipe had been well-loved and well-smoked, as it arrived with some marks and general wear, and the stem was pretty nasty. There were also beautiful indications of “hand erosion” on the right-hand side, where the previous owner’s hand had lovingly rubbed the pipe over the years. There were also a couple of tiny nicks, but, fortunately, nothing overly complicated.

Identifying exactly what a “Smokewel” pipe is turned out to be a typical pipe-history morass. There are a few twists and turns in this story, so join me in wading through this mess. As you’ve seen in the photos, the pipe clearly says “Smokewel” – not “Smokewell”. I initially thought that perhaps the terminal “L” had been rubbed off, but, looking closely, one can see that “Smokewel” is perfectly centred over “London Made”, which suggests this odd spelling was not the victim of rubbing. In other words, there is no missing “L”.

There is scant information to be had on both “Smokewel” and “Smokewell” – and none of it could be linked definitively to this pipe. There is this entry on Pipephil for “Smokewell”:As you can see, it is a line of pipes from the John Redman firm of London. There are some examples of these pipes that can be found online, and I have included a photo of the markings of Redman’s “Smokewell” line: This might be significant because I have studied the letters of the markings from my pipe and Redman’s pipe, and they are the same. In addition, a John Redman catalog (supposedly) from the 1960s, lists “Smokewell” as one of their “London Made Briars” (note the wording). I have clipped the specific passage here:All of this is persuasive evidence, but not definitive. The missing “L” on my pipe causes me to pause, if only briefly, before declaring it to be a John Redman pipe. Also, the various iterations of Redman pipe usually had markings on the stem – this one has none and I don’t think it’s a replacement stem. I am aware that Wilczak and Colwell’s Who Made That Pipe? lists “Smokewell” under John Redman – but there is more.

Wilczak and Colwell also list “Smokewell” under a company called Maurice Pipes. The second “L” here could be an error from Wilczak and Colwell – the book is full of them. I also found an old advertisement for Maurice Pipes. Based in London, this firm supposedly produced very fine pipes. Superficially, this ad seems to have nothing to do with our pipe, except that it instructs the reader to use the word “Smokewel” (one “L”) in telegram and cable correspondence with the firm. The word obviously had significance to Maurice Pipes.On the PipesMagazine forums online, I read a thread about early sandblasts and one comment stuck out to me: “The mysterious Maurice was listing blast pipes in the 20’s and as a pipe company they are totally in the dusty shadows, but I’d reckon they were a fine maker, mostly because of their prices – they sold their Sandblast alongside their topline Extra for the very same price, at 16/6 and that’s a fairly high price comparatively.”

The connection between Maurice Pipes and “Smokewel” is tenuous at best, but it was my only connection to the single-L “Smokewell”. If you have information about any of the research above, I would love to hear from you. The stinger is a bit odd – does it ring any bells for you?

And speaking of the stinger, let’s clean it. I heated the stem and stinger with my heat gun and this provided just enough softening of the internal goo to allow me to pull it out. It then went for a soak in some lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I let it sit for several hours and then cleaned it off and it looked much improved.I wiped the outside of the stem down with Murphy’s Oil Soap on some cotton pads. Though dirty, the outside of the stem was in decent condition and the oxidation wasn’t too bad. On the other hand, the inside was another kettle of fish! I used up a good chunk of the world’s supply of pipe cleaners to clean it out – the pictures only show a fraction of what I used. Next, the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The following day, I cleaned all of the de-oxidizing mess off. The oxidation had migrated to the surface and would be fairly straightforward to remove. I scrubbed with SoftScrub on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation and leave the stem in a dull black colour. Finally, I used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to bring out the lovely black lustre on the stem. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing. Now for the stummel. It was nicked on the front edge of the rim, and the rim itself had lava and general filth, so, time to work on it! I started with the KleenReem to remove the built-up cake and followed that with 220-grit sandpaper taped to a dowel to eliminate as much as I could. I took the chamber down to bare briar, as I wanted to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the wall. Fortunately, there were none. I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. There was an extraordinary amount of filth inside this stummel and it took an enormous amount of cotton to get it clean. I only have a photo of a small number of pipe cleaners. I can’t imagine that this pipe had ever been cleaned – or, at least, not in many decades. Because the filth in the shank was well-encrusted, I used a couple of drill bits held in a chuck, by hand (not in a drill), to try and loosen up the debris. This worked quite well. I decided to de-ghost the pipe to remove any lingering smells of the past. 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 oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.In fact, the pipe was dirty enough that I then used my pipe retort system on it. I neglected to take photos of that, but it certainly helped clean the pipe. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. I used some Murphy’s Oil Soap and a toothbrush to scrub the outside of the stummel and the lava on the rim of the pipe. I didn’t scrub too hard – I wanted to keep the nice colour on the wood. Having completed that, I was able to address the small nicks on the rim and the bowl. I used some tiny drops of cyanoacrylate adhesive to fill the nicks, and a metal brush to camouflage the repairs in the wood. Finally, I used only the last three MicroMesh pads to polish the stummel, but I was careful not to damage the sandblast. After that, a light application of Before & After Restoration Balm brought out the best in the stummel’s grain. Then off to the buffer! A tiny dose of White Diamond and a few coats of conservator’s wax were just what this pipe needed. This Smokewel looks fantastic again. It is elegant and handsome, 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 British 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 5¼ in. (133 mm); height 2¾ in. (70 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅛ oz. (35 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.

Cleaning up a GBD Fantasy 9643 Tomato

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Blog by Mike Belarde

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. I’m grateful to finally have an easy going Sunday to clean up a pipe. This GBD Tomato is not a shape that I have encountered often, and I was excited to win the online auction.

The pipe is an impressive piece of briar with a very wide and squat bowl. When I received it, I was pleased that it was in fairly good condition.  The stummel had been cleaned and waxed, but the pipe still looked a little grimy and dull.  The chamber and rim had a light build up of carbon. Thankfully, the stem still had a nice crisp button and was only lightly oxidized.  Below are photos of the initial condition.As you can see from the photos, it is a great looking pipe.  I really like GBD’s Fantasy and Tapestry lines with their whimsical geometric smooth panels over a black or brown sandblast.  The stamping on this pipe is still crisp.  The markings include the Colossus stamp, and the linear London England stamp.  Below these, are the GBD in an oval over the Fantasy stamp with the shape number of 9643.

The Colossus stamp indicates that this was part of GBD’s line of supersized pipes. The linear London England stamp, paired with the brass GBD rondel, dates this pipe prior to 1981 or 1982.  My guess is this pipe was made sometime in the 1970s.Eager to clean the pipe up and add it to my collection, I placed the stem in a small Tupperware to soak overnight in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover solution. I then set to cleaning up the stummel. Realizing all my pipe reamers were too small for the width of the chamber, I wrapped a piece of 220 grit sandpaper around a highlighter to remove the built-up carbon.After this was done, I took the stummel to the sink and washed the exterior with Oil soap and an old toothbrush.  A light lava build up was present on the rim so I used an old green scouring pad to scrub it away. With the chamber and the exterior clean, the Tomato was looking really nice. The chamber seemed to be in good condition once the light cake had been removed.Thankfully the internals of this pipe were fairly clean and required minimal work on my part. I have to admit that cleaning the draught is my least favorite part of restoring estate pipes! I first used a 3mm wire brush to gently clean out the shank. Once done, I cleaned the internals with a handful of pipe cleaners dipped in 99% Isopropyl alcohol.After the interior of the pipe was cleaned to a satisfactory level, I prepared the pipe for de-ghosting. I put two fluffy pipe cleaners down the shank to act as a wick and then placed two cotton balls in the chamber. I soaked each cotton ball with alcohol, as I placed them one at a time in the chamber. To let the alcohol, work its magic and draw out more of the old tar and grime, I let it sit overnight. The next day I took the stem out of the Briarville solution and scrubbed the surface with a green scouring pad and some Soft Scrub.  The stem looked great, but I ran into a problem – for some reason the brass rondel came off. I’m not really sure what went wrong, but it would have to be fixed. I reattached the rondel by applying a small amount of Super Glue and used a soldering iron to apply heat. Hopeful that the heat would soften the vulcanite under the rondel and allow it to reattach as the vulcanite cooled. The process seemed to work, but I’m going to keep an eye on the rondel for possible problems down the road.

With that done, I sanded the stem with some 220 grit sandpaper and polished it with the series of micropads (1500-12000). Between each pad I wiped the stem down with stem oil. In the final step, I applied some Before and After Extra Fine Stem polish. I think the results turned out pretty well and am happy with how the stem looked. I may go back and rework some of the area around the rondel, but I am leery of disturbing the area too much and dislodging it again.Satisfied with the progress on the stem, I turned my attention to the stummel. I polished the rim and smooth panels with the progression of micromesh pads (1500-12000), wiping the areas with a damp paper towel after each pad. I lightly polished the sandblast areas with the 6000-12000 pads to avoid removing any of the original black stain. After I cleaned the stummel, I noticed a few areas that needed to be re-stained. You’ll notice the areas where the brown stain was showing through on the sandblast in the pictures below. I also noticed the transition between the shank and stem was darkened like it had been stained over with black dye. On other Fantasy pipes that I own, this transition is usually stained brown giving the pipes a nice highlight on the shank. I lightly sanded the rim with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper to remove some lingering darkening. I also lightly sanded the smooth panels and shank transition to remove some of the dark stain there. After this was done, I mixed a 1-to-3 ratio of Medium Brown and Black dyes with alcohol to thin them down. I like to apply the stain with a small hobby brush as I find the brush helps me to coat the stummel evenly. Once the stain was applied, I used a candle to fire the briar and set the dye. I let the stummel sit for 10 or 15 minutes and then removed some of the excess stain with a folded paper towel dampened with alcohol.I began to polish the stummel with the micromesh pad series (1500-12000), wiping the briar down with a damp paper towel between each pad. Once finished with the micro pads, I worked some Before and After Restoration Balm into the stummel, let it sit for about 10 minutes, and then buffed it with a cotton cloth. At this point I was very pleased with the results – the pipe looked great! For the last step, I buffed both the stummel and stem with Red Tripoli and Blue Diamond. I gave both several coats of Carnauba wax and buffed them with a cotton cloth.

I’m really happy how this pipe turned out! It is a great shape and the size of the bowl just dominates one’s palm.  The overall length of the pipe is 5.25”, with the outside diameter of the bowl coming in at 2.13”. The chamber itself is a generous 1”, while the entire bowl stands at a modest 1.13”. The pipe weighs a noticeable 2.20oz, and its haft and size just feel nice in one’s hand.   It should be a nice smoking pipe, and I’m happy that I can add it to my collection. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog!

New Life for a Petite S. Bang Sandblast Apple

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe was a surprise to Jeff and me when we bought it from the fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 10, 2022. It is a petite sandblast apple with an oval shank and stem. The stem is vulcanite and the band Sterling Silver. The pipe is stamped S. Bang [over] Kobenhavn on a smooth oval on the underside of the shank.  That is over another smooth patch, a rectangle stamped with Handmade [over] In Denmark. The Sterling Silver band on the shank is stamped Bang [over] 925S. The bowl had a thick cake with some lava overflow on the rim top and inwardly beveled inner edge of the bowl. There were scratches and marks in the finish. The finish on the bowl was dirty but also seemed to have a very shiny coat on it. The silver band is tarnished and dirty. The oval, vulcanite taper stem is dirty, scratched and had tooth chatter and marks on the top and underside of the stem ahead of the button. Jeff took these  photos of the pipe before he started his cleanup work. He took photos of the rim and bowl to show the thick cake and lava coat covering the rim top. It really was filthy and a mess. It is hard to see if there was any damage to rim top and inner edge from the photos. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show its overall condition when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful blast around the bowl and shank sides. The rich brown stains highlights the grain and adds depth to the finish. It shows some promise. He also took photos of the stamping on the smooth panels on the underside of the shank and on the silver band. It took several photos to capture the stamp on the curve but they were clear and read as noted above. To help me understand the stamping a bit more I turned to Pipephil’s site and read what it said about S. Bang pipes (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-s1.html). I have included a screen capture of the section below as well as the side bar information below the capture. Sven Bang opened his tobacco and pipe shop in 1968 in Copenhagen. He was more a business man than a pipe carver and began to hire pipemakers. About half a dozen succeeded each other in his workshop during the 1970’s (Ivan Holst Nielsen, Jan Wideløv, Phil Vigen…). At least Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier stayed and when Sven retired in 1983 they took over the company (in 1984) keeping its name.

I knew from that the pipe I have was made for the European market and was known as a Black Blast. I also knew that it was made after 1984 when the stamp Copenhagen was replaced with Kobenhavn. It is also the time when Ulf and Per took over the company so it was made by one of them.

To close my understanding of the pipe I turned to Pipedia (https://pipedia.org/wiki/S._Bang). I quote the section from the article where the company changed hands from S. Bang to Hansen and Noltensmeier in 1984. It is a great read so I have included it below.

Svend Bang retired in 1984. Evidently he felt a great deal of pride in the product that he initiated throughout his career and retirement and until his death in 1993.

Once Hansen and Noltensmeier took over the company (in 1984) they knew it was best to retain the S. Bang name – the two carvers always shared the same philosophy about that. Noltensmeier and Hansen were determined to maintain top quality at the expense of increased numbers. The only change they made concerns the stamping on the pipes changing from the English version “COPENHAGEN” to the Danish “KOBENHAVN”.

Still, they are two separate carvers, with their own styles and preferences. Each makes his own pipes – there is no “assembly line” construction at S. Bang. They bounce ideas off of each other, of course, and admit that when problems arise in a pipe, it is nice to have a partner to discuss them with.

Though they carve pipes as individuals, there are similarities in their work. All Bang pipes are made with black, hand-cut vulcanite stems.

The same engineering is used by both carvers as well. The shape and size of the tobacco chambers vary according to size and design of the pipe, but each carver follows the same design guidelines for choosing the proper chamber dimensions. The smoke channel is always engineered for optimum performance.

Bang pipes are noted for the high definition and fine contrast in the grain. They undergo a double staining process to achieve that effect. The technique makes the grain leap from the bowl of the pipe, making well-grained wood become extra ordinary. The same coloring, however, will produce different results in different pieces of briar, making each pipe truly individual.

Per Hansen is the designated sandblasting artist for the team. He personally takes those pieces that are to be sandblasted to Stanwell, and is permitted to use the sandblasting equipment himself. That is the only S. Bang process, though, that is not executed by the individual carver of each pipe. Everything else, including the famous S. Bang silverwork, is done in the shop by each of the carvers on his own pipes.

Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed the debris on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation, calcification. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl showed some damage to the inner edge and some darkening on the rim top. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar. The stem looked better, though there were tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank and the Sterling Silver band. It reads as noted above.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. I started my work on the bowl polishing the smooth rim top with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the briar down after each pad. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean them. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I used a jewelers cloth to polish the silver band on the pipe. I was able to remove the tarnish and marks on the silver and raise the shine. I set aside the bowl and turned my attention to the damage on the stem. I sanded the light tooth marks and chatter on the stem smooth with 220 grit sandpaper and started polishing it with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I gave it a further polish with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the S. Bang Black Sandblast Oval Shank Apple and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. Considering the mess the pipe was when we received it I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful S. Bang Sandblast Apple – the vulcanite taper stem and rim top and sandblast finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The polished black, vulcanite stem looks really good with the rich grain standing out on the bowl and shank. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 4 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 inch, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is .81 ounces/23 grams. This beautiful little S.Bang will be staying with me for awhile. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Cleaning up another Dark Sandblast Stanwell Sterling Silver Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I am working on was purchased on 01/10/2023 as part of another group of pipes from a fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was another tired and dirty pipe but it had a great sandblast on the bowl and shank and a smooth rim top. The only mark on the pipe is on the silver band on the shank that reads Stanwell [over] Silver. The pipe is classic Danish Billiard. There were tars and oils ground into the valleys and crevices of the sandblast. The bowl had a thick cake that flowed over the top of the rim in a thin coat of a lava and some damage to the top and inner edge of the bowl. The stem was a black vulcanite taper stem with a silver Crown S logo on the left side. It was oxidized, calcified and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. I think it would clean up to be a beautiful pipe. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work.  He took photos of the rim and bowl to show the thick cake and lava coat covering the rim top. It really was filthy and a mess. You can also see the rim top and inner edge damage in the photos. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show its overall condition when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful blast around the bowl and shank sides. The rich brown stains highlights the grain and adds depth to the finish. It shows some promise. He also took photos of the stamping on the silver band. It took several photos to capture the stamp on the curve but they were clear and read as noted above. Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed the debris on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation, calcification. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl showed some damage to the inner edge and some darkening on the rim top. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar. The stem looked better, though there were tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. I tried to capture the Stanwell Sterling on the silver band. It is clearer in person than is shown in the photo. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. I started my work on the bowl by working on the damage to the inner edge of the bowl and the darkening on the rim top and outer edge with 220 grit sandpaper. I was able to clean it up nicely.I polished the smooth rim top with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the briar down after each pad. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean them. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set aside the bowl and turned my attention to the damage on the stem. I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a lighter to lift them as much as possible. I filled in the ones that remained with clear CA glue and set it aside to cure. I used a small file to flatten the repairs and recut the button edge. I sanded the stem smooth with 220 grit sandpaper and started polishing it with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I gave it a further polish with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Stanwell Sterling Sandblast Billiard and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. Considering the mess the pipe was when we received it I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Stanwell Sterling Sandblast Billiard – the vulcanite taper stem and rim top and sandblast finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The polished black, vulcanite stem looks really good with the rich grain standing out on the bowl and shank. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.27 ounces/36 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the Danish Pipe Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Discovering Beautiful Grain on this dirty Stanwell Sterling Silver 97 Reg. No. 969-48 Liverpool

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I am working on was purchased on 01/10/2023 as part of another group of pipes from a fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was another tired and dirty pipe that was a unique shape. The pipe is stamped on the left side and reads Stanwell [over] Regd. No. 969-48. On the right side it is stamped with the shape number 97. On the underside of the shank it is stamped Made in Denmark. The pipe is an interesting look shape I would call a Liverpool. It is long shank and round with a taper vulcanite stem. There were tars and oils ground into the surface of the briar. The silver band on the shank was original and was stamped Sterling [over] Silver. The bowl had a thick cake that flowed over the top of the rim in a thin coat of a lava and some damage to the inner edge of the bowl. The stem was a black vulcanite taper stem without a logo on the side or top. It was oxidized, calcified and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. I think it would clean up to be a beautiful pipe. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work.  He took photos of the rim and bowl to show the moderate cake and lava coat covering the rim top. It really was filthy and a mess. You can also see the rim top and inner edge damage in the photos. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show its overall condition when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful grain  around the bowl and shank sides. The rich brown stains highlights the grain and adds depth to the finish. It shows some promise. He also took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank and the band. They were clear and read as noted above. Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the heavy overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed the thick coat on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation, calcification. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl showed some damage to the inner edge and some darkening on the rim top. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar. The stem looked better, though there were tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank and the underside show that it is clear and readable. I tried to capture the Stanwell Sterling on the silver band (first photo below). It is clearer in person than is shown in the photo.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.I started my work on the bowl by working on the damage to the inner edge of the bowl and the darkening on the rim top and outer edge with 220 grit sandpaper. I was able to clean it up nicely.I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the briar down after each pad. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean them. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set aside the bowl and turned my attention to the damage on the stem. I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a lighter to lift them as much as possible. I filled in the ones that remained with clear CA glue and set it aside to cure. I used a small file to flatten the repairs and recut the button edge. I sanded the stem smooth with 220 grit sandpaper and started polishing it with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I gave it a further polish with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Stanwell Sterling 97 Lovat Reg. No. 969048 Liverpool pipe and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. Considering the mess the pipe was when we received it I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Stanwell Sterling 97 Reg. No. 969-48 Lovat – the vulcanite taper stem and rim top and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The polished black, vulcanite stem looks really good with the rich grain standing out on the bowl and shank. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is .99 ounces/28 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the Danish Pipe Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Discovering Beauty under the grime on a Stanwell Sterling Silver Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I am working on was purchased on 01/10/2023 as part of another group of pipes from a fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was another tired and dirty pipe that obviously had been someone’s favourite smoker. The pipe has no stampings on the shank sides. The silver band is stamped Stanwell Sterling. The dark brown sandblast finish was dirty and tired looking but showed some great grain in the blast. There were tars and oils ground into the surface of the briar. The silver band on the shank was original and was stamped Sterling [over] Silver. The bowl had a thick cake that flowed over the top of the rim in a thick coat of a lava in the sandblast top. The stem was a black vulcanite taper stem with a silver Crown S on the left side. It was oxidized, calcified and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. There was also a small bite through on the top and underside ahead of the button. I think it would clean up to be a beautiful pipe. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work.  He took photos of the rim and bowl to show the moderate cake and lava coat covering the rim top. It really was filthy and a mess. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show its overall condition when it arrived. You can see the two bite throughs on both sides of the stem. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful grain in the sandblast around the bowl and shank sides. The rich brown stains highlights the grain and adds depth to the finish. It shows some promise. He also took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the Sterling Silver Band and a photo of the inlaid Crown Silver S on the left side of the stem. It read as noted above. Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the heavy overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed the thick coat on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation, calcification. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl was in surprisingly good condition. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar around the sandblast. The stem looked better, though there were deep tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button as well as a small bite through on each side ahead of the button. I took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the Sterling Band. It was clear and readable as noted above.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.I started my work on the bowl by going over the sandblasted rim top with a brass bristle wire brush. It removed the remaining dust and debris from the sandblast. It gave the finish a better and cleaner look. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean them. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set aside the bowl and turned my attention to the damage on the stem. I took a photo of the bite through on the top and underside of the stem just ahead of the button. You can see the small bite through on the top of the stem and the larger hole in the underside of the stem. They will need to be filled in and smoothed out and reshaped.I greased a folded pipe cleaner with Vaseline Petroleum Jelly and inserted it into the airway in the button. I filled in the holes on both sides with black CA glue and set it aside for the repairs to cure.I removed the pipe cleaner from the airway and set aside the stem to let the repairs cure. Once they cured, I flattened them out with a flat file and then sanded them with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface of the stem. I started the polishing with 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I gave it a further polish with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Stanwell Sterling Sandblast Billiard pipe and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the acrylic. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. Considering the mess the pipe was when we received it I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Stanwell Sterling Sandblast Billiard – the vulcanite taper stem and rim top and sandblast finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The polished black, vulcanite stem looks really good with the rich browns standing out in the sandblast. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.23 ounces/36 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the Danish Pipe Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Discovering Beauty under the Filth of this Stanwell Valby Piben Nr.1 51 Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I am working on was purchased on 12/13/2022 as part of another group of pipes from a fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was a tired and dirty pipe that obviously had been someone’s favourite smoker. The pipe has an identifying plate on the left side of the shank that reads Valby -[over] Piben Nr.1. On the underside of the shank it was stamped Stanwell [over] Made in Denmark. On the right side of the shank it was stamped with the shape number 51. The dirty reddish finish on this was worn and tired looking but showed some great grain. There were tars and oils ground into the surface of the briar. The thin gold band on the shank was original and distinguishing feature of the Valby. The bowl had a thick cake that flowed over the top of the rim in a thick coat of a lava and showed potential damage on the top and the inner edge. The stem was a black vulcanite taper stem with a gold Crown S on the left side. It was oxidized, calcified and had light tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. I think it would clean up to be a beautiful pipe. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work.  He took photos of the rim and bowl to show the heavy cake and thick lava coat covering the rim top. It really was filthy and a mess. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show its overall condition when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful grain around the bowl and shank sides. The rich red stain highlights the grain and adds depth to the finish. It shows some promise. He also took a photo of the stamped gold plate on the left side of the shank. He also took photos of the stamping on the underside as well as the shape number on the right side. It read as noted above. From what I can find online it seems that Valby is one of the cities that Stanwell was made in along with Copenhagen. I wonder if the Piben Nr.1 is to commemorate the first pipe that was originally made in Valby. It could be another commemorative pipe like the pair of Bulldogs I just finished commemorating the 65th Anniversary of Stanwell – 1942-2007. Hard to  know for sure but very likely.

Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the heavy overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed the thick coat on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation, calcification. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the incredibly thick cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl looked very good. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar around the sandblast. The stem looked very good.I took a photo of the stamping on the gold plate on the left side of the shank and the underside and the right side of the shank to show that it was readable and undamaged by the cleanup work. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.I started my work on the bowl by polishing the briar with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth. The bowl began to take on a rich shine and grain was beginning to stand out. I sanded with all of the pads and wiped the bowl down after each pad with a soft cloth. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean them. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the bowl aside and worked on the stem at this point in the process. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I gave it a further polish with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Commemorative Stanwell Valby – Piben Nr.1 shape 51 Billiard pipe and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the acrylic. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. Considering the mess the pipe was when we received it I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Stanwell Valby Nr.1 Billiard – the vulcanite saddle stem and crowned rim top and sandblast finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The polished black, vulcanite stem looks really good with the rich browns standing out in the sandblast. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.23 ounces/36 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the Danish Pipe Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Restoring a 2007 Limited Edition Set of Stanwell 65th Anniversary No. 01 Straight Bulldogs

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pair of pipes were purchased on 11/10/22 as part of a group of pipes from a fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark. They were both smoked, though the briar one was more heavily used. The lighter Beechwood pipe had been smoked and had a light cake and some darkening around the inner edge of the rim top. The Beechwood pipe is stamped on the left underside of the shank and reads Kyrringe [over] Made in Denmark [over] No. 1. The darker briar pipe had a thick cake and a lava overflow on the rim top. It was stamped on the left underside of the shank and read Stanwell [over] Made in Denmark [over] No. 1. The finish on the Beechwood one showed some nice grain around the bowl and shank and though it was a little dirty it was a nice looking pipe. The Briar one had some rich grain around the bowl and shank and was dirty. Both stems were black acrylic saddle stems. Both have light tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem ahead of the button. The Briar one had the Stanwell Crown S on the left side of the saddle stem while the Beechwood had nothing on the stem side. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work.  He took photos of the rim and bowl of both pipes to give a sense of what he was dealing with. He also took photos of the stem surfaces on both to show the condition of the stem when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful grain around the bowl and shank sides. The twin rings on both are very nicely done and show no damage. The light natural colour of the Beechwood and the reddish stain on the briar adds depth finish on the pipes and makes the grain really stand out. They are a beautiful pair of pipes. He also took photos of the stamped name on the left underside of each of the shanks. It reads as noted above. Before I started my work on the pipe I turned to Pipephil to see what I could learn about the pair. I knew that Kyrringe was the name of the brand started by Poul Nielsen (later Stanwell)  during WWII (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-k3.html). I did a screen capture of the information there and also included the sidebar information below that.During WWII Poul Nielsen managed the Kyringe company. They made briar and beech wood pipes (see enlarged views). Some few years after the war Poul Nielsen will create the Stanwell brand.

I turned to Pipedia for some more information and was delighted to read the history of the brand that fleshed out the information I had found on Pipephil (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell). I quote a section of the article below. If you want more information the article is worth reading.

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. Stanwell maintains the most modern pipe making facility in the world and for many years has enjoyed some unique relationships with many legendary Danish pipe makers. In fact, Stanwell occupies a pivotal place in the history of the world-wide popularity of Danish-made pipes. 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.

I am also including several photos of the original pair of pipes that were released under the Kyrringe name. They are very similar to the pair that I am working on which were released to honour those early days on the 65th Anniversary of Stanwell.I followed the Google trail further and found a great description of the set that I had in hand on Smokingpipes.com. It described and the pipes and the foundation information on these pipes and their history in the early life of Stanwell and Poul Nielsen during WWII. Here is the link (https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/denmark/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=255998). I quote:

These two-pipe sets were made in 2007 to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Stanwell. Stanwell began as Kyringe, a manufacturer of various goods from beech. Given the unavailability of briar during the Second World War, Poul Nielsen, founder of Stanwell, made pipes from beech wood. This, the ’01’, was the very first Stanwell (then Kyringe) shape. It was later redesigned and became the ’32’, but the original version of the shape is presented in this two pipe set, with one from briar and one from beech.

It’s nice to see one of these sets again. We had just two of them when they came out in 2007 and they left our shelves immediately; they were pretty limited as I recall. – Sykes Wilford Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the heavy overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed some of the black stain on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the Beechwood pipe and it looked very good. He also was able to remove the thick cake and lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos of the Briar bowl above. Both pipes cleaned up very well but had some damage on the inner edge of the rim. The stem looked better on both pipes as can be seen in the photos below. There were tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button on both pipes. I took a photo of the stamping on the left underside of the diamond shank of both pipes to show that it was readable and undamaged by the cleanup work. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts of each pipe to give a sense of what they looked like.I started my work on the inside beveled edge and rim top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I was able to remove that darkening on the right front and the back inner edge. It looked much better. I started polishing the bowls of both pipes with micromesh sanding pads. I wet sanded it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth. The bowl began to take on a rich shine and grain was beginning to stand out. I wet sanded with all of the pads and wiped the bowl down after each pad with a soft cloth. I rubbed the bowls of both down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the wood. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The bowls really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of them at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. They are beautiful bowls. I set the bowls aside and worked on the stems at this point in the process. I sanded the tooth marks and chatter out of the acrylic stems with a folded piece of 220 sandpaper. I sanded them with 600 grit sandpaper until the marks were gone.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry.I put the stems back on each of the Stanwell 65th Anniversary 01 Bulldogs (a Beechwood one and a Briar one and took them to the buffer. I buffed the bowls and acrylic stems with Blue Diamond to polish both. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowls and the stems several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipes with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed them with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The pipes polished up really nicely with a great contrast between the Beechwood and the Briar. The finished pipes are shown in the photos below. These are beautiful small Stanwell Bulldogs – the Beechwood is stamped with the original Kyrringe stamp and the Briar with the Stanwell stamp. Both are stamped Made in Denmark and No. 1. Both have acrylic stems though the Stanwell one has the gold Crown S logo on the left side. The polished acrylic stems look really good with the two pipes. The dimensions of the Kyrringe Beechwood pipe are Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 inch, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is .95 ounces/27 grams. The dimensions of the Stanwell Briar pipe are Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 inch, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is .99 ounces/28 grams. This pair of 65th Anniversary pipes (as a pair) will be put on the rebornpipes online store in the Danish Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding them to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this set!

 

Is it possible to give this Horribly Abused Stanwell 1986 POY Dublin New Life?

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I am working on was purchased on 11/14/2022 as part of a group of pipes from a fellow in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was a horribly tired and dirty pipe with a lot of wear and tear and obviously it had been someone’s favourite smoker. The pipe has an identifying plate on the left side of the shank that reads Stanwell [over] 1986. There was no other stamping on the shank and the silver plate confirmed for me that it was a Stanwell Pipe of the Year. The dirty sandblast finish on this was worn and tired looking. There were tars and oils ground into the surface of the briar. The silver band on the shank was an later addition to address a crack in the shank on the underside. one showed some nice grain around the bowl and shank and though it was a little dirty it was a nice looking pipe. The bowl had a thick cake that flowed over the top of the lightly crowned rim in a thick coat of a lava and showed potential damage on the top and the inner edge. The stem was a black vulcanite saddle stem with a silver Crown S on the left side of the saddle. It had some deep and wide tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button. There was also some oxidation and calcification on both sides of the stem. For me the question was would it clean up well enough to make it worth doing a thorough restoration. Time would tell once it was cleaned up and I had a chance to look it over. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work.  He took photos of the rim and bowl to show the heavy cake and thick lava coat covering the rim top. It really was filthy and a mess. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show its overall condition when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowls show beautiful grain around the bowl and shank sides. The sandblast is nicely done and highlights the grain. The brown stain on the briar adds depth finish on the pipe and makes the grain really stand out. It shows some promise. He took a photo of the crack in the underside of the shank. It had been repaired before but the band had slipped off a bit and the crack had opened up. He also took a photo of the stamped silver plate on the left underside of the shanks. It reads as noted above. Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the heavy overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed the thick coat on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation, calcification. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the incredibly thick cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top showed damage on the surface and the inner edge of the bowl was in rough condition. It was chipped and out of round. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar around the sandblast. The last photo of the three below shows the crack in the shank. The stem looked better, though there were deep tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. I took a photo of the stamping on the silver plate on the left side of the shank to show that it was readable and undamaged by the cleanup work.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.I started my work on the inner edge and rim top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I was able to remove that damage on the rim top and bring the inner edge back into round. It looked much better. (I also filled in the remnants of the crack on the underside of the shank with clear CA glue to further strengthen the  previous repair. I forgot to take pictures of this step.)I started polishing the smooth rim top with micromesh sanding pads. I wet sanded it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth. The crowned rim top began to take on a rich shine and grain was beginning to stand out. I wet sanded with all of the pads and wiped the bowl down after each pad with a soft cloth. I used an oak stain pen to touch up the stain on the rim top to match the other smooth portions of the bowl and shank.I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I used a horsehair shoe brush to work it into the sand blast. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I polished the silver band and plaque on the side of the shank with a jewelers cloth to remove the slight remaining oxidation and to protect and preserve it. I set the bowl aside and worked on the stem at this point in the process. The stem sat straight in the shank but the fit was thicker on the right side of the shank rather than the left side. I would need to reduce the diameter of the stem on the right side to get a more centered fit. I sanded the side with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper to reduce the diameter on that side. At the same time I filled in the deep tooth marks with clear CA glue. I flattened the repairs with a small file. And sanded the smooth with 220 grit. I started polishing the whole stem with 600 grit sandpaper until the sanding marks were gone. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I gave it a further polish with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Stanwell Pipe of the Year 1986 Dublin Calabash pipe and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the acrylic. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. Considering the mess the pipe was when we received it I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Stanwell POY 1986 – the vulcanite saddle stem and crowned rim top and sandblast finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The polished black, vulcanite stem looks really good with the rich browns standing out in the sandblast. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.34 ounces/38 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the Danish Pipe Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Life for a Heavily Smoked Randy Wiley Patina Freehand

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Blog by Steve Laug

Jeff purchased this pipe on 05/01/2022 at an antique mall in Bozeman, Montana, USA. It is hard smoked freehand with a smooth inward bevel to the rim and a plateau strip left around the outer edge of the bowl. The shank end is tapered at an angle and is smooth. The pipe is stamped on the underside of the shank and reads Wiley[over] Patina [over] U.S.A. [over] 7. The orange/amber acrylic stem has no stamp on it and is a fancy turned piece that appears to me to be a replacement. It will need to be fitted to the shank with more of a taper but it is okay. There was a heavy cake in the bowl and lava overflowing onto the beveled rim top and plateau outer edge. The finish showed some nice grain around the bowl and shank even through the grime that was ground into it. The stem was had some shine that seems to stay with acrylic even when worn. It was dirty and there were tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his clean up work. He took photos of the rim and bowl to give a sense of what he was dealing with. He also took photos of the stem surfaces to show the condition of the stem when it arrived. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show beautiful carving around the bowl and shank sides. There is some were and roughness on the ridges on the heel of the bowl.The brown stain adds depth finish on the pipe. Even under the grime it is a unique piece. He also took photos of the stamped name on the underside of shank. It reads as noted above. I looked on my usual sites for information on the brand. I turned first to Pipephil’s site and did not find a listing for the brand. That is unusual. I then turned to Pipedia to see what was available there (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Wiley). I quote from that article below:

A Young Randy Wiley (courtesy of Doug Vatlitchka)

Having been apprenticed in wood carving, Randy Wiley fell into pipe making in the 1970s as a means to follow to his passion. At the age of 25, and after two years with a Florida based pipe manufacturer, Wiley struck out on his own and has since become one of the most recognizable craftsmen in American pipe making.

Randy Wiley is a distinctive maker as he never sandblasts his work and remains one of the few makers that will oil-cure a pipe. He currently produces around 1000 pipes annually, and the majority are smooth or completely rusticated. Sometimes he will carve a feather over a sandpit, which allows the beautiful grain to not be covered in texture. Aside from his shallow rusticated pieces (done with a rotary tool), Randy also makes some craggy carved pieces for his Old Oak line. All of his stems are made from acrylic, and many of them are very colorful, and twisted by design. Courtesy, Smokingpipes.com

Jeff cleaned up the pipe for me. He reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned it up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the exterior with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to clean off the grime off the finish and the heavy overflow of lava on the rim top. The cleaning had removed some of the black stain on the rim top. He cleaned up the internals of the shank, mortise and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove all of the oils and tars in the pipe. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and was able to remove much of the oxidation. When it arrived here in Vancouver it was a clean pipe and I knew what I had to work with. I took photos of it before I started my part of the restoration. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show their condition once it arrived in Canada. Jeff was able to clean up the incredibly thick cake and lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The plateau outer edge and the beveled inner edge of the rim look quite good. He was also able to get rid of the grime and grit in the surface of the briar. There was still some darkening on the rim bevel that I would need to remove. The stem looked better, though there was staining in the airway in the stem. The tenon and the cone shaped end of the stem has some file marks on it and the tenon was not straight. There were tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button.I have noticed on some repairs that folks don’t pay much attention to the stamping when they are restoring a pipe. To me this is a critical part of the restoration to leave undamaged as it is the only link we have to who made the pipe. I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank to show that it was readable and undamaged by the cleanup work.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.I started my work on the inside beveled edge and rim top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I was able to remove that darkening on the right front and the back inner edge. It looked much better.I wiped the bowl down with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton pad to remove the dust and debris as well as the spotty stain. I started polishing the briar with micromesh sanding pads. I wet sanded it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth. The bowl began to take on a rich shine and grain was beginning to stand out. I wet sanded with all of the pads and wiped the bowl down after each pad with a soft cloth. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I used a horsehair shoe brush to work it into the plateau top.  I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the bowl aside and worked on the stem at this point in the process. I built up the uneven tenon surface with clear CA glue to straighten the tenon out. Once the repair cured I used a small file to flatten the repairs and reshape the tenon. I sanded the repairs with a folded pieces of 220 to remove the marks and the light brown colouration on the stem surface. I sanded them with 600 grit sandpaper until the marks were gone and the oxidation was gone. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. I finished by wiping the stem down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Randy Wiley   Patina 7 Freehand pipe and took the pipe to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the acrylic. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The pipe polished up really nicely with a great contrasting stain look to the briar. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Randy Wiley Patina Freehand – the fancy turned acrylic stem and plateau rim top and smooth shank end give the pipe a great look. The polished golden acrylic stem looks really good with the rich browns standing out in the grain. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 1 inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.83 ounces/52 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!