Tag Archives: Bowls – refinishing

This Suave Jandrew Calabash Grew on Me

by Kenneth Lieblich

Hiding amongst the bric-à-brac, in the bottom of a box of pipes I recently acquired, was this relatively inconspicuous pipe. This pipe is a Jandrew partially-rusticated calabash with a vulcanite shank extension. It also has a thin, military-mount, vulcanite stem. I asked Steve about the brand and he mentioned its provenance. I must say, this pipe didn’t immediately catch my attention. It seemed fine, but nothing of note. But as I worked on it, it grew on me. I thought about it more and more, and I liked it more and more. The markings were brief – but very clear and readable. On the underside of the shank, were the words, Jandrew [over] 6 ∙ 99. This indicates that the pipe was made by J. Andrew Kovacs in (what I assume to be) June 1999. It also displays a handsome brass dot in the shank extension.Little information is to be had about Jandrew pipes. Using the scant information I could trawl together from Pipedia, MBSD Pipes, BlueRoomBriars, and Smoking Pipes, I have collated the following:

Jandrew pipes were made by J. Andrew Kovacs, an American artisan. He lived in both Jerome and Cottonwood, Arizona and is said to have later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was part of a group of Arizona-based hobbyists that started carving pipes in the 1960s and 70s. Working through the late 20th century, Kovacs was part of the great American freehand scene and preferred acrylic stems. He favored the wild Danish Fancy style of shaping, and his work was once commonly found in pipe shops of the southwestern United States (especially in the Phoenix area). Horace DeJarnett (of DeJarnett Pipes) studied pipemaking for about year (on and off) in 2000 at Kovacs’ workshop in northern Arizona.

Let’s get working. As you can see, this pipe was in great shape already – not too much work needed. The stummel was a bit dirty inside, but not too bad. The stem was also in good condition – just a few, minor tooth marks. This must be an unusual Jandrew pipe insofar as the stem (and shank extension) is vulcanite – not the usual acrylic. On the whole, the pipe looked tired, worn, but in decent shape – kind of like me. I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This was done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on to sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the vulcanite. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed. Overall, it wasn’t too bad.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and distilled water, with cotton rounds. I also used a toothbrush in the crevices. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar.The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with the same mild detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.I used some of my micromesh pads to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of conservator’s wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This Jandrew 06-99 calabash pipe is a beauty and will go into my collection (at least for now). It was a pleasure to work on. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6⅜ in. (162 mm); height 1⅞ in. (48 mm); bowl diameter 1⅔ in. (42 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (20 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1½ oz. (44 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Fresh Life for a Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 302 Bent Apple with a 9mm Filter Stem

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe I have chosen is a sandblast dark finished Peterson’s System – this time a System Standard shape 302. It came to us from our source in Copenhagen, Denmark on 04/11/2023. It had a P-lip System style stem. The finish was sandblast with some nice grain showing through the blast around the sides and shank. It was stamped on the underside of the shank and reads Peterson’s [arched over] System [over] Standard. Following that it was stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland (three lines) over the shape number 302. It was dirty with grime ground into the finish around the bowl and shank. There was a thick cake in the bowl and lava spots in the sandblast the rim top. The nickel ferrule was in good shape but stained with oils and tars leaving it yellow. It would need to be polished to bring it back to its silver colouring. It is stamped as well and reads K & P [over] Peterson on the left side. The vulcanite P-lip stem was unstamped and there was some oxidation, calcification and light chatter near the button that would polish out. It was also a stem with a tenon drilled to receive a 9mm filter. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his work. He took photos of the rim top and stem to show the general condition of the pipe. The bowl is moderately caked and the rim top and edges have a spotty lava overflow. The stem looks good but it has light tooth marks on the top and underside near the button. He took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the sandblast grain that was very visible around the bowl and shank. He took photos of the stamping on the shank sides and the ferrule. It read as noted above and was clear and readable. I am including the information from Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). I have included a bit of the pertinent history here.

1950 – 1989 The Republic Era – From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland” in a block format generally in three lines but two lines have been used with or without Republic being abbreviated.

During the 1950’s and 60’s the Kapp & Peterson company was still in the ownership of the Kapp family. However 1964 saw the retiral of the company Managing Director Frederick Henry(Harry) Kapp.

Pipedia also included a section of information on the System pipes including a diagram of the sytems look (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson#Republic_Era_Pipes). I quote a section of the article in part and include a link to another article on Pipedia on the System pipe.

The Peterson System pipes are the standard bearers of the Peterson pipe family, famous for the excellent smoking pleasure they provide. Often imitated but never equalled, the Peterson System smokes dry, cool and sweet, thanks to the scientific effectiveness of the original design. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture ﬂows into the reservoir and, thus cannot reach the smoker’s mouth. The Peterson Lip further enhances the effectiveness of the graduated bore by directing the ﬂow of smoke upwards and away from the tongue. This achieves a uniquely even distribution of smoke and virtually eliminates any chance of tonguebite or bitterness. Furthermore, the shape is contoured so that the tongue rests comfortably in the depression under the opening. Each “PLip” mouthpiece is made from Vulcanite. For the Peterson System pipes to work properly, the stem/tenon has to have an extension, the tip of which will pass by the draft hole from the bowl and into the sump. Upon the smoker drawing in smoke, this extension then directs the smoke down and around the sump to dispense a lot of the moisture before the smoke enters the extension and stem. On the System Standards and other less expensive systems, this extension with be made of Vulcanite turned integrally with the stem. On the more expensive System pipes this extension will be made of metal which screws into the Vulcanite stem. This extension on the earlier pipes will be of brass and the newer pipes will be of aluminium. Most smokers not knowing this function of the metal extension, assumes that it is a condenser/stinger and will remove it as they do with the metal condensers of Kaywoodie, etc. Should you have a System pipe with this metal extension, do not remove it for it will make the System function properly and give you a dryer smoke (https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_closer_look_at_the_famous_Peterson_Standard_System_Pipe).

With that information in hand I knew what I was dealing with in terms of the stamping and the age of this pipe. I knew from the information that the pipe was made during the Late Republic Era between 1950 and the present day. Personally, I think this is probably a 60s-70s pipe. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe with his usual thoroughness. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet Pipe Reamer and cleaned up the remnants with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. Somewhere along the way as it sat here it picked up some stickiness on the top of the stem that looks a lot like what is left behind by a gummed label. I took photos of the pipe 3 years later when I finally got around to working on it. As you can see it is another beautiful looking pipe. I took photos of the rim top and bowl as well as the stem to give a sense of the condition of both. The rim top and the inner edge had some darkening and burn damage on the inner edge on the back of the bowl. The stem was clean but had light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside ahead of the button.I took photos of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It is clear and readable as noted above. I took the stem out of the shank and took a photo of the overall look of the pipe. It is another beauty. The bowl was very clean so I started my work by rubbing the bowl down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the surface of the bowl sides and shank with my fingertips and a shoe brush. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for a little while and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. I polished the nickel ferrule with a jeweller’s cloth to protect and polish the metal. It really adds a sparkle to the metal ferrule. I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I “painted” the surface with the flame of a lighter to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift them significantly. Those that remained I filled in with black rubberized CA glue. When it cured I flattened the repairs with a flat file to start blending it into the surface of the surrounding vulcanite. I further flattened it by sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper. I was looking significantly better. I sanded it further with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads, I wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove the grit and debris on the stem surface. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Oil to protect the surface at this point.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. I gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I fitted the stem with a new 9mm filter. The fit in the stem was perfect. With it in place it fit the shank of the pipe very well.This Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 302 Sandblast Bent Apple with a vulcanite, P-lip saddle stem is a great looking pipe now that it has been restored. The beautiful grain that shines through the polished sandblast finish is stunning. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Peterson’s Sandblast System Standard 302 fits nicely in the hand and feels great. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 64 grams/2.26 ounces. This pipe will soon be available on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. There are many more to come!

New Life for beautiful JHW Oval Bowl Plateau Freehand with Saddle Stem

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by Steve Laug

I am excited to be working on another uniquely beautiful pipe stamped JHW. But maybe you don’t know why I am excited about a pipe stamped with these three initials, Well I have to tell you right up front that JHW is Jack H. Weinberger. Who is that? That does not help either? Jack H. Weinberger was a pipe maker in West Caldwell, New Jersey. Still not helping? He hired young lads from the local high school to help him out as he carved 10-12 hours a day. Two of these were none other than Curt Rollar and Mark Tinsky who went on to become the American Pipe Company. There was a long list of pipe carving luminaries who came through Jack’s shop and JHW pipes but these two you probably have heard of. So JHW or Jack H. Weinberger was an important part of the American Pipemaking scene and gave many carvers a start and they have continued to this day. Now maybe you understand my excitement – being able to work on another of Jack’s pipes and bring it back to its former glory.

This pipe I chose to work on was another unusual one. It came to us from a seller in Santa Cruz, California, USA on 05/28/2024. It is a great piece of briar with great straight grain all the way around the bowl and shank and a plateau rim top on the bowl. It is a beautiful piece of briar! He made a carved, fan shaped Freehand pipe. The front, back and sides of the bowl have some nice straight grain. Very unique but something just calls out to you. When the pipe came to us it was dirty with grime ground into the finish. There was a thick cake in the bowl and heavy lava in the valleys of the plateau rim top and inner edge. There was grime and oils darkening the sides of the bowl. It was dirty but that did not hide the beauty of the grain on this briar. The stem is a saddle made out of vulcanite. There were tooth marks and light chatter on both sides just ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe as a whole before he started his cleanup work. I include them below. Jeff took some close up shots of the rim top to show the bowl and cake. You can see the cake in the bowl and the thick lava on the rim top and the inner edge. The stem photos also show the condition it was in when we received it. Lots of promise with the pipe but some work too! Jeff took some photos of the sides – left and right sides and the heel of the bowl to give a sense of the lay of the pipe on the block of briar. It is certainly beautiful. Here are some photos of the stamping on the left side of the shank. I think this must be an older stamp of JHW as the J is a part of the uppercase HW. It is the only one I have that has this stamping. Otherwise the J is a stylized pipe followed by the HW.Take some time to read the great writeup on Pipedia and JHW pipes and influence the carver had on the American pipe making scene. It is a well written and enjoyable read. Here is the link: (https://pipedia.org/wiki/JHW_Pipes).

Armed with that information I turned to work on the pipe itself. Jeff had cleaned up the pipe with his usual thoroughness. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners and shank brushes. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. I took photos of the pipe before I started my part of the restoration work. The rim top cleaned up really well. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl look good. The plateau rim top looks very good. There is a slight darkening on the inner edge of the bowl. The bowl itself was very clean and the pipe smelled fresh. The stem surface had light tooth chatter on both sides near the button.The stamping on the left side of the shank is faint but still readable. It is stamped as noted above. I removed the stem and took a photo of the pipe to give a sense of the whole.I wiped the bowl down with some acetone to see if I could lighten the darkening around the bowl sides. It worked quite well. I sanded the sides of the bowl and shank with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. There were also some scratches in the briar on the sides, but nothing too deep so this process would take care of the issues. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each pad. I take photos of the three groups of pads for my own viewing primarily as I am looking for progress in polishing. Once again, by the end of the process it looked quite good. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the surface of the bowl sides and shank with my fingertips. i worked it into the plateau on the rim top with a shoe brush. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The grain came alive. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the surface of the stem to raise the tooth marks on the vulcanite. I filled in what remained in the surface with black CA glue and set it aside to cure. Once the repair cured I used a flat needle file to smooth out the repairs on the stem surface. I followed that up with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface of the stem. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil soaked cloth. The process helped remove the lingering oxidation.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads to remove them. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. I rubbed it down with a final coat of Obsidian Oil and let it dry. This Jack H. Weinberger (JHW) Fan Shape Oval Freehand with a vulcanite saddle stem is a great looking pipe with some beautiful grain around the front and sides of the bowl. The grain around the bowl is quite stunning and works well with both the shape and the polished vulcanite saddle stem. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel using a light touch on the briar. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the wheel and followed by buffing the pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Jack H. Weinberger (JHW) Fan Freehand fits nicely in the hand and feels great. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 ½ inches, Height: 3 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 2 ½ inches long x 1 ½ inches wide, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.26 ounces/64 grams. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store in the American Pipemakers Section shortly. If you are interested in adding this pipe to your collection send me a message or an email. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. I appreciate your support and time!

This Dunhill Tanshell 0543 Oval Shank Billiard Turned Out to Be A Lot Of Work

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by Steve Laug

This pipe came to us from a seller in Memphis, Tennessee, USA on 08/27/2024. It was a Dunhill sandblast Billiard with and oval shank. The pipe was stamped with the shape number 0543 on the heel of the bowl [followed by] Dunhill Tanshell [over] Made in England16. It was quite clear and readable but there was not any size stamp or circle T as would be expected as it may have been buffed off. There was a thick cake in the bowl and a heavy coat of lava overflow on the rim top. It looked like it may have some burn damage on the inner edge and rim top. The sandblast finish was dirty and dusty looking. The oval taper stem is vulcanite and is oxidized. There are tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem ahead of the button. Once I received the pipe I would find a lot more issues with the pipe but what is mentioned above is a good summary. Jeff took some photos of the pipe when he received it to show the general condition. Here is a close up of the bowl and rim top. You can see the heavy cake and the heavy, thick lava coat. The inner edge of the rim appears to have damage from burns on the front and back edge. It really looks to be in bad condition with some heavy damage but once it is cleaned I will know for certain. The photos of the stem show the oxidation, tooth marks and chatter in the stem on both sides ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the sides of the bowl to show the interesting grain in the sandblast. The swirls and depths of the sandblast are intricate and quite beautiful. The stamping on the underside of the shank is shown in the photo below. It looks very good and readable. There are a few faint spots but overall it looks very good. It reads as noted and explained above. One of the first things I like to do is to unpack the stamping and understand each element in it. I turned to Pipephil helpful site (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/tanshell1.html). The stamping is interpreted as follows: The number 0543 is the shape number for a Billiard. The Tanshell stamp refers to the finish. The 16 following the D of England gives the date the pipe.Pipephil also has some helpful dating keys on the site that are basically flow charts that you can walk through to date your pipe (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/cledat-en1.html). I turned to Part 1 of the Dating Key and followed the chart. This pipe has a 16 following the D in England. It is the same size as the D so that took me to the section on the chart below (column one) which instructed me that the pipe could be dated as being made posterior to 1954. I followed the link following the “Your pipe is posterior to 1954. Narrow down your dating”. That took me to Page 2 of the dating key (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/cledat-en1a.html). The second column (suffix 11…39) led me to the section with a 16 after the D in England. There was a directive for dating the pipe spelled out as follows: 1960 + suffix which gives the pipe a date of 1976. I then turned to Pipedia’s section on Dunhill Root Briar to get a bit of background on the Dunhill finishes (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Dunhill#Root_Briar). I quote:

Tanshell

The first lot was distributed in 1952 (usually made using Sardinian briar). The prototype was called “Root Shell “, produced in 1951. The Tanshell is a light tan sandblast. Sardinian briar was used for this sandblast. There is a distinct contrast in the sandblasts using Sardinian as opposed to Algerian briar. The Sardinian is much denser and much harder. The resulting pattern, when blasted, is far more even and regular both in terms of the surface texture and the finish.

The Tanshell was Dunhill’s fourth finish and its first major post-war line addition. Introduced in 1951/1952 the Tanshell was a naturally stained sandblasted pipe made exclusively from Sardinian briar through the 1960s. The Tanshell apparently was not simply a light stained Shell but rather was also the product of “certain processes [unrevealed] not previously employed.” Initially, it appears that the pipe was to be named the Root Shell and a stamp to that effect was ordered and received by Dunhill in May 1951. Ultimately, however, the name Tanshell was settled upon but the stamp for the Tanshell name was not received by Dunhill until the beginning of December. Thus while the Tanshell was in production in 1951 it appears that most if not all Tanshells made in that year did not enter into retail distribution until 1952 and were given a 1952 date code. Loring, J. C., The Dunhill Briar Pipe, The Patent Years and After (self-published, Chicago, 1998).

I have also included a chart from the site from Dunhill spelling out the Standard Pipe Finishes and giving short information and a timeline

I turned to work on the pipe itself. Jeff had done an amazing cleanup of the pipe. He reamed the light cake with a PipNet reamer and cleaned up that with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the internals of the bowl and stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the externals with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and rinsed the bowl off with running water. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe stem Deoxidizer and once it had soaked rinsed it off with warm water to remove the residual solution. He dried it off and rubbed it down to remove any oxidation that was still on the stem. At first glance the pipe looked good when I received it. I took a photo of the rim top to show the damage to top and inner edge. It is burned on the front inner edge and back inner edge of the bowl and the rim top. The top is not flat but there is a dip on the front and back in the burn. There also appears to be some cracks on the surface of the rim extending down the back side of the bowl. I will need to examine it further. I ran a finger on the inside of the bowl and the wall was damaged exactly under the cracks on the exterior. There was some significant damage that would need to be addressed. The stem looks quite clean with some light marks on both sides.I took a photo try to capture the stamping on the heel of the bowl and shank. It is clear in spots but also shows some fading. I took a photo with the stem off the shank to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.Now it was time to tackle all the damage on the rim top and edges and then the cracks in the bowl and the burn damage happening on the inside behind the cracks. It really was a mess that I was not expecting when I pulled the pipe out of the box to work on. I used a brass bristle brush to knock off the damage and clean off the remaining charred briar on the rim top. I needed to clean it so I could see the cracks. It was better but the cracks are not visible in the photo below. The first is in the middle of the rim top at the back in the photo below. The second one is not far from it on the right side. I have drawn arrows to point them out in the photo below. To further prepare the top for the repairs to the cracks across the rim and down the back of the bowl I decided to further remove the damage on the surface and inner edge. I used a wooden half sphere and some 220 grit sandpaper to flatten the top and clean up the inner edge. I then topped the bowl with 220 grit sandpaper on a topping board to take care of the dips in the rim top that made it uneven. I wiped the bowl and rim down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust and then used some clear CA glue to fill in the crack. I used a dental pick to trace it through the cracks on the bowl side and the rim top. I pressed some briar dust into the repaired areas to fill in the opening of the hairline crack. I pressed it into the glue with a dental spatula. I used a wire brush to knock of the high spots of the repair. I then used my Dremel and a burr to follow the patterns of the surrounding sandblast to blend the repairs on the surface into the surrounding briar. I used the same burr to clean up the repairs on the rim top and to approximate a sandblast style finish that I had removed to do the repairs. It came out looking quite good. I used a Maple and a Cherry Stain Pen to match the colour on the surrounding briar on the back side of the bowl and the rim top. The colour matched very well.With the external cracks repaired, I mixed up a batch of JB Weld to address the damaged area on the inside of the bowl behind the exterior cracks. I spread it over the damaged area with a dental spatula until the area was covered and the wall repair was smooth with no dips or divots in the surface. I set the bowl aside to let the repair cure. Once it cured I sanded the bowl walls smooth with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel. Once the repair on the inside had hardened to touch I gave the bowl a coat of Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the surface of the briar with my finger tips and a shoe brush to get it into the depths of the sandblast. I let it sit on the briar for 20 minutes then buffed it off with a soft cloth. It looked quite amazing. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the stem surface with the flame of a lighter to lift the marks. I was able to lift some of them a lot and the those that remained I filled in with some rubberized Black CA glue. I set it aside to cure. Once it had cured I used a small file to flatten it into the surface. I sanded the repaired areas with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. It looked much better. I further sanded it with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth. It began to look much better at this point.I polished the vulcanite with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This 1976 Dunhill Tanshell 0543 Oval Shank Billiard with a taper fishtail stem has a beautiful, unique Dunhill Sandblast finish that is very deep and craggy. The repairs to the rim top and back of the bowl look very good. The inside is once smooth again. The reddish-brown finish highlights some great grain around the bowl and shank. It has some great rugged sandblast that Dunhill specialized in making. The polished black vulcanite taper stem adds to the mix. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel being careful to not buff the stamping. I gave the bowl multiple coats of Conservator’s Wax and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Dunhill Tanshell 0543 Oval Shank Billiard is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inch, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.23 ounces/34 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. If you are interested in adding it to your collection I will be adding it to the British Pipe Makers Section of the rebornpipes store. Thanks for your time.

Restoring a Block Meerschaum Cherrywood/Poker with A Butterscotch Acrylic Stem

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by Steve Laug

Last evening, I decided to work on another pipe that I no longer know where or when we purchased it. I have a large box of Meerschaum pipes that is sitting in my storage that I need to clean up and restore. I have honestly avoided them for years but now was the time to start my work on some of them. The one I chose was a Cherrywood or Poker shaped smooth meerschaum with a yellow/butterscotch amber acrylic stem. It is a beautifully shaped meer with some deep and minor scratches from its journey and some nice patina developing around the shank and sides. The meer is dirty from use with a thick cake in the bowl and an overflow of lava on the inner edge and rim top. The saddle stem fit well against the shank end and had a threaded tenon in the shank. There were no identifying logos on the bowl or shank. I took photos of the pipe in and out of the case before I started my clean up work on it. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show the condition of the pipe when I brought it to the worktable. You can see the cake in the bowl and the build up of lava and debris on the edge and top of the rim top. It is another dirty pipe but still a charmer. The yellow/butterscotch acrylic saddle stem has light chatter and tooth marks on both sides near the button. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts. It is a beautiful pipe and the developing patina is very nice. I started my work on the bowl by reaming the thick cake out of the bowl. I started with a PipNet reamer and the 2nd and 3rd cutting heads to take back the cake to the walls of the bowl. I cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I sanded the bowl walls with a piece of dowel wrapped with 220 grit sandpaper. Once finished it looked very good. I cleaned out the airway in the shank and mortise as well as in the new stem with pipe cleaners (both bristle and regular). It was not as dirty as I expected considering the cake in the bowl. IT came out very clean.I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime. I rinsed it with warm water and repeated the process until the surface was clean. I dried it off with a soft cloth. It is greatly improved. Now it was time to work on the scratches on the bowl and rim top. I sat on the front porch in the sun and started my work by sanding the bowl with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. It smoothed out the scratches and revealed more and more of the patina around the bowl and shank. It is a beautiful looking pipe. I polished the meerschaum with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cotton cloth. The bowl took on a shine by the last pads. I gave the bowl multiple coats of Clapham’s Wax that blends both carnauba and beeswax in a soft wax. I rubbed the wax on the bowl sides and the shank end with my fingers and set it aside to dry. Once the wax cured I buffed the bowl with a clean buffing pad and then with a soft microfibre cloth. The bowl has a rich glow. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I sanded the stem surface with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to blend the light marks and chatter into the stem surface. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp pad to remove the debris. By the end it was quite shiny and ready for polishing.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it 1500-12000 pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad to protect it and preserve it. I polished it with Before After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I am really happy with the way that this Block Meerschaum Cherrywood Pipe with the butterscotch amber like acrylic stem turned out. It really is a beautiful looking pipe with a unique shape and smooth meerschaum bowl. The amberlike acrylic taper stem is really nice. The rich patina on the meerschaum came alive with waxing and buffing. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of beeswax/carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Meerschaum Cherrywood really is a beauty and feels great in the hand and looks very good. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 43 grams/ 1.52 ounces. The pipe will be going on the rebornpipes store soon. It will be in the Ceramic and Meerschaum Pipes Section if you would like to add it to your collection. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. It was a fun one to work on!

Cleaning Up a Charatan’s Make London England Deluxe 502 Prince

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table is a classic Prince shaped pipe with a vulcanite taper stem. We picked the pipe up from a seller in Ogden, Utah, USA on 12/12/2024. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and reads Charatan’s Make [over] London, England [over] De Luxe. That stamping is followed by the shape number stamp, 502. The finish is smooth and has some great straight grain around the bowl sides and birdseye on the rim top and heel of the bowl. It was quite dirty but still had a charm about it. The bowl was caked and there was a light lava coat and spots on the top and the inner edge of the rim. The stem was vulcanite and was a tapered. There were light tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. The was a Charatan CP interlocked logo on the left side of the stem. Jeff took some photos of the pipe to show the general condition of the pipe before he started his clean up.He took some photos of the rim top and bowl from various angles to give me a clear picture of the condition of the rim top and bowl. You can see the cake in the bowl and the darkening and lava coat on the rim top. It is hard to tell if there was any damage to the inner edge at this point. The next photos show the top and underside of the stem. It is dirty and has oxidation and calcification on both sides at the button. There is also some tooth chatter and light tooth marks. Jeff took some photos of the sides of the bowl to show the condition of the finish on the pipe. The photos showed beautiful grain around the bowl sides. Under the oils and grime, it is a nice looking bowl. He took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the shank. The stamping was clear and readable. He also captured a photo of the Charatan logo on the left side of the stem.I looked up an article on determining dates of manufacture of Charatan’s Make pipes (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Dating_of_Charatans). That article helped me date this pipe with some level of certainty to the Rueben Era Charatan made between the years 1910-1960. I quote from the portion of the article that gave the identifying characteristics of that era. I quote in full.

Identification of a second era pipe (Rueben’s era, 1910-1960)

Pipes belonging to this period are rare, however is it possible to come across one. They can be distinguished from a pipe of the first era mainly because their larger size. Their characteristics are similar to the ones of the previous era.

1) Pipes can be larger, up to the dimension of a Dunhill group 5

2) The mouthpiece is tapered or saddle.

3) No double comfort

4) the CP logo is engraved so that the C enters the P

5) Absence of £ on the pipe shank (note that from 1955 all the pipe imported in the USA by Lane has it, however that stamping is not synonymous of the Lane era).

6) Absence of the letter X on the shape code engraved on the shank (for ex. 2502 and not 2502X)

7) Absence of letters DC after the shape number (for ex. 2502 and not 2505DC)

8) Absence of the engraving “MADE BY HAND” on the shank (introduced for the first time in 1958)

9) Presence of the writing “CHARATAN’S MAKE LONDON ENGLAND” on 2 lines

10) The CP logo is finer than in following eras

All ten of the items in the above list apply to the pipe in hand. From the stamping on the stem where the C enters the P to the missing L which places it as pre-1955 to the lack of a double comfort bit all help to place this pipe in this time period.

Armed with that information I turned to work on the pipe itself. Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He cleaned up the inside of the bowl with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. The rim top and the inner edge of the bowl are in excellent condition. The bowl walls looked very good. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with shank brushes, pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He scrubbed the inside of the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior with Soft Scrub and then soaked it in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer. He washed it off with warm water to remove the deoxidizer. The stem looked very good. I took photos of the pipe before I started working on it. I took close up photos of the bowl, rim top and stem to show how clean the pipe was. The bowl was clean and the rim top and the inner edge look beautiful. The stem was clean and did not show either tooth marks or chatter.I took a photo of the stamping on the side of the shank. It is very clear and readable and read as noted above. I also removed the stem from the shank and took photos of the pipe to show the look of the parts. I started my work on the pipe by addressing the damage on the inner edge of the rim. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean up the darkening and the damage on the inner edge of the bowl.I sanded the bowl with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to smooth out sanding on the rim top and also to blend in the scratches on the bowl sides and heel. I polished the bowl and shank with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pad – dry sanding it with the pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each pad. It began to take on a deep shine. The exterior of the bowl look better after sanding. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I sanded it with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to remove the light tooth marks and chatter. It did not take much for them to be gone. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad to remove the debris and dust of the sanding. By the last pad the stem looks very good.I touched up the Charatan logo stamp on the left side of the stem with white acrylic fingernail polish. I worked it into the stamping with a tooth pick. I scraped off the excess and used a worn 1500 grit micromesh sanding pad to finish removing the excess. It was ready for the next step. I polished it with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiping the surface down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. It is really shining. I polished it further with Before & After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it another coat of Obsidian Oil to finish this step. It was great to finish this Charatan’s Make London, England De Luxe 502 Prince. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with deep sandblast all around it. Added to that the polished black, vulcanite, saddle stem was beautiful. This Charatan’s Make De Luxe Prince is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 6 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 35 grams/1.20 ounces. It is a beautiful pipe and one that will soon be on the rebornpipes store in the British Pipe Makers Section of the store. If you want to add it to your collection let me know. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe.

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

Restoring an older Block Meerschaum Apple with A Yellow Acrylic Stem

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by Steve Laug

Last evening, I decided to work on another pipe that I no longer know where or when we purchased it. I have a large box of Meerschaum pipes that is sitting in my storage that I need to clean up and restore. I have honestly avoided them for years but now was the time to start my work on some of them. The one I chose was definitely an older ball or apple shaped smooth meerschaum with an yellow amber acrylic stem. It is a beautifully shaped meer with scratches from its journey and some nice patina developing around the shank and sides. The meer is dirty from use with a thick cake in the bowl and an overflow of lava on the inner edge and rim top. The stem fit well against the shank end and had a threaded tenon that aligned with the bowl and shank properly. There were no identifying logos on the bowl or shank, however, the inside of the brown case it came with was stamped Genuine [over] Block Meerschaum. I took photos of the pipe in and out of the case before I started my clean up work on it. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show the condition of the pipe when I brought it to the worktable. You can see the cake in the bowl and the build up of lava and debris on the edge and top of the rim top. It is another dirty pipe but still a charmer. The yellow acrylic taper stem has light chatter and deep tooth marks on both sides near the button. I took a photo of the stamping on the inside of the case. It is clear and readable as noted above. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts. I started my work on the bowl by reaming the thick cake out of the bowl. I started with a PipNet reamer and the 2nd and 3rd cutting heads to take back the cake to the walls of the bowl. I cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I sanded the bowl walls with a piece of dowel wrapped with 220 grit sandpaper. Once finished it looked very good. I cleaned out the airway in the shank and mortise as well as in the new stem with pipe cleaners (both bristle and regular). It was much better.I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime. I rinsed it with warm water and repeated the process until the surface was clean. I dried it off with a soft cloth. It is greatly improved. Now it was time to work on the scratches on the bowl and rim top. I started my work by sanding with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. It smoothed out the scratches and revealed more and more of the patina around the bowl and shank. It is a beautiful looking pipe. I polished the meerschaum with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cotton cloth. The bowl took on a shine by the last pads. I gave the bowl multiple coats of Clapham’s Wax that blends both carnauba and beeswax in a soft wax. I rubbed the wax on the bowl sides and the shank with my fingers and set it aside to dry. Once the wax cured I buffed the bowl with a clean buffing pad and then with a soft microfibre cloth. The bowl has a rich glow. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I filled in the tooth marks with some clear CA glue. When it cured I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out. I continued sanding the stem surface with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp pad to remove the debris. By the end it was quite shiny and ready for polishing.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding it 1500-12000 pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad to protect it and preserve it. I polished it with Before After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I am really happy with the way that this Older Meerschaum Apple turned out. It really is a beautiful looking pipe with a unique shape and smooth meerschaum bowl. The yellow amberlike acrylic taper stem are really nice. The rich patina on the meerschaum came alive with waxing and buffing. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of beeswax/carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Meerschaum Apple really is a beauty and feels great in the hand and looks very good. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 40 grams/ 1.41 ounces. The pipe will be going on the rebornpipes store soon. It will be in the Ceramic and Meerschaum Pipes Section if you would like to add it to your collection. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. It was a fun one to work on!

A. Curtz Hand Carved Apple – is it a sandblast or rustication made to look like a blast?

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table is an Apple shaped pipe with a vulcanite taper stem. We picked the pipe up from a seller in Ogden, Utah, USA on 12/12/2024. It is stamped on the underside of the shank and reads A. Curtz. I knew the name in connection with Jeanie’s Smoke Shop in Salt Lake City when I worked on the brand in the past. The finish looks sand blasted but the more I look at it the more I think it is a rustication made to look like a blast. It has some great grain showing through the finish. It was quite dirty but still had a charm about it. The bowl was caked and there was a light lava coat and spots on the top and the inner edge of the rim. The stem was vulcanite and was a tapered. There were light tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. There was a mother of pearl inlaid on the topside of the taper that showed the reflective nature of the material. Jeff took some photos of the pipe to show the general condition of the pipe before he started his clean up.He took some photos of the rim top and bowl from various angles to give me a clear picture of the condition of the rim top and bowl. You can see the cake in the bowl and the darkening and lava coat in the rustication on the rim top. It is hard to tell if there was any damage to the inner edge at this point. The next photos show the top and underside of the stem. It is dirty and has oxidation and calcification on both sides at the button. There is also some tooth chatter and some light tooth marks. Jeff took some photos of the sides of the bowl to show the condition of the finish on the pipe. The photos showed what to me looked like a unique rustication mimicking a sandblast around the bowl sides. Under the oils and grime, it was a nice looking bowl. He took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. The stamping was on a smooth panel and it was clear and readable.To learn a bit more about the brand I turned to Pipephil to see what I could find out (http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-c8.html). It turns out the pipe was made by an artisan named Arley Curtz who was from Utah. I did a screen capture of the photo and have included that below. I also included the side bar information below the photo.Artisan: “Arley” Curtz, Utah (USA). The stems of the A. Curtz pipes are also marked with 2 dots (a red and a white).

I then turned to Pipedia to find out some more details (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Curtz). The information was brief but helpful. I have included that article below.

Arley G. Curtz retired the director of the Bountiful Davis Art Center (Bountiful, Utah) and is now a pipe repairman and pipe maker. He was formerly the pipe repairman at Jeanie’s Smoke Shop, and has been making pipes ever since.

He makes about 70 pipes a year using Greek and Italian briar. His pipes are available at Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco Shop in Denver, CO, at the Tinderbox in Salt Lake City, on the web at The Pipe and Pint, and at Curtz Handmade Pipes and Pipe Repair in Salt Lake City, Utah.

I did a bit more searching to learn more about the repairman/pipe maker. I came across a 2018 article on a site called Utahstories (https://utahstories.com/2018/05/arley-curtz-pipe-making-and-memory-collecting/). The article included a photo of Arley Curtz that I have inserted below. I am also including a short section of the article that makes me want to meet this gentleman.

For Arley Curtz, a pipe is more than just a way to smoke tobacco. It summons up a time when pipe smoking was both acceptable and part of a gentler civility in our culture.

Curtz is a pipe maker and collector of smoking pipes. He has over 300, ranging from simple corn cobs to handmade antiques. Each one has a story. As the smoke from a pipe curls upwards, it allows Curtz a time to pause and reflect. “A pipe,” he says, “is a keeper of memories.”

Just as a pipe cannot be smoked in haste, a handmade pipe requires patience to craft. Curtz forms his pipes from briarwood, which grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

I only wish I had found this earlier before I met my brother in Salt Lake City and visited Jeanie’s Smoke Shop. I would have certainly made a point to visit Arley at his own shop and gotten to meet him. Until my next trip to Idaho to visit my Dad and brother I will leave this on my wish list. Now to get on with working on his pipe.

Jeff did his usual thorough job cleaning the pipe which I really appreciate because of the freedom it gives me in dealing with pipes. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and got rid of the cake. He cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife so that we could see the walls of the bowl and assess for damage. He cleaned the internals of the shank and stem with alcohol, pipe cleaners and alcohol. He scrubbed the exterior with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush. He rinsed the pipe under warm water. He dried it off with a cloth and then let it air dry. The stem was scrubbed with Soft Scrub and had a soak in Briarville Pipe Stem Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation. Once it was rinsed off, it came out looking very good. The finish on the bowl and the rim top cleaned up nicely. I took pictures of the pipe to show how it looked when I unpacked it. I took a close up photo of the rim top to show how clean it was. The bevelled inner edge looked very good. The stem looked good just some light tooth chatter and marks near the button. Overall the pipe is a beautiful looking piece.I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It read as noted above. It is very clear and readable. I took a photo of the bowl with the stem removed to give a sense of the sized of the pipe.The finish on the bowl was very clean and looked good. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips and a horsehair shoe brush. I let it sit on the bowl for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I set the bowl aside and worked on the stem. The shank end of the stem had rounded shoulders that interrupted the flow of the straight line of the stem and shank junction. I sanded the stem surface with 220 grit sandpaper to flatten the edge. Once finished it looked flatter and the rounded shoulders were gone on all but the top side and it was lessened. I sanded out the sanding on the shank end and the light tooth marks and chatter toward the button with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the stem down with an Obsidian Oil cloth after each sanding pad. The stem looked better at this point. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I buffed the stem with a soft cloth to raise the shine. I gave it a final wipe down with Obsidian Oil to protect the stem from UV and slow down future oxidation. I don’t know what it is about finishing a restoration but I have to tell you that it is a favourite part of the process. It is the moment when everything that I have worked on comes together. I can compare the pipe to where I started and there is always satisfaction that it does indeed look better than when we picked it up. I put the A. Curtz Rusticated Apple back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl multiple coats of Conservator’s Wax and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad and hand buffed it to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like along with the polished vulcanite taper stem. This Arley Curtz Rusticated Apple is a great looking pipe and I am sure that it will be comfortable in hand when smoking as it is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.76 ounces/51 grams. It will be on the rebornpipes store in the American Pipe Makers Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection let me know. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe.

Restemming a Wonderful Peterson Specialty Barrel

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Now we’re talking! This terrific republic-era Peterson Barrel came to me in a box of pipes and pipe parts. It looked so engaging, but it was missing its stem. No problem – I can solve that! The Peterson barrel is not common, but it isn’t a rarity either. Regardless, it is a consistently popular and attractive shape – and it’s not hard to see why. No doubt, someone will be pleased to add this to their collection. Let’s look at the markings. On the underside of the stummel, it reads Peterson’s [over] Barrel [over] Made in the [over] Republic [over] of Ireland. On the nickel band, we see K&P engraved over images of the Shamrock, Wolf Hound and Round Tower. To be clear, these are not silver marks, they are nickel-mount markings of Peterson.Naturally, the Peterson brand is well-storied among collectors and I encourage you to read the Pipedia article about them: https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson. Obviously, I was particularly interested in learning more about the barrel, so I referred to The Peterson Pipe book, written by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg. It had a couple of very helpful tidbits. On page 136, we read

One collection … making its first appearance in the 1945 catalog is the line of Specialty shapes that have been Peterson favorites for nearly 70 years: the tankard and barrel, calabash and Belgique, and churchwarden.

Also, over on page 313, the following information can be found:

Barrel (1945-). P-lip or fishtail mouthpiece; smooth or rustic finish, sandblast offered in 1970.

So, beyond saying that it is newer than 1945, I can’t quite tell how old this pipe is. Good to know, however, that the fishtail was an option.Let’s work on the pipe. The first thing I did was to hunt down a suitable replacement stem. It needed to be a military mount and it could be either a P-lip or fishtail. In this case, I didn’t have a P-lip that worked with this pipe – but I found a terrific fishtail, which you can see below. The stem is brand new – it even still has its casting marks!I took some sandpaper and gently sanded away those casting marks. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done. Over to the stummel – and they were some issues. It was very dirty and had a significant burn on the rim. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed. I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean. It’s a small pipe, but so, so dirty.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and distilled water, with cotton rounds. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with some mild detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.

Some burn remained on the rim, so I took some crystalized oxalic acid and dissolved it in warm water. I took some cotton swaps, dipped in the solution, and rubbed the burned spot vigorously. The weak acid works very nicely to alleviate superficial burns (burns where the integrity of the wood is still sound). I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 400-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieved two things: first, it removed some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returned the edge to a perfect circle.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This Peterson Specialty Barrel looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Irish’ 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 5¾ in. (147 mm); height 1⅔ in. (42 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (18 mm). The weight of the pipe is ⅞ oz. (25 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.

You Got to Love these Peterson’s Republic Era K&P Irish Made 101 Billiards

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by Steve Laug

This great looking Billiard pipe was purchased on 04/11/2024 from our contact in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and clearly reads K&P [over] Irish Made. On the right side it is stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland [three lines]. The shape number 101 is stamped to the right of that next to the bowl/shank junction. The nickel ferrule is stamped K&P [over] Petersons. The bowl had a cake on the walls and fortunately little overflow of lava onto the rim top and edges. The inner edge had some damage and darkening. The smooth finish is dirty with debris and oils. The vulcanite taper, fishtail stem has no stamp or logo on it. It was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. It was a beautiful looking pipe even through the grime in the finish. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started cleaning it up. Have a look.Jeff took close up photos of the bowl and rim top to show the condition of the bowl and the rim top. In the close up you can see the light lava on the rim top, inner edge and the cake in the bowl. The damage on the rim top and the inner edge is also visible. He also took close up photos of the stem to show its condition as mentioned above. He also took photos of the tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. He took photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the grain around the bowl. The grain is quite nice even through the grime. He took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. The stamping is clear and readable as noted above. The stamping on the nickel ferrule is also clear.I did not have a lot of back story on the Irish Made pipes so I turned to Peterson’s website to see what I could find out about the line specifically(https://www.peterson.ie/pipes/classic/irish-made-army/moreinfo.cfm?pd_product_id=991). Turns out the Irish Made Army pipes were a series of pipes. The information was quite helpful and I have included it below.

About The Series

Since the 19th century, we’ve made army mounted pipes, defined by their inclusion of a sturdy mount reinforcing the shank and a push-style tenon that can be removed easily from the shank, without risking damage to the pipe. Our entry-level, Irish Made Army line is one of our oldest and most popular within that style, featuring nickel army mounts and reserved walnut finishes. Merging utilitarian design with practical grace, it’s available in a variety of classic, non-System shapes, including straight designs.

From there I turned to Mark Irwin’s Petersonpipenotes blog to see if he had specifically worked on or noted this line (https://petersonpipenotes.org/tag/peterson-kp-irish-army/). He had and I quote a short section below from the site.

The “K&P” in “K&P over IRISH MADE” is actually part of the line’s name, which most people don’t know, and understandably so. The non-System army-mount Peterson dates from the 1906 catalog and has been issued in several line names. It is currently enjoying a huge vogue, with Peterson releasing two or three new army-mount lines every season.

Armed with the information above, I turned my attention to the pipe itself. Jeff had cleaned the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness that I really appreciate. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals with alcohol, pipe cleaners, shank brushes and cotton swabs until the pipe was clean. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime and grit on the briar and the lava on the rim top. The finish looks very good with good looking grain around the bowl and shank. Jeff soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation on the rubber. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver for the second stop of its restoration tour it looked very good. I took photos before I started my part of the work. I took close up photos of the bowl, rim top and stem to show how clean the pipe was. The bowl was clean and the rim top and the inner edge clearly show the damage. The stem was clean and showed the light tooth marks and chatter.I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is very clear and readable and read as noted above. I also removed the stem from the shank and took photos of the pipe to show the look of the parts. I started working on the damaged rim top and burn damaged areas on the inner edge of the rim first. I used 220 grit sandpaper and a wooden sphere to clean up the edge. It looked significantly better. I will sand it with sanding pads when I work on the bowl and shank.I sanded the bowl and shank with 320-3550 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to smooth out the scratches on the rim top and sides of the bowl. I wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I sanded the exterior of the bowl with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with each pad and wiped the briar down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl and shank for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I sanded out the tooth marks and chatter with 220 grit sandpaper and was able to remove all of them.I continued sanding the stem 320-3500 grit sanding pads – dry sanding with 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. It began to take on a rich shine by the final pad. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. Once again, I wiped it down between each pad with Obsidian Oil. I further polished it with Before and After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. It looked very good. I am excited to finish this beautifully grained, Peterson’s Irish Made army 101 Billiard. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. The straight Pot looks great with the black vulcanite saddle stem. This smooth Classic Peterson’s Irish Made Army Billiard is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 39 grams/1.41 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will be putting on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. It is a real beauty. Thanks for walking through the restoration as I brought the pipe back to life.