Tag Archives: bowls – refinishing

Converting a Zettervig Freehand into a Churchwarden

Restoring a Dunhill Root Briar EK Square Shank Panel Billiard

Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table is a Dunhill Panel Billiard. It is a smooth briar pipe that is very dirty. It has four panels around the bowl and the corners are rounded. The shank is square as well and ends with a square tapered stem. The briar is worn and tired with oils in the briar. The rim top had a build of tars and lave that flowed over it from a thick cake in the bowl. The shank is stamped on the left side EK followed by Dunhill over Root Briar. On the right side it is stamped Made in England with an underlined superscript ⁰ followed by a 4 circled followed by an R. The stem has the standard white spot on the top side. It was oxidized and had some calcification build up on the first inch of the stem that appeared to have come from a rubber pipe Softee bit. The stamping is easily interpreted. The left side EK is the shape stamp for a panel billiard. The ROOT BRIAR stamping is the line of Dunhill pipes. The right side stamp superscript O tells me that the pipe is dated to 1960. The circled 4 is the size of the pipe (group four) and the R is the stamping for a Root Briar. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his cleanup work. Jeff took photos of the top, sides and the bottom of the bowl to show the condition of the briar. The topside showed a thick lava build up flowing out of a thick cake in the bowl. It was hard to know if there was damage on the outer or inner edges of the rim. The sides of the bowl show dents and wear but also some stunning birdseye and cross grain. Jeff took photos of the stamping on the pipe shank. It is faint but readable. It is as I wrote about above.Jeff took a photo of the stem to show the fit against the shank and the white spot. He also took photos of the top and underside of the stem showing the tooth chatter and marks as well as the calcification on the surface of the stem.I wanted to certify the date for myself so I had a look at the PipePhil site and looked the dating and stamping information (http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/cledat-en1a.html). Using the charts there I was able to confirm that pipe was made in 1960.

I also looked on the Pipedia site and read as much information as I could find regarding the Root Briar line (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Dunhill#Root_Briar). Here is what it said: The line was… Introduced in 1931 and highly prized because the grain is more pronounced in this finish. The Root Briar finish required a perfectly clean bowl with excellent graining. Therefore, it is the most expensive of the Dunhill pipes. Corsican briar was most often used for the Root finish, since it was generally more finely grained. This is a rare finish, due to the scarcity of briar suitable to achieve it. These pipes are normally only available at Company stores, or Principle Pipe Dealers…

Jeff reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and followed up with a Savinelli Fitsall pipe knife to remove the cake. He scrubbed out the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl, rim, shank and stem with a tooth brush and Murphy’s Oil Soap to remove the oils, lava and tars on the rim and the grime on the finish of the bowl. He rinsed it under running water. He dried it off with a soft cloth. The rim was thoroughly cleaned and without the grime the finish had some rim darkening that hid the grain. The vulcanite stem would need to be worked on but I really like the profile it cast. I took photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. I took close up photos of the bowl and rim top as well as the stem. You can see the condition of the rim top and bowl in the first photo. Jeff was able to remove all of the tar and oils but you can now see the damage and darkening around the inner edge. The vulcanite stem had tooth chatter and some light tooth marks on the top and underside of the stem both on the surface of the button and just ahead it. There was one deeper tooth mark on the topside near the button.I started my refurbing work by addressing the darkening on the rim top and inner edge. I first sanded the inner edge with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I then lightly sanded the rim top with a worn piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I find that using a bit more tired piece of sandpaper works wonders on the dark edge without scratching the rim surface like a new piece. I followed that by wet sanding it with 1500-2400 grit micromesh. I sanded the rest of the pipe with the micromesh at the same time. I dry sanded it with 3200-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped down the bowl after each pad with a damp cloth. The grain on the rim top began to shine through and the finish was in good condition under the darkened grain. I rubbed down the smooth briar with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the smooth surface of the briar on the rim, sides and the bottom of the bowl with my fingertips. I wanted to make sure that the balm got deep into the briar to do its work. The balm works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let it sit for a little while and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The following photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. The rim looks much better than when I started but still needs to be polished and buffed to raise a shine on it. I sanded out the tooth chatter and tooth marks on the stem surfaces. I sanded the rest of the stem with the sandpaper to remove the oxidation on the stem surface.I polished the vulcanite stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit sanding pads and dry sanding it with 3200-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it further with Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine polishes and gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I the polished stem and the bowl with Blue Diamond to polish out the remaining small scratches and raise the shine. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax then 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 pretty nicely. I left the some of the dents in place as I did not want to sand and ruin the patina. I think they are marks of the journey the pipe has taken. This turned out to be a beautiful pipe in terms of shape and finish. This is a nice looking Dunhill Panel Billiard pipe. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 3/4 inches, Height: 1 3/4 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/4 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked this beautiful Dunhill Root Briar Panel. Thanks for looking.

Reclaiming a Yello-Bole “Imperial Carburator” Vest Pipe

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Blog by Paresh Despande

Having worked on the four Free Hand pipes that I had purchased on eBay, it was time again to work on one of my grandfather’s pipe from my inheritance. I chose to work on the second “Imperial Yello-Bole Carburetor” from his collection. The first had a cracked shank and was restored by my Guru and mentor, Mr. Steve of rebornpipes, here is the link for the write up (https://rebornpipes.com/2018/04/15/pareshs-grandfathers-pipe-2-a-yello-bole-carburetor-4522-billiard/).

This particular pipe was in a battered condition with significant damage to the inner and outer edges of the rim, a large number of chips, dents and dings to the bowl and shank, two deep gouges to the bowl and a heavily oxidized stem. I was not very sure if at all I should attempt at its restoration as I knew that to mask the repairs/ fills to the gouges and chips on the bowl and the shank, I would need to stain it with a darker stain followed by a delicate polish to make the grains pop and here I was, with neither materials nor experience to carry out staining and subsequent polishing. However, Mr. Steve encouraged me to go ahead and restore it nevertheless and keep the natural finish of the pipe and the scars of the repairs as a testimony of the pipe’s journey till date!!!! Well, it always pays to follow the advice of your mentor and I embarked upon this journey to give a fresh lease of life to this old and battered war-horse!!!

The pipe is stamped on the left side of the shank as “Imperial” in fancy cursive hand over “YELLO-BOLE” in block letters while the right side of the shank bears the stamp of “MADE IN FRANCE” starting from the shank end towards the bowl and followed by the model(?) number “648” or is it “64 B”? I have this doubt since I could find a match to this shape and size during my research as per the latter stamp, but the stamp appears as former to my eyes!!!! The center bottom of the pipe has a single hole, lined by an aluminum cone, open at both ends, which protrudes into the chamber. This is followed by “carburetor” in fancy cursive small letters. The stem is devoid of any stampings or logo. Before commencing the restoration, I decided to refresh my memory about Yello-Bole pipe brand and in particular, the Carburetor model, by visiting the blog written by Mr. Steve while restoring my first Yello-Bole. The first thing that struck me as odd was the difference in stampings seen on the pipe which is on my work table!!! The pipe currently on my work table is sans the stamp of KBB in clover leaf, U.S. patent number details, Cured with real honey, stem logo of a yellow circular ring and has shape number in three digits as against four on the one restored by Mr. Steve. However, the biggest and most significant difference which has me flummoxed was the stamping “MADE IN FRANCE”!!!!!!! No amount of research and surfing the internet provided me any clue as regards the origin and dating of this piece of briar.

INITIAL VISUAL INSPECTION
The first and foremost significant visual damage is seen to the rim top, inner and outer edges. It appears that the rim has been repeatedly banged against a hard surface to remove residual dottle over a prolonged period of time!!!! The damage to the rim top is in the form of dings and scratches while significant chipping and cinching is seen on the outer edge. The inner edge of the rim is out of round, apparently caused by use of a knife to remove the carbon cake. The overflow of lava from the rim top appears to be removed by scrapping the surface with a knife and in the process causing all the scratches and dings to the surface. There is a thin layer of cake on the bottom half of the chamber and appears to be a victim of over reamed chamber. The carburetor hole at the bottom of the chamber is clogged and will require to be cleaned. The condition of the inner walls of the chamber will be ascertained only after the chamber has been stripped completely of the existing cake layer.The second most significantly damaged part of the pipe is the stummel. It is covered in oils, dirt and grime of all these years of smoking and subsequent uncared for storage. The stummel surface is sticky to the touch, giving the stummel a dull, lifeless and lackluster appearance. It is peppered with a large number of chips, dents and dings. There are two significant gouges on the stummel; one on the left hand side towards the bottom and the second one is one the right hand side about an inch below the rim top. Overall, the stummel has sustained massive damage over the years due to both, rough usage and careless storage. However through all this dirt, tar, oil, grime and damage, lovely densely packed straight grains can be seen on the sides and shank. It will be a challenge to address these issues and make the grains to reveal themselves in all glory. The shank too is peppered with numerous minor dents and chips on the bottom surface as well as on the right side of the shank. The mortise is clogged and the air flow is constricted and the draw is laborious. This will need to be addressed by thorough cleaning of the same. The saddle stem is heavily oxidized with bite marks on both upper and lower surface of the stem. The lip too shows bite marks and will need to be redefined. The aluminum stinger is firmly attached inside the tenon and could not be removed. It is covered in oils, tars and grime from all the years of smoking and it appears that it has hardened, fixing the stinger inside the tenon.THE PROCESS
I started the process of restoration by reaming the chamber with my fabricated knife as the protruding aluminum cone of the carburetor prevented use of the Kleen Reem pipe reamer. Once the cake was reamed back to the bare briar, I used a 150 grit sand paper followed by 220 grit sand paper to remove all the traces of remaining cake and also to smooth the inner walls of the chamber surface. It was a big relief to note that there was no issue of heat fissures or cracks seen on the surface.To address the numerous dents, dings and scratches on the rim’s top surface and also to remove traces of lava overflow, I topped the rim surface on a 220 grit sand paper. Since the damage to the rim top was significant, I had applied more pressure than usual. Though it is recommended to have a wooden board with the 220 grit sand paper firmly fixed over it, I just keep the sand paper on a flat table top, holding it firmly with my left hand and rotating the stummel rim top over it with my right hand. I have come to realize that this set up gives me lot more freedom of movement, better control and convenience of storage.Staying with the rim, the next issue that I addressed was the rim edges, both inner and outer. With a folded piece of 180 grit sand paper pinched between my thumb and fore finger, I created a bevel on the inner edge. This addressed the issue of uneven and out of round inner edge. For addressing the outer edge, I had two options; first was to top the rim surface till the entire damaged outer rim surface was sanded out, maintaining the straight rim edge profile of the stummel. The disadvantage of this would be a significant loss of briar estate!!! The second (and easier too!!!) option was to create a bevel on the outer edge, sacrificing the original profile of the stummel. However, I envisaged that the bevel to the outer edge would add a new depth and dimension to the profile of the pipe while saving loss of briar. That decided, I created a bevel on the outer edge. Both the inner and outer edges now look much better and add a new dimension to the otherwise plain-Jane billiard shape of the bowl. I cleaned the stummel with Murphy’s oil soap and hard bristled toothbrush and rinsed the stummel under running tap water. This cleaning helps in bringing to the fore any other damage which could be hidden under all the dirt and grime. I dried the bowl with a paper towel and soft cotton cloth. With a thin, sharp and pointed knife, I cleaned out all the fills and gouges. I scrubbed the stummel surface clean with isopropyl alcohol to have a clean surface for a fresh fill. I decided to move ahead with only CA superglue for filling the chips and gouges. I spot filled these chips and gouges with superglue and set it aside for curing. Turning my attention to the stem, I flamed the surface with a Bic lighter to raise the tooth chatter and deeper bite marks to the surface as much as is possible. I followed it up with sanding the stem surface with a 220 grit sand paper to match the raised bite marks with the stem surface and also remove the oxidation before the fill. The deeper bite marks were filled with CA superglue and set aside to cure. After the fills on the stummel had completely cured, I sanded these with a flat head needle file to match them with the stummel surface. This was followed by sanding the fills and the stummel surface to achieve a match as well as remove the minor scratches and cinches on the surface. I frequently wiped the sanded surface with a moist cloth to remove the briar dust and also to check the progress of my work. Once I was satisfied with the match, I followed it up by micromesh polishing pads, wet sanding with 1500 to 2400 grit pads. Again, I wiped the bowl with a moist cotton cloth after each pad. I used the 3200 to 12000 grit pads to dry sand the stummel to a nice shine. At this stage of restoration, the entire bowl, rim top surface and shank is now looking fresh and clean with beautiful densely packed straight grains popping out in all their glory!!!! Even though the fills are prominently visible, in my view, they lend a battle scarred warrior like character to the pipe. While I worked the stummel, the fillings in the stem had cured. I sanded the fills with a flat head needle file. To further match the fills with the surface of the stem, I sanded it with 220, 400 and 800 grit sand paper. I wiped the stem with cotton pad dipped in alcohol to remove the resultant dust. I rubbed some extra virgin olive oil in to the stem and set it aside to be absorbed in to stem. I polished the stem with micromesh pads, wet sanding with 1500 to 2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200 to 12000. I rub a little extra virgin olive oil in to the stem after every three pads. I finish the polishing of the stem by rubbing a small quantity of Paragon wax and giving it a final polish with a soft cotton cloth. The stem is now nice, smooth and shiny. Now with the external restoration and cleaning of both the stummel and the stem completed, I proceeded to cleaning the internals of the stem and the shank. As I had observed during my initial visual inspection, the stinger was very firmly attached inside the tenon. To clean the stem air way, I had to separate the stinger from the tenon. I was certain that the stinger was a push-fit type and much easy to deal with. I carefully heated the stinger with the flame of a Bic lighter and wrapping a cloth on the stinger, with careful anti-clock wise rotations, dislodged the stinger from the tenon. I cleaned the internals of the shank with cue-tips, regular and bristled pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol. The mortise was cleaned using a shank brush. With a fabricated dental spatula, I scrapped the walls of the mortise and further cleaned with pipe cleaners till they came out white. Similarly, I cleaned the air way in the stem with pipe cleaners and alcohol. I cleaned the stinger of all the accumulated oils and tars with paper towels after soaking the stinger in isopropyl alcohol and reattached it in the tenon. The internals are now clean and the draw is full, easy and open. I was really not surprised at how dirty were the internals of the shank and stem as can be seen from the condition of the pipe cleaners in these pictures. To finish the restoration, I rub a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” in to briar and let it rest for a few minutes. The balm almost immediately works its magic and the briar now has a nice vibrant appearance. I further buff it with a horse hair shoe brush. Using a cotton cloth and brute muscle power, I gave it a final polish. I re-attach the stem with the stummel. The completed pipe looks lovely, fresh and vibrant; the photographs speak for themselves. Thank you for having the patience to reach this far while reading the write up. Your comments are of utmost importance to me for improving my skills in restoration process as well as writing about it. Cheers!!!!!

Recommissioning a Comoy’s Moorgate 102 of Italy

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Blog by Dal Stanton

I saw this attractive Comoy’s Moorgate on the eBay auction block last year and fortunately provided enough of a bid to bring it home to Bulgaria. What attracted me to this Comoy’s was the interesting finish which is a darkened, orange hue with nice feathered grain. This Comoy’s Moorgate also got Jim’s attention after he saw it posted on my website in the For ‘Pipe Dreamers’ Only! collection I list online for pipe men and women to commission. I enjoyed communicating with Jim via email very much. Jim not only commissioned the Comoy’s, but he also commissioned a very interesting, older Stanwell Henley Special which I acquired along with 2 brother Stanwell Henleys – 3 pipes I’ve been looking forward to restoring and learning more about. Along with these 2 pipes that Jim commissioned, were his encouraging words of appreciation for the work we’re doing with the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Jim was glad that the pipes he was commissioning benefited these efforts. Thanks, Jim! Here are a few pictures of the pipes – the Comoy’s and the Stanwell Henley Special – Jim’s is the Saddle Stem Billiard in the middle. When Jim commissioned these pipes, I’m grateful that he also agreed to be patient as the pipes gradually made it to the top of the queue. I take some additional pictures to take a closer look at the Comoy’s Moorgate on my worktable here in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the 10^th floor of a formerly Communist block apartment building. The nomenclature identifies this Comoy’s as a post-Cadogan era pipe which dates it no older than the early 1980’s when the Cadogan merger took place. On the left side of the shank is ‘COMOY’S’ [over] ‘MOORGATE’. The right side of the shank is stamped with the shape number, ‘102’. The upper side of the stem has the well-known ‘C’ Comoy’s stamp and the underside is stamped, ‘ITALY’. All the stampings point to a post-merger Comoy’s pipe. The COM being Italy and not ‘Made in London England’ confirms this as Cadogan farmed out the manufacturing. Interesting also is the shape number, ‘102’. Pipedia provides a Comoy’s Shape Number Chart that identifies the 102 as being an army mounted, large, straight Pot which does not correspond to the Half Bent Billiard on my table. The chart most likely pointing to earlier shape numbers.Pipephil.eu provides a Comoy’s Moorgate that matches up with what I’m seeing before me – nomenclature and stampings. It references a Comoy’s second brand with the name ‘Moorgate’. I look up the reference and it is a different line altogether – nomenclature and stem stamps and COM as ‘Made in England’.Looking at the condition of the Comoy’s Moorgate on my worktable, it is generally in good condition. I take a few more pictures to look at some trouble areas. The chamber has moderate cake build up and some significant lava flow caked on the rim. The bowl surface has some dents which I’ll try to lift with the hot iron method to preserve the finish. The stem has moderate oxidation and tooth chatter – no huge problems detected there. To begin, I run a pipe cleaner wetted with alcohol through the draft way and then put the stem in a bath of Before & After Deoxidizer along with several other pipes in the queue. After several hours soaking, I fish out the Comoy’s stem and allow the Deoxidizer fluid to drain off. I then take a cotton cloth wetted with alcohol and wipe off the raised oxidation. I continue wiping off oxidation and conditioning the stem by wetting the cotton pad with light paraffin oil. The Deoxidizer seems to have done a good job. Next, I address the chamber cleaning by reaming it with the Pipnet Reaming Kit. To help with the cleanup, I put down some paper towel to catch the dislodged carbon. Beginning with the smallest of four blade heads, I ream the chamber. I only use 2 of the 4 blades available. I follow this by using the Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Tool to fine tune the reaming. I also use the Fitsall Tool to scrape gently an internal rim bevel that emerges from underneath the carbon cake. I also use my thumbnail to scratch the carbon off the rim. Following this, I wrap a piece of 240 grit paper around a Sharpie Pen and sand the chamber. Finally, to remove the carbon dust, I wipe the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95%. With the chamber cleaned, I inspect the chamber walls and I find no issues with heat fissures or cracking. Turning now to the external briar surface, I use undiluted Murphy’s Soap on a cotton pad and clean. I take my time on the rim to remove the lava. After cleaning the surface, I use cool tap water to rinse the bowl.Turning now to the internals of the bowl, I use cotton buds and pipe cleaners with alcohol to clean. I also use a dental spatula to scrape the mortise walls more quickly removing the built-up tars and oils. In time the buds and pipe cleaners start coming out cleaner. Good for now. I move on!To achieve a deeper cleaning and refreshing of the internals, I use a kosher salt and alcohol soak. Using a cotton ball to create a wick, I stretch and twist it and then insert it through the mortise and into the airway. I then fill the bowl with kosher salt and place it in an egg carton to provide stability. With a large eye dropper, I then fill the bowl with isopropyl 95% until it surfaces over the salt. I top the alcohol in a few minutes after it’s absorbed into the salt. I put the stummel aside for several hours to soak. After some time, the salt and the wick were soiled. I tossed the expended salt, wipe the bowl with paper towel, and blow through the mortise to remove salt crystals. To make sure all was clean, I use a cotton bud and pipe cleaner dipped in isopropyl 95% and they are clean.Putting the cleaned bowl aside, I take the flat needle file and work on the button. I file the button lips, upper and lower to redefine them. To erase the scratches of the file, I follow by sanding the bit area, upper and lower with 240 grade sanding paper. I also sand the entire stem to remove further residual oxidation. I’m careful to avoid the stem stampings while sanding. To remove the scratches left by the 240 grade paper, I wet sand using 600 grade paper followed by applying 0000 steel wool buffing to the entire stem.In order to further enrich the vulcanite, I use Before & After Fine and Extra Fine Polish in that order. I put some Fine polish on my fingers and work the polish in. After some minutes, I wipe it off. I follow with the same process with the Extra Fine Polish, giving it some minutes and wiping it off and buffing up the stem. The stem is cleaning up very nicely.Turning again to the stummel, there are 2 significant dents that I want to see if I can minimize using the heating method with an iron. I take pictures of the two places I have in mind. I heat the iron and dampen a cotton handkerchief with water. I place the cloth over the dent and press the hot iron against the cloth over the dent in the briar. The heat and moisture are supposed to expand the dent and in this case it does. Interestingly, taking a picture of the two dents afterwards, what emerged is a roughness caused by the heat. Hmmm, not sure why that happened. The pictures show what I see before and after heating. To remove the roughness caused by the heating and to remove the normal wear nicks, I wet sand the stummel using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400. I then dry sand with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. The grain on this Comoy’s Moorgate is unique as it emerges through the micromesh process. It looks great! To enrich the natural grain of the bowl, I apply Before & After Restoration Balm. I apply some Balm on my fingers and work it into the briar surface. The Balm starts with a thinner oil-like viscosity then gradually thickens to a waxy consistency. After I apply the Balm thoroughly, I let the bowl stand for several minutes while the Balm absorbs. I then wipe off the Balm using a microfiber cloth and gradually, as the Balm is removed, I transition to buffing with the cloth. I take a picture while the Balm is doing its thing and after. I’m liking it a lot!Returning to the stem, I now continue with the micromesh sanding phase. I begin by wet sanding using pads 1500 to 2400, then dry sanding using pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. Between each set of 3 micromesh pads, I apply Obsidian Oil to continue revitalizing the vulcanite. The rubber has that glossy pop! I put the stem aside to dry. Next, I want to refresh the stem stamping, ‘ITALY’. To do this I place a drop of white acrylic paint over the lettering. I then use a cotton pad to blotter the excess paint, thinning it so that it dries rapidly. With the flat edge of a toothpick, I then gently scrape the excess paint off the stem. The pictures show the progress. I now reunite the stem and the bowl and mount a cotton cloth buffing wheel to the Dremel. I set the speed at about 40% full power and apply Blue Diamond compound to the entire pipe. Afterwards, I wipe/buff the pipe with a felt cloth to clear it of leftover compound dust. While I was buffing with the felt cloth, I note that the stem fitting is a little loose for my liking. This sometimes happens after cleaning the pipe well and scraping the mortise. To remedy this, I fit a drill bit just larger than the airway diameter and heat the tenon with a Bic lighter. As the vulcanite tenon heats, it becomes supple allowing me to insert the bit into the airway and it expands the tenon slightly. I test the fit and it works perfectly, and I am satisfied. After rejoining stem and stummel, I then mount another cotton cloth wheel to the Dremel, maintaining 40% speed and apply several coats of carnauba wax. I finish the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to raise the shine further.I’m pleased with the results of this Comoy’s Moorgate. The briar is spectacular with its diversion of colors and swirls of grain. Patches of orange settle in the grain knots and from there the colors are an eye catching kaleidoscopes. It is a unique piece of briar and the half-bent Billiard nicely rests in the palm. Jim commissioned this Comoy’s from the For ‘Pipe Dreamers’ Only! collection and he will have the first opportunity to acquire it from The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Thanks for joining me!

A Tiny 2 Star BBB 8881 Apple/Globe Provided An Interesting Challenge

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Blog by Steve Laug

When I spoke with a fellow here in Vancouver who had a pipe that he wanted me to fix it sounded like a simple repair. He said that it had a very loosely fitting stem. He asked if he could drop by to show it to me and see if I could fix it. From past experience I have learned to never jump to conclusions about what sounded like an easy repair. When he arrived he showed me his GBD Faux Spigot. It turned out to need far more work than just tightening a loose stem. I wrote about that restoration in a previous blog (https://rebornpipes.com/2018/11/03/redoing-a-poorly-restored-ebay-gbd-super-q-9436/). We talked about his GBD for a bit and he made the decision to have me do a restoration on it. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag with a little BBB 2 Star apple of globe shaped pipe. It was stamped BBB in a diamond on the left side of the shank with two ** – one on either side of the diamond. ON the right side it was stamped Made in England over the shape number 8881. He said that he had found it at his parents’ house and really no one there knew where it came from.

Here is what I saw. Starting with externals. The pipe was small – kind of a pocket pipe. The grain on the bowl was quite stunning – a mix of flame and birdseye all around the bowl and shank. The rim top was coated with a thick lava coat and it went into the bowl. The inner edge of the bowl was in rough shape having been hacked clean with a knife. There was a crack on the right side of the shank curving to the underside. It looked to me it was made by the poorly made stem being shoved into the shank. The stem was larger in diameter than the shank and had been rounded over with a file. There were deep bite marks on the surface ahead of the button on both sides. Moving to the internals. The end of the tenon was carved with a knife to make it fit the mortise in the small shank. The inside of the shank was dirty but less so than I expected. The inside of the bowl had a light cake but most of that was gone from the knife job that had left a wounded inner edge on the rim. Looking at the pipe I explained what I would have to do to bring it back to life and restore it to use. It would need, cleaning, reshaping on the rim, a band on the cracked shank that would leave the stamping readable, and a reworking of the stem to make it a fitting addition to the lovely briar of the bowl. The pipe was going to be a fun challenge. I took these photos to give you an idea of what I saw. The previous pipeman who had fit a new stem to an old favourite pipe had done a functional job but it looked rough. It was pretty clean on the inside so it was cared for. It must have been a great smoking pipe for him to fit a new stem and not give up on it when the previous one broke or was lost. It was smokable. I took a close up photo of the rim top to show the condition. It is hard to see but the rim top was not smooth. The lava build up was pretty thick and there were some deep nicks and chips in the flat top. The close up photos of the stem reveal the scratches in the vulcanite, the tooth marks and the worn and ill-defined button. The oversized diameter – prettified to look nice is clear in the photos. I took photos from the side of the pipe to show the stamping on the shank and the prettified stem. In the second photo you can see the crack in the shank curving downward to the underside.I decided to address the cracked shank first. With the crack as large as it was and movable I did not want to further damage it when I worked on the stem and fit of the tenon. I knew that it needed to be banded but that would cover the stamping on the shank so adjustments would have to be made. I used a Dremel and sanding drum to reduce the size of the shank to fit the band I had chosen. I did not take of too much briar and I only damaged the M in Made In England as part of it would end up being covered by the band.I repaired the crack in the shank with super glue and pressure fit the band onto the shank to the point of the end of the sanded portion. I used a Dremel and sanding drum to cut back the band to the width that I wanted. Compare the photos above with the one below to see how much I took off of the band. I topped the band on a topping board with 220 grit sandpaper and smooth out the sharp edge with 1500 grit micromesh. I decided that since I was already working with the Dremel and sanding drum that I would take down the excess diameter on the stem as well. I reduced it to sit snugly against the band giving the pipe a classy look.I cleaned up around the inside edge of the band and edge on the shank with a folded piece of 2220 grit sandpaper to smooth things out and make the fit and transition smooth. I lightly sanded the blade portion of the stem and the area of the tooth marks next to the button with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the oxidation and clean it up. I fit the stem in the shank and took a photo of the pipe at this point in the process. It was beginning to look like a classic BBB to my eye. With the stem roughly fit to the shank it was time to address the bowl top. I topped it on a topping board with 220 grit sandpaper. At that point I called it a night. I had to catch a train down to the southern part of Washington from Vancouver in the morning so I thought I would bag up a couple of pipes I was working on and take them with me.I caught the train south from Vancouver, BC at 6:30am. Once we had our seats we were in for an 8 hour train ride. I figure it would be a good opportunity to work on these two pipes. You can see my work table in the photo below. I used the fold down table. It had a lip around it so I spread out a couple of napkins for the dust and went to work on the pipes.I started working on the BBB by addressing the damage to the inner edge of the rim. It was significant with cuts and burns. My topping worked had helped with the top damage and smoothed that out but I need to work on the rim edge. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the sharp edges and bring the bowl back to round. Once I had the rim as round as I could get it and smoothed out the damaged edge I polished it with micromesh sanding pads. I polished the bowl and the rim at the same time. I wet sanded with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads and dry sanded with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp napkin after each pad. I touched up the stain around the front of the band and stained the rim top and inner edge with Maple and Cherry stain pens. Together the two stains matched the rest of the bowl.I rubbed down the briar with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the smooth surface of the briar with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect it. I let the balm sit for a little wall and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The following photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. The rim matches well but still needs to be polished and buffed to raise a shine on it. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to reshape the button and also to smooth out the marks left by the Dremel when reducing the diameter of the stem. I sanded the tooth marks near the button on each side of the stem to smooth them out.I polished the stem, tenon and metal work with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I was able to remove the damage on the tenon and polish out the dripping varnish on the metal adornment. The stem looked much better at this point in the process. I the polished stem and bowl with Blue Diamond to polish out the remaining small scratches and raise the shine. 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 pretty nicely. This turned out to be a beautiful little pocket pipe in terms of shape and finish. The new nickel band adds a touch of class in my opinion and gives the pipe a new elegance. I look forward to hearing what the fellow who dropped it off for repair thinks of it once he has it in hand and is smoking it. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 4 inches, Height: 1 3/8 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 inch, Chamber diameter: 3/4 of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.

Refreshing a Jarl 1545 Made in Denmark Dublin

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Blog by Dal Stanton

I acquired two Jarl of Denmark pipes in the Lot of 66 pipes I landed on the eBay auction block a couple of years ago. When I first saw them, I liked the style of the blending of the blasting or is it rustification? – and the twin smooth panels on the sides of the bowl. Both are marked on the underside of the smoothed shank portion. The Billiard is marked ‘Jarl Chieftain’ 1511 with a ‘J’ stem mark and the Dublin is marked simply, ‘Jarl’ 1545. Under each Jarl designation is the COM, Made in Denmark. I will be adding nothing new to the scant information available on the internet for the Jarl name. Pipedia’s only entry is brief:

In December of 2010 Ellen Jarl wrote that Jarl pipes were made by her grandfather, Niels Mogens Jørgensen in a little factory in the town of Bramdrupdam, just outside Kolding, Denmark. We have no reason to doubt that Niels Mogens Jørgensen is the maker of these pipes.

Cyrus, a friend who formerly was a Peace Corp worker here in Bulgaria, saw the Jarl Dublin in the For ‘Pipe Dreamers’ Only! section on ThePipeSteward website and commissioned him. After doing research on these Jarls, I’m wondering if I might not regret pulling the Jarl Chieftain out of the Pipe Dreamers offerings to keep for myself!! Here are the two Jarls in the Pipe Steward collection and more pictures showing the Jarl Dublin as Cyrus saw in Pipe Dreamers.I read through several blog threads containing anecdotal information about Jarl pipes and discovered a universal appreciation and love for this Danish line. More than once, regret was expressed in not buying the Jarl one saw several years ago. I enjoyed by far, a Jarl thread on Pipesmagazine.com by donjgiles, who had taken to collecting Jarls and had several pictures showing the collection. The blending of rough/smooth briar seems to be a trademark of the Jarl motif. If indeed, Niels Mogens Jorgensen made these pipes in a smaller operation, and he no longer does, the Jarl name will only become more difficult to find as it becomes more collectable. Following are a few samples of the collection of Jarl pipes from Pipesmagazine.com: It is an interesting question. Is the surface blasted or a result of rustification? When talking to Steve Laug of rebornpipes, Steve described how it may be both. ‘Blastification’ is a technique that may have been used that combined both blasting and rustification. The Jarl surfaces shows both characteristics – but done so well that it looks natural. Steve also mentioned that with Jarl pipes a special process was developed called ‘Oil Hardened’ that removed the sap and impurities from the briar that made the briar lighter and more resilient. Some Jarl pipes are marked ‘Oil Hardened’ but Steve thought that all Jarl pipes were treated in this way.

Looking at the Jarl Dublin now on my table, I don’t see any major issues and I’m hoping this Jarl cleans up quickly. The chamber has cake that needs clearing and the ‘blastified’ stummel needs a good cleaning. The smooth panels on both sides of the stummel have minor nicks and the entire stummel seems dull and dark. The stem shows some tooth chatter on the upper and lower bit. I begin the clean up by running a pipe cleaner wetted with isopropyl 95% through the stem and the adding the stem to a soak of Before & After Deoxidizer with other pipes in the queue. After several hours, I fish out the stem and let the Deoxidizer drain off the stem. I run another pipe cleaner through the stem to clear the Deoxidizer. I then wipe off the raised oxidation using a cotton pad wetted with alcohol. I follow by additionally wiping with a cotton pad wetted with light paraffin oil. The Deoxidizer did a good job. The pictures show the progress. Putting the stem aside, I next address the carbon cake in the chamber by reaming with the Pipnet Reaming kit. To save on cleanup, I put paper towel on the work table. I use two of the four blade heads available starting with the smaller and working my way to the next larger. I follow the reaming blades by scraping the chamber wall with the Savinelli Fitsall Pipe tool. Finally, I wrap 240 grade paper around a Sharpie Pen and sand the chamber and finish the chamber cleaning by wiping it with a cotton pad wetted with alcohol. After an inspection of the chamber, the wall shows no problems with heat fissures or cracks. The pictures show the progress. To clean the external briar surface, I use undiluted Murphy’s Soap and cotton pads and a bristled tooth brush. I scrub the blasted rustification to clean all the nooks and crannies. Using a brass wire brush, I work on the rim as well, which is a little darkened from oils.Turning to the internals, I use pipe cleaners and cotton buds wetted with isopropyl 95%. I also use a long shank brush to work on the mortise and airway as well. Using a dental spatula, I also excavate tars and oils by scraping the mortise. The cleaning is looking good. Later I’ll continue the internal cleaning process with a kosher salt and alcohol soak.The stem has light chatter on the upper- and lower-bit area and some small bite compressions. First, to lessen the chatter and dents, I use heat to expand the vulcanite. Using a Bic lighter, I paint the vulcanite surfaces and the heating causes expansion, encouraging the rubber to find its original state. The pictures are upper, before and after heating and lower, before and after, to show the changes through this method. I follow by sanding with 240 grade paper and refreshing the button using a flat needle file. The pictures show the process.

Upper, before and after and 240 grade paper: Lower, before and after, and 240 grade: I continue working on the stem by wet sanding with 600 grade paper followed by using 0000 grade steel wool over the entire stem. I put the stem aside and look at the stummel. It’s difficult for me to tell if the rustified/blasted part of the stummel is simply in need of conditioning and wax or if it needs a fresh finish. To sneak a preview of what the finish might look like pretty much as is, I wipe some light paraffin oil over the stummel. I take a before (first 2 pics) and after (second 2 pics) the oil picture for comparison. The rim briar (not showing in the pictures) is on the thin side, but overall the ‘blastified’ briar looks good. The smooth briar panels on both sides have scratches from normal usage. After looking at the ‘sneak peek’ using the light paraffin oil, the plan is formulated. I’ll touch up the rim with a dye stick to darken the thin, bald patches. I’ll sand the smooth panels to clear the scratching and to create more of a comparative ‘pop’ between the smooth and rough briar. Using a Mahogany dye stick, I color the rim and edge. I then feather wipe it with a cotton pad wetted slightly with alcohol to blend the dye giving it more texture. Now, using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400, I wet sand both side panels. I then follow by dry sanding the side panel with the remainder of the micromesh pads 3200 to 12000. I also lightly sand the underside nomenclature panel and the ring at the end of the shank – only with the latter pads. I do not want to cause further deterioration of the nomenclature. I love the smooth briar panel pop! The first two pictures show the starting point and then following the micromesh application. At this point I put the brakes on a bit with the stummel. I continue the internal cleaning using kosher salt and alcohol. I first create a wick by stretching and twisting a cotton ball and inserting it in the mortise and airway. The wick acts to draw the tars and oils out of the mortise as the alcohol soaks. I then fill the bowl with kosher salt and place it in an egg carton to keep it stable during the soak. I then fill the chamber with isopropyl 95% until it surfaces over the salt. After a few minutes I top off the alcohol again. I put the stummel aside and let it soak for several hours. With the stummel on the sidelines for the time, I turn again to the stem. Using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400, I wet sand the stem. Falling this, I dry sand using pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. Between each set, I apply a coat of Obsidian Oil to enrich and revitalize the vulcanite stem. It’s looking great. The kosher salt/alcohol soak is next to address. The salt has darkened, and the wick is very soiled demonstrating that the cleaning process had happened. I clear the expended salt in the waste and wipe the chamber with paper towel to remove the left-over salt. I also use a bristled shank brush in the chamber and a narrower one through the mortise to remove old salt. I blow through the mortise as well. To make sure all is clean, I run a pipe cleaner through the airway and a cotton bud in the mortise – both dipped in isopropyl 95%. Each came out clean. I like this final internal cleaning process to fully freshen the internals for the new steward. With the stummel cleaned and a stem waiting in the wings, I continue working on the external surface of the stummel. I thought about how to approach the stummel earlier and decided that the blastification of the Jarl was in good shape but needed some conditioning. After sanding the smooth briar panels, I treat the entire surface by applying Before & After Restoration Balm. I’m have been looking forward to using it and seeing how it turns out. I take a picture of the stummel before starting for comparison. I place some of the Balm on my fingers and work the Balm into the briar surface. I’m careful to work the Balm well into the rough landscape of the blasting/rustification. After working it in well, I wait for a few minutes for the Balm to absorb and do its thing. I take another picture at this stage. Then, taking a microfiber cloth, I wipe off the excess Balm and eventually begin to buff up the surface with the cloth. I like what I see! The Balm provides a deep, rich rendition of the natural color already there. The pictures show the progress. Next, I reunite the stem with the stummel and mount a cotton cloth buffing wheel to the Dremel and set the speed at 40% full power. I then apply Blue Diamond compound to the entire pipe. I work the cotton cloth wheel well into the blasted/rustified surface as I rotate the wheel methodically over the surface. I make sure I’m applying the compound into all the nooks and crannies. After finishing with the compound, I rigorously buff the surface with a felt cloth primarily to remove the compound dust from the stummel in preparation for the waxing phase. After mounting the Dremel with another cotton cloth wheel, increasing the speed slightly to about 45 to 50% of full power, I apply carnauba wax to both the stem and the stummel. I apply a few coats of carnauba then I follow by going over the entire surface again with a clean cotton cloth wheel. I do this to be sure that the wax is spreading uniformly through the rustification and not gunked up in the nooks and crannies. Finally, I finish the restoration by giving the Jarl Dublin a rigorous hand buffing with a microfiber cloth. This not only raises the shine beautifully but gives one more pass over the surface to make sure of an even wax coverage.

This pipe is beautiful and gives credence to the Jarl lovers I read in the threads. The tapestry of briar texture and presentation draws the gaze to look more closely the grain of smooth briar contrasted with the brown, reddish blastification. The classic Dublin shape simply adds attitude to the overall look. I like this pipe a lot and I’m sure Cyrus will too. Since he first commissioned the Danish Jarl 1545 Dublin from the For ‘Pipe Dreamers’ Only! collection, he will have the first opportunity to acquire the Jarl in The Pipe Steward Store. The best part is that this pipe also benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria, our effort here in Bulgaria to help women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Thanks for joining me!

Redoing a Poorly Restored EBay GBD Super ‘Q’ 9436

4 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

Probably one of the most irritating parts of the art of pipe restoration is when a pipe comes to me from an EBay seller who sold it as fully restored and ready to smoke and it was not. The story of this pipe started with that description. On the weekend I received a call from a fellow here in Vancouver who had a pipe that had a very loosely fitting stem. He asked if he could drop by to show it to me and see if I could fix it. From past experience I never jump to conclusions about what sounded like an easy repair. When he arrived he showed me this GBD Faux Spigot. It had a nickel ferrule and a nickel adornment just above the Delrin tenon. The tenon was drilled out for a 6mm filter. The stamping on the bowl reads on the left side GBD in an oval over Super ‘Q’. On the right side it had a Made in London over England COM stamp with the shape number 9436 next to that. On the underside of the shank it has an M stamped next to the ferrule. I asked him where he had picked up the pipe and he said that he had picked it up on EBay. Knowing that, I began to look more carefully at the pipe.

Here is what I saw. Starting with externals. The rim and exterior of the pipe had been coated with a shiny varnish coat with some significant grime on the rim top under the varnish. The nickel had also been coated with the varnish and had run on the stem adornment. The stem also had some deep bite marks on the surface ahead of a very worn and ill-defined button on both sides. Moving to the internals. The end of the tenon had a lot of tarry buildup in it from smoking the filter pipe without a filter. Not much effort seems to have been made to remove it. The inside of the shank was also covered with a tobacco juice lacquer that was also gumming up the airway. When I blew through it, the draught was constricted. The inside of the bowl was another story. The bowl had been lightly reamed leaving behind a fairly thick cake that was checked and cracked giving the bowl interior a very fractured look. The bottom half of the bowl had not seen the blade of the reamer and was dirty. There was debris in the airway as it entered the bowl. I have to say that the pipe was a mess and the work that had been done would make my job harder.

To say that it was restored and ready to smoke was an outright lie. If it had been cleaned and the only issue was the cake I would have been good with that. If the rim top had been cleaned before the shiny coat I would have been good with that. But to cover it up and make it shiny to hide a poor job is deceptive at worst and shoddy craftsmanship at best. I pointed out the issues with the pipe to the fellow who had stopped by and suggested that he have me clean it up for him the way I think that it should have been cleaned. He was game so the pipe stayed with me when he left. I took some photos of the pipe before I started my work to show the general condition. I took a close up photo of the rim top to show the condition. It is hard to see but the rim top is not smooth. There are chunks of grime/lava under the shiny top coat. The close up photos of the stem reveal the scratches in the vulcanite, the tooth marks and the worn and ill-defined button. There is also some sagging shiny coat on the nickel stem adornment that is visible.I cleaned the internals of the shank and stem with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol. The debris that came out was astonishing for a “restored” pipe. I scraped the walls of the mortise with a sharp pen knife to remove the lacquer build up there. When I finished the pipe smelled cleaner.I reamed the bowl back to bare briar with a PipNet pipe reamer. I cleaned up the debris with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife and sanded the walls with a piece of dowel wrapped in 220 grit sandpaper. I wanted to see behind all the cake what the walls looked like. Sadly they were as I expected – very checked with spidery cracks. I took a few photos of the damage to the inside of the bowl to give an idea of the extent of the checking and fissures on interior walls. This is typically caused by smoking too hot.To protect the bowl wall I mixed up a batch of charcoal powder and sour cream to make a paste. I pressed the mixture into the crevices and fissures on the walls of the bowl and painted a top coat of the mixture with a folded pipe cleaner. I set the bowl aside to cure and turned my attention to the damaged stem.I used a needle file to redefine the button on both sides of the stem and sanded the tooth marks out the surface of the stem with 220 grit sandpaper. I filled in the remaining deeper tooth mark with super glue and when it cured sanded it smooth to match the surface of the stem.I polished the stem, tenon and metal work with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I was able to remove the damage on the tenon and polish out the dripping varnish on the metal adornment. The stem looked much better at this point in the process. Once the bowl coating cured I worked on the rim top with micromesh sanding pads – 3200-12000 to remove the tarry deposits around the surface. I scrubbed the bowl down with Before & After Restoration Balm and after it sat for a short time I buffed it off with a cotton cloth. Here is what it looked like at that point. I the polished stem and bowl with Blue Diamond to polish out the remaining small scratches and raise the shine. 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 pretty nicely. This turned out to be a beautiful pipe in terms of shape and finish. I am looking forward to hearing what the fellow who dropped it off for repair thinks of it once he has it in hand and is smoking it. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 3/4 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/2 inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me. Thanks for tolerating my rant at the beginning about redoing EBay “restored” pipes. Also if any of you have ever heard of the GDB Super ‘Q’ line let me know. Thanks for looking and thanks for any help you might give.

About a Super Grain Kaywoodie Medium Dublin #08 Almost as Old as My Dad

Resurrecting a Tired and Worn 1937 Dr. Grabow Special 4914 Apple

Recommissioning a Hefty Ben Wade Bent Billiard Made in London England

9 Replies

Blog by Dal Stanton

I saw this large Ben Wade Bent Billiard on the eBay auction block a few years ago and secured it with the winning bid. This was the first time I had acquired a Ben Wade, so my initial thought was to add it to my own collection. I noticed that Ben Wade stamped pipes usually attracted more than usual bidding attention and so I was looking forward to restoring it and learning more about the name. In the end, I put him in the For ‘Pipe Dreamers’ Only! section on the Pipe Steward site and this is where Paresh saw it and commissioned it to add to his collection and this benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria. The Ben Wade, without question, fits the profile of being a ‘hefty’ pipe fitting well in the hand. Here are some of the pictures that got Paresh’s attention: I take some additional pictures on my work table in Sofia, Bulgaria, looking at the stamping. On the left shank is ‘Ben Wade’ in cursive script over MADE IN [over] LONDON ENGLAND. The right shank side has 79 stamped – I’m assuming a shape number. The stem also has a BEN WADE stamp. Pipedia’s article on Ben Wade is interesting and very helpful in explaining the history. The ‘Family Era” (1860 to 1962) is described as the ‘hay day’ of the British pipe maker:

The company was founded by Benjamin Wade in 1860 in Leeds, Yorkshire, where it was located for over a century. Ben Wade started as a pipe trader, but yet in the 1860’s he established a workshop to produce briar pipes. The pipes were made in very many standard shapes – always extensively classic and “very British”. Many models tended to be of smaller dimensions. Ben Wade offered a very high standard of craftsmanship and quality without any fills. Thus, the pipes were considered to be high grade and a major competitor to other famous English brands.

Along with most pipe manufacturers, the Second World War was a difficult time for Ben Wade. German air raids destroyed the factory in Leeds, but the Ben Wade Co., quickly rebuilt after the war. The Pipedia article gives several examples of the Ben Wade based in Leeds nomenclature during the Family Era (courtesy of Doug Valitchka):The ’Family Era’ ended when the business was sold in 1962:

…the owner family decided to leave pipe business and sell off the firm. The family went into negotiations with Herman G. Lane, president of Lane Ltd. in New York at about the same time as the Charatan family. Lane Ltd. bought both firms in 1962. Herman G. Lane had been Charatan’s US sole distributor since 1955 and Charatan always remained his pet child. But Ben Wade was treated in another way by its new owner. The fabrication of pipes was reduced and the factory in Leeds was closed in 1965 finally. So this was the end of Ben Wade pipes stamped “Made in Leeds, England”.

The ‘Lane Era’ is described as a time when the historic quality of Ben Wade declined to a ‘second’ with reference to the production of standard shapes:

Alas the “new” Ben Wades were quite usual series pipes, copies of well-known standard shapes. The pipes often showed hardly masqued fillings and were processed quite coarsely with hardly polished pre-moulded Ebonite stems. Therewith Ben Wade degenerated definitively to a second brand.

According to the Pipedia article, after the death of Herman G. Lane, the business was sold to Dunhill Pipes Limited in 1978 and the new owner had no need to produce ‘seconds’ coming from the acquisition. The Ben Wade Bent Billiard on my work table comes from the ‘Lane Era’ produced between 1965 and 1978 matching the nomenclature during this period. “Made in London England” or just “London” replaced “Leeds” with the characteristic cursive script and ‘Ben Wade’ stem stamp (again courtesy of Doug Valitchka):I had one other question regarding the name ‘Ben Wade’ – the Danish connection? In 1971, the young, Danish pipe maker, Preben Holm, came to Lane with financial difficulties and in need of a new US distributer of his pipes made in Denmark. The new partnership put the Ben Wade name on the Freehand production coming from the Danish factory into the burgeoning US ‘Freehand’ market with a commitment to quality rather than quantity. The market grew through the 70s until 1985, when the market for these pipes fell resulting in the downsizing of the factory in 1986 but the production of Danish Ben Wade pipes came to an end in 1989 after the death of Preben Holm. The Pipedia article concludes by describing the status of the Ben Wade name. Duncan Briars purchased rights to the Ben Wade name from Dunhill Pipes in 1998 and continues to produce pipes at the same factory where Dunhill pipes are made:

The bowls are carved at the world famous 32 St. Andrews Road, Walthamstowe pipe factory, in London, England. The same factory where Dunhills are made. Every pipe is drilled spot on and exhibits a good blast and all have high quality German Vulcanite mouthpieces. Every pipe is stamped “Ben Wade, Made in London, England”. The craftsmanship and smokability have always been superb.

With a greater appreciation for the Ben Wade name, I take another look at the Ben Wade Bent Billiard on my worktable. Even though the Pipedia article gave more of a negative view of traditional shapes of Ben Wades produced in the Lane Era, the pipe I’m looking at doesn’t reflect this. The grain is beautiful, and I see no fills on the surface. The chamber appears to have been cleaned and the briar surface is clean as well showing normal nicks and scratches. The stem does have some minor oxidation and tooth dents on the button. I also detect that there is a gap between the shank and stem – I’ll see if cleaning might correct this. I take some close ups of these issues. To begin the cleanup of the Ben Wade, I run a pipe cleaner dipped in isopropyl 95% through the stem. Then, along with other pipes in the queue, I put the stem in a soak of Before & After Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation. After a few hours, I remove the stem and wipe off the raised oxidation using cotton pads and light paraffin oil – mineral oil. I also run another pipe cleaner through the airway to remove Deoxidizer. Turning to the stummel, I remove the very light cake in the chamber. With the chamber so large, I jump to the largest blade head from the Pipnet Reaming kit. I follow this by using the Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Tool and scraping the chamber walls further. I finish by sanding the chamber wall using 240 grit paper wrapped around a Sharpie Pen. To remove the carbon dust residue, I wipe the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95%. The pictures show the progress. One of the purposes of removing the old cake to bring the chamber down to the briar, is not only for a fresh start. When the carbon is removed the chamber can be inspected for problems usually pertaining to heat fissures and potential burn throughs. Inspecting the Ben Wade, I detect on the forward part of the chamber a sloping indentation that is a little to pronounced to ignore. Using the Savinelli Fitsall Tool again, I scrape carbon out of the indentation to make sure I’m getting down to the briar. This reveals the full extent of the abnormal burning. I take pictures to show what I see, but the picture doesn’t do too well. Changing the aperture, the picture is lightened, and I outline the perimeter of the indentation in the final picture below. I need to address this budding burn through later after cleaning the stummel. Next, I clean the external stummel surface using undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a cotton pad. The stummel cleans up well but reveals a tired, lackluster, thin finish. I then clean the internals of the stummel using cotton buds and pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95%. The grunge is thick, so I also employ a dental spatula to scrape the mortise walls as well as a drill bit to hand turn down the airway to excavate the old tars and oils. To save on pipe cleaners I also utilize a long shank brush to scrub the airway. Eventually, the tide begins to turn, and the buds and pipe cleaners are emerging less soiled. I take a picture of the tools I use.To continue cleaning the internals, I use a kosher salt and alcohol soak. I like to do this additional step in cleaning to further clean the tars and oils out of the internal briar and to freshen the pipe. I use kosher salt because it doesn’t leave an aftertaste. I stretch and twist a cotton ball to form a wick that I then insert down the mortise and airway pushing it with a straight, stiff wire. I then fill the bowl with kosher salt and place the stummel in an egg crate to keep it stable. With a large eyedropper, I fill the bowl with isopropyl 95% until it surfaces over the salt. I put the stummel aside to soak for several hours.Again, I look closely at the stem that had already soaked in the Before & After Deoxidizer and I see that there remains deeper oxidation. Instead of going directly to sanding out the oxidation, I decide to put the stem in the OxiClean bath to let it soak overnight – to see if more oxidation would be raised. I put a small bit of petroleum jelly over the Ben Wade stem stamping and I put the stem in the OxiClean and turned out the lights. Another day is finished.The next morning the soak had done the job. After tossing the expended salt in the waste, I wipe the chamber with paper towel and blow through the mortise to clear any residual salt crystals. I also use a long shank brush down the mortise. To make sure the internals are clean, I finish by using a cotton bud and pipe cleaner dipped in isopropyl 95% down the mortise and airway. They come out clean.Next, I fish the stem out of the OxiClean where it has been soaking through the night. More oxidation has surfaced. I begin sanding the entire stem using 240 grit paper careful to protect the Ben Wade stamping and shouldering the stem. I focus on the bit area removing the minor tooth chatter. Using a flat needle file, I freshen the button edges. I follow by wet sanding with 600 grit paper and then 0000 steel wool. The oxidation appears to be removed for the larger part except for some around the Ben Wade stamping which I won’t sand for the sake of preserving the stamp. Taking it one step further, using Before & After Fine and Extra Fine Polish, I rub each into the vulcanite in succession. Putting some on my finger, I work the polishes into the vulcanite and let the stem sit for a time to absorb the polish. The polishes are advertised not only to revitalize vulcanite but also to continue to remove the oxidation. After each polish is absorbed, I then wipe the stem down with a cotton pad. The pictures show the progress.Putting the stem aside for now, I work on the budding burn through in the chamber. Previously, I dug out any remaining charring in the indentation. To make sure the area is fully clear, I sand the area again and wiped the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl 95% to clean the chamber. As far as chamber burn throughs go, this one is minimal. It has not progressed far and the size and the thickness of the bowl means that there was never any imminent danger. Yet, for the long-term view and use of this beautiful Ben Wade Bent Billiard, I repair the problem where it is before it grows and becomes a worse problem. I mix a small batch of J-B Kwik Weld on an index card. After combining the two components, ‘Steel’ and ‘Hardener’, I have about 4 minutes to apply the mixture before it starts setting. I use a flat dental spatula as a trowel and apply the J-B Weld to the indentation in the chamber. I put the stummel aside to allow the J-B Weld to thoroughly cure. After it cures, I use a sanding drum mounted on the Dremel to sand the excess. I follow this using the Sharpie Pen wrapped with 240 grit paper to leave the chamber smooth and shaped. I’m pleased with the results and glad I went the extra mile to arrest the potential burn through. Later, I’ll apply a coat of activated charcoal and sour cream mixture to the chamber wall to improve the aesthetics and to aid formation of a new protective cake. Before continuing, I reunite the stem and stummel to examine the shank junction. Earlier I saw a gap between the shank and the stem. Often, after cleaning these problems are resolved. I find that this indeed was the case as the stem is now seated as it should be. Pictures are before and after.With the stem now properly seating, I turn again to the stem and using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stem. Following this, I dry sand using pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. Following each set of three pads, I apply a coat of Obsidian Oil to revitalize the stem. I love the glassy pop of a micromeshed stem! Turning now to the external surface of the stummel, I take a closer look at the condition of the briar. I identify some very small fills which are solid except for one, which is pitted. Along with normal dents and scratches from wear, there is a small skin mark on the forward outer lip of the rim. For the pitted fill, I dig out more of the old fill with a sharp dental probe. Since I will put clear CA glue on the pitted fill, I color the fill with a walnut dye stick to aid in blending. I then spot drop CA glue on the area and set the stummel aside allowing the glue to cure. After a full work day, the CA glue patch I applied this morning is fully cured. I remove the CA glue mound starting with a flat needle file. The key is to stay on the mound and gradually bring it down close to the briar surface. I don’t want to impact any surrounding briar. I follow the filing by using a tightly rolled piece of 240 grit paper to bring the glue down until it’s flush with the briar surface. My rule of thumb is to sand until I can feel no roughness. The patch looks good – blending well with the briar.To address the rim nicks, I decide to give the rim a very light topping. Using a chopping board as my topping board, I place a sheet of 240 grade paper on the board. Inverting the stummel, I rotate the stummel a few times on the board to freshen the rim lines and remove the nicks. I follow with a few rotations on 600 grade paper. The pictures show the progress. Next, to address the briar surface, I use in succession rough, medium and light grade sanding sponges to work out the cuts and nicks in preparation for the micromesh pads. I find that using sanding sponges on smooth briars helps clean the surface of the old, tired finish without being greatly invasive. The sponges also smooth and soften the rim lines after the topping. I enjoy watching the grain begin to take center stage through the process.Next, using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stummel. I follow by dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. I forgot to take a picture of the first set of 3 pads. The grain is coming through nicely. Rejoining stem and stummel, I mount a 1-inch cotton cloth buffing wheel to the Dremel set at about 40% full power and apply Blue Diamond compound to the entire pipe.Before applying carnauba wax to the stem and stummel, I need to touch up the Ben Wade stem stamping with the hope there’s enough tread left in the ‘Wade’ portion of the stamp to hold the paint. Using white acrylic paint, I apply paint over the stamping and sponge off the excess while still wet and allow the paint to dry. After dry, I gently scrape the excess with the flat edge of a toothpick. I’m less than satisfied. I try reapplying more paint and wiping while still wet. After working with it for some time, I’ve come to the best I can do. The ‘Wade’ part of the stamping simply does not have enough depth left to fully hold paint. The picture shows my less than hoped for results. One more project to finish before the final waxing. After completing the chamber repair using J-B Weld and sanding, to aid the aesthetics and to provide a starter layer for developing a protective cake, I mix together sour cream or natural yogurt with activated charcoal to form an application to cover the walls of the chamber. When I first heard about this mixture from Steve on rebornpipes, I was a bit doubtful then, but no longer. I have used this application many times and after applying and drying, the result is a very sturdy layer. After the pipe goes into service, the only caution is when cleaning out the bowl after use do not scrape the chamber with a pipe tool. I simply use a folded bristled pipe cleaner to scrape the wall after dumping the ash. This has worked well for me. I place a pipe cleaner in the draft hole to keep the airway open. Here in Bulgaria, yogurt is very plentiful, so I scoop some natural yogurt in a small bowl and add some activated charcoal powder and mix it. After it mixes and thickens enough so it won’t be runny, I trowel the mixture into the chamber with a pipe nail tool and spread it evenly. After it’s distributed well, I set the stummel aside for a time to allow the charcoal/yogurt mixture to cure. After the Charcoal/Yogurt coating sets, I reunite stem and stummel. Using the Dremel, I mount another cotton cloth wheel, leaving the speed at about 40% and apply carnauba wax. After a few coats of wax, I give the pipe a rigorous hand buffing with a microfiber cloth to raise the shine.

This hefty Ben Wade Made in London England Bent Billiard turned out very well. The horizontal grain on the huge stummel flows in a striking picture and is joined by large bird’s eye pools. The bowl rests very nicely in the palm and will provide its new steward with much enjoyment. Paresh commissioned this Ben Wade and will have the first opportunity to acquire it from The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Thanks for joining me!