Tag Archives: Bowls – refinishing

Refreshing an old giant – CPF French Briar Bent Billiard

11 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I have always heard and read that during WWII years it was virtually impossible to get briar in the US and rubber for stems was at a premium. During those years, Mountain Laurel and Manzanita – close kin to Mediterranean Briar – were used. The bowls have a different appearance than briar – the grain on the bowl sides and rim are very different. The stems were often made of repurposed rubber and I have seen bits of metal in the cast rubber of the stems. While that is interesting information the next pipe on the table is far older than WWII. But it could be made of Laurel and it certainly had bits of metal in the solid rubber stem. It came from my brother as well. It is a CPF French Briar bent billiard. It is a large pipe – the length is 11 inches, the height is 2 ¼ inches, the outside diameter of the bowl is 1 ½ inches and the inner diameter is 7/8 inches and the depth of the bowl is 1 9/16 inches. I took the next photo to give an idea of the size of the pipe when I received it.cpf1Don’t you ever wish these old pipes could talk? They could certainly tell some amazing stories of their journeys. My brother wrote to tell me that this old CPF Giant was found in an antique store in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The owner had told him that the pipe was owned by an artist who strictly used it as a art prop… never smoked it. That’s why it was in great shape for the age. My brother took some photos of the pipe before he did his clean up and sent it to me. The finish was in decent shape. There was some spottiness to the finish but no deep nicks of scratches. The rim had overflow from the cake in the bowl that was thick on the entire surface. The metal band had some scratches and appeared to have rotated on the shank in the photos showing that it was probably loose. The stem was clean with minimal tooth chatter near the button with a little wear on the top and underside of the orifice button. There was some oxidation on the rubber.cpf2I have restored quite a few CPF pipes in the past and did a blog on the historical background of the brand. You can read the entirety at this link: https://rebornpipes.com/2013/04/14/some-reflection-on-the-historical-background-on-cpf-pipes/. I have summarized part of it in what follows to connect this pipe to the history of the brand.

“One of the secondary hobbies to pipe refurbishing that I enjoy doing is to research the history of a particular brand or make. In a recent EBay lot I bought there were 3 pipes that were stamped with the CPF logo – CPF in an oval with the word FRENCH stamped in an arch above the oval and the word BRIAR stamped in an arch below the oval. I had heard that the CPF stood for a variety of names from Consolidated Pipe Factory to Colossus Pipe Factory and even Chesterfield Pipe Company. There was a wide range of conflicting information available on the websites and forums that I read while looking into the brand…”

“…CPF in the logo stands for Colossus Pipe Factory. The brand was purchased by KB&B sometime between 1884 and 1898 and it continued until 1915. That time frame gives help in dating some of the older CPF pipes you or I might find. It can be said that prior to the dual stamping it is fairly certain that the pipe is pre-1884 to 1898. After the dual stamping it can be placed post 1898 until the closure of the brand line in 1915. CPF made beautiful pipes. I believe Sam Goldberger was correct in his assertion that the carvers who made the pipes were of European training and used the classic shapes and well-aged briar.”

Armed with that information I should be able to narrow down the period in which the pipe was made. Since the pipe and the ferrule both bear only the CPF logo I can safely say the pipe was made before the time period mentioned above as sometime between 1884 and 1898 when the CPF company was sold. I also know that from 1898-1915 all of the pipes that came out of the factory bore a dual CPF/KB&B stamp. The fact that this one does not puts the date of manufacture before or around the early 1880s. It is an old pipe.

My brother took some close up photos of the pipe. The first two show the grain on the bottom of the bowl. It is a mixture of birds-eye and cross grain that is really scrambled up. I have not seen the kind of grain patterns that show up on just one side of this old timer. It is the graining pattern that makes me wonder if I am really dealing with briar here. The third photo shows the bowl and the rim. You can see the thin even cake and the buildup of tars and oils on the top of the rim. The internal and external edges of the rim appeared to be in excellent condition.cpf5cpf6The next two photos show the stamping on the left side of the shank and on the ferrule. The shank reads C.P.F. in an oval with French above the oval and Briar below the oval. The stamping is filled with gold gilding. The stamping on the ferrule has three hallmarks – an anchor, a star and an eagle which from previous research on this brand are determined to be faux hallmarks and are there for looks rather than giving pertinent information on the band. Beneath the hallmarks is the C.P.F. oval.cpf7The stem was lightly oxidized and the orific button on the end had some chips missing on the top and bottom sides. The underside of the stem was stamped Solid Rubber. From what I could find online the Solid Rubber stamp was originally used when rubber or vulcanite started becoming popular for pipe stems in the mid to late 1800s. I have found from working on them that solid rubber stems are different from vulcanized rubber stems. They seem to have less oxidation and seem denser in composition. They are heavier that vulcanite stems that are the same size as well. I have also found that they need to be cleaned differently. Solvents that are fine for vulcanite can cause hard rubber to “ripple”. They require a little extra care when performing maintenance.cpf8My brother did a great job cleaning the pipe up. He reamed the bowl and cleaned off the buildup on the rim. All that was left was some darkening. He cleaned out the internals so that when I got it the mortise, airway in the bowl and the stem were spotless. The bowl interestingly enough was not smoked all the way to the bottom. The last half of the bowl was still raw briar undarkened by smoke and heat. I took the next four photos to show what the pipe looked like.cpf9 cpf10I took a closeup photo of the rim top to show what I needed to deal with on that front. The surface was clean but there were some scratches and there were some nicks in the edges of the bowl. There was also some darkening around the inner edge of the bowl.cpf11I also took some close up photos of the identifying marks that I noted above in my description of the pipe. The CPF stamping on the shank was clear but the ferrule had rolled to one side and would need to be glued. The Solid Rubber stamping is also clear on the underside of the stem.cpf12I scrubbed the surface of the briar with acetone and cotton pads to clean off the remaining finish on the bowl and shank. I was careful to avoid the gold stamping on the left shank side.cpf13 cpf14The ferrule had rolled over to the top of the shank. The stamping was on top and should have been aligned with the stamping on the left side of the shank. I removed the ferrule and cleaned up the briar. I reapplied some all purpose glue to the briar and pressed the ferrule back on the shank. I aligned the stamping on the ferrule with that on the shank.cpf15The fit of the stem in the shank was very tight. I used alcohol and cotton swabs to clean out the stain spots on the inside of the mortise. It did not take too much to remove the shiny spots and once they were gone the stem fit better.cpf16I sanded the bowl and shank with a medium and fine grit sanding sponge to remove the scratches and clean up the rim top. I was able to remove all of the nicks and spots on the rim. The scratching on the bowl sides was minimized.cpf17 cpf18I used black super glue to rebuild the damaged portions of the top and underside of the button edge. It took multiple coats rebuild it back to the size I needed so that I could reshape it with sandpaper and files.cpf19When the glue had dried I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to reshape it. I wanted it rounded like the undamageed portions of the button. It did not take too much work to reshape it. I polished the stem and button with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit sandpaper and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each set of three pads. After the final rub down with oil I set the stem aside to dry.cpf20 cpf21 cpf22I polished the bowl with micromesh sanding pads as well. I wet sanded it with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanded it with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down with a small bit of olive oil on a paper towel and hand buffed it with a soft cloth.cpf23 cpf24I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave it multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a clean buffing wheel to raise the shine on the pipe. I hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. It is shown in the photos below. It is cleaned and ready to fire up with a fresh bowl of tobacco. It is a beautiful pipe for being over 130 years old. It will be a great pipe for sitting and reading as the large bowl will last a long time. It is also surprisingly light weight for a pipe of its size. Thanks for walking with me through the restoration.cpf25 cpf26 cpf27 cpf28 cpf29 cpf30 cpf31 cpf32 cpf33

Redemption of a Mayfair 1005 Bent Tree Stump Pipe

11 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I can see what attracted Jeff to this pipe right away because it also grabs my attention. It has a rugged looking rustication that is somewhere between an aged piece of leather and a gnarled tree stump. There is something very charming about the appearance of the pipe that is for certain. The briar by and large appears to be in decent shape. The stamping on the shank reads MAYFAIR over 1005 with Italy stamped next to the stem shank junction. First thought was it may be a Sasieni or Charatan but I do not think it is. There is something almost Lorenzo like in terms of the look of the carving and the shape. The way the stamping is done and the Italy stamp makes me think that it is a basket pipe made for a pipe shop called the Mayfair Shop. In my I found that there is a shop in Edmonton, Alberta Canada called Mayfair Smoke & Gift Shop. There is also an area on London called Mayfair that at one time housed many pipe and tobacco shops. My own feeling is that the pipe probably came from the shop in Edmonton – the Italy stamp on the shank makes me think that rather than and English shop.may1 may2The next close up photos show more of the carving on the bowl close up and the condition of the rim and cake in the bowl. In the first photo below there is a small chip out of the rim edge that shows up but should be easy to hide in the rustication. The rim top is quite dirty with the overflow of cake from the bowl. It is hard to see under the thick cake on it but there are curved strokes around the rim top that go clockwise. They include larger deeper strokes and fine hairlike strokes that are also in the grooves of the rustication on the bowl sides.may3The next photo shows the stamping on a smooth portion on the bottom of the shank. Does anyone know who made the Mayfair brand of pipe that was stamped like this?may4Other than being deeply oxidized the stem was in decent shape. There were not any tooth marks or deep tooth chatter on the stem surfaces. There was a cursive stylized T on the left side of the saddle portion of the stem.may5My brother cleaned up the pipe and sent it my way in Vancouver. As usual he did a thorough job of reaming and cleaning the inside of the shank, mortise and airway in the stem. They were spotless. I took the next four photos to show what the pipe looked like when it arrived.may6His cleanup of the rim revealed the curved clockwise strokes around the top surface.may7I took a close up picture of the rim top and if you look into the bowl a serious issue that would need further exploring.may8Even after the cleanup the stem looked in decent shape.may9I used a dental pick to probe the serious spidering cracks and crevices on the inside of the bowl. These were far worse than the recent ones that I addressed in the bowl of The Tobacconist Inc. Rhodesian recently using pipe mud (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/12/22/a-reclamation-project-the-tobacconist-inc-made-in-england-rhodesian/). These were deep and intricately burned gouges in the surface of the bowl. I used the Savinelli Fitsall Knife to scrape out as much damage on the walls as possible and without gouging out more and further damaging the surface. The next series of photos show the bowl as I turned it around examining the damage.  may10 may11I have to tell you at this point I was seriously considering throwing the pipe into the discard box and not bothering working any further on it. The stem could be salvaged and parts of the briar may be salvageable for repairs. It really was a desperate looking situation. It appeared to be a bowl on the very edge of being burned out all around – one of the worst messes on the inside of a bowl I had seen. But… and this is where I took a chance. I really like the rustication pattern on the briar and the shape also grabbed me so I decided to try a remedy that Charles Lemon of Dadspipes has used far more than me. I thought it might just work on this old bowl and provide a possible redemption to ongoing service.

I picked at the wood with a dental pick to remove any loose chips or chunks of briar to get the wood back to as solid a base as possible. I cleaned out the interior of the bowl with a cotton swab and alcohol until I removed all of the dust and debris from the cracks.I wanted a clean surface to work with. I set the bowl aside to dry and went to the hardware liquidation store down the street. I picked up some JB Weld (or rather a brand called Steel Weld which was made by JB Weld). I mixed the base and the hardener on a patch of paper with a wire until I had it well blended. Using a dental spatula I pressed the mixture into all of the cracks on the inside of the bowl. I slathered on (technical term) the coat of the mixture until all the inside walls of the bowl were smoothly covered.may12 may13I dampened a cotton pad with alcohol and wiped off the JB Weld that had gotten on the rim top and inner edge of the bowl. I did not want it to harden as then it would be impossible to remove from the strokes on the surface. I set the bowl aside to let the bowl repair harden. Once it was cured overnight I would sand the surface clean leaving the repair only in the cracks themselves.

Being impatient by nature and by choice, I wanted to keep working on the pipe. I know that I have many more to work on but I wanted to see what the exterior of this old timer looked like once it was restained. So when the internal repair had hardened to touch (about an hour later) I decided to stain the briar. I used a Dark Brown aniline stain and applied it to the briar with a folded pipe cleaner. I flamed the stain to set it in the grooves and grain. I repeated the process until the coverage was what I wanted.may14 may15With the stain coat done I took two photos to show the rim and interior of the bowl to show how the repairs looked before I sanded them down. The JB Weld still needed to cure but you can see how the walls looked at this point.may16I wanted to protect the bowl from the dust and the debris that would fly when I sanded out the bowl so I gave it a first coat of Conservator’s Wax. I buffed it with a shoe brush.may17 may18I set the bowl aside until the afternoon to let the repair cure and turned my attention to the stem. I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the oxidation on the surface and smooth out the pitting.may19I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding the stem with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. After each set of three pads I gave the stem a rub down with Obsidian Oil. After the final rub down I set the stem aside to dry until I had finished the bowl.may19a may19b may19cWhen I came back to the bowl in the afternoon I took some photos of the interior before I sanded it to show what the dried JB Weld looked like. The surface is rough to the touch and hard. The cracks however are completely filled in.may20I used the Dremel and sanding drum to remove much of the excess fill/repair material. I set the Dremel at the lowest speed and slowly worked it over the inside of the bowl walls. I was able to remove much of the overage that way but I could not get all of the material off. My goal was to leave the JB Weld only in the crevices and cracks in the walls and not on the walls themselves. I wrapped a piece of 220 grit sandpaper around a wine cork, roughened the end to give some leverage on it and sanded the inside of the bowl. This further took back the JB Weld. I finished sanding the inside with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around my index finger. When I was finished the cracks were filled and the bowl was smooth to touch.may21 may22I wiped down the inside walls of the bowl  with cotton swabs and clean water and the shank with pipe cleaners and clean water to remove all of the sanding dust and debris left behind by my work in the  bowl. The next photos show the repairs on the walls of the bowl. The bowl is solid and feels undamaged. My next step in the repair is to coat the walls with a mixture of sour cream and charcoal powder – a bowl coating. This will further protect the walls and provide insulation until a cake can be formed.may23I walked down to the local supermarket and purchase a small package of sour cream. I put a spoonful of sour cream into a small bowl and broke open the last of my activated charcoal capsules into it. I mixed it with a spoon until the mixture was a dark grey colour and well blended.may24I know at this point many of you are thinking “sour cream in a pipe”. But that is exactly what  I used. I mixed it well and put it on the walls of the pipe with a dental spatula and spread it evenly across the walls with a folded pipe cleaner. I had inserted a pipe cleaner in the shank to keep the airway clear of the bowl coating. I can assure you after many years of using this mixture – one by the way that is used by many pipe makers – that the mixture dries and has no residual smell or tasted. It is absolutely neutral. It provides a good insulator for the bowl while cake is formed. In this case it also covers the lines of JB Weld in the cracks of the bowl interior so it serves a dual purpose.may25 may26I put the bowl aside to let the bowl coating cure and harden. I let it sit overnight to cure. I knew that once it had hardened it would be completely neutral in smell and taste. This morning the bowl coating had dried to a solid black colour with a little grit from the charcoal. The sour cream smell was gone and the bowl was smooth and black to the bottom.may26a may26bThis morning I gave the bowl several more coats of Conservator’s Wax, buffed it with a shoe brush and finished by buffing it with a clean buffing pad to bring a shine to the smooth and rusticated portions of the bowl. I buffed the stem with Blue Diamond Polish on the buffing wheel and gave it several coats of carnauba wax. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the whole pipe with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine and give the pipe a sense of warmth that this last step gives it. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. It may seem like a lot of work to redeem this old pipe but the look of the finished pipe says it all to me. This one will be a pleasure to fire up and hold. The tactile nature of the rustication is complex and interesting to hold and study. Would you have done this work on one you have on the table? The only way that you will be able to answer that question is when you lay eyes on one that grabs a hold of your attention. Until then you may wonder at my madness. Thanks for walking with me through this exercise. may27 may28 may29 may30 may31 may32 may33 may34

Reclamation Project: The Tobacconist Inc. Rhodesian

5 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

In the last box of pipe that my brother sent there was a pipe that is of course one of my favourite shapes – a 9438/9242 GBD style Rhodesian though the taper stem makes me think of a 9242 shape. It is not stamped with a shape number or a make but the Made in England stamping on the underside of the shank matches that found on GBD pipes. From first glance at the pictures of the pipe that my brother sent me it looked to be in decent shape. This was to be proved wrong once my brother started to clean it and I received it in Vancouver. But from the photos the contrast finish of blacks and browns looked really good. The rustication on the bowl is a combination of worm trails and “squiggles” that is reminiscent of Custombilt pipes. From the front there is a worm trail that divides the bowl into two hemispheres like a brain (photo 5). Strange humour of the original pipe maker, I think.tob1 tob2The close up photos of the rim and bowl give a bit of a foretaste of the hidden issues in the bowl and on the rim. It is hard to see the inside of the bowl from this photo but there was a light cake in the bowl and it had run over the top edge of the bowl filling in some of the grooves and crevices in the rustication. The second photo below shows the worm trail on the front and underside of the bowl that divides the bowl into two hemispheres.tob3The stamping on the underside of the shank on a smooth portion of briar was faint but could still be read. It said The Tobacconist Inc. over Made in England.tob4The stem was lightly oxidized around the shank end and the button end, though the middle was strangely clean. There were tooth marks on the top and underside near the button. The top edge of the button on both sides had tooth marks as well.tob5I have restored a Liverpool shaped pipe with The Tobacconist Inc. stamping and written a blog on it – (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/07/16/a-liverpool-stamped-tobacconist-inc/). I remember hunting to no avail on information on the brand and finding nothing. I checked once again with my usual sources – the book Who Made that Pipe and the online sites Pipedia and Pipephil. None of the sources had any new information. For that blog, I searched for the name of the shop – The Tobacconist Inc. to see if I could find any information on it and possibly see if they had shop pipes made for them. The name Tobacconist Inc. came up shop a tobacco shop in Chicago. It is called The Tobacconist Inc. and is located at 3524 W. Irving Park Rd. Chicago, Illinois. The phone number is 773-463-8468. I have included two photos from that blog – one of the sign and the other of the shop. The sign says the shop has “Everything for the Smoker” and has been in existence since 1946. Sounds like a place I need to visit one day. Now that I have worked on a second pipe with the name stamped on it I really need to call them and see if they have any information about the pipe. tob7My brother wrote that cleaning out the inside of the pipe was a pain. It took a lot of work to get the buildup of tars and grime out of the bowl and the shank. The rim top also had some damage under the thick tars. When it arrived in Vancouver I could see that the pipe was in pretty rough shape with a poorly fitting stem. The diameter of the stem and the shank don’t match. Not sure if it was because the stem was poorly fitting to start with or if it is a replacement stem. It looks to be original so I am opting for a poor fit. I took some photos of the pipe before I started working on it (well almost – I had done a little sanding at the shank stem union before I remembered to take the photos). tob8 tob9I took a close up photo of the rim and bowl. The rim inner edge had some chips and nicks that would need to blended in to make the rim more balances looking. It is hard to see from the photos but the walls of the bowl are in damaged condition.tob10The tooth dents in the top and underside of the stem near the button were quite deep. I heated the dents with a Bic lighter to raise them as much as possible. I painted them with the flame of the lighter and when I was finished they were not as deep as before. It would not take too much now to sand them out to match the surface of the rest of the stem.tob11I cleaned out the inside of the shank with alcohol, pipe cleaners and cotton swabs to remove the last of the debris on the walls. The bevel on the edge of the mortise was rough and needed to be cleaned up and smoothed out but the wood was solid with no cracks.tob12I used a Dremel and sanding drum to remove the excess briar and vulcanite and get the shank and the bowl to match in diameter. It took some work but it certainly was a better fit once I was finished. I sanded the bevel in the shank end until it was smooth but the stem still did not fit tightly against the shank. I heated the tenon to soften the vulcanite and make it flexible. I pushed the stem carefully into the shank and held it against the shank end to align it until the tenon cooled.tob13I sanded the stem/shank union with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out and make the transition clean. I took the following photos to show the restoration at this point.tob14 tob15I used a brass bristle tire brush to work over the rim top. It took some work but I was able to get the grime and grit out of the grooves of the rim.tob16I scrubbed off the finish on the bowl and rim to remove the stain and the remaining varnish coat on the briar. When I finished cleaning the surface the pipe was ready for the stain coat.tob17 tob18I stained the bowl with a dark brown aniline stain and flamed it to set it in the grain. I repeated the process until the stain coverage was even across the bowl.tob19 tob20I used the Savinelli Fitsall pipe knife to scrape out the walls of the bowl. I examined the interior and saw a lot of spidering cracks on the walls of the bowl. While the briar around them was still solid and the briar was not too badly damaged. This would need to be addressed to assure that the briar would be protected until a new cake had formed.tob21I decided to mix up a batch of pipe mud with some tap water and a dental spatula. I applied the mud mixture to the inside of the bowl pressing it into the cracks in the bowl walls. I coated the inside of the bowl with the mud until there was a solid bowl coating.tob23 tob24I set the bowl aside to dry overnight. I took the following photos to show what the inside looked like after the mud had cured.tob25I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the last remnants of the tooth dents and reshape the button on both sides. It also removed the surface oxidation.tob27I used a black Sharpie Pen to touch up the grooves in briar on the sides and the rim top. I gave briar a touch up coat of dark brown stain. I waxed the rusticated briar with multiple coats of Conservator’s Wax and once it had dried buffed it with a shoe brush to raise the shine.tob28 tob29I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each set of three pads. I gave it the final coat of oil and set it aside to dry.tob30 tob31 tob32I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond polish on the wheel. I gave the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax and put another coat of Conservator’s Wax on the briar. I buffed the bowl and stem with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The fit of the stem against the shank is far better than it was when I started the cleanup. I like the way the flow is now between the stem and the shank. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. It had a great feel in hand and I think the rustication will heat up nicely with the next first smoke. I think that the pipe mud will protect the bowl until a new cake is built. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.tob33 tob34 tob35 tob36 tob37 tob38 tob39 tob40

I wonder how old this Sasieni Ruff Root Light 4 Dot Dublin is?

6 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

Not being too knowledgeable about the ebb and flow of Sasieni pipe history leaves me with a lot of questions about the latest pipe that my brother sent my way. It is stamped on the underside of the shank Sasieni 4 Dot over Ruff Root Light. There is a 4 stamped at the end of the name stamping next to the stem/shank junction. The stem itself is stamped France. There are four blue dots on the left side of the saddle portion of the stem. He picked it up in a thrift shop in Boise, Idaho along with the Dunhill Shell 5113 I wrote about restoring in an earlier blog (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/12/18/an-unsullied-once-the-paint-was-removed-dunhill-5113-bent-apple/). When my brother first sent the following photos before his cleanup work I was intrigued but the finish looked very spotty. The stem appeared to be in overall good condition with no bite marks or tooth chatter on either side. Can any of you help me regarding the age of the pipe? Any help would be much appreciated.sas1We discussed this a bit and he sent me a photo of the front of the bowl from the bottom side that showed the spotty finish that I noted. There was also a lot of grime in the sandblast grooves on the bowl leaving it with a muddy appearance.sas2The bowl had a thick cake that overflowed over the top of the rim obscuring the blast features on the top side. They also made it hard to tell if there was any damage to the inner or outer edges of the rim.sas3The stamping on the smooth underside of the shank was really quite clear and sharp. The bowl and stem had not been over buffed which were good omens for what it would look like when it was cleaned up.sas4The close up photos of the stem told a little different story than the overall photos. There was light oxidation on the surface and what appeared to be some sticky glue left behind by a price tag from the shop the pipe came from. Just and aside; if you sell pipes in an antique shop or have a booth in an antique mall do not used gummed labels to price your merchandise. It leaves behind residue that is a pain to remove.sas5I was curious to see what the pipe would look like once my brother had worked his cleaning magic on it. I was sure I would be surprised at what it came out looking like. I wondered if the mottled finish would survive the cleanup and whether the stem would be oxidized further as well in the process. When the pipe arrived in Vancouver I took some photos of it to show what it looked like before I worked on it. He had been able to remove much of the mottled finish and the grime in the grooves of the sandblast. The gummy substance on the stem was gone and the stem was not too badly oxidized. There were no tooth marks or chatter on the stem. The reaming job on the bowl had taken care of the cake and the scrubbing had removed most of the buildup on the rim. What remained was a little darkening and some grime deep in the grooves.sas6 sas7I took a close up photo of the rim and bowl. The bowl was reamed clean. The rim needed some more work with a brass bristle brush to clean out the remaining debris deep in the grooves of the blast.sas8I took some photos of the stem to show the overall condition it was in before I started working on it. I was glad to see that there were no deep bite marks or tooth chatter that I would need to deal with on this one. It would be a pleasant change.sas9I scrubbed the rim with a brass bristle tire brush and was able to remove more of the grime in the grooves. I scrubbed down the exterior of the bowl and shank with acetone on a cotton pad to remove the shiny spots of varnish on the finish and even out the mottled appearance.sas10 sas11I used a black Sharpie Pen to add some dark to the rim and to some of the spots on the bowl that appeared to be lighter. I put a cork in the bowl to use as a handle while I stained the bowl with a dark brown aniline stain cut 50/50 with isopropyl alcohol. I was aiming for the brown colour with darker highlights that I had seen on other Ruff Root Light pipes. I flamed the stain and repeat the process until the coverage was even.sas12 sas13Since the oxidation was on the surface and I was not dealing with any tooth marks on the stem I started right away with polishing the stem. I wet sanded it with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads and rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil. I dry sanded it with 3200-12000 grit pads and gave it a coat of oil after each set of three pads. After the final set of pads I gave it a final coat of oil and set the stem aside to dry.sas14 sas15 sas16I gave the bowl and shank several coats of Conservator’s Wax, let it dry and buffed it with a shoe brush.sas17 sas18I gave the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed the bowl and stem with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. I think the look of the finished pipe is pretty close to the original look it must have had when it left the Sasieni factory. The depth of the shine, the multifaceted colours that come through with the browns and black on the sandblast add another dimension to the look of the pipe. The blue four dots on the stem stand out nicely against the shiny and polished vulcanite stem. Overall it is a pleasant looking pipe and one that was a pleasure to restore. Thanks for looking.sas19 sas20 sas21 sas22 sas23 sas24 sas25 sas26

Breathing Life into a Comoy’s Spectrum Boxed Bent Billiard

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Blog by Steve Laug

My brother picked an interesting Comoy’s pipe. It is from a line of Comoy’s that I was unfamiliar with. I could not find much information in my online searches either. It was a nicely made Comoy’s with a single drilled letter C on the stem side. It came in a black velvet lined presentation box with the Comoy’s of London logo and Pipemakers since 1825 in gold on black felt on the inside of the lid. The well-made box with dovetailed corners is mahogany that is stained with a rich cherry stain. The gold latches and hinges look very good with the red stain of the wood. On the underside the box is stamped Made in England.comoy1 comoy2Once the box was opened and the pipe visible it clear to see it is a beautiful pipe. I am actually surprised that there is not more information on the line available. It is stamped Comoy’s over Spectrum on the left side of the shank and the COM stamp on the right shank is the expected Made in London circle over England. Next to that the shape number 42 is stamped. Looking that up on Comoy’s Shape Charts shows that it is the number for a medium sized ½ bent billiard. This is exactly what I have here. There is also an H stamped on the underside of the shank next to the brass and blue band.comoy3The pipe appears to have some nice grain in the photos that my brother sent to me. The front, underside and back and top of the shank are beautiful cross grain. The sides of the bowl are full of birds-eye grain. The pipe has a brass band that had a wipe enameled strip of royal blue in between two ridges of polished brass. The stem was oxidized in the early photos but the single drilled C stamp is very clean.comoy4 comoy5My brother took some close up photos of the bowl and rim to give me a clear picture of the pipe. It appeared that the bowl had been reamed and well care for. The rim looked very good – a little bit of lava overflow from the bowl but the inner beveled edges and the outer edges of the rim were both very clean. The rim itself was also undamaged. The underside of the bowl and shank showed beautiful cross grain.comoy6The stamping on the pipe was deep and sharp. It had not been over buffed or damaged. It was readable and clean. The finish was dirty and the buildup of grime and grit on the surface of the bowl and band seemed to be the only major issue on the pipe. You can also see the single drilled C logo on the stem in the photo below.comoy7From the next photos you can see the deep oxidation on the stem. What is not visible at this point is if there was any tooth chatter or damage to the stem. That would have to wait until the pipe arrived in Vancouver.comoy8While I was waiting for the pipe to arrive in Vancouver I did some hunting for information on the Spectrum line of Comoy’s pipes on the internet. Sadly I was unable to find much that was definitive. There was a similar pipe for sale on smokingpipes.com that had a brief write up. From that I learned that the pipe dates after 1980 because of the single drilled C. Evidently that was when Comoy’s no longer used the three-part inlaid C on the stem. I wrote to a friend of mine and writer on rebornpipes, Al Jones and asked what he knew about the line. He wrote back that “they are early post-merger, with the single drill C logo. They usually have an adornment of some kind and box. It was the go-go 80’s, right! They’re most likely made with good stock leftover from pre-merger, so she should be a good smoker. As an added bonus, this pipe comes in wooden box complete with matching tamper.”

This confirmed what I had gleaned online so far. I Googled and found a question and short discussion on alt.smokers.pipes community regarding the line and found some more information from friend, Mike Stanley. He wrote: “The only thing I can pass along is what R.C. hacker wrote in his Ultimate Pipe Book. The Spectrum came with a wooden box and matching tamper with the same brass and enameled ring as the pipe. They were, I suppose, “firsts and fairly pricey. I had one I picked up from ebay. It had no tamp or box. It was a fine enough looking pipe. No putty or sand pits. It was too big for my taste. I re sold it. I would guess that they were made up until the late seventies or early eighties. Just a guess though.” (http://alt.smokers.pipes.narkive.com/yA8KASQj/comoy-s-spectrum)

When the pipe arrived in Vancouver and I unpacked it I was amazed at how clean my brother Jeff had gotten the rim and the bowl. The finish was very clean. The enameled band was also clean an undamaged. The oxidation had really come to the surface on the stem. However, all that being said, the briar on the pipe is very stunning. I took some photos of the pipe before I began to work on it to try to capture what it looked like when it arrived.comoy9 comoy10The next picture is a bit out of focus. It will teach me to have a look at the photos before moving on with the cleanup. However, you can see that the rim is spotless. He was able to get all of the darkening and debris off the rim and also ream the bowl clean.comoy11I took photos of the stamping on both sides of the shank. You can see in the first photo the stamping on the left side of the shank. The second shows the COM stamp and shape number on the right side.comoy11aI took photos of the stem to show the oxidation and to try to capture the tooth chatter and tooth marks on both sides of the stem near the button. They are hard to see through the oxidation. The ones on the topside of the stem are not too bad. The ones on the underside are a little deeper. Once I clean off the oxidation a bit I will be able to assess how bad they are.comoy12I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to break up the oxidation on the surface and also to sand out the tooth chatter and tooth marks on the stem. I was able to remove all of them as they proved to be fairly shallow and superficial.comoy13I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each set of three pads. After rubbing it down with the final coat of oil I set the stem aside and let it dry.comoy14 comoy15 comoy16I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I avoided buffing the enameled band on the shank. I gave the stem and bowl multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a clean buffing pad to shine it. I hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos that follow. It is a beautiful pipe with stunning grain. The contrast of the black vulcanite, the blue and brass enameled band and the cross grain and birds-eye grain formed a great contrast. It comes with the velvet lined mahogany case with brass clasps and hinges. The only thing lacking was the tamper that originally came with the pipe. Thanks for walking through this restoration with me.comoy17 comoy18 comoy19 comoy20 comoy21 comoy22 comoy23 comoy24 comoy25

The Last of 4 ‘Hole in the Wall’ finds – a Savinelli Capitol Prince with a secret

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Blog by Dal Stanton

I purchased the Savinelli Capitol in June of this year, at the Hole in the Wall antique store near Zhenski Pazar (Women’s Market) located in downtown Sofia.  Steve was visiting Bulgaria from Vancouver in the context of our work and we went to the Hole in the Wall for a mini pipe hunting sortie.  I’d remembered on other occasions the vendor producing a 4-pipe pouch that he kept behind the counter and I asked about it and he still had it with pipes intact.  The leather bag itself was a find.  The 4 pipes revealed after unzipping the bag were a Savinelli Tortuga 628, Danske Club Vario 85 (both occupying a place in my rotation), a Butz-Choquin Rocamar (which became a wedding gift for my new son-in-law), and the Capitol (that I learned was a Savinelli second) now before me.  Above, I linked the restorations of the Tortuga and BC Rocamar to their respective postings.cap1Honestly, when I first acquired the Bag of Four, my sights were fixed on the 3 big brothers of the Capitol which I identified as a Prince shape from Pipedia’s shapes chart.  Per Bill Burney’s description,

The prince, named after the Prince of Wales (Prince Albert, later King Edward VII), has a squat, rounded bowl with a long, usually very slightly bent stem and a short shank.  Compared to other pipes, the shank and stem are thin and delicate, though not necessarily fragile.  This makes for a light and comfortable pipe (Link).

On the internet, I searched high and low through images of Prince Albert (1819-1861) and found no images among the 100s visually linking the prince with the shape now associated with him.  The photo below, one could imagine, has his pipe waiting for him just to his right, reluctantly removing it from the eventual public view of the old ‘sit-still’ camera recording the moments.  Yet, in my search on the internet, one can find 100s of pictures of happy, confident men smoking their pipes with adoring women looking on. How is this possible? – a man would be quick to ask.  Well of course, their pipes are packed with Prince Albert’s tobacco!  So, the secret is out – PA not only stands for Prince Albert but also, and more importantly, Pipe Appeal!  Good to know as Christmas gift lists are being created for this holiday season!cap2With Christmas music playing in the background the ambiance is perfect. The CAPITOL is stamped on the left side of the shank with no other markings.  When I search Pipedia, I discover that Capitol is listed among a robust inventory of other Savinelli made sub-brands, seconds and order productions. At Pipes Website store, I found several Savinelli Capitol shapes for sale.  At The Danish Pipe Shop I discovered several Savinelli Capitols listed and a bit pricy at that!  So, it would seem, the Capitol line of Savinelli has some depth and quality to it.  Unfortunately, I could find no Savinelli listing that brought the entire Capitol line inventory together.  This Capitol Prince has an elegant, slim appearance, boasting a length of 5½ inches, a petite bowl width of 1½ inches and a fire chamber diameter of ¾ of an inch.  The rim has some clunk dents along the edge and the backside shows darkening from oils and perhaps rear-end tobacco lighting over the edge.  The fire chamber has a light cake build up but I will bring it to the briar for a clean, fresh start.  I detect a larger fill on the heel of the bowl near the left junction of the shank. The stem is in great shape with minor teeth chatter on the bit.  I detect a dent in the vulcanite at the shank junction and note that there is day-light between the junction of shank and stem – the mating is not flush, but a good cleaning may take care of this.  Interestingly, I also notice that the stummel is encased in what I call a ‘Candy Apple wrapper’ which I also saw in the Savinelli Tortuga restoration acquired at the same time as the Savinelli Capitol.  I didn’t like the Candy Apple wrapper around the Tortuga then and this Capitol Prince’s natural briar will be liberated as was his big brother’s!  The following pictures on my work table here in Sofia, Bulgaria, show these areas of need and a very handsome pipe.cap3 cap4 cap5 cap6With the stem showing no oxidation, I skip the Oxiclean bath which may be a first for me!  The twisty stinger extending from the tenon is extracted unceremoniously and added to the Lonely Stingers Bottle and is officially retired from active service.  I give my initial focus to the stummel clean-up starting with reaming the bowl.  I use the Pipnet reaming kit camped over a paper towel which enables me to quickly catch and dispose of the powdered carbon – this makes my wife happier as my work table shares our bedroom space in our 10th floor flat!  Often, I go out onto the balcony to do this dirty work but winter has come in Bulgaria.  I use the two smallest reaming blades and I do not use them aggressively – I do not want to dig into the briar.  I follow the reaming blades with the Savinelli pipe knife to scrape and fine tune the cleaning of the cake residue.  I remove what appears as dried dottle at the floor of the bowl.  I finish by using 240 grit paper wrapped around a dowel rod and my index finger to clean and smooth the wall.  Finally, I take a cotton pad with alcohol and wipe the bowl removing the carbon dust.  The pictures show the progress.cap7 cap8 cap9With the isopropyl 95% on the work table, I clean the internals of the stummel.  Using pipe cleaners (bristled and smooth) and Q-tips I go to work.  Dental probes are also helpful to reach into the mortise and scrape the surface dislodging muck.  It was dirtier than I expected, but finally Q-tips start re-emerging ever whiter from the mortise plunges.  Done.  Now, I take the stem and go to work on its airway with pipe cleaners.  I discover very quickly that a reason for lack of cleaning on this stem is that I am not able to move a pipe cleaner through the airway.  The button airhole is too tight and needs to be enlarged to accommodate pipe cleaners.  No one likes fighting with pipe cleaners that refuse to pass through cramped quarters.  I take a round, pointed needle file and begin gradually to enlarge the button airhole.  My method is to insert the file point into the airhole but only as far as the expanding file diameter will allow to enable me to move the file back and forth easily, gradually removing the upper and lower button airhole surfaces.  If I jam the needle file down the airhole too aggressively, not only will it get jammed, it will also damage the vulcanite contours around the airhole.  After some time, the airhole gradually expands allowing the needle file to file more deeply opening the airway.  After some time and testing, pipe cleaners are able successfully to navigate the passage and the stem airway cleans up very quickly.  When I work on the teeth chatter later, I’ll smooth out this work with 240 grit paper.  The pictures show the cleaning and button airhole enlargement processes.cap10 cap11 cap12 cap13 cap14I love working on clean pipes!  With internals clean I know shift my attention to the stummel surface.  I first attack the Candy Apple varnish-like surface.  I start conservatively by first using cotton pads with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap to work on the rim and bowl surface.  With the aid of a brass brush, the Murphy’s Soap does a good job cleaning the rim, but it is probable that the surface is an acrylic finish which is difficult to remove.  Next, I use acetone with cotton pads to attack the Candy Apple surface.  As I scrub, and I scrub a good while, it gives me time to study the briar grain on this stummel and on the heel, I find what looks like a spider pattern – beautiful.  I’m ever amazed at God’s gift to us in the design and intricacy of this piece of briar – a ragged bush of a plant that would be called scrub if you saw it on the side of the road as you passed.  As the pictures below reveal, even after acetone scrubbing the shine of the acrylic is still very visible.  To see if I can soften it, I plop the stummel into an acetone bath.  The pictures show the progress.cap15 cap16With the stummel in the acetone bath, I return to the stem and take 240 grit sanding paper and work on the teeth chatter on the lower and upper bit. I also sand the button airhole to remove file markings and to smooth the surface.  Then I apply a dot of Hot Stuff “T” CA glue to the small dent on the shank-side edge of the stem.  I like to use the “T” for thicker, because it beads up on the divot and doesn’t run.  I wait for the superglue to cure before proceeding with more work on the stem.  The pictures show the progress. cap17 cap18 cap19Taking the stummel out of the acetone bath after about 6 hours, I place it on the desk and as the acetone evaporates I can see that the bath will need help.  With the surface softened by the acetone bath, I take 0000 steel wool and dip a small portion in the acetone and rub the steel wool over the shiny surfaces.  This finally does the job of bringing the natural briar to the surface.  Now I can see the true condition of the surface and where I may need to sand and repair.cap20I examine the stummel and invert it looking more closely at the large fill I identified earlier.  I picked at it with a sharp dental probe and dig out the loose fill.  I will need to mix a briar dust and superglue putty to refill this pitting as well as ‘top-off’ some smaller pits around the area.  The heel of the stummel is banged up good and I need to sand those out after applying the briar dust putty patches and after they cure.  I flip the stummel and study the rim.  The briar in this Capitol Prince will be beautiful at the end of the restoration because it already is!  I decide to first take a coarse 120 grit paper rolled up tightly to cut a bevel on the inner rim.  I do this to remove the damaged areas along the edge but also the Prince will look even classier with a gentle bevel enhancing an already handsome bowl.  I follow this initial cut of the bevel with 240 grit paper to smooth the surface further.  I want to apply a very gentle topping to the rim with 600 grit paper.  I take the chopping block out and place a sheet of 600 grit paper, with rim down, in a circular motion, gently I rotate the stummel over the surface.  I check the rim as I proceed to make sure I only take enough surface off to give a clean fresh look and remove minor nicks.  I follow the topping by using rolled up 600 grit paper to finish the bevel matching the smoothness of the rim.  The pictures show the progress.  I’m pleased with the look of the rim.cap21 cap22 cap23 cap24 cap25Time to mix briarwood dust and superglue to make a putty to apply patches to the hole and pits on heel of the stummel.  I take my briar dust can and with a pipe nail, scoop out some dust placing it in a little pile. Using regular clear super glue, I put a little puddle next to the briar dust.  Using a toothpick, I start adding some briar dust to the glue until it gradually reaches a putty/toothpaste-like consistency and then I apply a small dollop over the fill area.  I mash it down to make a tight patch and I leave some excess over the areas to sand down later. cap26With the stummel now out of action for the night, I turn to the stem again taking the flat needle file and freshen the button – upper and lower. I then flip the stem and again taking the flat needle file I remove the excess superglue from the patch I did on the edge of the stem – shank-side.  When the filing brings the excess superglue nearly to the surface level of the vulcanite, I use 240 grit sanding paper to blend the patch further with the vulcanite.  I follow the 240 with 600 grit paper doing the same.  I complete the patch repair by using 0000 steel wool to smooth the patch area as well as the entire stem in preparation of the micromesh polishing process.  The pictures show the progress. cap27 cap28Now for the micromesh phase, using pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stem and follow with an application of Obsidian Oil to rejuvenate the vulcanite.  Following this, I dry sand using pad 3200 to 4000, followed by pads 6000 to 12000.  After each set of 3, I apply an additional coat of Obsidian Oil.  The stem looks good.  I put it aside to dry and call it a day.  The pictures show the micromesh phase.cap29 cap30 cap31Early the next morning before heading to work, I want to work on the briar dust patch applied the night before.  The superglue dust putty has cured.  I take a flat needle file and start filing on the excess mound of cured putty.  I’m careful to file down on the patch footprint only and not wander.  I take a picture illustrating the idea (#2 below).  The idea is that I gradually file the putty excess and ‘sneak up’ on the briar below the patch.  I take the filing down to the briar surface, within the patch footprint.  At this stage, I apply much less pressure to the file, moving the flat file more in a circular motion lightly over the patch footprint.  I want to blend the patched area now with the uncovered briar surface.  The aim is to remove the putty excess not take away briar.  Picture #3 shows the completion of the flat needle file’s service.  I then continue the blending with 240 grit paper expanding the area a bit outside the footprint area (picture #4).  I’m not too concerned about this because I know I have sanding to do to eradicate the numerous dents next to the patch.cap32 cap33As my wife was admiring the stummel and the briar patterns over my shoulder as I worked, she exclaimed about the face of the kitty revealed in the briar!  Raising my eyebrows to refocus my attention to the area captivating her, I see the pattern which is recorded in the picture immediately below.  She describes the two eyes, the whiskers and the forehead, probably in need of a little scratch, I thought!  So, the Savinelli Capitol Prince has a kitty, too.  Then my wife said, with not as much excitement, isn’t that a crack in the middle of the kitty’s face?  I had seen it before but it was small and it followed the contours of the grain pattern.  Yet, her question raised questions in my mind.  I believe the crack is not growing but I elect to apply Hot Stuff CA Glue to the crack just to be on the safe side.  This CA glue’s viscosity is extremely thin and perfect for shoring up cracks as it seeps into to a crack’s crevice in a way that thicker glue is unable.  However, the problem with this thin glue is that it can absolutely take off like a rabbit scampering over the briar surface not in need of CA glue.  To minimize this, I only dabble a bit on a toothpick trying to hold only a small drop at the point of the toothpick.  Then, strategically apply it to the center of the crack which spokes outwardly in four separate veins.  I find that the glue is running off the end of the toothpick because of its liquidity.  I’m finally able to capture a droplet on the toothpick and apply it to the center.  The glue spreads a bit, but I change the pitch of the stummel and use gravity to my favor.  I also use the tip of the toothpick and paint the glue over the spoking cracks by drawing the glue from the center.   The pictures show the progress of shoring up kitty’s nose and whiskers.cap34 cap35 cap36 cap37After the CA Glue cures, I take a small piece of 240 grit paper rolled so that it presents a more solid surface.  I then take the 240 roll and strategically sand the crack fix.  I keep the roll within the shiny patch footprint with a view of removing glue off the surface and to avoid losing briar as collateral activity.  I then take a medium grade sanding sponge and work the patch areas (crack and fill) as well as the multitude of dents on the stummel, but especially on the heel of the stummel.  As I work on bringing out the imperfections set in the briar, the thought surfaces in my mind that I had adopted an approach to this pipe, it’s shape and demeanor, going for of a more pristine look – the look of a pipe that is the favorite of royals.  A pipe having a quietly, self-confident posture, but elegant and humble.  It has a kitty, too!  Some pipes seem more of a rugged disposition and seem to beg for some imperfections as badges of past challenges in life – this Savinelli Capitol Prince says, “Please, put a crease in my trousers” –  or, as it seems to me! The pictures show the progress.cap38 cap39 cap40With the primary patches completed and dents smoothed and blended, I take micromesh pads 1500 to 2400 and wet sand the stummel.  I wet sand with the first set of three because it seems the effect of the water on the briar would soften it a bit, and it seems to give the micromesh pads more bite.  This helps removing any imperfections/dents left over from all the previous sanding.  The latter pads serve to polish what is there more than address imperfections.  Well, I was just thinking about smartly pressed trousers when I finish sanding with the first set of micromesh pads, set to take a picture, when I see that the kitty’s eye had changed.  He appears to be winking at me!  I discover whatever was in the eye before (a small fill?) was no longer there and I am looking at a new royal pit. The latter micromesh cycles must wait as I apply a new ‘T’ Glue patch on the new pit and wait for it to cure and sand and blend it.  So, now the kitty has a black eye.  The pictures show the pause in progress.cap41 cap42When the CA Thick glue cured, I filed it down with a half-circle needle file to the surface and fine-tuned it with 240 grit paper.  I follow this by addressing the patch area with 600 grit paper then 0000 steel wool. cap43 cap44To catch up this patch area with the rest of the stummel, I use micromesh pads 1500-2400.  At this point I return to the micromesh process with pads 3200 to 4000.  I notice the initial fill patch on the heel of the stummel with the micromesh polishing had lightened a bit.  I take a dark walnut stain stick and dab it in the fill patches then I use a cotton pad with some alcohol and press it a few times to blend and lighten the stain stick application.  It looks better now.  I finish with micromesh pads 6000-12000 to further blend the stain stick patch as well as the micromesh phase.  The pictures show the progress.  The grain is looking very good.cap45 cap46 cap47Time to decide.  I have yet to decide upon the next steps – whether to move forward with the natural briar or to apply a stain.  This question I put off to the conclusion of the micromesh phase so I can evaluate the briar’s presentation and the pipe’s personality.  I rejoin the stummel and stem to get a look at the big picture.  Decision made.  Using Fiebing’s Light Brown Leather Dye I mix 1 part dye to about 4 parts isopropyl 95% in a shot glass – aiming for a lighter cast.  I detach the stem and mount the stummel on a cork to handle the stummel.  After wiping the stummel with a cotton pad and alcohol, I heat the stummel with my wife’s hair dryer to expand and open the briar to the dye application.  Using a folded over soft pipe cleaner I coat the stummel with the 1 to 4 dye mixture liberally and immediately flame it with a lit candle waiting for that use.  The alcohol burns off very quickly setting the dye in the grain.  In about 4 or 5 minutes, I repeat the process and set the stummel aside for the night to rest – I as well as the newly stained stummel.  The pictures show the progress.cap48The next morning, anxious to see the results of the newly stained stummel.  Taking the Dremel with the attached hand-held extender, I mount a new felt wheel on the extender, set the Dremel on the lowest RPM setting, and apply Tripoli compound to remove the flamed dye crust to expose the surface.  I’m liking the color a lot and the grain has responded very well.  As I move through the Tripoli process I identify an eye-sore – at least to me.  Circling the outer rim edge is a black ring which the felt wheel charged with Tripoli is not removing.  The second picture I take after focusing the Tripoli wheel for some time on the ring itself, hoping to lighten and blend the black ring.  To me, the ring is unattractive and detracts from the overall appearance of the pipe.  The thoughts floating in my mind at this point are, that it is simply darkened stain at that point that a wipe of alcohol might lighten.  Another, less appealing thought is that this ring was produced by the flaming and perhaps scorched this most vulnerable part of the rim.  I’m thinking that it wasn’t the dye on the rim itself which burned off, but the overflow of dye on the cork that also had burned off did the deed.  I’ll need to check into this with Steve!  My methodology needs a revamp if this is the case.   The pictures show the issue.  The final picture shows the beginning of my corrective approach.  With an approach moving from conservative to less so, I spend more time focusing on the rim with the Tripoli felt wheel buff.  When this did not achieve the desired results, I take a cotton pad with some alcohol in it and wipe strategically around the outer edge of the rim, hanging over the outside slightly.  I do a few cycles around the circumference of the rim with the alcohol then follow again with the Tripoli buff to do a follow-up blending.  When this did not achieve the desired results, I tightly roll a piece of 240 grit paper and lightly make a quasi-bevel cut on the outer edge of the rim to remove the scorched briar.  The results of this are pictured below.  Not pictured is the rest of the process.  I followed the 240 grit with a rolled piece of 600 grit paper – as with 240 bevel, staying directly on the edge.  Then, I jump to mid-range micromesh pads 4000 to 12000, and smooth, polish and blend the outer rim area.  While the tendency for perfectionism would have me try something else, the rim looks much, much better and if I didn’t record this excursion here, 99% of onlookers would not see an issue!  cap49 cap50I move on to complete the polishing process by attaching the Blue Diamond felt wheel to the Dremel hand-extender and working this lesser abrasive compound over the briar surface.  Completing the compounds, I wipe/buff the stummel with a cotton cloth to remove left-over compound dust before moving to apply the wax.  I reunite the stem and stummel of the Savinelli Capitol Prince.  After mounting a cotton wheel to the Dremel, I increase the RPMs to the next number and apply several coats of carnauba wax to the stummel and stem.  After the carnauba wax application, I mount a clean cotton wheel with the same RPM setting on the Dremel as with the carnauba and provide a clean wheel buff to the entire pipe.  Finally, I give the pipe a rigorous hand-buffing with a micro-fiber cloth to deepen the 3-dimensional-appearing gloss already shining through this happy piece of briar.

The grain on this small Prince bowl is captivating with larger bird’s eye on the front, splaying fans on the heel, and of course, a kitty with whiskers fanning out as he gazes up the shank and stem at his steward – or should I add, stewardess!  The diminutive size of the bowl along with the longer-than-expected sleek shank and stem, would make this Savinelli Capitol Prince – a preferred shape to at least one royal, a wonderful addition to any pipeman’s or pipelady’s collection.  Thank you for joining me!cap51 cap52 cap53 cap54 cap55 cap56 cap57

Finishing Touches on an Interesting Bambu Egg

10 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

This pipe came up for sale on the Gentleman’s Pipe Smoking Society on Facebook. It was being sold by a friend of Dal’s and I liked the shape and the look of it. I honestly was thinking it was a smaller Stanwell like egg even though I knew it was not a Stanwell pipe. The pipe is stamped Bambu on the left side of the shank and on the underside it is stamped Israel which leads me to believe that it was crafted by the Shalom Pipe Factory. There is nothing online that I can find regarding the stamping or the brand but it is similar in stamping to my early Alpha Israel pipes. That is all the information that I can surmise from the pipe itself. I paid for the pipe and had it shipped to my brother instead of to Canada over a month ago and he received it really quickly. I told him to hold onto it and ship it up when he sent another box of pipes to me.

This week it arrived and I expectantly took it out of the box of other pipes. I unwrapped it from the bubble wrap to have a look at it. My brother had sent along a few photos of the pipe to show me what I was in for once it arrived so I was kind of excited to see it up close. In the next two photos he shows the overall look of the pipe. It was really quite nice.bamboo2 bamboo3Whenever I buy an estate pipe, no matter who has done the restoration, I always add my own touches to the restoration to make it mine and to remove the things that will bug me as I use the pipe. I don’t know if you all do that but it is part of my own pathology that I have to go over every estate I get with a fine tooth comb before I even load a bowl and fire it up. This was no exception to my habit. I took the bowl and turned it over in my hands to examine it closely. As usual I noted a few issues that I knew would bug me unless I addressed them. (No criticism of the seller as I am sure many folks would have been absolutely fine with the as it was when I got it.)

  1. The finish on the bowl was spotty. The left side of the bowl appeared to have been stripped of its varnish or shellac coat and there were shiny spots left on the bowl side toward the top edge of the rim. The front, back and right side of the bowl still had the shiny finish coat. I knew I would need to remove the finish and smooth things out. Call me anal but that kind of thing bugs me.
  2. The rim still had some residual lava spots from the bowl that would need to be cleaned off and the darkening of the rim appeared to be on top of the shiny top coat. I was pretty sure that I could remove much of the issue by removing the shiny coat.
  3. The underside and sides of the bowl had some dents and nicks in the finish that needed to be steamed out.
  4. The transition between the briar, the black insert and the bamboo was rough to the touch and there was debris collected in the rough edges of the transition.
  5. There was a red mark in the groove of the bamboo on the top side of the shank. It stood out and it bugged me – kind of like lipstick on the collar of a good shirt.
  6. The bamboo also had a thick seal coat that seemed to have brush marks in the finish and I could feel them with my thumb as I ran it over the bamboo.
  7. The stem had a lot of pits and small tooth chatter that had been polished but was still present on both the top and the bottom sides.
  8. The stamped B logo on the stem was in great shape but I wanted to paint it and make it stand out a bit more on the saddle portion.
  9. The stem also did not sit correctly in the shank leaving a gap on the underside of the joint when it was properly aligned.

My brother included some close up photos of the bowl, the underside, the shank and the stem that highlight some of the issues I raised above.bamboo4 bamboo5 bamboo6The next photos show the stamping on the left side of the shank and on the underside. It reads Bambu as noted above and Israel on the underside.bamboo7In the next two close up photos of the stem you can see the tooth chatter and scratches on the vulcanite stem.bamboo8The final photo shows the B stamp on the side of the saddle portion of the stem. It is in decent shape and would be easily filled in. The fit of the stem against the bamboo was a bit off as well. I would need to adjust this fit.bamboo9In adding my own touches to the restoration of the pipe I decided to work through remedying each of the issues noted above individually. You can be the judge if the finished pipe is better than when I started. The first four photos show the pipe as it appeared when I unwrapped it. You can see the shiny spots on the left side of the bowl near the top and toward the bottom of the bowl. You can also see the dents in the bowl sides.bamboo10 bamboo11The issue raised above in number 1 involved the spotty finish on the bowl. The above photos highlight that issue clearly. The left side of the bowl appeared to have been stripped of its varnish or shellac coat and there were shiny spots left on the bowl side toward the top edge of the rim. The front, back and right side of the bowl still had the shiny finish coat. I scrubbed the finish on the bowl with acetone on cotton pads to remove the shiny topcoat. I was pretty sure it was a varnish or shellac coat and that it had been partially removed somewhere along the way. It did not take too much effort to remove it from the surface of the bowl.

I also addressed issues number 2 and 3 noted above. To take care of the second issue of the rim surface I scrubbed the rim of the bowl with the acetone on the cotton pad and the bits of lava came off along with the shiny coat. The rim was smooth to the touch and some of the darkening also was removed in the process. To take care of the dents and nicks in the finish I steamed them out with a hot knife and wet cloth to raise them. I was able to remove all of the dents and nicks leaving the bowl smooth.bamboo12 bamboo13The next photo is a close up of the rim after the scrubbing with acetone.bamboo14Next I decided to address issue number 9 noted above – the improper alignment of the stem in the shank. When it was correctly aligned in the shank it left a gap on the underside of the joint. It is visible at the bottom of the stem in the photo below.bamboo15I removed the stem from the shank and faced the end of the shank on the topping board using 220 grit sandpaper. You can see from the second photo below where the topping at removed high spots on the end of the shank leaving the center unsanded. This was only the first step in the process of this repair.bamboo16When I put the stem back in the shank it was clear that the angle of the tenon was incorrect in terms of the drilling in the bamboo. I heated the tenon with a Bic lighter to soften the vulcanite of the tenon and then pushed it back into the mortise in the bamboo. Because the tenon was pliable I was able to align the stem edge with the edge of the bamboo to remove the gap in the fit. I held the stem in place while the tenon cooled. Once finished the alignment remained and the gap was gone.bamboo17Once I got the stem alignment corrected I decided to touch up the B stamp on the side of the stem to address issue number 8 noted above. I use some white acrylic paint and applied it with a fine bristle paint brush to fill in the stamping on the stem. Once the paint dried I scraped it off with a soft cloth and sanded it with a 2400 grit micromesh sanding pad.bamboo18To address the issues noted in numbers 4-6 above – all dealing with the bamboo shank extension I worked specifically to deal with the varnish coat on the bamboo. I wiped it down with a cotton pad and acetone to remove the buildup and brush marks on the surface of the bamboo. I cleaned out the “lipstick” that was in the groove in the bamboo using a cotton swab and acetone. There is just one small spot left next to the spacer between the bamboo and the briar. I sanded the transition between the briar, the insert and the bamboo to smooth it out and to also clean up some of the debris that seemed to have collected at that point on the shank. With the removal of the thick varnish the bamboo began to take on its natural patina and the stress marks stood out giving an aged look.bamboo19 bamboo20The final issue, number 7 above, to be addressed was the stem. It had some tooth chatter and marks on the top and underside that needed some attention. They were not too bad but they stood out and bugged me. I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the tooth chatter and smooth out the tooth marks. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each set of three pads. After the final set I gave it a final coat of oil and set it aside to dry.bamboo21 bamboo22 bamboo23I polished the bowl and the bamboo with micromesh sanding pads as well – all grits 1500-12000 to remove any remaining scratches or small nicks in the finish.bamboo24 bamboo25I buffed bowl and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel to further polish the pipe and then gave the entire pipe several coats of carnauba wax. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to polish the wax and then hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The rich finish now highlights the beautiful grain on the pipe and the smooth feel in the hand satisfies my desire for that in a pipe. It is now ready to fire up a bowl of some Christmas tobacco and the distractions that irritated me when I received the pipe are taken care off and all the distractions removed. So goes the life of a pipe refurbisher – never finished and rarely satisfied with the end product – I always see more imperfections that need to be addressed. Thanks for humouring me as I took you through this journey I appreciate it!bamboo26 bamboo27 bamboo28 bamboo29 bamboo30 bamboo31 bamboo32 bamboo33

Short Snorter Imported Briar

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Blog by Dal Stanton

When I landed this little pipe last March, I rolled together 3 other pipes from the same seller, reducing postage costs – I’m always happy when I can save!  The eBay seller listed the pipe as a ‘Short Norter’ stamped on the left side of the shank.  The right side was stamped, Imported Briar.  The pipe’s petite size listed was 5 1/4″ long 1 1/4″ tall and 3/4″ bowl opening.  Even though she was so small, the shape was what drew me in.  This is what I saw.short1 short2Poor quality of photography notwithstanding, all the potential was there – the unique shape that I had yet to identify or collect, the rich briar grain peeking out here and there and the petite demeanor – perhaps this is a ladies’ pipe?  But then, the name?  Short Norter – the eBay nomenclature.  Despite the less than feminine name, I liked the pipe.  With a quick trip to Pipedia’s shape chart, I found what I believed matched the Short Norter – the Horn shape.short3When I took the Short ‘Norter’ Imported Briar out of the ‘Help me!’ basket now months later, I am still struck by the size and I really like the sleek contour of this Horn shape.  When I started research on the pipe in preparation for her restoring, I ran into a brick wall trying to find Short ‘Norter’ in all the usual places, but I did run across other references which were close.  One was, ‘Short Snorter’ and it was a pipe.  After taking another close look at the stamping, I discovered that the ‘S’ was almost totally obliterated by a divot in the briar.  Only a small peek remained of the top of the ‘S’. Finally, my beautifully shaped Horn ladies’ pipe is officially christened, Short Snorter – a pipe any high classed pipe woman would covet, or it would seem!  Here are pictures filling in the gaps from my work table here in Sofia, Bulgaria.short4 short5 short6 short7 short8 short9In the little I found on the internet about the Short Snorter, it is described as a nose burner or as a pocket pipe, but most often with other shapes than the horn.  Steve looked up the Short Snorter in the book, Who Made That Pipe, and it indicates that it was made by Weber or Wally Frank.  With that information, I looked at old Wally Frank catalogues, but did not see the Short Snorter.  I suppose the name is apropos, but I think a lady pipe smoker would give this pipe a look see.

The stummel surface is generally in very good shape and the briar grain has much appeal for a smaller pipe.  The rim has an attractive oval bevel but a moderate burn area covers a portion where I presume the flame was drawn over the briar in lighting the tobacco.  The one troubling spot is the burn mark on the front of the bowl.  The last steward appears to have been a heavy puffer heating up the briar enough to cause the burn.  I’ll need to check the internal front fire chamber area to detect possible thinness and potential for a burn through.  To remove the scorched area the old finish needs to come off.  The stem is heavily oxidized but there is not much tooth chatter to speak of on the bit.  The button appears to be in good condition.

The first order of business in the rebirth of this Short Snorter Imported Briar Horn is to plop the stem into a bath of Oxiclean to begin the process of raising the oxidation out of the vulcanite.  Before I do this I try to remove the stinger, resembling the cupola of a Russian Orthodox Church.  I don’t much like stingers in general, but I’m not able to coax a pipe cleaner through it to help retrieve the stem from the Oxiclean bath.  I try pulling on the stinger but it doesn’t budge.  After a few failed attempts, I light a candle and warm the stinger which expands the stingy vulcanite holding it in place.  Whoa!  When I finally extract the stinger, it’s the longest stinger I’ve seen to date – especially in such a small pipe!  I’m not sure why it’s so long but I wonder if it has anything to do with the small design and the intent to restrict the airflow?   Perhaps, the burn was a result of poor movement of air and the steward had to puff harder therefore more heat???  Speculation, but the stem is now in the bath working on the oxidation and the stinger is official retired to the stinger bottle.short10 short11With the stem in the bath, I want to ream the fire chamber to bring it down to the briar for a fresh start but also to examine the front of the chamber corresponding to the external burn area.  Since there was almost no cake build up on the wall, I use the Savinelli Pipe Knife to clean what remains.  I then take 240 grit sanding paper rolled around a dowel rod to sand the fire chamber wall and to clean the remaining residue.  I finished with a quick wipe of the cotton pad with a bit of alcohol on it to remove the carbon dust.  The pictures show the progress.short12 short13With the fire chamber cleaned I take a few close-ups looking specifically at the integrity of the wall.  The second picture below is oriented to the front where the burn would be.  Using my pinky finger, I feel the texture of the wall and I don’t detect any internal burns or soft spots but there is a bit of a rounded area toward the external burn area – thinning wall?  The natural ‘horn’ curvature could potentially lean toward a thinning of the front of the stummel if the fire chamber expands – burns or excessive reaming?  I will need to add a protective layer with either Pipe Mud or a Sour Cream/Yogurt Charcoal mix to coat the fire chamber wall – especially in the front area. This will be necessary if this little pipe tends to overheat.  short14Cleaning the stummel’s external surface, I take a cotton pad with Murphy’s Oil Soap undiluted and scrub the stem surface. I also employ a brass brush to work on the tar deposit on the backside of the rim.  Following the scrub, I rinse the stummel with warm tap water, careful to not allow water in the enter the stummel.  The rim cleans up very nicely.  To address the burn blotch on the front of the stummel and I use a medium grade sanding sponge to remove the dark area.  After a time of working on the burn spot, a troubling question starts to dog me:  Does this burn spot go through to the fire chamber?  Or is it only on the external…  If it goes all the way through, then all I’m doing is further thinning an already thin patch of briar with sanding.  Steve confirmed that I was indeed making things worse.  The last picture in the set below I sent to Steve and it was he who identifies in that photo the crack crossing laterally in the middle of the burn spot.  Ugh.short15 short16 short17Another opportunity to hone in on the various skills necessary in restoring pipes!  I had the opportunity to fix a crack previously and it is necessary to drill holes on the far ends of the crack to stop the crack creep.  Armed with a magnifying glass to see the crack clearly, I use the sharp dental probe to mark the ends of the crack hopefully to provide a guide for the drill.  I use a 1.5mm bit in the Dremel and I need to drill the holes without going through into the fire chamber.  Well, it was going so well, until it wasn’t.  I suppose it was the combination of the texture of the briar being more crusty feeling, drilling free-hand, or the thin wall that I already suspected – one or any combination of all three….  The first hole is successful, but the second finds day-light.  The briar is much thinner than I had guessed.  The question now is the extent of the burn impact. Is this Short Snorter’s life about to be cut shorter than we all thought!  I use the dental probe to scratch around the holes and pressing to find soft charred briar to reveal more weakness.  I do not find anything other than the hole that I created. short18 short19So, the worst that can happen is that this beautiful little Short Snorter becomes a ‘technique pipe’.  I decide to proceed with filling the drill holes with a mixture of briar dust and super glue.  For the external surface, I’ll need to sand down the hole patch areas during the finishing process, then dark staining the stummel to blend and mask the burned area.  For the internal wall, I will mix a batch of the Charcoal and Sour Cream lining paste and apply it to the firewall.  Hopefully, this will provide enough additional heat buffer to protect the thin condition of the briar in the front.  The protective coating will also provide a basis for a protective cake to develop.

With the stummel on the mat, I need a change of scenery to think things through.  I retrieve the stem from the Oxiclean bath and take 600 grit paper, wet sanding the stem to remove the raised oxidation on the vulcanite stem.  I follow this with 0000 steel wool preparing the surface for moving to the micromesh polishing later.  Then I take pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95% and clean the internal airway of the stem.  It was not very dirty.short20Ok, back to the stummel.  I use a cotton pad with isopropyl 95% to clean both the external surface as well as the fire chamber.  I take briar dust and mix it with super glue to form a putty.  I use a dental spatula and tooth pick to scoop some of the putty and apply it to the holes.  I’m not concerned that the putty goes through to the internal wall – I want to build a little protective mound of hardened briar putty.  Later it will be covered by the Charcoal/Sour Cream layer of insulation.  The pictures show the progress with the regress!short21 short22With the briar dust putty curing, I take up the stem and begin the micromesh process first by wet sanding the stem with pads 1500 to 2400.  When complete I apply a coat of Obsidian Oil to the stem to rejuvenate the vulcanite.  I follow this dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 and then 6000 to 12000 and I follow each set with an additional application of Obsidian Oil.  I put the stem aside to dry. I never tire witnessing the shiny pop of vulcanite after the micromesh process.  The pictures show the progress.short23 short24 short25With the briar dust superglue cured after a full 24 hours, I take another close-up of the work areas and then take a flat needle file and file strategically the fills in the two crack holes that were drilled – one well, the other one breaking through the firewall.  After bringing both fills almost to the briar surface level, I use 240 grit paper, rolling it into a very tight tube, I remove all the excess fill bringing the patch to the surface.  Then, turning to the Briar dust putty in the fire chamber, I use the flat needle file and reach into the bowl and take off most the overflow.  Then, with the 240 grit paper I smooth the patch but I leave a small briar dust patch over the internal wall breach.  I hope this adds protection underneath the insulation layer that I will do later.  The pictures tell the story.short26 short27 short28 short29With all the attention with the crack repair, I realize I have yet to clean the internals of the stummel.  I do that with Q-tips and pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95%.  Thankfully, there was very little work to do.short30At this point the question that presents itself is, do I proceed with mixing up a charcoal and sour cream (or yogurt) insulation paste and coat the chamber or do I proceed with working on the external briar of the Short Snorter.  Since I will need to have a thumb and cork in fire chamber for all the external briar projects, I need to wait to do the fire chamber work near the end – probably before the final polishing phases.

I take a close look at the stummel surface and detect some shiny spots revealing the presence of the old finish.   I want to remove all the old finish left behind by the Murphy Oil Soap cleaning.  Using the light sponge sand I sand down the surface followed by wet sanding with micromesh pads 1500 to 2400, then 3200 to 4000 and finishing with pads 6000 to 12000.  The pictures show the progress.short31 short32To mask and blend the burn spot on the front of the stummel, I use aniline-based Dark Brown Leather Dye hopefully to accomplish this.  With a cork stuck snuggly in the fire chamber to serve as a handle to rotate the stummel, using a bent non-bristled pipe cleaner, I apply the dye liberally around the stummel, rotating it to be sure the dye reaches the inverted rim.  After the application, I flame it using a lit candle waiting for that purpose. The alcohol in the dye burns off quickly setting the hue in the grain.  When cooled, I apply a second coat of dye to the stummel surface and again I flame it.  I let the dye set overnight.  The picture shows the flamed crusted state.short33The next morning, anxious to see the ‘unwrapped’ stummel and the results of Fiebing’s Dark Brown Leather Dye, I take the Dremel and mount the hand-held extender with a felt wheel and apply Tripoli to the stummel surface to remove the dye crust.  The dark stain did well in blending the burn spot on the stummel.  That is looking good.  Two problem areas emerge – the rim showed a gap in the coverage of the dye on the inner rim.  It must have been the overhang of the cork I was using….  An easy patch worked well as I use a dark walnut stain stick and paint the rim. short34 short35After the Tripoli buff with the Dremel felt wheel, I also detect pits in the briar surface in the upper left joint of the shank and stummel – not sure how I missed these but I see them now and I don’t like seeing them now.  Of course, it would have been easier addressing these during an earlier stage of restoration, but I’ll make a go at a patch now.  I take Hot Stuff Special ‘T’ CA Glue, a bit thicker than regular CA glue, and apply a dribble on the end of a toothpick then I dab a bit of the glue from the toothpick strategically on a pit.  The thicker glue beads up nicely on the pit and doesn’t run over the surface.  Using the toothpick, instead of applying glue straight from the bottle spout, allows a better control of the amount of glue in play.  I put the stummel aside to let the ‘T’ CA Glue cure and then later I’ll strategically sand these patches – hopefully keeping the patch area to a minimum. I didn’t do anything with the crevice obliterating the ‘S’NORTER’.  The pictures show the progress.short36 short37After the ‘T’ CA Glue cures, I use 240 grit paper to sand tightly on the glue mounds – trying to keep the patch area to a minimum.  After the 240 I use 600 grit paper on the area and then a very quick run through the complete set of 9 micromesh pads, 1500 to 12000.  I then apply Dark Walnut with a stain stick to the sanded areas.  After drying a bit, I use a cotton pad with isopropyl 95% to wipe down the stummel to blend the stain of the entire surface along with the patch area.  This helps but I’m wishing I would have done this earlier and not missed them!!!  The pictures show the progress.short38 short39 short40I want to apply one final coat of stain to the stummel to blend further the patches but also to tweak the hue toward the red ranges.  I mix Fiebing’s Dark Brown Leather Dye 1 part to 2 parts of Fiebing’s Oxblood.  As before, I apply the dye mixture with a folded pipe cleaner to the surface liberally and flame it.  After the surface is cool to the touch, I apply a second coat of Dark Brown Oxblood and flame it.  I set the stummel aside for the night and the next day clear the flamed crust with the Dremel felt wheel using Tripoli compound.  To blend the stained surface and give an even effect, I lightly wipe down the surface with a cotton pad with isopropyl 95%.  I’m pleased with the hue that is emerging.  The pictures show the progress!short41 short42Rejoining stummel and stem I use the Dremel with a felt wheel to buff them with Blue Diamond compound.  Following this, I mount the cotton wheel on the Dremel and increase the speed of the Dremel from the slowest RPM for the felt wheels and compounds, to the next higher speed.  I apply carnauba wax over stem and stummel several times to build up a shine as well as a protective layer.  I’m pleased with the transformation of this pipe.

After consulting with Steve, I decided that this Short Snorter’s one last challenge would be better addressed in the US.  The front fire chamber wall needs a better solution than what I can provide here in Bulgaria.  Steve recommended I consider the solution that Charles Lemon, of DadsPipes.com, has used with good success – applying JB Weld to the area in need of greater reinforcement.  Since JB Weld is not on the shelves here (yet!) and I can’t find a satisfactory alternative, this little pipe is going for a long ride in about a week to Denver, where my wife and I will be celebrating Christmas with our family!  I’ll add a Christmas Addendum later!

When I look at this Short Snorter Imported Briar Horn before me, I still think this is a beautiful ladies’ pipe!  Of course, with a name like ‘Short Snorter’, the pipe lady smoking this elegant, petite horn shaped pipe, packed with her preferred aromatic blend, will undoubtedly have a bit of attitude and spunk!  Or, at least as it would seem to me.  Thank you for joining me!short43 short44 short45 short46 short47 short48 short49

Replacing a Stem on a Stanwell Antique 156 Bulldog

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Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe I brought to my work table is another Stanwell Antique. This one is stamped on the underside of the shank with the words Stanwell over the script Antique and over the top of them both is the number 156 which is the shape number. This one came in the same lot as the two victims of Jaws that I have already written about on the blog – the Estella and the GBD Midnight (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/12/06/jaws-and-an-estella-non-pareil-%c2%bc-bent-9606-stack-by-savinelli/ and https://rebornpipes.com/2016/12/09/another-jaws-victim-a-gbd-midnight-788-oval-shank-apple/). This Stanwell Antique Bulldog had a poorly fit replacement stem – a diamond shaped stem from a classic bulldog shape. The stem had many deep tooth marks on both the top and the underside of the stem. anti1The finish on the bowl was in decent shape though the rim had some tarry buildup and there was a thick cake in the bowl. The first photo shows the mixture of sandblast and smooth on this pipe was a nice contrast. The front of the pipe was smooth and joined the smooth rim. The second photo shows that the front outer edge had nicks and dents in it as did the surface of the rim. The close up photo of the rim shows the condition of the pipe when my brother received it.anti2The Lucite shank extension is amber coloured. The thickness of the extension makes it hard for the light to shine through it. The mortise had been damaged – it is my thought that whoever put the new stem in place redrilled the mortise and damaged the inner edge and the bottom of the mortise. anti3The stamping on the underside of the shank is better than the stamping on the previous Antique I just finished. The shape number is very clear and sharp. The Stanwell logo is lighter on the left side and the Antique stamping is also very clear and sharp.anti4The next photo shows the transition from the smooth front of the bowl to the sandblast on the rest of the bowl. You can see some of the grit in the grooves and crevices of the blast and the grime on the smooth portion.anti5The last photo that my brother sent me shows the bite marks on the diamond stem. They are identical in pattern to the ones on the previous two “Jaws” pipes.anti6My brother cleaned up the pipe with his usual thoroughness. When the pipe arrived in Vancouver the finish was clean and the grooves and crevices clean. The rim was better though it show the damage to the front edge and the dents to the top of the rim. He had reamed and cleaned the mortise and the airway in the replacement stem so the pipe was very clean and ready for me to work on.

I cleaned up the shank extension end and used clear super glue to rebuild the damage portion of the Lucite. I sanded it with 180 grit sandpaper and also with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the repairs. I cleaned out the shank with a cotton swab and warm water to remove the debris in the shank. I took photos of the bowl after I cleaned it up and scrubbed it with Murphy’s Oil Soap.anti7 anti8The rim shows some damage to the top and the back edge in the photo below.anti9The stem was an obvious replacement so I put it in my can of stems and looked for a stem that would be a good candidate for a replacement. I had one in a lot of stems that my brother sent me. It was a Danish looking freehand stem that had a long tenon and a step up toward the ring in the middle. I forgot to take a photo of the stem before I worked on it but I had another example of one that was similarly shaped that is shown in the next photo.anti10I sanded the stem with a Dremel and sanding drum to shorten and remove the step down area. I wanted to have a smooth transition from the tenon end to the mid ring. I also wanted to make the slope to the ring more abrupt that it was in the one above. The stem was in pretty rough shape. There was deep tooth mark on the topside of the stem from the damaged button forward. There was also some tooth damage on the underside of the stem in the middle and on one side. The button was also damaged on the underside. There was a missing chunk of vulcanite on the button edge. I filled in the damaged areas with black superglue to build them up. I let the glue dry and once it was dry I sanded it smooth to match the surface of the rest of the stem. I filled in the damaged button and built up the edge on the top and bottom sides. I sanded the button as well once it had cured and reshaped it.anti11I sanded the diameter of the tenon area on the new stem until the fit in the mortise was correct. The stem still looked a little long but I would take care of that shortly. I put it in the mortise and took photos of the pipe with the new stem.anti12 anti13I sanded the stem with 180 grit and 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the repairs and reshape the stem to match the rest of the stem.anti14I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit sanding pads and rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit sanding pads and rubbing it down with the oil after each set of three pads. After the final set I gave it a final coat of the oil and set the stem aside to dry.anti15 anti16 anti17To remove the damage to the front edge and the top of the rim I topped the bowl with 220 grit sandpaper on the topping board. I sanded it with 1500-6000 grit micromesh sanding pads to sand out the scratches in the rim surface. I restained the rim to match the front of the bowl using a dark brown stain pen. I buffed it lightly with a microfibre cloth.anti18I sanded the smooth portions of the bowl face and the rim with 1500-6000 grit micromesh sanding pads to polish them.anti19 anti20I buffed the rim and smooth part of the bowl and the stem with Blue Diamond polish on the wheel. I gave the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax and gave the bowl several coats of Conservator’s Wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad and hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The repairs on the stem show under the bright lights of the flash but in person they are pretty well blended into the surface of the stem. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.anti21 anti22 anti23 anti24 anti25 anti26 anti27 anti28

Another Jaws Victim – A GBD Midnight 788 Oval Shank Apple

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Blog by Steve Laug

I love old GBD pipes no matter what era they come from. I gave my brother a list of pipes to keep an eye open for in his treasure hunts as he travels and on his eBay forays as well. GBD has been at the top of that list. He found a newer generation GBD recently and sent it my way. It is a nicely grained apple that is stamped GBD in the oval over MIDNIGHT on the top of the shank. On the underside it is stamped London England over 788 which is the shape number for an oval shank apple. The stem is a green swirled Lucite saddle shape with the GBD Oval stamped on the top of the saddle portion. The pipe was in decent shape. The finish was dirty and there was a buildup of cake in the bowl that had overflowed onto the rim. There were some dents in the outer edge of the rim on the back left side and some nicks and scratches on the left side of the bowl. The stem was another one that Jaws had gotten a hold of just like the Estella Non Pareil that I just finished and wrote about (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/12/06/jaws-and-an-estella-non-pareil-%c2%bc-bent-9606-stack-by-savinelli/). The top side had some deep dents and the underside had them as well. There were better situated in that they were in the blacker portion of the stem so blending in the repairs would be simpler.jaws1The photos my brother Jeff sent me really show the grain on the pipe. It has some stunning swirls of grain on the sides and some stunning birdseye on the top and the bottom of the shank and bowl.jaws2 jaws3The next photos show some close ups of the rim and the bowl bottom. The top of the rim was thickly coated with the overflowing cake in the bowl. The birdseye on the bowl bottom is stunning.jaws4The stamping on the shank and the stem was clear though lighter to the right edge on the topside of the shank. The fit of the stem to the shank was messy due to the build up of tars and oils in the shank and the mortise. I was pretty certain that once the pipe was cleaned up the fit would be back to normal.jaws5The next two photos show the work of Jaws on the Lucite. I can only say that I am thankful that the stem was not vulcanite or it would have been destroyed!jaws6My brother did his usual thorough clean up and was able to remove all of the tars and oils from the rim and the cake from the bowl. He scrubbed the grime and oils from the finish with Murphy’s Oil Soap and cleaned out the internals with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The next four photos show the pipe when it arrived on my work table in Vancouver. I am getting spoiled by him doing all the grunt work of reaming and scrubbing. The pipes I get are all cleaned and reamed and ready to be restored. It is a great arrangement!jaws7 jaws8I took a close up photo of the bowl and rim to show how clean it was when it got to me.jaws9The tooth dents in the stem are shown in the next two photos. After the stem had been cleaned up they did not look as daunting as the ones in the Estella. The button had been worn down some as well by the chomper.jaws10I “painted” the dents in the stem with the flame from a Bic lighter. I was able to raise them quite a bit on this stem. On the top side only one deep tooth mark remained and on the underside there were three left.jaws11I sanded the dented areas with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface around the dents. I washed it down with alcohol on a cotton swab to make sure I did not leave any of the white sanding dust in the tooth marks. I decided to use black superglue to fill in the tooth dents as they were in the darker portion of the stem. I filled them in and let the glue dry.jaws12Once the glue had dried I sanded the patches smooth with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface of the stem. The patch on the topside disappeared into the dark green/black of the rest of the stem. The ones on the underside were a little more temperamental and showed some light areas on some small parts of the patches.jaws13I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down with a damp cotton pad after each set of three pads.jaws14 jaws15 jaws16I set the stem aside and worked on the bowl. I used 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads to work over the nicks in the rim and on the left side of the bowl. I was able to minimise them so that they blended into the briar better. I stained the bowl with a dark brown aniline stain cut 50/50 with isopropyl alcohol and flamed it with a lighter. I repeated the process until the coverage was even on all sides of the bowl.jaws17I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel and gave the pipe multiple coats of carnauba wax to protect it. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to polish the carnauba and give it a shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The rich brown of the stain is a great contrast to the green of the Lucite stem. The overall look of the pipe is rich and the feel in the hand is perfect. This one will be available on the store in the days ahead. Thanks for journeying with me in this refurb.jaws18 jaws19 jaws20 jaws21 jaws22 jaws23 jaws24 jaws25