Tag Archives: cleaning up a rim top

Restoring an Unusual GBD Virgin 347 Apple

by Kenneth Lieblich

I was intrigued about this pipe as soon as I saw it. The pipe is a beautiful GBD Virgin 347 apple, with an aluminum shank extension and a tapered, Perspex stem. I hadn’t seen one quite like this and I asked Steve about it. His exact words were, “Never seen anything like it”. Hmm. We wondered if this could be someone’s aftermarket experiment, but I’m not so sure. The extension fits perfectly and seems to have been precisely designed for the stummel. Regardless, it’s a very attractive pipe, with gorgeous grain. It also has wonderful drilling and feels great in the hand. Let’s look at the marks. The left side of the shank reads, GBD [over] Virgin. The right side of the shank reads London England [over] 347. Virgin is one of the higher-end lines from GBD and the 347 is designated as a straight apple shape (no bend), with a round taper stem. Well, that’s what we’ve got here!Please take a moment to read Pipedia’s article on GBD – it’s quite thorough and provides lots of useful information. You can find that link here. Meanwhile, here are some examples of 347s from some old GBD catalogues. Let’s investigate the condition of the pipe. The stem has some serious bite marks (i.e. dents) in it, but otherwise it’s in good shape. The shank extension has only the merest hint of wear, but is a bit dirty. The stummel has some wear. It’s quite dirty, has some cake on the rim (and some minor burn marks), and has a groove in the wood. I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean.As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the Perspex. This was done by filling those divots with clear cyanoacrylate adhesive. I left this to cure.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the Perspex. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the Perspex, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, clear shine to the stem when I was done. I also polished up the shank extension with some micromesh pads. This turned out beautifully. I deliberately didn’t sand the shank extension’s tenon, as it fit snuggly in the shank’s mortise.I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a pipe knife and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed. There actually wasn’t much in there.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and distilled water, with cotton rounds. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with some mild detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.Having completed that, I was able to address the notable groove on the bowl. I dug out my iron and a damp cotton flannel cloth. By laying the cloth over the affected areas and applying the iron to it, the hot and moist steam can cause the wood to swell slightly and return to shape. There was considerable improvement, as you can see in the before-and-after photos. The mark still remained to some extent, but was much better. I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I also took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 400-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieved two things: first, it removed some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returned the edge to a perfect circle. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This GBD Virgin 347 Apple looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘British’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6½ in. (165 mm); height 1¾ in. (44 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (37 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¾ oz. (52 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring a nice looking “Malaga” Saddle Stem Billiard Sitter

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe I have chosen is a medium sized Billiard. The pipe has a vulcanite saddle stem. We purchased it from and eBay seller on 08/18/2024 in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA. The contrast of the brown stains on this oil cured pipe makes the grain stand out. It was stamped left side of the shank and read “Malaga”. On the right side it is stamped Imported Briar. The pipe was lightly smoked. The bowl was heavily caked and there was a coat of lava on the rim top and inner edge. The condition of the rim and top looks good. The black vulcanite saddle stem was in good condition other than being dirty and having light tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem ahead of the button. There were no stampings or logo on the stem itself though it is certainly the original. It was well fit but never bore any identifying marks on the surface. Jeff took photos of the pipe before his cleanup work. They tell the story and give a glimpse of the pipe. Jeff took close up photos of the bowl and rim to capture the condition of the pipe before he started his cleanup work. The moderate cake in the bowl and the light lava on the edges and rim top are visible. The next photos show the stem surface. There is light oxidation and light tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button and wear on the button surface and edges. He also took a photo of the bottom of the bowl and shank to show the beautiful grain around the bowl. The photo is a little out of focus but it does show the general condition of the bowl and wear on the finish. It is very dirty but this is another beautiful pipe. He took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. They are clear and readable on both sides of the shank.I am including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand, the pipemaker, George Khoubesser and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. The information ther is a great read to garner understanding on Malaga pipes. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/tag/malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. Follow the links to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

I am also including a flyer “The Pipe of True Smoking Enjoyment” that Malaga sent with each pipe they made. The language of the brochure is well written and gives a clear picture of how Malaga sees the process of breaking in their pipes. Take time to read it as it is very much written in the language of the times.Now it is time to work on the pipe itself. Jeff reamed the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and followed up with a Savinelli Fitsall pipe knife to remove the cake. He scrubbed out the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl, rim, shank and stem with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap to remove the oils, tars and lava on the rim and the grime on the finish of the bowl. He rinsed it under running water. He dried it off with a soft cloth. He was able to remove the lava build up on the rim top and the flat surface of the rim looked very good. The inner edge of the rim looked very good. The outer edge looked very good. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and rinsed it with hot water. I took photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. I took close up photos of the rim top and the stem surface. I wanted to show how well it had cleaned up. The rim top and edges looked very good. I took photos of the stem to show the condition it was in. There were light tooth marks on both sides ahead of the button.I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. You can see that it is stamped as noted above. It is clear and readable on the left side but the stamping on the right is faint on the left side of the stamp. I took the pipe apart and took a photo of the pipe. It is a good looking pipe with great grain. I started my work on the pipe by addressing the inner edge of the bowl and rim top with 220 grit sandpaper. I smoothed out the edge and the top damage until it looked much better.I sanded the rim top, edges and sides of the bowl with 320-3500 grit 2 x 2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. It began to take on a rich shine. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. By the end of the process the pipe bowl looked very good. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the vulcanite stem. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to remove the tooth marks and chatter against the button edge. I wiped the stem down between pads with an Obsidian Oil cloth to remove the sanding debris from the stem.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine.

I put the stem back on the “Malaga” Imported Briar Saddle Stem Billiard and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful “Malaga” Saddle Stem Billiard with a smooth finish and the vulcanite saddle stem has a great look. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.16 ounces/33 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

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

This Suave Jandrew Calabash Grew on Me

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by Kenneth Lieblich

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

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

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

Restemming a Wonderful Peterson Specialty Barrel

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by Kenneth Lieblich

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

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

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

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

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

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

Restoring a Comoy’s Tradition 203 Cutty

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Oh, I really love the look of this pipe! This older Comoy’s came to me in an auction lot and, although it was filthy, I was immediately charmed by its shape. This is a beautiful cutty shape, from the Tradition line, and marked with the 203-shape number. The briar has some very attractive grain hidden away. The pipe has a nice, long shank and a nice, long, oval, vulcanite, taper stem. It has endured a hard life, but must have been well loved over the years. Many of the marks of its hardship still remain, but they are an important part of this pipe’s story. This pipe is actually a bit of a stunner, and it’s light and comfortable to hold. Let’s look at the markings. They are slightly worn, but still very readable. On the top of the shank (but towards the left side), we see Comoy’s [over] Tradition. On the top of the shank (but towards the right side), we see the circular logo showing Made [over] in [over] London. Then below the circle is the word England. Further along the shank, we see the shape number, 203. In addition, the left side of the stem has the so-called three-piece “C”. Comoy’s shape number chart lists the number 203 as being a straight cutty with an oval stem, and that describes exactly what we’ve got. I consulted with the dating guide on Pipedia to narrow down the date of this pipe. If you want to read along, please have a look at https://pipedia.org/wiki/Comoy%27s_Dating_Guide in order to see what I’m talking about. This pipe dates from the 1950s onwards and corresponds to the first variant of Comoy’s stamp during this period, which is

(1) A simple block-letter style without serifs but with the C larger than the other letters and the apostrophe before the “S”.

You can see that this matches my markings. Next, the Tradition line is also referenced in this article. It provides some further information:

Tradition. This grade was introduced in 1925 to mark 100 years of pipe making and continued in production until the 1970s. In 1965, it was priced at $20.In addition, the “Made in” stamp also corresponds to the same time period as above. The same article mentions the following:

This is again stamped in a circle with “Made” at the top, “In” in the middle, and “London” at the bottom, with “England in a straight line beneath the F/B. I believe this stamp was first used in the export drive in the early 1950s, and I have not seen any pre-WW II Comoy’s stamped in this way.

The three-piece “C” on the stem also dates from the 1950s onwards and was discontinued in the early 1980s, when Cadogan took over. So we know this pipe is before the Cadogan era. We are left with a date range of the 1950s to the 1970s. I am making an assumption that because this pipe corresponds to the first stamping variant listed in the guide, it is of an earlier part of that range. However, I have reason to make that assumption. I looked at Greg Pease’s writeup on Comoy’s and his dating information is basically the same as the Pipedia stuff above. Pease, however, adds this important tidbit:

Sometime in the 60’s, the serifs were returned to the “COMOY’S” lettering, though, as mentioned above, the typeface is not as fancy as the earlier one. It appears that some grades carried different stamps or at least that the stamping changed in different years for some grades. At this point, this is highly speculative, as my sample size is too small to verify it.

Based on this, I am going to suggest that this pipe probably (but not definitely) dates from the 1950s. If you can shed some light on this, please do so in the comments below.This was one dirty, harried pipe. The stem was thoroughly oxidized and had much calcification on it. This would take some work! There were a couple of small tooth marks, but nothing serious. The stummel was coated in grime and needed rejuvenating. The bowl was choked with cake and the rim had lava everywhere. Who knows what I would find under there? I could see that the edge of the rim had several small nicks, but nothing that disturbed my peace. Let’s get to work! I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, next-to-nothing happened. Alas. The stem’s calcification was quite substantial. I used an old butter knife and gently scraped some of the thicker accretion off. Doing this now helps later in removing the oxidation. I used alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on to the next steps.

The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. Boy, was it dirty! I used many pipe cleaners and cotton swabs.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. Due to the severity of the oxidation, I then repeated the scrubbing with the cream cleanser for maximum effect.As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This was done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the vulcanite. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a couple of reamers, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed. Humorously, the cake in the bowl was so hard, that I actually got a blister on my hand from cranking the reamer.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed that there was some notably burn marks and a few more nicks. Too bad, but no problem to restore. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean. Oh, it was so filthy! The previous owner must never have heard of pipe cleaners.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and distilled water, with cotton rounds. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. However, it also revealed a mild burn on the underside of the bowl. We’ll come back to that in a moment.The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with some detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.To deal with the burn, I took some crystalized oxalic acid and dissolved it in warm water. I used some cotton swaps, dipped in the solution, and rubbed the burned spot vigorously. The weak acid works very nicely to alleviate superficial burns (burns where the integrity of the wood is still sound). The burn is quite superficial and the solution did work a bit, but the burn will remain as part of the pipe’s history.The damage to the rim was significant. In order to lessen the burns and nicks on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 400-grit sandpaper. This effectively minimized the damage, without altering the look of the pipe.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This Comoy’s Tradition 203 Cutty looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘British’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅞ in. (150 mm); height 1¾ in. (46 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (32 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Bringing a Ben Wade 53 Skater Back from the Brink

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by Kenneth Lieblich

I’ve had this pipe in my stash for a long time, and I don’t really remember acquiring it. I always thought it was a neat shape and just required the right moment for restoration. Well, the pipe found its way back into my hand and the time for restoration has come. This is a Ben Wade Standard 53 skater and it has seen better days. The pipe is worn, dirty, and tired-looking. There is some stunning grain under the grime and it holds a real charm. I’m sure you will be charmed! Here are the markings on the pipe. On the left side of the shank, we see Ben Wade [over] Standard [over] London England. On the right side, we see the shape number 53. Meanwhile, on the top of the stem, we see the words Ben [over] Wade. Doing some elementary research and comparing styles of nomenclature, this pipe looks to me as though it could be from the ‘post-family, pre-Lane’ era of Ben Wade, but I am not sure. Based on what Steve told me, it also seems possible that this Ben Wade comes from the Charatan era. The skater was a well-known Charatan shape. I suppose that shape number 53 is probably a Ben Wade number, rather than a Charatan one. I am, naturally, inclined to trust Steve’s judgment over my own on this.Pipedia has a good write-up on Ben Wade and I encourage you to read it here. This is a little snippet of the article:

Ben Wade is one of the great names in English pipe making. As Richard Carleton Hacker noticed correctly Ben Wade, like many British pipe companies, has had a checkered history. Very checkered in this case. The company was founded by Benjamin Wade in 1860 in Leeds, Yorkshire, where it was located for over a century. Ben Wade started as a pipe trader, but yet in the 1860’s he established a workshop to produce briar pipes. The pipes were made in very many standard shapes – always extensively classic and “very British”. Many models tended to be of smaller dimensions. Ben Wade offered a very high standard of craftsmanship and quality without any fills. Thus the pipes were considered to be high grade and a major competitor to other famous English brands. The often heard comparison to Charatan seems to be a little bit inadequate because those days’ Charatans were entirely handmade.Let’s examine the condition. First and foremost, this pipe is really dirty. There’s lots of filth matted everywhere – especially the rim. There wasn’t much damage to the briar to be seen initially – although that would change once cleaning began. Having said that, there were a few small nicks in the briar. The smoking chamber had plenty of cake and looked like it would take some hard work to clean up. The stem was coated in oxidation and calcification. It was very dirty too and had a few tooth dents. In short, I had my work cut out for me. The stem’s calcification was quite substantial. I used an old butter knife and gently scraped some of the thicker accretion off. Doing this now helps later in removing the oxidation. I then used alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. This stem is so dirty. I used a LOT of pipe cleaners and cotton swabs.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. Due to the severity of the oxidation, I then repeated the scrubbing with the cream cleanser for maximum effect.As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This was done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on. After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some enamel nail polish. I restored the logo carefully and let it fully set before proceeding.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the vulcanite. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed some serious damage to the rim. It was badly scraped and I would need to address that.The inside of the stummel needed to be cleaned thoroughly. However, this pipe was so clogged, that I first needed to open the horribly occluded airway. So, I took a long drill bit and hand-cranked it to dislodge the dreadful detritus inside. Hand cranking is essential because it provides a precision and caution that a power drill cannot provide. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. This stummel was sooooo dirty. It took ages and much cotton to get clean – much more than is shown in the photo.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.Having completed that, I was able to address the nicks on the bowl. I dug out my iron and a damp cotton flannel cloth. By laying the cloth over the affected areas and applying the iron to it, the hot and moist steam can cause the wood to swell slightly and return to shape. There was some improvement – not a lot, but it was better than doing nothing. The damage to the rim was significant. In order to lessen the scrapes on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. This effectively minimized the damage, without altering the look of the pipe. Some damage will always remain and that is fine – it’s part of this pipe’s history. I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This Ben Wade Standard 53 skater looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘British’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6 in. (153 mm); height 1⅝ in. (41 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (39 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (38 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

There’s a Beautiful Peterson 307 Under There!

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by Kenneth Lieblich

What a handsome pipe! This republic-era Peterson Standard System 307 came to me in a large lot and I was charmed by it right away. It’s a good-sized pipe and the look of it gives one a feeling of confidence. It is satisfying and comfortable in the hand. Despite its rather shabby appearance when I found it, the pipe held great promise – and I was sure that I could tease out its beauty with a little TLC. Let’s have a closer look. This Peterson 307 pipe has the classic ‘System’ look: bent shape, nickel mount, and tapered, army-style stem. Of course, it also had the traditional Peterson P-lip stem. The markings are somewhat worn, but still perfectly readable. The markings on the left side of the shank are Peterson’s [over] System [over] Standard. The right side of the shank showed Made in the [over] Republic [over] of Ireland [over] 307. The nickel mount on the shank had K&P [over] Petersons. There were no markings on the stem. The Peterson System pipes are well-storied among Peterson collectors/admirers. I took the opportunity to read the article on Pipedia, specifically about the System pipes, by Jim Lilley. There is lots of good information there and I encourage you to read it: https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_closer_look_at_the_famous_Peterson_Standard_System_Pipe On to the pipe itself: the stem was in average condition – not super dirty, but it had been well used. It had a few tooth dents, too. I also noticed that there were significant scratches at the shank-end of the stem, where I assume the stem had rubbed against the nickel mount on the shank. The bowl was quite dirty and had some lava on the rim, and there was plenty of cake. The outside of the bowl was fine. The nickel mount was in decent shape, but it was dull and needed some polishing. I also wanted to smooth the sharp edge that obviously caused the scratches on the stem. To work! The stem was first on my list. I wiped the outside down with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame to lift the few bite marks and dents. Sadly, however, this did not do much. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. I used so many pipe cleaners and cotton swabs – it was very dirty.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. Due to the intensity of the oxidation, I then repeated the scrubbing with the cream cleanser for maximum effect.As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks, dents, and scratches in the vulcanite. This included not only the tooth marks, but also a small nick at the draught hole and those scratches at the shank-end of the stem. Have a look at the photos. This was done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on. The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate (CA) repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the vulcanite. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed a beautiful rim and no damage.The inside of the stummel needed to be cleaned thoroughly. However, this pipe was so clogged, that I first needed to open the horribly occluded airway. So, I took a long drill bit, held in a drill chuck, and hand-cranked it to dislodge the dreadful detritus inside. Hand cranking is essential because it provides a precision and caution that a power drill cannot provide.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds and used a toothbrush in the crevices. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.I then took a piece of 600-grit sandpaper and very gently smoothed the sharp edge of the nickel mount – I want to make sure that it doesn’t scratch the stem in future.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. This included buffing up the nickel mount to a beautiful shine! I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. Off to the bench polisher! A dose of White Diamond and a few coats of carnauba wax were just what this pipe needed. Boy-oh-boy, this is one good-looking pipe! I’m pleased with the results. This Peterson Standard System 307 looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Irish’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6¼ in. (158 mm); height 2 in. (51 mm); bowl diameter 1⅝ in. (40 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (20 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2½ oz. (72 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Tidying Up a Savinelli-made Hercules 121 EX

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Here’s a handsome and robust Savinelli-made Hercules that was part of a large lot that I recently acquired. If it’s from the Hercules line, that must mean it’s big and strong. It is a slightly bent pot and it has a nice vulcanite saddle stem. Good looking pipe and, fortunately for everyone, it was new (or nearly new) when I got it. I can’t imagine that it was smoked more than once, if at all. The markings on the pipe are very clear. On the left side of the shank is the word Hercules. On the right side of the shank, we read 121 EX [over] Italy. The stem shows a stylized engraved image of Hercules himself. The shape number, 121, is described by Savinelli as “Half-Bent Pot” and the EX stands for “Extraordinaire”, and that corresponds to sizes 4.5–5. Savinelli is one of the most recognized names in pipe smoking and they have a long and storied history. You can read about them from their own website or from Pipedia’s article about them.Let’s look at the pipe. The stummel is in great shape. Seldom, if ever, smoked, so hardly any wear. There are a couple of fills, but they have been well addressed. The stem is also in great shape – no tooth marks or scratches, just some oxidation to deal with. The primary cleaning came first. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. I used hardly any pipe cleaners because it was already clean.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some enamel nail polish. I restored the logo carefully and let it fully set before proceeding.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The inside didn’t even need reaming, as the original bowl coating was still there! Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. There was next-to-nothing inside. The black you see in the photos is simply from the bowl coating.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds and used a toothbrush in the crevices. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar.Having completed that, I noticed a small nick on the rim of the bowl. I dug out my iron and a damp cotton flannel cloth. By laying the cloth over the affected areas and applying the iron to it, the hot and moist steam can cause the wood to swell slightly and return to shape. This worked very well and the rim looked as good as new.I used only the last five micromesh pads (3,600 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.All done! This Savinelli Hercules 121 EX half-bent pot looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Italian’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6¼ in. (159 mm); height 1⅞ in. (47 mm); bowl diameter 1⅞ in. (47 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (23 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2¼ oz. (67 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Way Off the Beaten Track…

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by Kenneth Lieblich

This remarkable and charming pipe came to me from an online auction, where it was described very simply as “Tuareg smoking pipe”. The seller had no more information. I was intrigued and tried to dig a little further. Most of the images I could fine online for pipes of the Tuareg people didn’t look like this. Tuareg pipes tend to be tubular in shape – but the materials used are similar to what I have here. The more I examined and studied this pipe, the more fascinated I became. It has a wonderful, rustic look and feel. Perhaps a brief word on the Tuareg people is in order. I was familiar with them, but only superficially. Here is a very brief summary of them, from the Bradshaw Foundation:

The Tuareg inhabit the Saharan regions of North Africa – Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria and Burkina Faso. Tuareg is an Arabic term meaning abandoned by God. They call themselves Imohag, translated as free men. No one knows the true origin of the Tuareg, where they came from or when they arrived in the Sahara. Reputedly of Berber descent, the language of the Tuareg is Tamachek, with their own script known as Tifinagh, thought to have ancient Libyan roots. Their numbers are unclear, but estimates run between 300,000 and 1 million. The most striking attribute of the Tuareg is the indigo veil, worn by the men but not the women, giving rise to the popular name the Blue Men of the Sahara, or Men of the Veil. Men begin wearing a veil at the age 25.

Let’s take a closer look at this pipe. The wood is dark, dense, and hard. I am no dendrologist, but my elementary research tells me that this wood is likely either African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) or African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora). Both woods are quite similar insofar as they are both thoroughly black, extremely hard and dense, very difficult to work, and among the most expensive in the world. Based on what I read, my educated guess is that this is African blackwood – but that is only a guess. Perhaps the loveliest feature of this pipe are the decorative lines all along its side. Amazing workmanship! Both the stem and the inside of the stummel are made of metal – however, there are at least two metals involved (and possibly three). The metal inside the shank seems to be ferrous. I tested it with a magnet and it was strongly magnetic. However, neither the metal on the stem nor the metal inside the smoking chamber were magnetic. The metal Inside the smoking chamber seems soft – perhaps something like zinc. The stem, however, is clearly a different metal. It did have a bit of tarnish on it, and I think it is likely to be brass. But I don’t have a definitive answer. The overall condition of this pipe was very good. No problems to be resolved and only a little cleaning. My gut tells me that this pipe was never smoked, but I couldn’t swear to that. The stummel was quite clean and without major issues. There is a small hole on the underside, but that is deliberately there – either as a ventilation port or as a means of accessing the inside. The stem is just fine and has no issues of note.

I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. I used only a few pipe cleaners and cotton swabs.Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and some tube brushes, and scoured the stem to remove as much grime as possible. This was pretty easy, as the stem was quite clean.I deliberately did not sand either the stem or the stummel, as I wanted to maintain the hand-crafted nature of this pipe. Instead, I took the finest two or three micromesh pads and shined the surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using these pads. There was a wonderful, metallic shine to the stem when I was done.It was then a case of rinse-and-repeat for the stummel. I cleaned it with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just like the stem, not much work was needed, fortunately.To tidy up the wood, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. I also very lightly smoothed out the overlapping edge of metal on the rim. I did not modify the look in any way – just wanted to make the transition slightly less jarring.Then, again, just like the stem, I buffed the stummel with only the finest two or three micromesh pads. Maintaining the original look of the pipe was key for me. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the black wood and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to it. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth until it shone beautifully! All done! This Tuareg blackwood and metal pipe looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Various Makers’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5¾ in. (145 mm); height 2½ in. (64 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (38 mm); chamber diameter ⅓ in. (8 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅜ oz. (41 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring an Impressive Grecian Plateau Lovat by Mark Tinsky

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Here’s a real beauty. Recently, I was given the opportunity to purchase a small group of pipes by master pipemaker, Mark Tinsky. How could I say no? The answer, of course, is that I could not and I happily acquired them. This pipe is actually not one from the aforementioned lot, but was a Tinsky I already had. It seemed sensible to add it on to this series of pipe restorations. Whereas the others I restored recently were from the Canadian family of pipe shapes, this one, as you can see is a lovat. Or, perhaps, a lovat with a Dublin-like bowl. Another nice detail about this pipe is that it comes with its original pipe sock! This is a beautiful pipe with fantastic, straight grain. The rim is just wonderful. It has a lovely, rich brown colour to it and a silky-smooth surface. This is an older Tinsky than the ones you’ve seen from me recently. The star logo on the side of the stem is different from previous ones, insofar as it is engraved into the acrylic. Under the shank are the markings and they read: American [over] Reg No [over] 081 GP MT 15. I’m not sure but I assume that the 081 tells us that the pipe was made in 1981; the GP indicates that Grecian plateau briar was used, MT indicates that Mark Tinsky made it himself; and I sadly have no idea what the 15 refers to.As I’m sure you know, Mark Tinsky is one of the great names in American pipe making. He is best summed up in this quotation from Erwin Van Hove:

His more than reasonable prices, and his good-natured personality, have made Mark [Tinsky] the favorite of many Americans. It is difficult to find an amateur who does not possess at least one pipe made by the American Smoking Pipe Company, that Tinsky founded in 1978 with his friend Curt Rollar. In 1990, after the departure of his associate, Tinsky continued on by himself building a solid reputation using quality briar from Greece and stem blanks imported from Italy, offering collectors a vast assortment of models and finishes. In short, his pipes are beautiful and well-made pieces that produce a taste beyond reproach. Neither off-the-shelf nor haute couture, they are solid hand mades for an affordable price.There is a wonderful and extensive article on Tinsky, Rollar, and the American Smoking Pipe Company at Pipedia. I highly recommend reading it here. You can also visit his website: http://www.amsmoke.com/. There’s also a small blurb about him at Pipephil:This pipe was in generally very nice shape – there were a few light marks on the rim – but nothing serious at all. The stem was also in good shape – a few bite marks, but the acrylic was sound and is easy to repair. This was clearly a well-maintained pipe. I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean – but not much work was required as it was already pretty clean.I then set about fixing the marks in the acrylic. This was done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the acrylic, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. This ensured that all the debris was removed. Again, like the stem, this didn’t take much work as the pipe was quite clean.I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the whole stummel. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.

All done! This Mark Tinsky Grecian Plateau Lovat looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘American’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6½ in. (165 mm); height 2⅜ in. (60 mm); bowl diameter 1¾ in. (45 mm); chamber diameter 1 in. (25 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2¼ oz. (67 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.