Tag Archives: Dal Stanton article

A First Horn Stem on a Throw Away Pipe

Blog by Dal Stanton

On a recent pipe foraging expedition at the Antique Market near Nevski Cathedral in the heart of downtown Sofia, Bulgaria, I saw this pipe on one of the tables I was methodically scanning. It was a sad scene but a survivor. It was a petite (5.25”) hexagonal paneled shape pipe with a diamond shank banded and it was beat up. What got my attention through the sorry state of affairs was the stem. The vendor made sure I knew that the stem was bone – at least that’s what I thought he said as he hyped the great deal before me in Bulgarian. I have yet to collect a ‘bone’ stem pipe, if that is indeed what it is, of any variety so I decided to start the bargaining dance. He also said it was from Greece, which I could not determine by looking at the faint markings stamped in the right side of the shank, Extra over Bruyere. Five euros was the opening volley – about 10BGN or $5.70 – not high stakes. After getting permission from the vendor to take the stem off to get a better look I tried a few gentle twists and it wouldn’t budge. Without pause, I handed it back to the vendor not wanting to break it and sealing the deal by default, “You broke it, you own it.” After twisting and pulling and pouring water on it, he also could not remove the stem – which was to my favor. We struck a deal at 7 BGN ($4) and I gave him a 10 Leva bill. Without proper change he asked nearby vendors for help and received none. I dug further in my pockets and produced two 2BGN bills – 4 Leva total small stuff. I held the 10 and the pair of 2s in each hand and shrugging my shoulders and he took the pair of 2s and the deal was sealed – about $2.30 for the ‘bone’ stem pipe. I thanked him for the discount, but made a mental note to pay the vendor the additional 3BGN on a future visit – a good vendor friend can be achieved! At home I took pictures of my $2.30 acquisition and promptly dropped the pipe into an alcohol bath to decontaminate it and hopefully loosen the stem. I wasn’t sure if the stem was simply inserted with a straight tenon or if the stem screwed into the mortise. Hopefully, this would all become clear after the bath got a chance to soften the cemented crud – which was in great supply. The pictures I took when I was home tell the story. The alcohol bath did the trick and I was able to remove the stem and get a look at the internals. Looking down the mortise, there was a solid wall of hardened tar muck that closed access to the bowl. The airway of the stem was also blocked by crud. The rim still showed lava flow and tar caked on the top, but I could see the rim and the damage done to it as well as to the bowl. I decide to have a second alcohol bath to loosen things up further and to clean up the rim to better assess how to proceed.

With question in my mind about the true nature of the stem, I sent some pictures of the stem to Steve with the question, “Horn or Bone?” His guess was that it is horn because of the tooth chatter on it. He also referenced his recent post, A Ropp La Montagnarde Deposee 298 Horn-Cherrywood-Briar and a helpful essay (My Process for Repairing and Polishing Horn Stems) to give me input on working with horn stems. He did say that he had never seen a horn stem spliced like this one. I’ve included that picture (4^th) he referenced below – interesting factoid. While the pipe got its second alcohol bath I read the essay on repairing and polishing horn stems. Well, that was gross. The second bath finished, I take the stem and start to push bristled pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95% through the airway from the tenon toward the button. As I push, from the button air hole oozed what looked like a seal brown loaf of lava gunk toothpaste – nasty, nasty stuff. But I guess, the ooze of magna putridum was good news as the airway was in the process of being reconquered. After many pipe cleaners, bristled and smooth, the stem starts coming clean. I put the stem aside and I grab the stummel from the bath and work on the mortise attacking the tar gunk blockage. After many Q-tips and pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol, it too is reclaimed. I’m thankful that Q-tips are plentiful in Bulgaria. Taking a brass bristle brush which will not scratch the wood surface further, I work on the rim to remove the lava and thick oil/gunk buildup. I finish by working the stummel surface with a toothbrush and cotton pads. The pictures show the progress (I’m on the 10^th floor balcony and notice that the sun goes down on my labors!) and I take a close up of the rim to assess how to tackle it.

Before working on the rim, I need to ream the bowl to bring it down to the briar. The cake is very light. After I get my Pipnet reaming kit out and ready the smallest blade, I realize that the bowl is too small and the blade would only impact the very top area of the chamber. Then I think of the Savinelli Pipe Knife that I snagged on eBay a week ago that my son-in-law will be bringing to Bulgaria in a few weeks when he and our daughter visit from Denver! My Winchester pocket knife will have to do the job. To avoid cutting into the chamber wall I reverse the blade angle to scrape it over the wall. It works pretty well as I work the blade down into the bowl which is more conical coming to a point at the bottom than oval shaped. I follow the Winchester by sanding the chamber wall with 120 grit sanding paper rolled up then finishing with 240 grit. I want the bowl to be as clean and smooth as I can get it. Returning to the work table the next day after work, I’ve had some time to think about the rim repair. I take another close up shot after finishing the reaming and sanding the bowl to see where I am. The stummel reminds me a bit of a bulldog shape with the cap of the bowl rising from the panels. The challenge is that the rim is pretty chewed up and there isn’t a whole lot of wood to work with on the cap! I decide to establish a thin rim by topping the bowl, just enough to establish a ring, then fudge on the inside by cutting a bevel to remove the damage and on the outside sand to round up to the rim’s ring hopefully removing the damage and leaving a balanced stummel. This is the plan. I use 240 grit sanding paper on a chop block as a topping table. I rotate the stummel on the table very conservatively, checking the progress after every few rotations. I’m careful to keep the rim level! The pictures show the progress. The last picture below shows the result. I do not want to take more briar off at this point. A rim is established but with significant incursions on the inside of the rim at 2, 7 and 11 o’clock with smaller cuts at 8 and 10. An inside bevel should take care of the 8 and 10 o’clock damage but will not fully eradicate the larger injuries to this rim. In order to fill in the deep crevices I decide to mix a thick putty of briar dust and super glue. I prepare the rim by first cleaning it thoroughly with alcohol and a cotton pad getting rid of residue left over from the topping and using the dental pick to clean out any loose stuff stuck in crevices. I want a good bond to form to fill crevices but also to form an even resistance on the inner rim when I cut the bevel later. I use toothpicks to apply the briar dust putty to the cuts and bruises. I decide to apply it to the small wounds too and then put the stummel aside to allow the putty to cure overnight. I hope this approach works! With the super glue on the work table, I take the horn stem and look at it more closely. I read the essay Steve wrote especially for working with horn stems and understand that the approach is not as aggressive as working with vulcanite or Lucite stems. The goal is to repair surface areas that are broken and can splinter and become porous and treat the entire stem surface with polish and waxes to harden and smooth the surface. There is tooth chatter above and below the bit, with some opening of the horn surface. I also identify minuscule holes on the edge of the bit. There was also a crack that ran between the two ‘bonded’ parts of the stem. I have no idea whether cracks in horn stems will ‘creep’ but following the general principle of closing up the surface area, I decide to apply some super glue to the crack at least to seal it. I start with 240 grit sanding paper by mildly sanding above and below the bit addressing the chatter and open, porous area. I sand lightly not trying to totally remove the open areas but preparing it for a super glue patch to fill it in and close it. After sanding, I apply super glue to the bit area making sure to fill the porous, softer surface. Super glue was also applied to the small holes on the edge of the stem as well as to the crack. The pictures show the progress. With the super glue cured after sitting overnight, I use 240 grit sanding paper to bring the bump of the super glue patch down to the stem surface level. I gingerly use the flat square corner of the needle file to cut into the super glue to redefine the button lip. My goal is to blend the patch with the horn stem so I feather the sanding outward toward the stem. You can still see the darker patch but it should blend more as I polish the horn stem. While I smooth out the super glue patch to fill in the crack on the splice line I also detect a small ridge along one side of the stem where the bonding between the two horn pieces come together. I sand that down with 240 grit paper as well. My goal is a smooth hardened horn surface. Pictures show patches on the top and bottom. With Steve’s essay on horn stem repair informing my steps, I use medium and fine grit sanding sponges on the entire stem. I want to feather the patches with the rest of the stem surface with the goal that transitions from super glue patches to the horn surface are not detected either by touch or with the tongue on the button area. I’m pleased with the blending I see as the marks from the 240 grit paper disappear – even the crack (first picture center bottom) at the horn splice point is less visible. Now I polishing the horn stem with the normal cycles of micromesh sanding pads. I wet sand using 1500 to 2400 pads and follow with a hearty application of Obsidian Oil. The horn absorbs the oil readily. After the first micromesh cycle, I noticed that what I had been calling a ‘crack’ at the splice joint had almost disappeared. Perhaps the wound was not a crack but a sharp cut into the horn. Either way, the polishing process was going well. I also polish the metal tennon with the 1500-2400 pads to clean and shine it. Next I dry sand using 3200 to 4000 and again apply Obsidian Oil. Again, using 6000 to 24000 micromesh pads I dry sand and then apply a final coating of Obsidian Oil and put the stem aside to dry. The blending looks good – even though the patch areas are visible, with the blending and polishing the patches now have more of a natural horn look. The pictures show the micromesh progress. The stummel has had ample time for the briar dust super glue putty patches to the rim to cure. I take a close up of the cured rim patches to mark the progress and then use 240 grit sanding paper to strategically take the briar dust patches down to the rim surface level. I want to remove the mounds before returning the stummel to the topping table outside on the balcony for a few more rotations on 240 grit paper just to make sure the plateau is flat. Now I cut a bevel inside the rim to address the rim damage and to finish smoothing out the briar dust super glue patches. I use a tightly rolled piece of 120 grit sanding paper to establish the bevel by gradually rotating the bowl in my hand while sanding to achieve a gradual uniform bevel. Then, with the bevel cut, I use 240 grit paper, again tightly rolled to present a harder surface to the wood, to finish it. The rim repair looks good. The three main patched areas are barely visible and blending well.Now to the external surface of the stummel. I remove the metal band and apply Murphy’s Wood Soap with a cotton pad to see to remove any leftover tars and oils on the surface. The cap of the bowl shows the most damage. At the top of the picture above you can see pitting in the briar. I use medium and fine grade sanding sponges to work the pitting out of the cap around the circumference of the rim. Satisfied, I decide not to stain but to restore the original stained surface – I like the color and the grain is promising. I begin working on the stummel with micromesh sanding pads beginning by wet sanding using 1500 to 2400. Following this, dry sanding 3200 to 6000, then 6000 to 12000. This little pipe is starting to pop. After remounting the metal band and attaching the horn stem, I complete the polishing with the Dremel wheels by applying Blue Diamond to stem and stummel with a felt Dremel buffing wheel. I’m careful to work the horn stem lightly so I don’t overheat the surface and cause splintering or an opening of the surface. Following the Blue Diamond, stem and stubble receive several coats of carnauba wax with a cotton cloth wheel. Finally, I give a Dremel wheel buff with a clean cotton cloth wheel. To raise the shine of the horn and briar, I give the pipe a vigorous buffing with a microfiber cloth.

I’m very surprised how well this little pipe cleaned and polished up. The rim repair was daunting but amazingly the briar dust patches are practically invisible and blend well with the natural grain movement. My first horn stem repair looks good from where I sit. I’m not sure who smokes a pipe this small but someone did before I received it and I’m happy to return it to service. I couldn’t resist a ‘before and after’ shot to start things. Thanks for joining me!

Another ‘Hole in the Wall’ Find – BBB Banker Bent Volcano

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Blog by Dal Stanton

Last April, during one of my earlier visits to what I have affectionately named, ‘The Hole in the Wall’ antique store near the Zhenski Pazar (Women’s Market) in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria, my eyes locked on to a very handsome pipe that called out to me resolutely – “Take me home!” The pipe was a slightly bent volcano shape, brandishing a broad flattened oval shank and stem that drew my attention. In my small collection of pipes then, and even today, I have nothing like it. After taking in the unique shape, the briar grain, obscured by layers of grime and old wax, gave me an internal ‘wow!’ that I carefully kept hidden from the shop owner who would see my excitement as potential greater profit for him – so I played it cool. I looked at how the grain moves horizontally across the bowl and shank giving the appearance of a tiger pattern looking down on the shank. Looking straight at the bowl the grain looked like horizontal flames terminating on the sides of the bowl with Birdseye patterns – I was anxious to work on this pipe. The top of the shank was imprinted with the classic BBB diamond mark over Banker. Underneath the shank had London, England over 739. The stem top also had the white diamond BBB mark. I also spied another pipe in the basket that looked like a good candidate to bundle with the BBB Banker, a French Jeantet Fleuron 70-7 which helped me negotiate 30 Bulgarian Leva for the pair – about 16US. Not a bad deal at $8 a pipe! The first picture is the Jeantet followed by the BBB Banker after I arrived home from the ‘Hole in the Wall’ with my newest acquisitions: I found a lot on the internet about the BBB name. The small blurb in Pipehill describes the evolution of the BBB moniker:

BBB: ” Best British Briar” is now a brand of the Cadogan Company (Oppenheimer group). American rights to use the brand name were sold to Wally Frank in 1980.

Founder of the brand in 1847: Louis Blumfeld. The oldest pipe brand name in the UK has been registered in 1876 (Blumfeld Best Briar).

Steve also posted a blog on the history of BBB pipes a few years ago using the French article:

https://rebornpipes.com/2012/08/05/history-of-bbb-pipes/

I discovered that there are many BBB collectors and enthusiasts in my research. Unfortunately, I could find nothing helping me to date or place my BBB Banker except some informed guesses comparing to the BBB stamps (pictured below) depicted in the French article Steve posted above which would probably date the Banker at the earliest in 1989 when the Cadogan Company consolidated manufacturing its various pipe lines at Southend-on-the-Sea, but more likely in the 2000s – not a terribly old pipe (Can anyone help me on that?):The condition of the Banker is generally good. There is some cake build up in the chamber but I still want to ream the bowl down to the briar for a fresh start and to be able to make sure there are no problems lurking beneath – which I really don’t expect. The rim has light grime and lava on it, but a significant wearing down of the front lip so that bare briar is exposed. The stummel looks to be in good shape – I detect one fill underneath but it looks to be solid and will blend well. The stummel grain is dulled and obscured by grime and oil build up. The stem is in good shape – showing almost no oxidation, but has a tooth dent on the lower side of the bit. I take a fresh close up of the rim to mark the progress. I begin with reaming the bowl with my Pipnet reaming kit. As I’ve become accustomed, I try to do the dirtier part of the cleanup on the 10^th floor balcony adjoining our bedroom where my work-station is here in Sofia, Bulgaria. Sometimes I wish I had a basement work area, but we do what we must! I use only the two smaller blades of the four blades available to ream the cake down to the briar. I follow the use of the reaming blades with 120 grit sanding paper to clean the cake further and finish with 240 grit on the chamber wall. The bowl looks good. True confession – while I was reaming the bowl my thoughts drifted off to a Savinelli reaming knife – on the eBay block, that I’ve had my eye on – one like Steve often employs. There are still a few days left in the auction and I’m hopeful that I might add it to the arsenal! I’ll let you know! In order to get a better idea of the rim’s condition, I clean the external stummel with Murphy Oil Soap and work on the grime covering the rim. I use cotton pads with undiluted Murphy’s. I also employ a brass brush to work on the rim. After the cleaning, I take the stummel to the sink and rinse it with cool tap water. The pictures show the progress. Ok, for you who have years of restorations under your belts, here are some newbie musings – your patience appreciated! At this point I realize I need to top the bowl to repair the front lip of the rim – it won’t take much but it is needed. When one takes the rim down to the bare briar, I’ve learned that one also must have a plan for matching the hue of the old stain if one desires to keep the old stain tone matching the bowl. I like the color scheme of the BBB Banker and I desire to keep it. To keep it, I need to match the rim color tone with the rest of the stummel AND I need to address the very minor scratches and wear marks on the stummel surface BUT NOT sand it aggressively to remove the stain. It is in some ways much easier to take the briar down to the wood with acetone and sanding and then apply new stain and voila! New surface and color all blended and ready to go. I know this situation calls for use of polishing compounds and such, which is a more passive approach to dealing with the surface – more opportunity to learn new things! So, I move forward with topping the bowl with the aim of maintaining the current rich, deep red tones – we’ll see how it goes. I took the BBB Banker to the topping board – 240 grit paper on a chopping block and rotated it on the paper in a gentle clockwise circle not applying too much pressure – letting the grit do its work. To make sure I wasn’t leaning into the damaged lip area as I rotated, I eyeballed that the damaged area was untouched during the early rotations which meant the topping was true – I took a picture at this point (second picture). I took off only enough to clear out the front lip problems. I think it went well and the bowl looks perfectly round. As I often like to do, to add a classy touch to the rim I bevel the inside lip. I make the initial cut of the bevel with 120 grit sanding paper followed by 240 grit. I’m satisfied with the bevel – not too much but just an accent. I use micromesh on the rim from 1500-12000 to complete the rim repair preparing it for stain later. Now, the stummel surface. I have questions rolling through my mind regarding how aggressive I can be to remove small scratches and wear blemishes but maintain the original patina of the briar as it came to me. I elect to micromesh the stummel surface and leave the small blemishes. I do not start with the coarsest pad (1500) but at 2400 – gentle approach (though the first picture below shows the 1500 it was not used). I’m not sure this is the best plan but I can always back up to a more aggressive posture if I’m not satisfied with the results. After a quick email with Steve, I feel better about the course of action. I continue on the stummel with micromesh pads 3200-4000 and 6000-12000. I am loving the briar grain popping out through the micromesh process – one of God’s small creations each piece of briar. The pictures show the progress: As I put the stummel aside to work on the stem, I realized that I was so involved in working on the externals that I forgot that I hadn’t cleaned the internal of the stummel nor stem. Before working on finishing the stem I decide to use the retort to clean the internals. Last time I used the retort, an alcohol saturated cotton ball was launched from the bowl during the process. I was gun-shy of the retort to begin with when I first acquired it – the launch didn’t help. Notwithstanding, I unwrap the retort, get out the vodka, and proceed to let the retort do its work. The pipe was surprisingly clean. After two retort cycles, I finished off with cleaning the internals of stummel and stem with Qtips and pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol. I think it’s better to clean internals earlier in the process…. Now to the stem externals. Earlier, I applied black super glue to two significant tooth dents on the underside of the bit (visible in picture above). I use 240 grit sanding paper to remove the excess super glue removing traces of the dents as well as file marks after using a needle file to fine tune the shape of the button. There was very little oxidation on the stem or teeth chatter so I proceed to wet sand with micromesh 1500-2400 and apply Obsidian Oil to the stem. I follow by dry sanding using 3200-4000 micromesh pads and then the same with 6000-12000 and apply Obsidian Oil and set the stem aside to dry. I’m pleased with the vulcanite ‘pop’ – that wet reflective look is great. Well, I mentioned earlier that I was hopeful to add a Savinelli pipe knife to my tool box. Steve speaks highly of this tool and has increasingly put it to good use in his restoration work. He also posted a blog describing it when it arrived on his work table in Vancouver. When I saw one on the block in the eBay’s estate pipes in tobacciana listings a few days ago, I decided to watch the auction and see if I could snag it – it seemed to be calling out to me: “I want to live in Bulgaria!” As you would guess, others were watching too. I’m thankful that my bid was sufficient and my new Savinelli pipe knife will be delivered to my daughter and son-in-law who live in Denver. They will carry it with them to Bulgaria (along with some other supplies I’ve ordered including 32 oz. of Lane BCA Cavendish tobacco which I discovered with great enjoyment on my last trip to the US) when they visit in September! My son-in-law had no problem agreeing to find space in the suitcases when I bribed him with sharing bowls together of the Lane BCA! So, I’ll look forward to their arrival for the additional reasons that they will be packing new supplies and my new pipe knife!The BBB Banker slightly bent volcano is now in the home stretch. After topping and sanding the rim with micromesh, I left the rim the bare wood until I finished the sanding of the stummel. I did this so that the stain I would eventually apply to the rim would be more closely matched. Using an Italian brand stick, I applied a dark Mahogany stain to the rim and before it dried, lightly wiped it with a dry cotton pad to remove uneven stain application – the first two pictures below show before and after application of the stick. I’m very satisfied with the match up of stummel and rim and am anxious to finish the stummel. Living on the 10^th floor of a former Communist block apartment building and with my work station in my bedroom (shared with my gracious and understanding wife!) space is at a premium. My Dremel high speed tool is my workhorse when it comes to the polishing wheel. Starting with a felt wheel, I first purge the engaged wheel by using the flat edge of the Dremel’s metal tightening wrench against it. This softens the wheel and rids it of residue Tripoli caking from previous jobs. With the newly purged wheel, I begin the final polish of the BBB Banker applying Tripoli to the surface addressing the minor pits and scratches on the bowl surface that I did not sand out aggressively to guard the beautiful patina of this piece of briar. Finished with the Tripoli and Blue Diamond, I change to a cotton cloth wheel for the Dremel and apply several coats of carnauba wax. I use the slowest setting for the Dremel and keep a continuous circular rotation over the briar surface – oh my, does the grain pop! I cannot say exactly when this pipe was made, but if it’s been since 1989, someone employed by Cadogan Company’s Southend-on-the-Sea pipe making plant did an amazing job with the choice of this piece of briar and the volcano shape it became. The grain is beautifully showcased in horizontal movements laterally across the stummel so that one can see the horizontal flame grain facing the stummel straight on and then move to the sides of the stummel and see the grain emerge in Birdseye perspective and swirls. In the beginning I described the top-down view of the broad, flattened oval shank as reminiscent of tiger fir to me – now as I look at it zebra also comes to mind. Another example of the beautifully showcased briar grain in the Volcano shape is the broad landscape of its underside – from across the broad shank to the front lip of the volcano base, runs a robust dissecting flow of grain that is majestic from my vantage point. Yes, I confess, I’m a briar grain junkie. Its beauty reminds me of its Maker. With my last application of carnauba wax on stem and stummel, I change to a clean cotton cloth wheel and buff the entire stummel and stem. Then I give the BBB Banker bent volcano a brisk buffing with microfiber cloth to bring out the richness of this briar even more. I’ve enjoyed this restoration and look forward to loading the BBB Banker with its first bowl of tobacco in my hands. Thanks for joining me!

Restoring ‘The Professor’ – WDC Milano Hesson Guard

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Blog by Dal Stanton

This pipe was gifted to me in 1980 while a seminary student. I was Professor Freundt’s student assistant and I spent much time with him in his office which was a virtual jungle of books, papers and journals – heaped in piles here and there yet the professor knew where to find the most obscure minutia. Added to the smells of old books and leather covers were the tobacco and smoke that regularly provided an upper layer haze in his work space. The Professor introduced me to the art and enjoyment of smoking pipes – now some 36 years ago. I was young and eager, soaking in the ambiance of academia at a post-graduate level and pipes I discovered, were very comfortable partners in this environment. Professor Freundt gave me the Hesson Guard, showed me how to pack its first bowl in my hands, and I smoked it, adding my offerings to the perpetual haze. After these days, pipe smoking was put aside until last fall when Steve reintroduced me to it. At this point, 3 pipes made up my collection: a corncob I also bought during those seminary days to use while fishing and duck hunting, a Willard I received after my grandfather’s passing (a future restoration), and the WDC Milano Hesson Guard that I had tucked away in drawers over the past three and a half decades. Anxious to put a pipe back into service last fall, I grabbed the Hesson Guard, to clean it and do what I thought then were needed repairs…. I made a mess of the pipe – cracked the shank, reamed out the mortise so that the metal tenon was too loose – sloppy repair with super glue…. I’m anxious now to return to ‘The Professor’ (its given name) and try to make amends for the rough treatment he received last fall!

The right side of the shank is stamped with the well-known WDC inverted triangle next to Milano over Real Briar. The left side holds Hesson Guard. The bottom of shank had PAT. 1855800 which enabled me quickly zero in on the dating of the pipe. The patent application was submitted by the inventor of the special internals, William W. Hesson, in 1930 and granted two years later. An excerpt from the patent documentation describes the essence of the design:

The principal object of the invention is to provide a pipe which will eliminate contamination of the natural aroma of the tobacco through noxious secretions and which will remain sweet and clean. A further object is to devise a construction of pipe which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which. will be devoid of pockets to harbor noxious elements. The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel arrangement of a tubular resilient member surrounding and embracing a metal stem which extends from the pipe bowl to the mouth piece and forming a seal to prevent the seepage of moisture around the metal stem.

(https://www.google.bg/patents/US1855800?dq=1855800&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwibqa2KsOjNAhUFVBQKHZ1DAvMQ6AEIGjAA)

I was curious to compare my Hesson Guard with the patent diagram which essentially is a long metal tenon meeting up with a metal sleeve at the base of the bowl and shank junction. This design, along with many other designs, was to eliminate the moisture build up, gurgle and gunk. Figure 1 (below) is followed by my overlay comparison picture – the tube inserts quite a way according to the 1930 design. Following are pictures telling the current story of The Professor: The pipe is attractive and has a good feel in my hand. The free-hand sculpting on the bowl gives the appearance of flames rising and is showcased in 3 paneled murals around the bowl. I notice that one of the panel dividers has been damaged at the top by cutting the briar. It looks like they were seeking to connect the panels – not sure. That will need to be filled in. The rim will also need some gentle repair to what appears to be nicks created by wear and tear. The cracked shank will need repair to keep it from growing and cleaning up the metal tenon and creating a good fit with the mortise might be a challenge. The bit has very mild tooth chatter. The last picture above captures not only the crack in the shank but the metal sleeve deep in the mortise that the chamfered tube/tenon docks with to create a dryer smoke – according to the patent information. Before any cosmetic restoration takes place I first must deal with the major issues of the shank crack repair and the tenon/mortise fit. I start the crack repair by drilling a small hole at the end of the crack to keep the crack from creeping up the shank. I use my Dremel tool and a 1.5mm drill bit to make the hole. I utilize a magnifying glass to trace the crack which had become a ‘hairline’. I’m careful not to drill too far and breach the mortise wall. Next time, I want to use a 1mm drill bit to leave less of a footprint. Next, after inserting the tenon into the mortise to expand the crack area for glue penetration, I create a mixture of briar dust and CA Instant Glue filling the hole and running a line of glue along the crack. I then sprinkle briar dust over the entire area and wait to dry. The timing worked out well as my wife just called me for lunch! After lunch, I work on cleaning up the tenon removing the old superglue with fingernails, Winchester knife, brass brush and 240 grit sanding paper – back in pristine shape. Well, after about a week, I return to the Milano Hesson Guard after my wife and I take advantage of the summer opportunities at the Black Sea coast. We enjoy some days at the beach near our favorite coastal fishing town, Sozopol. While at the beach, I thought about the Milano and how best to approach the overly loose tenon/mortise fit. Instead of applying clear nail polish around the metal tenon, which is what I did before, I attempt to rebuild the mortise wall by applying a very gentle coat of superglue on the inner wall of the mortise, rotating it as I applied superglue to achieve, what I hope, will be an even texture around the mortise wall. Amazingly, this seems to have worked! After drying, I gently reach into the mortise to remove some superglue ‘bumps’ with a needle file and I use a tightly rolled piece of 240 sanding paper carefully to smooth things down. I don’t want to inadvertently remove too much of the restored mortise wall! I also give the crack repair a light, strategic sanding with 240 grit paper, careful to guard the stampings. I refit the stem and to my relief, a snug fit was restored. With the stem refitting correctly and inserted, I return to the shank crack to finish sanding it to remove the excess superglue – I do this with stem in so as to not create unevenness between the mortise and stem shoulder. Satisfied with the shank crack repair and rebuilding the mortise wall, I put the stem in an Oxyclean bath for a soak to soften up the moderate oxidation buildup. I move my attention to the bowl to ream the mild cake down to the briar and then move to rim repairs and then to the panel repair. I want to have all these completed before looking at the general stummel cleanup and refinishing. I move out to the 10^th floor balcony adjoining my bedroom work station with Pipnet reaming kit to minimize the airborne cake soot – maximizing happy wife status! I started with the smallest reaming blade moving to use 3 of the 4 blades available to remove the moderate cake in the bowl. I finished the reaming by employing 120 grit paper on the chamber wall to remove remaining cake and smoothing the wall. I took a close up of the chamber and rim to show progress and to get a good idea of how to approach the rim repair. Inspecting the rim, I place a drop of superglue on one particular ‘dent’ that reached significantly down the external side of the bowl. I’m hoping that this small fill will enable me not needing to take as much off during the bowl topping to repair the rim. After the superglue sets up on the rim dent fill, I top the bowl using 240 grit sanding paper on top of a chopping block. Since the day is beautiful, I again move to the 10^th floor balcony to do the work. With the rim having no burns, I expect the surface to plane off evenly without pulls toward softer burned areas of the rim. I rotate in a clockwise circular even motion and take off only as much as needed to remove the damaged area of the rim. As I like to do, I create a small bevel on the inner wall of the rim to give a more finished, classier look. I use 120 grit paper to form the initial bevel angle followed by 240. I also decide to give the outer rim edge a slight sanding to round off the lip which seems to be consistent with the original Milano design. Again, I make the initial cut on the lip with 120 grit paper and finish off with 240. I have grown to appreciate more the rim presentation in finished pipes. To me, the rim, it’s nuances, are the first thing the eye is drawn to when looking at a pipe – much like the first thing one sees when looking a person are the eyes, then one follows by taking in the general appearances. The following pictures show the Milano’s rim progress. You can see in the immediate preceding picture the rim superglue fill spot at the 11 o’clock position of the rim and the ongoing panel repair just below it (to the left in the picture). Before moving to the stummel finishing, I now need to resolve the panel repair. I realize at this point with all the stummel repairs (cracked shank, topping and panel line), I will be removing the finish and refinishing the surface in order to achieve an even briar tone appearance. Now, continue to ‘heal’ the panel cut – earlier I applied superglue to it to build it up. I take a close up of the panel as it is now in order to know what I have. In order to blend more, I rough up the original superglue with a Dremel stone sander instrument. I apply on top of it a thick mixture of superglue and briar dust to form the restored surface that will join the side briar panel with the solid ring around the top of the bowl. I use toothpicks to mix, spread and tamp the mixture into place. I want this briar dust putty to setup well so I put the stummel aside for the time and turn to the stem which has been soaking in Oxyclean. The Oxyclean bath did the job of bringing the oxidation to the stem surface. I attack this initial layer with 000 steel wool and then use 240 grit paper to address the minor tooth chatter – I take pictures of bit top and bottom before starting to show progress. In order to have a good match between the mortise and the stem, I want to eyeball what the fit looks like before I proceed further. As I suspected, with all the superglue applied to the mortise area, the fit between mortise end and stem was not flush. I took the stummel back to the topping board and gently rotated the shank end on the board to regain a flush docking between stummel and stem. After a few rotation cycles and testings to eyeball things, I am satisfied. Before starting the micromesh cycles for the stem finishing, I need to remove the lip that I discovered with the shank end over the stem. With the topping of the shank end, I enlarged the circumference of the end just a bit so that it was a bit larger than the circumference of the stem shoulder – primarily on the lower side of the shank. I use 240 grit paper to even out the difference between the shank and stem – leaving the stem in place to assure a good, smooth transition! I am careful to use my thumb to cover and protect the nomenclature as I move around the shank with the sanding paper.Now to the panel repair below the rim. Using 240 grit sanding paper I bring the hardened superglue and briar dust mixture down to the bowl surface careful to maintain a rounded surface and not to flatten out the area of sanding focus. The pictures show the progress. Dal

I like the panel patch and it will blend with a darker stain. On a roll, I launch into the clean-up of the stummel and especially the ‘flame murals’ which are filled with grit and dust. I use a tooth brush with Murphy’s Wood Soap undiluted and work over the entire stummel with special focus in the fire sculpting to remove the surface finish. I follow this with rubbing down the stummel using cotton pads and tooth brush with acetone to remove the finish deep in the grain of the briar. I finish my clean-up of the surface by picking the carved crevices with a dental tool. Using micromesh sanding pads, I sand the high points of the stummel. Using 1500-2400 I wet sand. Following, 3200-4000 dry sand and finishing dry-sanding with 6000-12000. The pictures show the progress – I’m liking the briar grain the micromesh process is bringing out. At this point, I have two questions about how to proceed before staining the stummel. First, I need to clean out the ‘flame’ sculpting and use a black fine tipped permanent marker to darken the flames to give more contrast after the stain is applied. The other question was how do I treat the stampings of the WDC Milano – Hesson Guard? Do I protect it from the stain? Do I cover them with Vaseline? What? Upon closer inspection, I notice that the left side stamping, Hesson Guard, appeared to have gold left over in the ‘Hesson’ lettering – the rest having worn off (picture below) after the crack repair. After a quick email to Steve, his input revealed that both sides would have originally born the gold lettering. So, from my model kit (I’ve been involved in a project for several years building the USS Constitution sailing ship) I discover a bottle of Testors Gold Enamel Model Paint and my wife finds a small brush which I trim with my knife to create a more distinct point. With Steve’s counsel stored in my mind, I applied the paint over the lettering and wiped off the excess. To my relief and joy, the gold paint adhered to the crevices of the lettering and the overflow came off with the paper towel. My first stamping restoration with paint worked well! Steve also said that there was no need to worry about the new lettering during staining – that the gold paint would repel the stain. Careful to avoid the new gold lettering, I clean the bowl with isopropyl using a tooth brush to get rid of the residue from the sanding and then I move to highlighting the flame sculpts to bring greater definition to the paneled murals in the finished pipe. The pictures tell the story. Time to stain and I decide to use a mixture of an alcohol-based Italian stain I found here in Bulgaria with a color description of dark nut. I want this as the base, but I mix it with a mahogany color water based stain to bring out a slightly more redish tone in the briar. I think the red will work with the flame sculpting motif and I think this will look good – but of course the briar does what it will with the hues! After mixing the stains in the shot glass, I apply the mixture to the stummel mounted on the cork and candle stick with cotton balls making sure to cover everything and getting a good thick coverage. After applying stain, I use the butane lighter to flame the stain. With the mixture that I made, the alcohol content was too low to ‘flame’ so I evenly moved the lighter flame across the surface to evaporate the alcohol setting the dye in the grain of the briar. I repeated the process again and set the stummel aside to dry.With the stummel put aside, I turn again to the stem. I re-inspect the button area after the earlier sanding to remove the teeth chatter. I decide that the button needed a little more attention. I use 240 grit sanding paper and a needle file to fine-tune the shape of the button before starting on the micromesh cycles. I wet-sand the stem using 1500-2400 and complete the cycle by applying Obsidian Oil. While still wet from the oil I continue to dry sand with 3200-4000 micromesh pads, again concluding the cycle by applying Obsidian Oil. The final cycle, 6000-12000 is used and a final coat of Obsidian Oil and I put the stem aside to dry. I love watching the shine of the stem progressively make it to the surface getting that final wet, reflective look in the stem. Nice! The stem pops. The pictures capture the progress! For me, beginning the process of finishing the stummel after the staining dries, is like opening a Christmas present. The anticipation is to see what actually is under the crust of flamed stain and what the briar grain will reveal. With the Dremel tool, I begin to remove the ‘wrapping’ using a felt wheel. Also with a felt wheel I polish beginning with Tripoli and then move to Blue Diamond. I focus on bringing out the contrast of briar ‘flames’ showcased in the three panels. I switch to a cotton cloth wheel and apply carnauba wax to both stummel and stem. After several coats of carnauba, I complete the job by giving the pipe a clean cotton cloth wheel buff followed by a rigorous buffing with a micro-fiber cloth to bring out the deep tones of the briar. I’m pleased with the revitalization of ‘The Professor’, WDC Milano Hesson Guard. I think Professor Freundt, if he were alive today to comment, would agree. The rich dark tones of the briar, with the hints of deep reds, reminds me of the myriads of leather bindings and books that filled his hazy office. I’m pleased with the results. Thanks for joining me!

Sofia Hole in the Wall #3: A Butz-Choquin Rocamar with a Cumberland stem

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Blog by Dal Stanton

This is my third restoration from what I called the ‘Bag of 4’ that Steve and I saw at the ‘Hole in the Wall’ antique store during his visit to Sofia, Bulgaria. Thanks again for indulging my ‘newbie’ offerings. My favorite of the bunch was a Savinelli Tortuga (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/06/18/sofia-hole-in-the-wall-find-savinelli-tortuga/). The second, which I didn’t write up, was a beautiful Danske Club Vario, which I discovered on Pipedia is a Stanwell second. Behind the Tortuga, the Vario was a close second. It is now next to my Tortuga in regular rotation – a great addition to my growing collection. Take a look at a few pictures of the finished Danish Danske Club Vario. I’m drawn to the blended smooth and sandblasted briar finishes on this pipe: The markings I found on pipe #3 on the left side is Butz-Choquin over Rocamar with a ‘Filter 9’ diagonal imprint. On the right side, St. Claude, France 1333, which I assume is the BC shape or series number. The Cumberland stem has the BC imprinted marking. From Pipedia I discovered a bit of the early history of the name from Pipedia:

“Jean-Baptiste Choquin of Metz started out as a tobacconist. This enterprise was prosperous; he had several employees. Among those, there was a certain Gustave Butz who was its first workman and who became his son-in-law by marrying Choquin’s daughter Marie in 1858. In 1858 Jean-Baptiste Choquin created, in collaboration with Gustave Butz, the Choquin pipe. This bent pipe with a flat-bottomed bowl was finished with an albatross-bone mouthpiece, fixed with silver rings. In 1858, still in Metz, Gustave Butz built an establishment for the manufacture of the Choquin pipe which took the name of -. In 1951, the Berrod-Regad company bought the trademark, continuing manufacture until 2002. Departing from Metz, the workshop was relocated to Saint-Claude, then also called ‘the world capital of the briar pipe,’ under the Berrod-Regad group.”

I could find nothing specific about the series name Rocamar so I decided to send an email to Butz-Choquin using their info contact from their current website which is under construction (http://www.butzchoquin.com/). We’ll see where that goes.

The BC Rocamar has an attractive fiery grain and the bent billiard chimney is tall and elegant to me – perhaps tending toward an egg shaped bowl. What I’m drawn to also is the bent Cumberland stem – my first to work on. Not quite knowing what kind of stem it was I did a bit of research and discovered pipesmokersforum.com a thread discussing this stem:

“Cumberland proper is a vulcanite rod made up from red and black rods, melted and swirled together for the brown/red marble effect. It is very soft, and oxydizes fairly quickly if the protective wax coating is scraped off. There is a harder version in ebonite, which has a higher sulfur content if I understand these things correctly, but the color combos are not quite as subdued as the vulcanite version. It’s a bit more “brick” colored.” Another comment I read was that if one found a Cumberland stem it was most likely hand cut – to me that is cool. Helpful information. Here are pictures of the BC Rocamar when it arrived home from the Hole in the Wall: The briar is in great shape and will need basic clean-up. The rim shows a burn scar about 2 o’clock and lava build up. As the comments about Cumberland stems and oxidation stated, this one had its share. The bit has significant teeth chatter and some significant divots that will need repair. Yet, I see the potential of the color swirl of the Cumberland being a very nice augmentation to the fiery briar stummel. The filter casing had dislodged from the stem and that will need to be reattached. I decide to drop the stem in an Oxyclean bath to start working on the oxidation while I turn my attention to the bowl – whoops, that is after I retrieved the stem from underneath the bed – I forgot it was on my lap when I stood to head for the Oxyclean! I took a close-up of the rim and bowl before I go to work. I moved from the bedroom work table to the 10^th floor balcony mobile work station with Pipnet reaming kit in hand. I want to minimize pipe soot being released into the bedroom atmosphere resulting in a happier wife. I use only the two smallest blades from the reaming kit to take the cake down to the wood. I finish the fire chamber by rubbing it with 120 then 240 grit sanding paper to smooth and clean the chamber walls even more. Turning to the rim, I clean it with isopropyl 95% and a brass brush which will not scratch the surface of the bowl. I want to see the rim wood clearly before I top the bowl to repair the burn scar and reveal the briar. With the sunshine helping I can see the rim (and holding tightly not to lose it over the edge!). I note that the rim circumference is small as the sloping shape of the bowl culminates. I move to top the bowl but with a view to take off as little as possible to preserve the dimensions of the slender egg-peeked chimney of the bowl. With the stem soaking in the Oxyclean bath I’m not able to reattach it to the stummel to help make sure I’m maintaining a true perpendicular top and not leaning into the softer burned area. Before rotating the bowl to top it, I let it free stand and gently rotated the pitch of the bowl so that I could ‘feel’ the low spot where the rim was burned. By doing this I was able to acclimate to the ‘healthy’ flat part of the rim during the sanding rotation. It worked well! I took a picture after only a few rotations on the topping board. It revealed that I wasn’t fudging into the low spot as it was not yet impacted by the sanding but the other ¾ of the rim was. I’m careful to keep eyeballing the progress. I use 240 grit paper on a chop board as my topping table. Moving in a circular, even motion I remove only what is needed. Satisfied with the topping, I made a small bevel on the inside of the rim using 120 and 240 grit paper. I did this to take out a bit of inner rim damage and a small bevel is always nice and gives a classy touch. I followed this by using micromesh (1500-12000) on the rim to remove all scratches. The pictures tell the story. I decided to wait on staining the rim using a stain-stick and move to the cleaning of the internal and external of the bowl. The reason I did this was I was able to differentiate the actual unstained color of the briar by looking at the newly repaired rim and compare it to the bowl color. The rim briar leaned brown whereas the bowl, to the reds. With cleaning with Murphy’s Soap of the external bowl, I expect there to be a slight change in the color of the bowl briar. At that point I would go to work again on the color of the rim aiming for the best match. I decided at this point to move to cleaning the internals of the stummel with Q-tips and pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl 95%. I found the internals to be amazingly free of muck and it was not long before Q-tips and pipe cleaners were coming out clean. Turning to the external cleaning, I used Murphy’s Soap undiluted with cotton pads to remove the wax and grime on the bowl. The bowl itself is in great shape – no significant scratches or fills. At this point, I came to a road block which necessitated a quick email to ‘Master Obi-wan Steve’ for his input. After the Murphy’s Soap cleaning I was expecting/hoping the high gloss finish on the bowl to have been dulled – getting to a more natural grain look not competing so much with the bared rim – at least this is what was in my mind. My hesitations were not wanting to be too aggressive with the bowl finish and mess up the patina that is under the gloss…. With the time difference between Sofia and Vancouver, I put the stummel aside and turn to the much anticipated work on the Cumberland stem – what to me is the unique part of this BC stummel/stem ensemble. After I extract the stem from the Oxyclean bath, I take some pictures to chronicle the progress. After an initial buff with 000 steel wool to remove the surfaced oxidation, I take a closer look at the significant teeth divots on the bit and decide to apply super glue to the top and bottom to be able to redefine the button and cover the chatter damage. I want the superglue patches in place before beginning the sanding of the stem. With the superglue curing, Steve’s reply came about my bowl conundrum and it is now decision time. He suspects that I’m dealing with a urethane finish much like he just dealt with in a Jobey restore (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/06/29/i-thought-this-one-would-be-easy-boy-was-i-wrong/) that was a bear to remove. The options before me are to either come up with a high gloss finish for the rim seeking to match up with the bowl or to aggressively remove the plastic, gloss finish and rescue the beautiful briar beneath. The close-up picture below revealing the bare briar in rim repair sealed my decision – I put the bowl in an overnight alcohol bath hopefully to soften the glossy finish to be revisited tomorrow. The time had come to watch some European football – Portugal and Poland – on my widescreen HDTV in my favorite recliner.The next day, with Poland and Portugal playing to a 1-1 tie the night before, I was anxious to see if the alcohol bath made a dent on the glossy finish. Upon inspection (picture 1) it was still pretty shiny so I took a light grit sanding sponge to loosen the finish. I was careful to lightly work around the nomenclature. This did the trick. The alcohol bath undoubtedly softened things up. After the sponge sanding, I followed with rubbing the bowl with acetone with cotton pads to draw the stain out of the grain. I finished with wiping down the stummel with isopropyl 95% to make sure all was cleaned and no grit left behind. I feel like I’m on a roll and I’m anxious to see the grain of this piece of briar unveiled. I use micromesh pads from 1500 to 2400, 3200 to 4000, and 6000 to 12000. The pictures below show the progress. I have to be honest, this is perhaps my favorite part of the restoration process – each set of micromesh pads brings out more of the grain revealing the profoundly unique ‘fingerprint’ of each piece of briar we handle. I euphemistically think of micromesh pads as ‘magicmesh’ pads – they bring the wood to life. In my opinion, the grain that I’m now enjoying is much more satisfying than looking through the plastic shiny sheen of the original Butz-Choquin design. I decide to put the bowl aside and focus now on completing the Cumberland stem clean up and restoration. I want to have an idea of the colors of the finished stem before I decide on the best finish for the stummel. I like working on a clean stem so I first clean the airway using pipe cleaners and Q-tips dipped in isopropyl 95%. During the cleaning, I saw something that I had missed before. The button airway opening has a divot – I’ll need to add that to the list. The superglue applications on the bit and button have had plenty of time to dry. I use 240 grit sanding paper and needle files to work on the bit and button repair. The bit repair looks good so I move to micromesh and the homestretch. I wet sand using 1500-2400 and then apply Obsidian oil to the stem. At this point, I inspect the repair work on the bit to make sure there are no scratches that I’ve missed before proceeding. I’ve learned that often scratches are covered by the rough vulcanite. With the Obsidian oil on the stem I dry-sand using micromesh pads 3200-4000 and apply more Obsidian oil. I do the same with the last set of three – 6000-12000 and give a good coat of oil and put it aside to dry. The pictures show the progress rejuvenating the Cumberland stem. I like what I’m seeing. I had one undone job – re-attach the filter casing to the stem. My assumption is that it was initially glued and after inspecting the inside of the stem, I detected residue that I assume was the glue previously used. I clean the old gunk off the housing and the inside of the stem with alcohol and cotton pad and reattach the housing with superglue. To get the job done I used my Winchester pocket knife and a dental pick to dig out the old glue. With the filter housing reattached, the stem is complete. I really like the rich color of the Cumberland stem. After allowing the filter housing glue to dry I want to see the lay of the land, I rejoin the Cumberland stem to the stummel (picture #1 below). I decide to stain the bowl with a new stain I found at the German owned ‘Mr. Prakteker’ – like Home Depot in the US. Finding alcohol-based stains in Bulgaria has been a challenge so I’ve been mixing my own batches up to this point. The brand is Italian and the cost was a bit more – I’m hoping that translates into better quality. When I opened the tin, a whiff of the stain revealed alcohol. With the help of Google Translate, the flavor of the stain is Dark Nut. The Bulgarian stick-on information tag said Dark Walnut. My thinking is to aim for a darker stummel to blend with the darker hues of the stem. If this succeeds, then I’m hoping the reds of the Cumberland stem ‘pop’ more instead of competing with the stummel. We’ll see! I can use alcohol-dipped cotton pads to lighten the stain after application if I choose. After setting the stummel up on the cork/candle stand I apply the stain undiluted with a cotton swab to see how it goes. I liberally allow stain to move over the inverted stummel – making sure of coverage over the inverted rim. After a good covering I use a lighter to fire the stain which is a quick-combustion of the alcohol leaving the stain to set well into the grain. The Italian stain ‘fired’ as hoped! I repeated the procedure and then used the alcohol dipped pads to clean off the burn layer of the stain revealing how the grain received the stain – it’s never the same! I take a picture to do a quick compare of stummel and stem. After comparing I’m thinking that I like the dark hue but it needs some reds so I decide to add a layer of Cheren stain – red which I will mix with alcohol as it is a water based stain. In my mind I’m thinking of the ‘Ox Blood’ depth that Steve uses – which is not found in Bulgaria! I think the addition of the red stain does the trick (last picture) though it’s difficult to see the difference comparing the last two pictures. Next, I apply several layers of carnauba wax to the stummel and stem with Dremel and cotton wheels. I’m careful to keep the Dremel wheel moving in rotation over the wood and use the lowest speed so not to overheat the wood. The buffing brings out the grain and the luster of the Cumberland stem. I continue the buffing with a clean cotton wheel over the entire stummel and stem surface. I finished with a thorough vigorous buffing with microfiber cloth to bring out the grain depth while watching Germany and Italy’s World Cup match. The recommissioning of this Butz-Choquin Rocamar was more of a project than I was expecting. I prefer the finish now before me to the shiny finish I started with. I like the new color scheme for the bowl and Cumberland stem – I believe it works well. The reds in the Cumberland stem match the grain amazingly well and the grain swirl in the rim has the appearance of continuing in the stem – a neat effect. I’m very pleased with the color blends. Another project done with new things learned to draw upon for the next candidate brought back to life! Thanks for joining me!

Sofia ‘Hole in the Wall’ find – Savinelli Tortuga

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Blog by Dal Stanton

Emboldened by the responses and expressions of welcome from my first submission of the restoration of the Dr. Plumbs, Oom-Paul (named, Chicho Pavel for Bulgarian residence), I wanted to tackle a beautiful Savinelli Tortuga 628 that Steve and I met at what I affectionately call the ‘Hole in the Wall’ antique store (first door pictured below – getting a paint job that day – thanks to Google Maps) in an ethnically diverse area of Sofia near Zhenski Pazar (Women’s Market) on Brother Miladinovi Street. After finding a few pipes at the Antique Market near Nevski Cathedral we made the trek to the Hole in the Wall. I remembered on other occasions the shop owner producing (from a safe place behind his desk) a beautiful leather 4-pipe pouch and I asked about it. I was glad that he still had it so that Steve could take a look – 4 pipes still intact. Steve’s eyebrows raised a bit as he looked over the contents – the leather bag itself was a find. The 4 revealed after unzipping the bag were a Savinelli Tortuga 628, Danske Club Vario 85, Capitol (I discovered later to be a Savinelli second) and to complete the find, a Butz-Choquin Rocamar. At 150 Leva (86$) asking price for the lot, I had always passed on it – more in tuned to search for the 5-10 Leva orphans that needed a new home. But I have to be honest – the Tortuga was pulling at my heart-strings! The Danske Club Vario was a close second – feeling like the 16-year-old kid with braces and acne and looking at the prom queen – ‘out of your league, son!’

Neither Steve nor I left any of our money at the Hole in the Wall that day, but it didn’t take long heading home on the metro before Steve and I were weighing the pros and cons of me heading back and laying claim to the Bag of 4 – I could sell two of the pipes to bankroll the purchase…. Suddenly, with Steve’s encouragement, the prom queen became a possibility! I could imagine the Tortuga planted in my palm. I returned to the HitW the next morning to lay claim to the Bag of 4 only to discover the shop was closed for the weekend. I returned Monday and was able to strike a deal at 130 Leva – roughly 74$ US – not really bad when you include the leather bag as well. When I arrived home, I promptly took pictures and sent them off to Steve, who had moved on to Athens that morning for his work. He posted the pictures I sent at https://rebornpipes.com/2016/06/10/ for “Some Good Pipe Finds on a Recent Trip to Europe”. I’ve included a picture of the Bag of 4 below. I also found two pipe tools as I explored the pockets – one looks to have some age – a Duncan Made in England with what appears to be the original leather holder. Another was marked ‘Queen’. I looked a bit on the internet and the Duncan might have some collector value. I’ve grown to love the hunt! As a newbie to the hobby, several months ago Steve directed me to eBay’s Estate Pipe listings where my Tobacciana education began in earnest. It was by trolling through the plethora of pipes on the block, reading descriptions, that I began to distinguish shapes, markings and names. Savinelli pipes caught my attention early on because the briar always seemed to be on fire and the Lucite stems were rolling matrices of color smartly complimenting the wood grains. I also noticed that the name Savinelli consistently created more bidding wars and happier results for the sellers! I was fortunate enough to place the winning bid to add my first Savinelli marked ‘Goliath’ 619EX which I brought back to Bulgaria from my recent trip to the US – in queue along with several others I brought back. I looked on the internet to see if I could find any specific information about the Savinelli Tortuga 628 and I discovered that for at least the Tortuga series, Savinelli sells them with bowl toppers which appear to match the Lucite stems – a very nice touch which I’ll keep in mind for later. There’s much information about the Savinelli name in Pipedia.com and I enjoyed reading of the beginnings in 1876 when Achille Savinelli Sr. opened the first shop in Milan. On this trip to Pipedia I also discovered that the ‘Capitol’, appearing to be a petite bent apple, also acquired in the Bag of 4 was a Savinelli second – the only non-filtered pipe in the lot. Following are the pictures taken after acquiring the Tortuga from the Hole in the Wall: With the prom queen in my gaze, I was not disappointed. The stummel was in need of basic cleaning but needed no fills. She would shine up nicely with the briar ablaze. There was moderate cake in the chamber that would need to be reamed to bring it down to the wood – a fresh start. The rim revealed the most abuse – there was normal lava buildup but a significant burn at seven o’clock which revealed the Tortuga’s former steward’s right-handed lighting practices – drawing the flame over the rim – ugh. I detected a nice, crisp bevel on the inside ring of the rim – that would be nice to restore. I like ‘accent’ bevels – a classier detailed look. Other than this, the stummel appeared to be in good condition. The stem had minor tooth chatter on the top and bottom and I detected oxidation on the band that I would need to address. The Lucite stem – my first to work on – looks to shine up well. I’ll work on the stem internals to remove the dark build-up evident in the airway through the translucent Lucite – at this point I’m not sure what will actually clean-up in the airway. Yes, and I’ll need to toss the used filter left behind which would reveal the former owner’s DNA code. Thankful to Steve for his coaching and with a prayer, I decided to tackle the bowl first with my PipNet kit to restore the bowl to the wood. Since my workstation is in our bedroom, I first spread out the paper towel to collect the released cake and minimize clean-up. Starting with the smallest blade I rotated the blade while applying gentle, consistent vertical pressure. I could tell when the blade was finished when the cake resistance stopped as I turned the tool. As the charcoal fell out of the bowl, I realized that the overhead fan that was keeping me cool was also scattering the soot into the atmosphere – my wife won’t be happy about that! Fan off – I continued with the next larger blade and that was sufficient. In order to get a better look at the rim, and survey the extent of the scorched area, I cleaned the rim with a brass brush and isopropyl 95%. The pictures show the progress. With the rim fully exposed I can now see more of the inner bevel that I want to restore and I can see the depth of the burn. I would need to top the bowl taking off only enough to remove the burn damage. With my last (maiden!) full restore of the Dr. Plumbs Oom Paul (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/06/10/a-newbie-restore-of-a-dr-plumb-9456-oom-paul/) I made the mistake of topping the bowl at a slight (unfortunate!) angle so that it was not perpendicular to the shank/stem. Steve said that this can happen when a part of the rim is softer and that can pull the angle off. OK, burn spot – maybe a soft spot on the Tortuga’s rim. I don’t want to ‘re-top’ the bowl like last time! I decide to remove the stem from the stummel so that while topping, I can allow it to ‘free-stand’ periodically and eyeball things – to make sure the angle is true! I spread out 240 grit paper on a chopping board and offer another prayer. For this procedure, I move out onto my 10th floor balcony ‘Man Cave’ so as to minimize sawdust in the bedroom atmosphere. I decide to turn on Eric Clapton’s ’24 Nights’ live concert album (on my iPhone) and I go to work. After a bit, I decided to put the stem back on the stummel because it helped me line things up. It seems I did a better job topping this time around so I began work on the inner rim to restore a nice bevel before I micromesh the bare rim. I used needle files and sandpaper to do this. I think the bevel is looking pretty even around the inner circumference of the bowl. Working by hand, I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to restore the sharp, crisp bevel as I had hoped. I was reluctant to use the Dremel, as it has a tendency (in my hands) to chew out more than expected. The finished bevel is rounded out more than I wanted but still attractive. I will leave it as is – put beveling techniques on the learning list! I move to micromesh the rim with 1500-2400 to remove all the scratches from the topping and bevel work. I completed the rim by applying a mahogany stain stick. Using isopropyl and cotton pad I lightly wiped the rim to lighten the application. I found that I could either lean toward the lighter or darker tones of the Tortuga briar. I chose the darker – from my vantage point, a pretty good match! She’s looking great! I’m pleased with the progress! With the rim repaired and bowl reamed, I moved to the internals of the stummel – cleaning with pipe cleaners and Q-tips dipping in isopropyl 95%. Well, about 4 minutes into the process with Q-tips blasting away at the muck while I listened to the track of Westside Story, a thought sprang to life in my right lobe – ‘Why not break out the new retort you just brought back from the States?’ My first reflex was – ‘Oh no – boil alcohol?’ That thought has bothered me since I ordered it and read about retorts and watched YouTube demonstrations. It took me a minute to remember where I had stowed the box it came in – eBay of course, from Mark Johnston (www.pipeandwine.com). I remember appreciating that he was selling to promote the “Wounded Warrior Project” – very cool. I paid his asking price and sent a note thanking him for his service in the Navy and proud to say that my son too, was a naval veteran having served on an LA class attack sub as a reactor technician – the USS Boise. After finding the box and unpacking the contents, I thought it might be wise to read the directions included. The first paragraph didn’t ease my concerns as it recommended having safety glasses and fire extinguisher nearby, “just in case.” Fears aside, I start putting things together. The directions were very much ‘spoken English’ and I could almost hear Mark explain the debate about what kind of alcohol to use – potable or isopropyl? I’ve used a strong Bulgarian drink called, Rakia (brandy) but I’ll give vodka a try for the retort. Settled. The retort worked as advertised with only one exciting moment when the cotton ball shot out of the bowl. I wasn’t fast enough to catch a picture of that. The stem before and after pictured below.

With the internal cleaning complete for both bowl and stem, I move to the externals. I decide to work on the stummel first – starting with a light cleaning with Murphy’s Soap, which weighed quite a bit in my suitcase flying from Atlanta to Sofia. With Steve’s counsel, I used cotton pads and made a light application, undiluted, and quickly wiped it off with a cotton pad with tap water so as to not take off stain and dampen the color already in the briar. As expected, Murphy’s dulled the finish as it took off the superficial wax layer. Now, what I’ve been waiting for – since the stummel is already in stellar condition – no significant scratches or blemishes, I move directly to the polishing regimen with carnauba wax using my Dremel (truth be known, I actually do not have a Dremel brand tool – but a Skil (It does the job and was a bit cheaper here in Bulgaria) and Chinese-purchased cotton wheels off eBay. Since about 50 came in the bag, I decided to use a new one for the Tortuga but I know that means I’ll be covered with cotton fiber as the new wheel settles down from being new! I put the stem back on the stummel so that I would have a good hold for the Dremel work – launching the cotton ball with the retort was enough excitement. I don’t want to launch the pipe too, especially as I work around the rim. I use the slowest RPM setting and am careful to keep the wheel moving over the briar surface to not overheat the wood. I took a couple close-ups of the stummel before I started for a comparison later. I applied several coats of carnauba wax and finished with a clean wheel buff and a vigorous rub with a micro-fiber cloth to give the grain depth. Pictures show great progress and a look at my chop-block lap work with the Dremel – it’s easier to stay on top of things. Now to the stem – the home-stretch. I’ve not worked on a Lucite stem before but Steve assured me it’s the same basics as a vulcanite stem. I took another close up of the button area to determine if 240 grit sandpaper will be sufficient to deal with the moderate teeth chatter or if I need to build the divots up with super glue first. I decided simply to strategically sand the teeth chatter and gave the button a bit more definition with the needle file. To remove the scratches from working with the file and paper I used the full regimen of micromesh 1500-2400, 3200-4000, and 6000-12000. During the first cycle I also used a bit of 240 grit sandpaper on the band focusing on some pitting from oxidation that I detected. It worked the problems out of the band and I continued with the micromesh regimen. The pictures tell the story! Well, I’m not disappointed with the prom queen! She’s beautiful. The briar is on fire as I hoped and the Lucite ‘turtle’ stem compliment the wood perfectly. I was disappointed with the bevel initially, but I like how the rounded bevel flows with the rest of the grain movement. I will be cannibalizing a stem and fabricating a filter adapter – I don’t like filtered systems. So, before I try this Savinelli out, I’ll be working on that. As with my other pipes – a name is appropriate when it stays in my meager but growing collection. I think Savinelli already did a good job. Tortuga is a cool name! Thanks!

A Newbie Restore of a Dr. Plumb 9456 Oom Paul

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Blog by Dal Stanton

It is a pleasure to introduce Dal Stanton to you all. He has become a good friend through the work that I do. I just returned from spending time with him in Sofia, Bulgaria where we went pipe hunting and enjoyed some great smokes over dinner together. Here is his first blog for rebornpipes. I hope that he will do many more. Thanks Dal. Welcome to rebornpipes as a contributor. — Steve

Well, after much encouragement and a bit of prodding from Steve, I’m submitting this, my first full restore, to rebornpipes exclusively (and hesitantly) from a newbie’s perspective. After discovering the hobby of restoration only last year, I’ve been intrigued by the restoration process and amazed at the skills and blogging of Steve Laug (rebornpipes.com), and Charles Lemon (Dad’sPipes.com) and several other contributors. I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Mission Impossible’ episodes that Steve and Charles collaborated on. All the posts have been workshops for me as I’ve pieced together the different steps and techniques of pipe restoration. Since I live in Sofia, Bulgaria, and on the 10th floor of a formerly Communist ‘Block’ apartment complex, I do not have a basement or a garage to set up a workspace. My wife has lovingly allowed me to set up shop in our bedroom (yes, I know that limits the night-time hours for restoration and reflection!) but it has forced me to develop ‘compact’ ways of approaching the hobby. Instead of polishing wheels I utilize a Dremel with many wheels purchased from China on eBay! It works well for me and most importantly, I’m enjoying something that has surprised me with the satisfaction involved in finding a tired candidate that can be redeemed and brought back to life.

So, in April I found the Oom Paul bowl from a vendor in an outside antique market in the shadow of Sofia’s largest church building – Nevski Cathedral. I enjoy my developing relationship with the young Bulgarian man who enjoys the bartering event as much as I and has begun to recognize me in the crowd as I have become a regular buying customer. After looking through his holdings and striking deals for a few tired candidates for future attention, he produced a bag full of orphaned bowls and stems. At this point in my early pipe collecting strategy, my eye is drawn to the styles I’ve yet to add. The Oom Paul jumped out even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to touch it! The first question that came to my mind as I got a feel for the bowl in my palm was, “How could anyone smoke a pipe to a state that I was looking at!” I took the pictures below when I got home from the antique market. My initial look at the markings found Dr. Plumb over London Made with what I assume is the shape number 9456. I checked it out in Pipedia and found this: The Dr. Plumb brand name is owned by A. Oppenheimer & Co., Limited, owners of Cadogan Investments, Ltd. J.B. Rubinovich, GBD’s Parisian sales manager, created this brand in 1925. The pipe was produced by the Ruchon & Verguet and also Ropp factories (Saint-Claude, France). In 1962 a Dr. Plumb pipe sold for between C$3.95 and C$4.95, or $31.72 in 2015 U.S. dollars and pipes can still be purchased from this brand for a similar price today. These pipes have long been advertised as Dr. Plumb’s Perfect Pipe, that name coming from an aluminum tube system designed to keep the smoke cool and dry while at the same time permitting the “cooling chamber” to be cleaned by simply twisting the stem. While Dr. Plumb pipes were long made in France and stamped accordingly, they are now British made.

The bowl was almost closed with the buildup of lava and the rim was in pretty tough shape revealing at least one unfortunate drop on the front – that part that I could see. A look down the shank revealed something lodged. I couldn’t detect any cracks or burns. I enjoyed the feel of the bowl in my hand and the briar had great potential – I liked the dark reddish hue of the briar and the gentle rustification seemed to enhance the mostly hidden grain but showing promise. I would have to ream the bowl and clean the rim before I could know what might lie underneath. I would also have to find an appropriate stem too to fit the Dr. Plumb, no small task in Bulgaria. Since I was soon to make a trip to the US for my daughter’s graduation from college (Yes!), I decided to order the needed stem and bring it back to Bulgaria in order to complete the restoration. Steve recommended J. H. Lowes (http://www.jhlowe.com/). I discovered that finding the correct stem wasn’t too difficult but I was a bit nervous about the measurements. The directions on the website were pretty clear that the shank diameter would do the trick. I wasn’t sure whether the tenon measurements factored in at all. I purchased the Giudici bit – Round Saddle 17mm X 75mm. While I was buying a stem for my Oom Paul project, I bought a selection of nickel silver bands to have on hand in Bulgaria. While I was looking at the bands, I had the idea of dressing the Oom Paul with a band – and since it was my first honest to goodness restore – I splurged and bought a sterling silver band – oh, to get the correct size! Again, the size was measured by the diameter of the shank as the stem which looked to be at 17.5mm. I might also mention that Tim West at JH Lowe answered my emailed newbie questions and was a great help. Having put in motion the strategic plan with the stem and band, I moved to the cleanup of the bowl. In order to soften the muck buildup in the bowl I put the bowl in a bath of isopropyl 95% overnight. The pictures reveal the post-bath bowl working in my ‘satellite workspace’ on the 10th floor balcony! I tried unsuccessfully to remove the obstacle in the shank using a wooden chopstick as a tool. It works great on Chinese food, but not so well here. I decided to leave the shank for the time and I moved to reaming the bowl with the Pipnet reaming kit that recently arrived from Germany – eBay of course. I started with the smallest blade working toward the larger bringing the tobacco chamber back to the wood. Not having used the reaming kit too much, I’ve learned that it works best if I allow each blade to do the work – not applying too much vertical pressure on the tool. Simply rotating the tool (clockwise) with consistent pressure proved to do the job. I had a pretty big pile of ‘charcoal dust’ resulting from the ream – Question: Can this be used for stem repairs mixing with superglue? After completing the ream I turned my attention to the rim. I used a brass brush and isopropyl to clear away the remaining lava flow allowing me to see more clearly the condition. The rim would need to be topped but the prospect of ’re-rustifying’ the rim was a daunting thought at this point. The rim appeared to have a ‘lined’ rustification before, but I decided to put that question off till later. These pictures show the progress. Moving to the shank, I knew that I would need to do extraction work. After working with several Qtips and a dental probe I was not able to extract the muck. Drawing on previous rebornpipes posts, I decided to use a wood screw to remove an obstruction. While I don’t have an extraction tool like Steve’s, in Bulgaria we do have wood screws. Carefully I inserted a smaller diameter wood screw into the mortise slowly rotating the screw to grip the obstruction without damaging the briar. Thankfully, the battle was not long and the pictures reveal the unearthed obstacle to now allow pipe cleaners to do their part. When the remains of what appeared to be an old filter were removed, I went to work on the airway with pipe cleaners and Qtips dipped in isopropyl 95%. Cleaning the Oom Paul seemed to go on forever. Part of the problem was that I could not quite figure out through ‘Qtip feel’ what the design was in the internals of the bowl. No matter how many Qtips I put in, they didn’t seem to make a dent on the muck. So I went to the internet and discovered on puff.com questions from what appeared to be another newbie trying to figure out Oom Paul gunk problems. I discovered that Dr. Plumb’s internal design had a trap that would collect the moisture while the airway flowed over it – theoretically giving the proverbial ‘dryer and cooler’ smoking experience. I’ve included the cut-away picture that helped me understand what I was dealing with in my seemingly unending cleaning project. If I had a retort at this point, I would have put it to work (I just ordered one on eBay that I would also pick up in the US and bring back to Bulgaria!). I settled for loading the bowl and shank with isopropyl and letting it sit overnight again hopefully to loosen things up more. The next day I used a bunch of Qtips and pipe cleaners to clean the bowl sufficiently for me. At this point I put the project aside in anticipation of my trip to the US. I needed to have stem and band in hand before I proceeded with the bowl preparation and finishing. I would also return from the US with purchased cleaning and finishing supplies that I cannot find in Bulgaria. Thankfully, Qtips are in great supply in Bulgaria!http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/175391-oom-paul-gunk-problem-2.html

My time in the US for my youngest daughter’s graduation from college was a blessing as my wife and I were reunited with our 5 children and now, 2 grandchildren. We were happy to meet our newest grandson who was born only recently! I returned with a suitcase full of eBay estate pipe purchases to compliment my local finds – as well as cleaning and finishing supplies that I could not find in Bulgaria. My new retort arrived too and I’m looking forward to giving it a go – though I am a bit nervous about boiling alcohol! Also in hand were the new stem and band that JH Lowe had delivered to my US mailbox. I was anxious to see if my measurements were accurate and to continue my Oom Paul project. The first thing I discovered was that the tenon of the new stem was too large and would need to be resized. I was relieved to see that the actual diameter measurement of the shank was correct. From this I learned that there seems to be no standard tenon sizing with new stems – the most important measurement is the exterior dimensions, so that the stem and the shank have a proper mating. Given that I had not shaped a tenon before, I discovered that I had all the tools needed after a quick email question to Steve – what I didn’t know I would have was the patience to go slowly! My biggest concern was that the ’rounding’ of the tenon would not be true as I downsized it with the use of Dremel, files and sandpaper. I knew also that I didn’t want to have to repair a previously uncracked shank by forcing a too large tenon into the mortise. I ALSO knew that I didn’t want to take too much off the tenon and it be too loose and then have to build it back up with clear nail polish (epoxy) which I’ve had to do before. With questions and concerns loaded in my conscious mind, I went to work on the brand new stem. The pictures show the progress. After bringing the tenon down to close proximity to the mortise size, I gently tried the fit the tenon without pushing. I did this several times while slowly taking more vulcanite off the tenon. I discovered that when I partially inserted the tenon into the mortise to test it, the places on the tenon that were more firmly in contact with the mortise wall would be shinier – thus cluing me in to where I needed to apply the file more directly. I also discovered that the positioning of the stem in the shank – as it progressed more deeply into the mortise – began to reveal a more favorable positioning of the stem for the eventual bend direction that would be made. The technique I used (discovered!) that seemed to make sense as I started the process was to shape the tenon as a cone that gradually brought the tenon tip to the correct diameter of the mortise. I then moved gradually working that diameter toward the base of the tenon. By doing this I was more effectively able to remove the vulcanite evenly and not have a crooked or untrue tenon. The pictures below show the seated tenon from different angles. I realized that the base of the tenon where it ties into the stem was pretty roughed up from my use of the Dremel. It unevenly pushed out at the shank and needed more attention. I decided to put the stem aside for a while and turn to the bowl – I needed some new scenery at this point!Looking to the rim, I took some closer pictures as a reminder of the rustification design. The damage on the front of the bowl was significant and the bowl needed to be topped. I moved out onto the balcony so as to minimize the sawdust in our bedroom (helping my wife to be happier 🙂 and I spread out 230 sandpaper on a flat surface (cutting board). I wanted to take off enough of the top to remove the rim damage but not too much to maintain the bowl proportions. I was satisfied with the topping at this point. However, what the topping revealed was the beautiful briar underneath. Part of what has attracted me to this hobby is the ‘surprise’ I get from each peek of revealed briar grain – never the same, always creatively new with potential beauty to be more fully revealed. Getting ready for staining the bowl, I used a dark mahogany stain stick (from Italy) to darken the rim and bring out the dark rich reds I’m seeing in the briar. I have yet to find an alcohol based stain in Bulgaria that Steve uses in his restorations. The stains are pigment based with water. So, the ‘flaming’ technique that I’ve studied on rebornpipes doesn’t come without some help. I used a Cherrywood stain and diluted it with 50% alcohol as the base stain. Again, reaching for the red-tones that I see in the briar. When I applied the stain mix I used a cotton ball and let it flow over the bowl surface. I was careful to have full coverage by picking up the candle stick and cork set-up and manipulating the stain so it reached the inverted rim. When I applied the lighter, it still didn’t flame but I was able to essentially ‘dry’ the stain to the wood by moving the lighter lightly over the surface. I think it pretty closely achieved the same thing – sealing the dye in the grain. I repeated the process a second time – the pictures show the progress. Oh, and shot glasses make for good stain mixers in cramped quarters! (Also, thanks to my wife for providing the candle holder :-). I put the stained bowl aside for several hours to allow the stain to set – I suppose it needed it, but I had other things to do!I was anxious to get back to the project because I would be able to employ new supplies that I just brought back from the US – Tripoli, Blue Diamond and carnauba wax! I also had purchased different Dremel wheels for each different application. Based upon my readings, I used felt wheels for the Tripoli and blue diamond applications – in that order. Then, to bring out the grain further, I used a cotton wheel attachment for the carnauba wax application. Since Dremels have a very high RPM potential, I buffed at the slowest setting and kept the wheels moving so as to not overly heat up a particular area. Applying the carnauba wax needed some heat to spread the wax evenly over the bowl surface, but I soon was able to see the way the wax liquefied and I used that to work over a particular area and then move on. Its difficult describing the ‘rush’ of seeing the beauty of the briar grain emerge with each application. It was at this point I decided not to rusticate the rim, but to leave it smooth, revealing the grain and to me, a very classic appearance when adding the band. The pictures show the bowl but I know that I will need to polish up more after applying the band later on. With the bowl restoration nearly complete, I was re-energized to look at the stem. The tenon needed to be more finely-tuned to fit the mortise, but first, I had to deal with scars from the over-anxious Dremel sanding wheel that ate a little too much into the base of the tenon. The result was that small ridges kept the stem from seating snugly up to the shank. I remembered a technique I read on, I believe, Dadspipes.com (I’ve read so much I can’t remember for sure!) that was able to help me uniformly smooth out the base of the tenon, which is almost impossible using files freehand. I drilled a hole in a piece of wood providing enough space for the tenon to rotate freely and covered the hole with 230 sanding paper and clamped it. I punctured the paper and then forced the tenon into the hole. I rotated the stem on the flat board back and forth to evenly sand down the tenon base. I stopped the rotation periodically and let the stem ‘free-stand’ in order to eye-ball it and to make sure I was not sanding unevenly and unintentionally creating a tilt. The pictures show the process and the successful results of a more snuggly fitting stem! Again I was anxious to move to finishing the stem proper and to utilize the micro-mesh pads that were newly acquired in the US! Up to this point I had been utilizing sanding paper I found here in Bulgaria and I was anxious to see the results of using micro-mesh pads. I employed Steve’s stem finishing pattern that he utilizes with almost each stem finish: Picture 1 reveals the results of wet-sanding with micro-mesh 1500, 1800, and 2400 then an application of obsidian oil. Following is dry sanding with 3200, 3600, 4000 again followed by an application of obsidian oil. I have to confess, I was so excited to see the luster popping out I forgot to document the two sets with a picture! Finally, picture 2 shows the results from dry-sanding (with obsidian oil) with 6000, 8000, and 12000. After this, I gave the stem another coat of obsidian oil and put it aside to dry. Now I’m stoked! While the obsidian oil was drying I was re-reading the blogs on bending stems (https://rebornpipes.com/2012/07/15/bending-vulcanite-stems/) and turning on the oven to warm it up. My experience was limited – I bent one stem for a pipe I acquired off eBay from Budapest, Hungary. I named that pipe, Budapest (I may have developed a bad habit of naming my pipes like pets…). I warmed the oven to about 200 to 220 Fahrenheit, (for those living in Europe that is about 93 to 100 C). I found a ‘bender’ using a small jar measuring about 1.5 inches in diameter and stuck the pipe cleaner in the airway to keep it open during the bend. I had researched pictures of Oom Pauls and I found another Dr. Plumbs 9456 online (http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/222662283/VINTAGE_DR_PLUMB_LONDON_MADE_SMOKING_PIPE_NO_9456.html). I wanted the bend to reflect the original as closely as possible. I wanted the bend to be tighter toward the stem expansion at the base – the effect was that the button end of the stem reached out more, or it seemed to me. It didn’t take long for the vulcanite to become pliable – about 5 minutes or so in the oven on a cookie sheet (thanks again to my wife!). When I brought it out the first time and bent it over the jar, I was not pleased with the bend – it was too much of an arch for my liking. So I found a pestle from my wife’s mortar and pestle set that she uses to grind up spices. Its diameter was smaller. I put the stem back into the oven and it slowly flattened back out as it heated up. After about 7 minutes I took it out and bent it around the pestle – that got it. I held the bend (careful, it’s hot!) and ran the stem under tap water to galvanize the bend. I wanted the angle to be right – anxious to see the stem with the bowl, I took a few pictures to show what I feel are better results. Almost home. The sterling silver band was awaiting my attention but I wasn’t in a mood to be rushed! I re-read again Steve’s blogs on banding (https://rebornpipes.com/2012/10/31/banding-a-cracked-shank-pressure-fitting-a-metal-band-on-a-pipe-shank/). Armed with renewed knowledge and the resounding warning not to work too quickly (or else you will tear the band!) I started the work on the band. I had one large obstacle – I did not have a heat gun to apply heat to the band to enable its expansion to fit successfully over the shank (and not tear!). I did not have a heat gun, but my wife owns one of the wonders of German technology, a Braun hairdryer. It gets pretty hot and I gave it a try. The first picture shows the band placement (about 50% shy) before I started the hairdryer heating process. I heated up the band on the shank as shown in picture 2 and after about 1 minute or so I took the shank and pressed it down against the cloth on a flat cutting board and applied gentle vertical pressure against the band to slide it further onto the stem. Patience – I kept hearing “Don’t tear it!” After I felt a wee bit of movement from the band I stopped the downward pressure and started the reheating process again and then again, a wee bit of band movement as I pressed it vertically against the cloth. I repeated this process about 7 or so times and was able to move the band to where I wanted it – without tearing it! (picture 3). I finished up by applying some Weiman Silver Cream to shine the band up nicely. I’m very pleased with the results of restoring this Oom Paul and putting him back into service. I’ve already identified areas that I want to improve next time around. I didn’t describe how I had to re-top the bowl after I put the stem in and discovered that the rim was not perpendicular to the shank. Result? The stem was tilted out and not aligned. I re-topped the rim to straighten it. I also detected areas on the stem I had missed during the sanding process. Yet, overall I’m very pleased and appreciate the rich color and grain of this piece of briar. I think the band sets if off in a classic way. Since this Oom Paul will remain in my collection, I’ve named it – a bad habit probably, but I enjoy the life rekindled in restored pipes and names seem appropriate. Steve told me about the history of Oom Pauls in his recent visit to Bulgaria. This is when I learned that Oom Paul was Afrikaans Dutch meaning ‘Uncle Paul’. So, in Bulgarian, meet ‘Chicho Pavel’! Thanks for reading!