Tag Archives: French pipes

Rescuing an Old, Enigmatic Bamboo Meerschaum Sitter

by Kenneth Lieblich

This is an odd pipe, to be sure – but a charming one. A few years ago, I acquired it in a large batch of very old French pipes. There was a mix of lovely and dreadful in that batch – and this pipe was a part of it. It had a meerschaum bowl and rim, with a bamboo stummel (holding the meerschaum) and a bamboo shank. I could see a bone tenon emerging from the shank, but – alas – the stem was missing. I could tell just by sight that the bamboo was old and beautifully worn. I always had this pipe in the back of my mind and it sat in my boxes for a long time. Finally, I came up with a plan to restore it and give it a new lease on life. I think the results are terrific. I hope you will too. The markings on this pipe are intriguing, if somewhat unhelpful. On the underside of the bamboo bowl, we see the words JAVA [over] ECUME. I searched extensively for these words in a pipe context, but found nothing specific. However, I think we can figure it out. Let’s work backwards. The French word, écume, most generically, means ‘foam’. However, in this instance, it is also the French word for meerschaum. That makes sense. As I’m sure you know, meerschaum is a German word which literally means ‘sea foam’ (meer = sea and schaum = foam). Incidentally, schaum is also where we get the English word scum from. But where did the Germans get the meerschaum word from? Obviously, meerschaum is so called because it is white and light, but the Oxford Dictionary of Etymology further explains that the term is itself a translation of the Persian word kef-i-daryā – literally meaning ‘foam of sea’. Now you can impress friends at your next cocktail party.Meanwhile, the word Java made me think immediately of the Indonesian island, but I wasn’t sure if there was ever an Indonesian pipe company with that name. I certainly couldn’t find any evidence of one. There have been pipe makers in Java, but I don’t think this pipe was made there. Having said that, however, I don’t think the reference is too mysterious. The island of Java is replete with bamboo – in fact, there are approximately sixty species of bamboo on the island. I think it stands to reason that the use of the name Java is simply a reference to the origin of the bamboo or an attempt to provide an oriental name to the pipe.

Last year, I restored a meerschaum and bamboo pipe, and I mused about that particular mixture of materials – and I will muse about it again now. Meerschaum and bamboo pipes are certainly not unprecedented, but it isn’t that common either. Here is an example of an unbranded bamboo meer found on eBay. Not only does the pipe have no identifying marks, but the seller had no information about it either.One can find some spectacular examples of meerschaum and bamboo in pipes from Walt Cannoy, Ryan Alden, and the famous Turkish maker, Said Altınay. Here is a beautiful example from him:As a side note, Altınay’s website includes an interesting note on the history of bamboo in pipe-making. I provide a brief quotation:

Bamboo began appearing in briar pipe construction in the early 20th century. The earliest known pioneer of this style is believed to be Sixten Ivarsson, the Danish pipe-making legend, who introduced bamboo shanks in the mid-1900s as both an aesthetic and practical innovation. The concept soon spread, embraced by artisans such as Tom Eltang, Tokutomi, and Takahiro Hibi, who elevated the use of bamboo into a form of fine art. Its appeal was twofold: the natural lightweight strength and the distinctive, organic appearance. While traditional briar offered durability and familiarity, bamboo introduced character, contrast, and subtle resilience — giving each pipe a unique signature.

Obviously, the pipe I have is not on the order of a Cannoy, Alden, Altınay, or Ivarsson! But I also feel comfortable in saying that this pipe is a lot older than those fellows’ pipes. I would be interested in hearing from you if you know more about the marriage of meerschaum and bamboo in pipe-making. Thank you kindly.

Let’s examine the condition of this pipe. The bone tenon is soiled and cracked, so that will have to be changed. The shank’s bamboo is sound – and very attractive. It’s quite dirty inside, but I am confident that we can resolve that. The bamboo part of the stummel is equally sound and beautiful. The meerschaum is very nice, but – wow – the cake on the inside of the bowl is thick and oppressive. Meanwhile, there is some nice staining to the meerschaum and that adds character. First things first. I couldn’t get the tenon out of the shank, so I took my heat gun and warmed them both. After a while, the goo inside loosened up sufficiently for me to extract it. As I mentioned, it was cracked – so I will find another one in my boxes. Later.Next, I removed the cake from the inside of the bowl. I cannot adequately express how challenging this was. The cake seemed as hard as granite – and I had to be so careful with the extraction because the meerschaum is comparatively fragile. I used a pipe knife and some dental tools, and cautiously, agonizingly scraped and chipped away at the cake. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it took me 45 minutes to empty the bowl properly. Once complete, I gently separated the shank from the bowl. The photos show how dirty everything was. Obviously, if the bowl was as bad as indicated, you can just imagine what the inside of the shank was like.I disinfected the inside of the shank and the mortise entrance to the bowl with pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. I used a ton of pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. I did this carefully because too much soaking can cause meerschaum to soften. I worked quickly, nothing softened, and everything turned out well.To tidy up the bamboo, I delicately wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and some distilled water, with cotton rounds and cotton swabs (in the crevices). This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the bamboo.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the meerschaum part of the bowl and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the meerschaum and provides a beautiful smoothness to it. As the photos show, I masked the bamboo portion of the bowl with tape so as not to damage it while sanding.I only sanded the bamboo with the three finest micromesh pads. Then I rubbed it all with some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the bamboo and gives a beautiful depth to it. I then buffed the whole thing with a microfibre cloth. Next step was to reattach the bowl and shank. I carefully applied some wood glue into the mortise and replaced the shank precisely. As a measure of caution, I also stuck a pipe cleaner in the draught hole to prevent any glue getting in there.On to the stem and bone tenon. I found a stem in my workshop drawers that worked well with this pipe. I should point out that the stem is actually horn. I know that it looks like vulcanite in the photos, but it is dark horn. After settling on that, I dug through my boxes of bone tenons and found one that fit both ends. Then I set about sanding down the stem to ensure that it fit.I took my rotary tool to take off the bulk of the excess material. Then I sanded and sanded and sanded with my various micromesh pads. I neglected to photograph this process, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. As I was nearing completion, I applied pipe-stem oil with the last few micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done. I also glue the tenon into the stem for safety’s sake. For the final step, I took the stem (only) to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with carnauba wax.

All done! This bamboo meerschaum sitter looks fantastic after a lot of hard work, and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Meerschaum’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6 in. (153 mm); height 1⅞ in. (47 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is ⅞ oz. (26 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring a Terrific GBD-made Dr Plumb 753 Author

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Here is a handsome and unusually-shaped pipe, which caught my eye as soon as I saw it. It is solid and chunky and thick – and feels so satisfying in the hand. It is a Dr Plumb 753 author, made by GBD. Although Dr Plumb was a sub-brand of GBD, it is a fantastic pipe and is looking for a new home. When I took possession of it, it looked rather worse-for-wear, but I managed to recapture its beauty. Read on and learn more about this nifty pipe. The markings are clear and (mostly) understandable. On the stem, we read the word Plumb above the traditional red dot logo seen on their pipes. On top of the shank, we read Dr Plumb [over] Saint-Claude. On the underside of the shank, we see France [over] 753 – and, to the right, an image of an airplane. I have no idea what the airplane represents, as it is not associated with either Dr Plumb or GBD. It reminds me of the airplane seen on tins of Hi-Plane Tobacco – similar but not the same. It might be connected to whichever pipe shop sold it (in an airport, perchance?). Anyway, the last of the following photos shows the airplane after I’d cleaned off the dirt. If you have any idea of what this airplane represents, please let me know in the comments below. Let’s learn a bit about the brand. The man, Dr Plumb, wasn’t a doctor at all! Leslie Watts Plumb was a chartered accountant and a director of Maréchal-Ruchon, one of the most venerable pipe companies of France. The history of Dr Plumb is quite interesting. I encourage you to read the article at Pipedia here and at Pipephil on this page. Here is an extract from the Pipedia article:

The Dr. Plumb’s 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 pipes was produced by the Ruchon & Verguet and also Ropp factories (Saint-Claude, France). 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’s pipes were long made in France and stamped accordingly, they are now British made.

Here are some photos of old Leslie Watts Plumb:In that article, they quote from a letter by John Edward Plumb, son of the eponymous Dr Plumb:

I am the son of the late Leslie Watts Plumb, FCA. Before World War II, he managed the business affairs of a smoking pipe factory Verguet Freres/ Marechal Ruchon at St Claude in the French Jura Mountains… where his Plumb Family lived in a flat adjacent to the factory premises. He lent his name to the Dr Plumb Smoking Pipe & I had always understood that he played a part in its promotion & design of the pipe’s unique aluminum cooling filter system.

This pipe is an earlier, French-made, Dr Plumb, coming before Cadogan took over the works. Based on the information I gleaned from an article that Steve wrote on a GBD Coronet 753, I date this pipe to between 1951 and 1976. You can read Steve’s article here. His was exactly the same shape of pipe, albeit with a slightly different stem from mine. Steve’s article has lots of good information, and I quote just a brief passage:

From all of that information I had learned that the pipe was a French Made GBD Coronet made in St. Claude France between 1951-1976. It was made with a matte finish and a recessed platform style stem. I also learned that it was an AUTHOR shape with a 1/8th bend to the stem. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

I did look up the shape number 753 on a GBD pipe shape chart and found (as Steve did) that the 753 is described as

753 author one-eighth bend round stem shape

Well, ‘author’ I can understand, ‘one-eighth’ is certainly accurate, but I can’t help wondering if ‘round’ is a typo – as neither Steve’s nor my pipe have round stems. They are decidedly oval.

Let’s have a look at the condition of the pipe. Overall, the condition was good – just remarkably dirty! The stem was well-chewed and had lots of tooth scratches. It was oxidized and calcified, and had a haze of dust on it. Meanwhile, the stummel was sound – it had only a few minor nicks and lots of dirt and grime. There was also a large, hideous stain on the bottom. Only time would tell if I could get rid of that stain. This stem had a stinger in it – and it was being quite stubborn about coming out of the tenon! I opted to warm the stem and stinger with my heat gun and this provided just enough softening of the internal goo to allow me to extract it. It then went for a soak in some lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let it sit for several hours and then cleaned it off and it looked much improved. I then finished it with some 0000-grit steel wool and moved on.I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, ochre-coloured mess – but better off the stem than on it.While I was cleaning the stem, the red dot logo popped out! Thank goodness that it landed on my work cloth and didn’t disappear into nothingness. Later, once the stem was fully clean, I glued it carefully back in place.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some enamel nail polish. I restored the logo carefully and let it fully set before proceeding.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the vulcanite. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. Since this bowl was not too dirty inside, I only used a pipe knife and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. It took quite a while and much cotton to clean.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and some distilled water, with cotton rounds. I also used a toothbrush in the crevices. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with the same mild detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean. However, it would take sanding for all of the large stain to be removed.Having completed that, I was able to address the nicks on the underside of the bowl. I dug out my iron and a damp cotton flannel cloth. By laying the cloth over the affected areas and applying the iron to it, the hot and moist steam can cause the wood to swell slightly and return to shape. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked in this case. I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. It also removed the stain once and for all. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.All done! This handsome Dr Plumb 753 author looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘French’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5¾ in. (146 mm); height 1⅜ in. (35 mm); bowl diameter 2 in. (51 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅞ oz. (54 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Rescuing a Remarkable Old Torpedo of Grenoble

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by Kenneth Lieblich

If you’re interested in an old and highly unusual pipe with incredible grain, have I got a pipe for you! This pipe is in the shape of a torpedo – but not like the screw-in zeppelin pipes you may have seen. This one is much older and more fascinating. It has a substantial chunk of briar and a lovely horn stem, with a bone tenon. I received it in a large lot of French pipes and it has been sitting in my box for a long time. Now, the time has come for it to be brought back to life. I’ve mentioned several times that I have an interest in French pipes and pipemaking. I think we’re going to have fun with this one. You may wonder why I called this pipe a torpedo, and that’s a fair question. The markings on the pipe are what gave it away. If you look at the photos below, you’ll see a difficult-to-read word on the side of the stummel. It took me a long time to figure out what it said (and I also used chalk like a gravestone rubbing), but my knowledge of the French language helped. The word is torpille, which is the French word for torpedo. Aha! The word fit the letters and the shape of the pipe. These photos also show the wonderful grain. At this point, since we’re talking about markings, I’m momentarily going to jump ahead in the story. It wasn’t until after I had cleaned the stummel (much later) that I uncovered more marks! These were very faint (as the photos below attest). Again, after quite a bit of staring with magnification, I figured out what the words were. They are A La Havane [over] Grenoble. Naturally, I was curious about this and discovered that this was the name of an old tobacco shop in the French city of Grenoble (obviously). Incidentally, A La Havane means ‘In Havana,’ which seems like a suitable name for a tobacconist. In fact, there is a tobacco shop in Grenoble to this day which is called Le Havane. I wonder if this is just the modern incarnation of that old shop. It seems likely. Here’s a Google Street View image of it:Steve has restored a couple of pipes similar to this one, but not quite the same. He referred to the pipe he had as a ‘slug’, which is both humorous and accurate. You can read about one of the restorations here. Mine is a bit different, as it has a very different stem and is missing the slug’s ‘foot’. Have a look at Steve’s here:Moving on to the state of this pipe and, well, it had seen better days. This pipe was worn, dirty, and rough. The stem was made of horn and was heavily chewed and beaten. Its tenon was made of bone and, in theory, should be able to be unscrewed – but some of these century-old pipes are awfully difficult. Meanwhile, the stummel was very dirty, with dust and grime ground into the wood. The rim was heavily burned and the insides were clogged with filth.To begin, I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on to the next steps. I wanted to clean out the insides next, but I felt it important to try and remove the tenon. First, I soaked the stem in isopropyl alcohol for about an hour – and that did precisely nothing. Second, I stuck the stem in the freezer for about 30 minutes – sometimes that can help the unscrewing process, but it didn’t. Third, I warmed the stem with my heat gun, hoping that that might loosen the gluey goo inside. After heating for quite a while, I could feel just a little give. I used my fingers to undo the screw. It was so challenging that I actually developed (and burst) a blister on my left index finger. But the good news is that I actually got it unscrewed. What I won’t do for pipes! The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. I used quite a few pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. I also cleaned the tenon very well too.As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the horn. This was done by filling those divots with clear cyanoacrylate adhesive. There was quite a bit of horn missing and the repair took quite a while. I left this to cure and moved on. I neglected to take photos of this stem, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the horn. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the horn, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed. I noticed that the bottom of the bowl had been somewhat scraped out over the years, and the heel was lower than one would wish. However, I left it as it was – this is part of its history.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to clean. Holy moly, was this pipe ever dirty!I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and some distilled water, with cotton rounds. I also used a toothbrush in the crevices. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. It was at this point in the cleaning process that I noticed the faint markings that I mentioned earlier.The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with the same mild detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 400-grit sandpaper around it, and lightly sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieved two things: first, it removed some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returned the edge to a circle. Some of the burning will always remain, but that’s fine – it is part of this pipe’s history.

I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This French ‘Torpille’ Torpedo pipe looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘French’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5½ in. (140 mm); height 1¼ in. (30 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (36 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (37 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

The Golden Beauty

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by Kenneth Lieblich

I’ve mentioned several times that I have an interest in French pipes and pipemaking. In recent decades, French pipes have received a fair amount of derision – and deservedly so. However, old French pipes are often very beautiful, well-made, and wonderful models of early pipe history. In my own small way, I am aiming to resurrect the reputation of early French pipes. There are superb pipes to be had from France. This blog post is about the restoration of a pipe that really attracted me and is going into my ‘French Collection’. This is an attractive bent billiard, with the brand name La Belle d’Or – which literally means ‘The Beauty of Gold,’ but is better translated as ‘The Golden Beauty’. It has strong, thick, briar walls, a classic, brass ferrule, and a long, luxurious, horn stem. The left side of the stummel’s shank reads, La Belle d’Or [over] Vieille Bruyère. The stamping is clear, albeit a bit worn through the middle. The right side of the stummel’s shank reads, Vieille Bruyère [over] “Double Or”. The words vieille bruyère can be literally translated as ‘old briar,’ but are probably best understood as ‘aged briar’. Why those words are mentioned on both sides of the pipe is unknown to me. The words double or literally mean ‘double gold’, and this phrase is meant to imply something extra special – not just gold, but double gold.Before examining the background of this pipe, I want to take a moment and reflect on its aesthetics. To my taste, this pipe is just sublime. The shape is an admirable exemplar of what a bent billiard should be. The proportions are right. The curves are alluring. The grain in the wood is lovely. The brass ferrule complements the thick briar perfectly. The size is comfortable (around a Dunhill ④, for comparison). The draught hole is perfectly drilled. In short, whichever pipemaker made this, he did an excellent job. As is the case with so many early French pipes, there is next-to-no information about the name, La Belle d’Or. I have access to quite a few resources on French pipes – books and websites – and I could not establish any definitive information on the brand. I do know that the pipe dates to approximately 1900, so it’s about 125 years old. I know this because the Amsterdam Pipe Museum has a pipe of the same brand, with similar features, that they date to 1900. Back in 2021, Steve restored a La Belle d’Or pipe (to my knowledge, the only one he’s done) and, unfortunately, he didn’t find any background information either. I have to assume that, based on the ample size of the bowl and the quality of the construction, this was probably an expensive pipe in its day.

This pipe was clearly well-loved by its historic owner. The horn stem is solid, but thoroughly chomped by teeth of ages past. The stem has a bone tenon which is sound, but dirty. It also has an orific button. For more information on the orific button, please take the time to read Steve’s interesting article on the subject. The stummel is charming and dirty. As I mentioned, one can see the wonderful wood grain peeking through the grime. The bowl is thoroughly caked and obviously hasn’t been cleaned in aeons. There is also some light burning to the rim. I am excited to get this pipe cleaned up and back to its best.I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on. The primary cleaning came next. I disinfected the inside of the stem with pipe cleaners dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was very clean. I used a lot of pipe cleaners! As the stem was now clean and dry, I set about fixing the dings and nicks in the surface of the horn. This was done by filling those divots with clear cyanoacrylate adhesive. I left this to cure and moved on.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduced the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I removed the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the horn. Following that, I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the horn, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, variegated shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. The first step was to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplished a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleaned the bowl and provided a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake was removed, I could inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there was damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensured that all the debris was removed. Fortunately, the inside walls looked very good.The inside of the stummel needed to be cleaned thoroughly. However, this pipe was so clogged, that I first needed to open the horribly occluded airway. So, I took a long drill bit, held in a drill chuck, and hand-cranked it to dislodge the dreadful detritus inside. Hand cranking is essential because it provides a precision and caution that a power drill cannot provide.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in lemon-infused 99% isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I wiped down the outside, using a solution of a pH-neutral detergent and some distilled water, with cotton rounds. I also used a toothbrush in the crevices. This did a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process was to scour the inside of the stummel with the same mild detergent and tube brushes. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.The brass ferrule is quite tarnished and needs to be cleaned up. In order to protect the wood, I taped the shank off and then created a paste of powdered salt and lemon juice. This worked very well and the metal cleaned up nicely.Next, I took a closer look at the markings in the briar. Most of them are deep and sharp, but there’s a substantial part which is thin and rubbed out. I used some Rub’n’Buff, a wax metallic pigmented finish, to recreate the original gold colour of the markings.I then used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand the outside of the stummel and finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I then used some micromesh pads that I have saved solely for metal work and buffed the ferrule up to a lovely shine. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.

This La Belle d’Or Vieille Bruyère bent billiard is a beauty and has been added to my collection. It was a pleasure to work on. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅞ in. (150 mm); height 2¾ in. (70 mm); bowl diameter 1⅔ in. (42 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (21 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2⅛ oz. (61 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

A Charming NOS Chinrester from France

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by Kenneth Lieblich

I have a very appealing pipe that came my way recently and I am happy to offer it to you for sale. No major restoration story on this one – just a remarkable pipe! I gave it a quick and thorough once-over (and a quick polishing) and now it’s time to turn it over to you. This chinrester has never been smoked and has some real old-world charm. It’s a handsome billiard with a vulcanite taper stem that has been angled into an S-shape. Take a closer look at the photos below. This one is marked with the words Tout Repos. This literally means ‘all rest’, but I think a more likely translation in this context is ‘rest easy’, as it’s a chinrester. The words also have a more negative connotation in French too, but that seems highly unlikely.I could find no mention anywhere of Tout Repos in connection with pipes. I must say, this pipe reminded both Steve and me of the chinresters of yesteryear by Kaywoodie. Could this pipe have been produced by Kaywoodie in France? No idea and I have no information to suggest that it was. The only (tenuous) connection I have is that a small number of Kaywoodie lines were produced in France (La Roche, Samuel Pepys, etc.). Have a look at this snippet I took from a 1964-65 Kaywoodie catalogue that I have, as they are quite similar.Even though the pipe is new, old stock, the stem had oxidized over the years, so I had to clean that up. I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning before moving on to the next steps.Even though the pipe is new, old stock, the stem had oxidized over the years, so I had to clean that up. I used isopropyl alcohol on a few cotton rounds and wiped down the stem to provide an initial cleaning before moving on to the next steps.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result was a hideous, brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface of the vulcanite. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I used the last five or six micromesh sanding pads to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.As the stem was (nearly) complete, I moved on to the stummel. It was a decent piece of briar – there were a couple of fills (as you can see), but quite nice overall. As it was brand new, I simply cleaned up the dust from decades ago, and repaired a small fill on the inside of the bowl. To fill a gap like this, I used an epoxy adhesive that is extremely hard, resistant to high temperatures, and completely inert when cured. It worked superbly. I rubbed some LBE Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed the stummel with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench polisher and carefully buffed it – first with a blue diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.This Tout Repos Chinrester is a lovely, elegant pipe. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘French’ pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5¼ in. (133 mm); height 2 in. (51 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (18 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (31 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Cleaning Up a Terrific Jobey Stromboli 200 Bulldog

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Ah, there’s something awfully satisfying about a really rugged rustication – the craggy, rock-like formation is a very fine thing. This Jobey Stromboli 200 bent bulldog has that great rustication in spades. The pipe had a precise diamond shank and a beautiful acrylic stem with a Jobey link system screw tenon. I acquired this pipe in a lot, where most of the pipes had been very well cared for. This was no exception and looked like a fun pipe to restore. On the underside of the shank were the markings. They read Jobey [over] Stromboli [over] 200. To the right of that, at a 90-degree angle from the other text, was the word France. Finally, on the stem was the Jobey logo in a brass oval. Regarding Jobey, Pipephil tells us that “These pipes are made in St Claude (France) by Butz-Choquin (Berrod-Regad group) since 1987. Before this date some were manufactured in England and Denmark (Jobey Dansk).”This Jobey was in very good condition and didn’t require much work – as the photos attest. The stem had only minimal wear and was hardly dirty. The stummel was equally clean, but the rim had been lit a bit aggressively. Perhaps a cigar lighter was foolishly used – who knows? Moving on… Since the stem is acrylic, there is no issue with oxidation. I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning comes next. I cleaned the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was clean. Actually, it was quite clean to start with. Holding the stem to the light, you can see how clean it is – if it was heavily smoked, this would be very dark. Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the few marks in the acrylic. This is done by filling those divots with clear cyanoacrylate adhesive. I left this to cure and moved on. The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduce the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I want to remove the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the acrylic. Following that, I use all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful shine to the stem when I was done. Now that the stem is (nearly) complete, I can move on to the stummel. The first step for me is to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplishes a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleans the bowl and provides a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake is removed, I can inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. The pipe was so seldom used that I only used a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. This ensured that all the debris is removed.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed that some minor scorching had occurred. It wasn’t serious, but I would have to repair it. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a toothbrush). This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar.The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes.In order to lessen the burns on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. This effectively minimizes the damage, without altering the look of the pipe. I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the rim to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. After that, the bare wood needed to be tinted in the same colour as the rest of the stummel. I used some of my furniture pens (which is simply dye in pen form) to match the colours. I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth and a horsehair brush. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it with three coats of conservator’s wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.All done! This Jobey Stromboli 200 Bulldog looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘French’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅔ in. (144 mm); height 1½ in. (39 mm); bowl diameter 1⅔ in. (42 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (37 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.