Tag Archives: Kenneth Lieblich article

Resuscitating Grandfather’s Nørding Nordcoat Freehand

by Kenneth Lieblich

A gentleman contacted Steve a while back about restoring his late grandfather’s pipe. Steve was going to be away for more than a month, so he referred the fellow to me for the repairs. I was happy to help – especially when a family heirloom is involved! The pipe is an unusual one, called a Nørding Nordcoat. It’s a freehand style and was quite obviously the old man’s favourite pipe – it had been smoked and smoked and smoked. It was one of the dirtiest pipes I’ve ever worked on. All the great things I’ve learned over the years from Steve and Jeff about cleaning pipes came to the fore in this restoration! The markings on the pipe were clear enough to understand. The only marks were found on the underside of the shank and read Nordcoat [over] Nørding [over] Made in Denmark.Although I was quite familiar with Erik Nørding (Pipedia article here), I wasn’t familiar with the Nordcoat line. I saw that Steve had restored one two or three years ago. Here’s a link to that restoration. I read Steve’s blog post and took note of the fact that the markings were different: Nord-Coat (with a hyphen on Steve’s) and Nordcoat (without a hyphen on mine). I couldn’t find any information on the difference between the two spellings. In general, there is very little confirmed information on the Nørding Nordcoat. In his blog, Steve quoted the following passage from user pipeshark on the forums of pipesmagazine.com:

… apparently this is something that is supposed create a life lasting coating that will color similar to meerschaum but not lose it’s color for any reason. Supposedly all Nordcoat pipes should have the big man’s signature on them, and the hubbub is that if they don’t, they may be seconds. According to another post, there was a page on the Nording site some years ago that “guaranteed these pipes to color like meerschaum and provide a great cool smoke”. I read on post that claimed to have one of these pipes from 30 years ago, so they must have been around for some time… I didn’t see anything about the pipes being lower quality briar as such… I must say that I have not substantiated this with any official sites or sources, this is just what I have seen on multiple threads of blog/forum postings, some claiming to have checked it out…

I researched further and found some additional information on Nordcoat. On a different pipesmagazine.com forum, user lukasstrifeson wrote this:

I think there’s some debate over whether Nord-Coat is actually a meerschaum-based product or it simply a paint that mimics meerschaum behavior. I’ll have to do some digging to confirm what “I think I know” (it’s been a while since I’ve thought about Nord-Coat!) but I think I remember researching the product in the 2000s and it was very difficult to weed through all the commercial advertising to actually understand what it is. As far as I remember it’s a patented “secret” coating that Nording advertised as “[owning] a briar that ages like a meerschaum!” The Nord-Coat line were briars that weren’t fit for smooth or sandblasted pipes but because of the patented coating Nording was able to salvage these and sell them at a higher price as somewhat of a budget-friendly competitor to true block meerschaums.

So, not a lot to go on. This pipe has the feel of a 1970s pipe, but that’s just a guess on my part. Let’s examine the pipe and see what we’ve got. On first glance, the stummel seems in good condition – just filthy beyond words. There is lava all over the plateau rim and plateau shank end. The bowl is choked with cake and the mortise is lined in ooze. The stem is just as nasty! There is considerable oxidation and calcification, as the photos only too clearly show. Grandfather’s molars evidently made short work of bashing the vulcanite into submission. The tenon is chipped and no longer fits properly into the mortise – the fit is too loose. My customer asked about replacing the stem altogether. After some consideration, he and I agreed that we wanted to keep the original if at all possible. A replacement stem would not have been part of his grandfather’s story – so we stayed with the original, with its faults and history.

Let’s get working. As mentioned, the stem’s calcification was quite substantial. I used an old butter knife and gently scraped some of the thicker accretion off. Doing this now helps later in removing the oxidation.Next, I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth 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. I used a lot of pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. It was remarkably dirty.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result is 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. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. Due to the severity of the oxidation, I then repeated the scrubbing with the cream cleanser for maximum effect.After this, I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. This exercise was, sadly, a bit futile, as there was just so much damage.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. At the same time, I built up the thickness of the tenon with this adhesive, so that it would fit correctly again in the mortise. However, I deliberately left the chipped area as it was. I left the adhesive 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 vulcanite. Following that, I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. However, there was considerable damage to the interior walls. The heavy, hot, and persistent smoking this pipe had undergone resulted in heat fissures all over the inside. More on that later.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and tried to remove the debris. However, the plateau rim inhibited the piece of steel from working properly. I did get some chunks out – but not enough. I also used a dental tool, which was more successful, but there was still more. So, I pivoted and pulled out brushes: tooth, nylon, and brass. I scrubbed and scrubbed until I was satisfied that everything was clean. This wasn’t so obvious because the filth is black and the rim top is black too!Naturally, the inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. This pipe was extraordinarily dirty – it took quite a while and an enormous amount of cotton to get clean. This photo doesn’t even show all of the cotton used.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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the Nordcoat on 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. The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.Back to the inside of the bowl. As I mentioned, there were many fissures and cracks in the briar. To repair damage like this, I use an epoxy adhesive that is extremely hard, resistant to high temperatures, and completely inert when cured. It works superbly. I coated the affected area with a thin layer of epoxy and let it cure for a full 24 hours. The next day, I roughened up the epoxy’s surface for the next step. I thinly spread the inside of the bowl with a mixture of my wife’s homemade yogurt and activated charcoal. Once hardened, this provided a good, faintly rough surface for a new cake to build. I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the Nordcoat and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth. 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.This Nørding Nordcoat freehand was a huge challenge, but I am really pleased with the results – and I anticipate that my customer will be too. 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 email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring a Beautiful Handmade Pipe by Pierre Morel

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Behold a fantastic old pipe by the French master, Pierre Morel. This is a beautifully made and modern-looking pipe. What would you call this shape? Perhaps a freehand volcano – sort of? The stem is a slightly bent saddle stem, while it is also curiously set apart from the shank of the stummel. I have a particular interest in French pipes, so I am delighted to be able to offer this one to you all for sale. The marks are clear enough. On the underside of the shank, it reads, Morel [over] Fait Main [over] St Claude [over] France. Of course, the phrase ‘fait main’ means ‘handmade’ in English. On the top of the stem is the single word Morel – alas, the top of the ‘M’ is slightly worn.Let’s learn a bit more about Pierre Morel. His article on Pipedia says the following:

Pierre Morel’s Handmade pipes are very high-quality pieces. Pierre Morel is an extraordinarily talented pipe-maker, who chooses highly fine briar to create handmade pipes with a straight wood grain. Buying a Pierre Morel pipe is a guarantee of an exceptional smoking experience. Each of Pierre Morel’s creations is unique and entirely made in Saint-Claude.

Pierre Morel is one of France’s most talented pipe makers. Based in Saint-Claude, the international capital city of pipe making, he is nowadays one of the only craftsmen who can make a pipe from start to finish. Unlike large brands, Pierre Morel makes all his pipes by hand.

Nothing compares to a Pierre Morel pipe: high quality raw materials, an extremely meticulous design and unmatched finishes… As a true passionate of the art, Pierre Morel often gives advice to other “new” French pipe makers such as Bruno Nuttens or Joseph Rimbaud (Rostiak).

Meanwhile, the real information I wanted to see was over at Pipephil:

Pierre Morel (Father and son).

Pierre Morel (1908 – 1979†) crafted pipes also stamped with brands like “PEHEM”, “PM”, “PEHEM MOREL” or “TOTEM”.

Pierre Morel (Son, born 1949) stamped his pipes “P MOREL jr” and “PIERRE MOREL” after his father passed. He also collaborated with Chacom for highgrade lines (“Grand Cru”, “Millenium”…) until he retired in 2009. His personal production continues.

However, best of all, there is an article on a French website which provides a superb interview with Morel (the son). If you have any fluency in French, I highly recommend reading it. Here is the link: https://www.fumeursdepipe.net/artmorel.htm. One day, I will do a proper translation of the article (as the Google translation is so-so), but the original version will have to suffice for now. I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling that this particular pipe is by the son – not the father.The pipe is in good shape. The stummel is lovely, but dirty. It has plenty of cake in the bowl and some lava and wear on the rim. Meanwhile, the stem has been well chomped. Again, dirty and well used. I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, it worked fairly well.I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth 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.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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some 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 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 vulcanite. Following that, I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. I used a reamer and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. Everything looked good inside the bowl.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 99% lemon-infused 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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and 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. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean. I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white 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 Pierre Morel handmade freehand volcano 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 5⅜ in. (137 mm); height 1⅞ in. (48 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (38 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1½ oz. (45 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.

Repairing a Serious Injury to a Custombilt Bulldog

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Welcome to another instalment of my Pipe Incident Reports. The idea, in general, is to provide a brief write-up – focusing on a particular pipe-restoration-related issue – rather than an entire restoration story. Today’s story is on the resolution of a very specific pipe repair, with some added challenges. I hope this blog post will be useful for those undertaking a similar repair. Every once in a while, my cousin-in-law sends me a pipe to repair. He hunts for pipes at antique shops and fairs, etc., and when he finds one that’s especially tricky to repair, he sends it my way! When he sent this particular pipe to me, he described it as a “crazy guy project”. Ahem. Well, crazy or not, I’m taking on the challenge. As you can see, it’s a handsome and rugged Custombilt bulldog, from the 1970s or ‘80s. My cousin-in-law did most of the cleaning already and did some restoration work on the stem, so I will be tackling the stummel only. For the most part, the pipe is in decent shape, but there are two major gouges on the side of the bowl. These gouges are going to be tricky to repair for four reasons:

- the gouges occur in spots where there was already some of the signature Custombilt rustication. So I have to fill them and make them look good while maintaining the original rustication and not filling it in.
- the gouges run transverse to the two pre-existing rings that run around the bowl. Again, I will have to repair these without negatively impacting those ring grooves.
- the gouges actually penetrate all the way through the bowl to the inside. I will need to ensure that they are sound on the outside and on the inside.
- the gouges also come with very fine cracks that extend in a ‘southerly’ direction, into some further rustication.

I haven’t even yet mentioned that there are a couple of chips missing from the bowl, on the opposite side of the gouges – and some dents on the rim. So, I’ve got my hands full – time to get started.As I mentioned, my cousin-in-law already did the vast majority of the cleaning – Deo gratias. To finish tiding up the briar, I 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. I then scoured the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes.Having completed that, I was able to address the dents on the rim. I dug out my iron and a damp cotton cloth. By laying the cloth over the affected areas and applying the iron to it, the hot and moist steam can often cause the wood to swell slightly and return to shape. There was some improvement – not a lot, but it was better than doing nothing.I decided to repair the tiny cracks in the briar next. Before anything else, it’s imperative that I ensure that the cracks do not continue to creep after I repair them. To that end, I took a micro-drill bit, inserted it in my rotary tool, and very carefully drilled a hole right through the wall of the bowl. That hole will stop the crack from progressing. As you can see, the drill bit is incredibly thin and quite prone to snapping if care isn’t taken.Now, I lined those cracks – and the gouges – with clear cyanoacrylate adhesive. Because of the intricacy of this work, I used a tiny awl to apply the adhesive. I needed to be precise and not smear it all over the place. I wish I had taken more photos of this procedure, but you’ll just have to take my word for it.Moving on to the matching holes on the inside of the bowl… I used an epoxy adhesive that is extremely hard, resistant to high temperatures, and completely inert when cured. It works superbly. I filled the affected area with the epoxy and let it cure for a full 24 hours. I took this step after applying the cyanoacrylate adhesive, so that the epoxy would not ooze out of the gouges. The next day, I roughened up the epoxy’s surface for the next step. I thinly coated the inside of the bowl with a mixture of my wife’s homemade yogurt and activated charcoal. Once hardened, this provided a good, faintly rough surface for a new cake to build. Now I needed to go back to the gouges and finish them off. I delicately and precisely added a mixture of clear cyanoacrylate adhesive and briar dust. This gives an incredibly hard and wood-like appearance to the repairs. I did the same to the chips I mentioned on the opposite side of the bowl. Most of the rest of the work was sanding. I used my dental tools, needle files and some fine sandpaper to sculpt the pipe back into shape. This was very tricky and took considerable patience – a virtue I have in short supply. Once done, I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the smooth parts of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. 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. The Custombilt bulldog is much improved and I hope my cousin-in-law will like it. This was a complex repair – the results are not ideal, but they are as good as I can manage. 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 email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Giving Some Life Back to a Kirsten Companion K

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by Kenneth Lieblich

The latest restoration story belongs to a handsome Kirsten Companion ‘K’. Once again, this pipe is going to a young man from a local family who wanted some pipes restored. I’ve always been interested in Kirsten pipes – I’m not sure I always like them, but I always study them. The young fellow who acquired this pipe wanted something unusual and unlike the rest of his family – and he certainly got that! I quite like Steve’s description of Kirsten pipes:

Kirsten pipes have always been a bit of an enigma to me. The combination of briar and aluminum is unique. It is a pipe that is not really fish or fowl in terms of briar or metal. It is a pipe with an aluminum radiator with a bowl attached to it. The vulcanite stem is attached to an aluminum metal pin that extends the length of the radiator. On the end is a valve that controls the flow of air to bowl and is adjustable. This pipe has some markings. Interestingly, the name Kirsten is not one of them, but this is unquestionably a Kirsten pipe. On the left side of the aluminum body is the word, Companion. On the underside of the body are the words, Made in U.S.A. – next to that is the shape letter, K.Kirsten pipes have a long and interesting history. Naturally, Pipedia has a long article on this, but, in fact, that information comes from the fascinating Smoking Metal website. I encourage you to read the various articles they have on Kirstens.Let’s examine the pipe a bit. The aluminum is in decent shape – no major dents or scratches. There are merely micro-scratches, but no big deal. Similarly, the stem was in really nice shape. Only very minor tooth wear. Little oxidation and calcification. However, the briar bowl did have some issues. It had some cake in the bowl and was fairly dirty. The main problem was a significant burn on the rim. I’d have to take a closer look at that.My first step was to take the entire pipe apart. Here is a good photo of the various components of this Kirsten – plus the screwdriver I used to take the pipe apart.I decided to work on the briar bowl first on this occasion. The first step for the bowl is to ream it out – that is to say, remove all the cake inside. 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. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed.The damage to the rim is significant. In order to lessen the burns and nicks on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. This effectively minimizes the damage, without altering the look of the pipe.Some of the burn remained on the rim, so I took some crystalized oxalic acid and dissolved it in warm water. I took some cotton swaps, dipped in the solution, and rubbed the burned spot vigorously. Some of the burn was removed, but, unfortunately, some will always remain as part of this pipe’s history.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. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the bowl clean.I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 220-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieves two things: first, it removes some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returns the edge to a perfect circle. I then used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. 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. On to the stem. I cleaned the inside with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was 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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.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.Next was the aluminum body of this old Kirsten. In order to loosen up some of the old filth, I soaked all the metal pieces in a vinegar solution. This was only mildly successful and I would need to do more.Just like other pipes, I cleaned the insides thoroughly with cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. This wasn’t enough – I also cleaned the inside of the aluminum with my cream cleanser and some tube brushes. That worked well! I then used my grey micromesh pads and polished the metal to a beautiful shine. Boy, it looked terrific after that.For the final step, I took the bowl to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white 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 Kirsten Companion K looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner. It was great fun to work on. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅓ in. (136 mm); height 1⅞ in. (48 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (39 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅝ oz. (49 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.

Restoring a Fine Peterson Kildare 405S

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by Kenneth Lieblich

This is another in a series of pipes I cleaned up for a local family. Today, it’s a handsome Peterson Kildare 405S Prince with a P-lip saddle stem. It was a pleasure to work on this pipe, as it didn’t require too much elbow grease. In my research, I was interested to learn that this shape is apparently uncommon. The markings are as follows: on the left shank, we read Peterson’s [over] “Kildare”; on the right shank, we read Made in the [over] Republic [over] of Ireland. Immediately to the right of that is the shape number, 405S. Finally, on the stem, we see the stylized P of the Peterson Pipe Company.In looking up this pipe shape, I came upon a page from Mark Irwin’s blog, Peterson Pipe Notes. It had some useful information on the 400 series in general and this very pipe in particular:

The 400-shape group has come to the forefront with Peterson’s recent reboot of the 406 “Large Prince”. It’s an interesting and usually overlooked group, comprised of straight shapes influenced by the classic English chart. Insofar as the catalogs are concerned (which are never, of course, identical with actual production dates), the shape group begins quite understandably shortly after Peterson opened its London factory in the Bradley Buildings in 1937—England at the time being one of Peterson’s “Big Three” markets (the other two being the US and Germany). As a group, the shapes reflect the smoking styles of the mid-twentieth century—the 1940s, 50s and 60s—the decades that produced most of them. That is, they are smaller pipes than most pipemen (and women) use today and they’re lighter, designed for the comfort of constant clenching in an office or factory environment where both hands were needed, and for the shorter, probably more frequent smokes that the interruptions of the workday entails. While I’ve been able to document 21 shapes, probably no more than 8 to 10 were ever offered at one time, and for most decades considerably less. Once in a while Peterson, being the counter-cultural wags they are, will subvert the English aesthetic by giving a shape a “bit of the Irish,” adding what they call an “S/B” or “Semi-Bent” mouthpiece—a piece of Peterson lore that even Peterson has forgotten!

The 405s was first announced in the 1979 update to the 1975 catalog and released in the various Classic Range lines, documented in the Kildare, Kildare Patch and Sterling. It was extremely short-lived, however, and is not found in any subsequent Peterson catalogs. Whether it was slightly larger or smaller than the 406 and 407 is hard to say, especially when the 406 and 407 almost seem to be interchangeable.

I also understand that the 405S most closely resembles the modern-day 408. The two are not identical, but pretty close. Let’s look at the condition of the pipe. As mentioned, the condition is really quite good. There’s a bit of wear and tear on the rim of the bowl, but nothing serious – and it looks like the inside of the bowl was cleaned out at some point. The stem also has a few tooth marks, but no significant calcification and only a bit of oxidation.To begin, I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth 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.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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the very minor dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some 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 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 vulcanite. Following that, I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. In this case, the bowl was clean enough that I only used a a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel to remove the little debris.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol.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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and 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. This is the culmination of the work of getting the pipe clean.I then used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white 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 Peterson Kildare 405S looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5½ in. (139 mm); height 1½ in. (37 mm); bowl diameter 1⅝ in. (40 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (36 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.

Restoring an Unusual Freehand Dublin

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Today, for your viewing pleasure, I have a charming – almost whimsical – pipe from the Shalom Pipe Company of Israel. This pipe came to me in an auction lot of various and sundry things. I thought the shape was quite peculiar, with it’s large, deep bowl and sandblasted exterior. It’s light and handsome – and it looked to be in good condition, so I chose it for my next restoration. There’s only one mark on the pipe – and that is the word Shalom on the left of the shank. I was familiar with the company, but went to Pipedia to see what they had to say.

Not much is known about Israel’s sole pipe factory though it’s reported to have operated quite successfully on international markets. Beside the brand “Shalom” the mainstay brand was Alpha – especially well known in the USA. Alpha was popular for a range of fresh and unusual shapes. Series (afaik): Caprice (s), Citation (s), Classic (b), Pedestal (s), Regent, Region (b), Rex (s). (1) (1) (b) = blasted, (s) = smooth. Alpha also produced at least one of its Citation forms for Carey’s “Magic Inch” series. Mentioned in context with Shalom Pipe Factory was a Danish pipemaker named ‘Muki Liebermann’, who later lived and worked in the USA. Muki is known for his unique briar bending technique and his original shapes that gave inspiration to many of the most praised Danish pipemakers. Shalom was taken over by Robert L. Marx of New York City, later Sparta, NC, then of Mastercraft. Mastercraft continued the Alpha pipes introducing new lines.This made me wonder if this pipe was, in fact, made by Muki Liebermann – I have no evidence of that, but it certainly fits. Anyway, nothing here gave me any information about this specific pipe, but I clicked on the Alpha link to see if I could find further information. Indeed, I found that the same shape of my pipe was also released by Alpha (slightly different stem, but the stummel is the same). See below…Let’s take a closer look at the pipe itself. The stummel was in good shape. Dirty, of course, but nothing looked damaged or overly worn. The stem was also generally ok – it had the usual wear and tear. The only thing that gave me pause was a couple of tooth dents. But I felt confident that I could resolve that. I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth. 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.I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, it didn’t work too well – but no big deal.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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I 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 vulcanite. Following that, I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. I used a reamer and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. Pleasingly, the walls of the bowl looked to be in good condition.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused 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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a nylon-bristle brush for the rim). 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. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.I used a few of the smoother micromesh pads – but just on the flat section where the logo is. After that, there were a few spots that 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 colour. 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white 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 Shalom freehand Dublin looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Various Makers’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6⅛ in. (155 mm); height 2⅛ in. (54 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (37 mm); chamber diameter 1 in. (24 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (38 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I 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.

Amazing Grain on a Charatan Perfection 2122DC

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by Kenneth Lieblich

This beauty is a pipe I acquired recently and it turned out so well – especially compared with how it looked when I found it. I took a liking to it immediately and figured you would too, so I cleaned it up poste haste. The pipe is light, attractive, and comfortable – and the grain is just so warm and inviting. This is an apple shape with a ‘Double Comfort’ saddle stem. Let’s look at the markings. On the left side of the shank are the words, Charatan’s Make [over] London England [over] Perfection. The right side of the shank shows the model, 2122DC. The ‘DC’ suffix here indicates what we already know: the pipe has a ‘Double Comfort’ saddle stem. Finally, the stem has the letters C and P – with the C penetrating into the P. This is notable for dating purposes. I believe this pipe comes from the Dunhill era. Using Pipedia’s Charatan dating page (which you can see here), I saw that this pipe has

Double comfort mouthpiece
In the CP logo, the C enters the P
Absence of £ on the shank
Presence of the letters DC just after the shape number

Having said that, dating these pipes precisely is always a tricky business. A good estimate would be late 70s-early 80s. Meanwhile, I was also curious about the model name ‘Perfection’. Once again, Pipedia indicated that ‘Perfection’ was one of Charatan’s Make’s ‘Apprenticeship’ standard shape grades.On with the restoration! I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth 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.I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, it did help a bit – but only a bit.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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some 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 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 vulcanite. Following that, I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. This was a surprisingly difficult stem to restore, but, in the end, we got there. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. I used a reamer and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure 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, fortunately, everything was in good shape. No issues.The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol.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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds. This 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. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white 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 Charatan’s Make Perfection 2122DC apple looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘British’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅞ in. (149 mm); height 1⅔ in. (43 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (37 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1¼ oz. (39 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 Butz-Choquin Vendôme Extra 1688 Apple

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Here’s a charming pipe! I’ve been restoring a good number of pipes for a local family and this is the latest of the bunch: a Butz-Choquin Vendôme Extra 1688. This is an apple shape (in French, the shape is called boule – meaning ball), with a round shank and a tapered stem. It’s an attractive pipe, but it has seen better days. Time to spiff it up for its new owner. Let’s have a look at the markings on this pipe. As the photos show, the left side of the shank reads, Butz-Choquin [over] Vendôme [over] Extra. The right side of the stem reads, St Claude [over] France [over] 1688. Additionally, the stem shows the BC logo of Butz-Choquin in a clear, acrylic circle. Both Pipedia and Pipephil have good write-ups on the history of Butz-Choquin and I encourage you to read both. Also, Steve has restored quite a few and it’s worth having a look at his writings too. For the moment, here is some information from Pipedia:

The pipe, from Metz to Saint-Claude.

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. The Berrod-Regad group would go on to completely rebuild the network of representatives until finally entering the export market in 1960 and has since won several prizes, as well as the Gold Cup of French good taste.

In a few years, the brand’s collection increased from ten to seventy series. 135 years after it was founded, the pipe is still well-known not only in France but throughout the world. In 2002, the Berrod family, wishing to preserve manufacture of pipes in Saint-Claude, handed over the company to Fabien Guichon, a native of the area, who will continue to develop the brand during the 21st century.Meanwhile, Pipephil says this:

The origin of the brand reaches back to 1858 when Jean-Baptiste Choquin in collaboration with his son-in-law Gustave Butz created their first pipe in Metz (France). Since 1951 Butz-Choquin Site officiel Butz Choquin, pipes de Saint-Claude jura. BC pipe de bruyere luxe is a brand of the Berrod-Regad group (Saint-Claude, France).

Jean Paul Berrod managed the company from 1969 to 2002 when he retired and sold the corporate to Mr Fabien Gichon. Denis Blanc, allready owner of EWA, took over the S.A. Berrod-Regad in 2006.

In an old Butz-Choquin catalogue, I found the pipe shape in question, listed with its requisite number:An inspection of the pipe showed a few flaws to be addressed. The bowl was dirty and stained. It also had some burn marks on the rim top. Furthermore, it had an unattractive lacquer-like finish to it. Meanwhile, the stem was dirty and scratched. There were minor bite marks and there was some oxidation.To begin, I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on. 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.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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I 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 vulcanite. Following that, I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. Plenty of cake in there…The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned it with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean (as the photos will attest).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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and 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. This is normally the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean.However, I noticed that the lacquer was flaking and looking terrible. As a result, I chose to remove it all with acetone on some cotton rounds. Of course, acetone is a volatile chemical, and I only use it rarely and judiciously in my pipe work. In this case, it acted perfectly to remove what I needed and left beautiful wood underneath. In fact, it looked so much better after having wiped it down. The damage to the rim is not terrible, but it is notable. 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. A little of the burn remains, but that is part of this pipe’s life story.I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood.The removal of the lacquer was a positive, necessary step, but it made the stummel a bit pale. I decided to stain the wood with an alcohol-based, aniline dye. I use this type of dye because it is easy to work with, uniform in colour, quite penetrating, and is easily thinned with isopropyl alcohol. For this pipe, I chose a light brown colour, as it most closely resembled what the pipe would have looked like when new. I spread the dye all over the outside of the stummel with a small dauber and then applied a gentle flame to it. This flame assists in setting the stain by quickly evaporating the isopropyl alcohol. If necessary, the stain can be lightened by wiping the briar with pure alcohol – and, in this case, that’s precisely what I did. 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white 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 Butz-Choquin Vendôme Extra 1688 apple is a very handsome pipe and will provide many years of smoking pleasure for its new owner. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5¼ in. (134 mm); height 1⅝ in. (40 mm); bowl diameter 1⅓ in. (34 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅛ oz. (34 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 email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Recovery and Discovery with a Brigham-made Old Port Bulldog

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by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe is for you. Yes, YOU. No doubt, when you’ve read my blog post about it, you’ll be charmed enough to want it for yourself. I received it in an auction lot and something about its look seemed vaguely familiar to me. I thought it was quite handsome, despite its tired appearance, so I figured I’d get it restored for whoever its next owner might be. There was beauty to be uncovered! The pipe’s markings were straightforward enough. On the side of the shank read the words, OLD PORT [over] MADE IN CANADA. The Made in Canada words did seem reminiscent of the markings on old Brigham pipes, so that suggested a clue to the pipe’s origin. Before I pursued that lead, however, I needed to dig into the Old Port name first.I remembered Old Port, not as a pipe maker, but as a brand of drug-store tobacco, as one might call it. In fact, I think my father used to smoke Old Port once upon a time – I’ll have to ask him. First, it’s time to go down the rabbit hole of Old Port.

It’s worth mentioning that Steve also restored a pipe with name of Old Port nearly ten years ago and I encourage you to read that article here – it will help flesh out the story. The markings of Steve’s pipe and my pipe were different, and I was not convinced that they were from the same company (spoiler: I was wrong). In any event, I did some digging through my usual sources for information on this brand – and I came up with nothing. So, I went searching through the weeds of various online pipe forums and I came up with a few tidbits. The following is a summation of what I found.

Old Port is, indeed, an over-the-counter pipe tobacco, produced for the Canadian market. There was also an Old Port line of cigarillos. It has been manufactured in Montréal since 1927 and was subsequently bought out by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) in 2000. A quotation from the STG website (which no longer appears) confirms this information:

The Canadian company offers a portfolio of cigar brands comprising Colts, Old Port, CAO, Café Crème and White Owl, as well as the Old Port, Sail and Erinmore pipe tobacco brands. STG Canada was previously called Old Port & Colts Cigar Company. Scandinavian Tobacco Group acquired the Canadian business in 2000 when Imperial Tobacco Canada sold off its cigar activities.

It turns out that Old Port pipes were voucher pipes. In other words, when you bought a tin of Old Port pipe tobacco, you received a coupon and when you collected enough, you could redeem them for a pipe. Many companies did this sort of thing, and I suppose this was one Canadian example. Through my searching, I found some images of a completed auction for an old 1970s tin of Old Port tobacco (as seen above). Two of these photos showed some detail of the brochure that came with the tin. In fact, the brochure shows an image of Steve’s very pipe. This demonstrated that Steve’s pipe and mine are from the same source.In turns out that my pipe was, in fact, made by Brigham, as part of a contract they took on with Old Port. Quite frankly, the pipe looks like a Brigham. One fellow on the pipe forums said that Brigham only made these for two years in the late 1960s, “so as a collectible pipe it might be worth having in your collection.”From the brochure I found above, I assumed that these pipes were also from the 1970s. However, the MADE IN CANADA logo on the shank corresponds to the Brigham logo of the 1956-69 period — so the late 1960s seems right. I learned this logo information thanks to Brigham expert, Charles Lemon’s book on Brigham pipes. Brigham produced these as a non-filtered pipe which was stamped “Old Port”. They featured an experimental aluminum tube which was small enough in diameter to regulate air flow. Supposedly, the concept didn’t work out and Brigham went back to doing their own thing. It then makes sense that Old Port went looking for other manufacturers to make their pipes into the 1970s. And the brochure mentions pipes from Lorenzo, Oppenheimer, among other companies. According to one of the forum posters, some or all of the above information was confirmed by Charles Lemon. So, Charles, if you’re reading this, please let us know in the comments below if this is accurate and if you have any further information!

On to the pipe itself. Fortunately, this would be a relatively easy restoration, as the pipe was in good condition. It must have been very seldom smoked, as the stem showed next-to-no tooth marks. The one thing I did notice, however, is that the stem was heavily oxidized. It probably sat in the sun for a long time. The stummel, too, was in great shape. A bit dusty and shabby perhaps, but nothing that I couldn’t resolve. First, 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. As the pipe was seldom smoked, this was a quick procedure.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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. However, due to the severity of the oxidation, I then repeated the scrubbing with the cream cleanser for maximum effect. Unfortunately, some remnants of the oxidation will always live in this stem – but it is part of the pipe’s long story.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black 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. I used a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. These ensured that all the debris is removed – and I am pleased to report that there wasn’t much.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. This time, it wasn’t too bad.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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a toothbrush). This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The toothbrush especially helps to get into the nooks and crannies of the rustication. The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This is the culmination of my work in getting the pipe clean.After that, I used some of my furniture pens (which is simply dye in pen form) to touch up and enliven the colours on the wood. Then, 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound, then with three coats of conservator’s wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and stem glows.All done! This Old Port 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 ‘Canadian 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. (36 mm); bowl diameter 1¾ in. (45 mm); chamber diameter ⅝ in. (21 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 Nameless Pipe has a Name

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by Kenneth Lieblich

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with a family – and nine of the male family members each wanted a pipe! I was only too happy to help them out. The youngest member of this throng was 18 years old and picked out the pipe you see here. It is a charming and beautifully curved Zulu. I decided to work on it first because I liked it so much. Not only is it handsome, but it is well made too. However, there were no pipemaker’s marks on the pipe at all. No name of any sort – kind of. The only thing to be seen was that the previous owner carved his own name into the shank: Ray. I’m afraid I don’t know who Ray is, but he had a nice pipe. So, the nameless pipe has a name after all. It’s now being passed on to a fine young man with a good head on his shoulders. When I was talking to him about the pipe, I commented that I could investigate sanding off the name if he wished. He said no – it was part of the pipe’s history and he wanted to leave it. Smart kid. Alas, no markings mean no history. However, I can report that the pipe was well smoked in its past. The stummel was in good shape, but there was evidence of lots of smoking once upon a time. As you can see, there appears to be some burning on the rim, but I’ll have to take a closer look for damage. The stem was pretty worn – lots of tooth marks and scratches. Also, a bit of calcification and oxidation.

As a first step, I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on. I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, it actually worked fairly well and I got some improvement. 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 really 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 is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush. Once clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I use 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 apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There is a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I am 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. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure 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 – Deo gratias – the burning was superficial and the underlying wood was totally intact.The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. With this pipe, it didn’t take too long to get it 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 any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton. 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. This is the culmination of a lot of work to get the pipe clean.The charring on the rim is notable. I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 220-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieves two things: first, it removes some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returns the edge to a perfect circle.

I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. 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. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and stem glows.This is a very handsome pipe and will provide many years of smoking pleasure for my friend. I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe as much I as I did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅝ in. (142 mm); height 1¾ in. (44 mm); bowl diameter 1⅓ in. (33 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 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.