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An Unusual and Beautiful Peterson 221 Sterling Silver Prince

by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe came to me in a collection of pipes that gave new meaning to the phrase, ‘trash and treasure’. Everything from the sublime to the ridiculous was in here, but when I saw this Pete, I was immediately enchanted. It is a Peterson 221 prince. This is a stunning pipe. It’s an older one and it’s a real veteran, with a few mild battle scars which are part of its history. I can’t help but think that this pipe should be in someone’s Peterson collection – it’s lightweight and breathtaking. This was one of the more difficult restorations I’ve ever undertaken. You might read through this blog post and think that it doesn’t seem particularly unusual. And, superficially, you’re right. Most of the steps in this restoration are run-of-the-mill, but, in many cases, these steps had to be done and redone so many times that I nearly launched the pipe across the room. So, settle in for a wild ride. The pipe is marked as follows: on the left side of the shank, it says K&P [over] Dublin. On the left side, it says Made in Ireland in the form of a circle and, next to that, the shape number 221. The circular Made in Ireland suggests that this is an older pipe, possibly (but not definitely) pre-republic. On the sterling silver band is displayed three shields each containing the three marks K&P [over] Sterling [over] Silver. The stem is the traditional Peterson P-lip, but it has no logo.This is an unusual Peterson, by shape and number. There are Pete princes and there are Pete 221s (bent billiards), but I hadn’t seen a 221 prince. I searched extensively for this very pipe and came up empty. I looked at Pipedia and Pipephil – nothing. Many more searches also came up with nothing. Steve kindly referred me to a couple of his articles (from 2016 and 2020) that gave a good clue:

https://rebornpipes.com/2016/09/13/petersons-pipes-brochure-from-genin-trudeau-co-montreal-quebec/

and

https://rebornpipes.com/2020/03/13/final-pipe-from-the-19-pipe-eastern-canada-lot-a-republic-era-peterson-1312-system/

The key information is on the old Peterson brochure shown in the blog post. In previous times, Petersons were imported into Canada through a company called Genin Trudeau & Co. (nowadays just Trudeau – the kitchen wares company). Genin Trudeau had the Peterson firm stamp their own shape numbers on the pipes they imported. This brochure supposedly dates from around 1974 and includes a silhouette of a 221, as you can see here in a cropped photo:However, there’s a problem: the 221 in the brochure is close – but not identical – to the 221 I’ve got here. Mine has a gentle bend; the one in the brochure does not. Clearly, my 221 was from a different time. Steve suggested that I contact Mark Irwin at Peterson Pipe Notes, as he is a great repository of Peterson knowledge. Mark was his usual obliging self and directed me to a page from his blog:

https://petersonpipenotes.org/280-canadian-shape-numbers-from-a-gtc-pipe-box-brochure/

In this post, he shows an older brochure, also from Genin Trudeau & Co. and dated to approximately 1955, which also shows a 221 prince. This time, however, it is the correct pipe!Although the brochure shows a rusticated pipe and mine is smooth, it is clear that the shape is identical. I suspect that this pipes dates from well before 1955, but I cannot prove this. Nonetheless, it is an exciting tidbit of information – thank you to Steve and Mark for their help.

The photos show that this pipe’s former owner must have loved this pipe – it was smoked to the Nth degree. Although it must be a fantastic smoker, it has clearly never seen a pipe cleaner or reamer! The stem is filthy beyond words and it has scratches, bites, oxidation, and calcification. Most unfortunately, the stem also has a significant bite-through on the underside.The stummel is also quite rough. There are a few minor nicks in the wood, but nothing serious. The main issue here is the cake in the bowl. Wow. The bowl is literally completely blocked. The cake is rock hard and its lava has erupted all over the rim. This is going to take some work!I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can often cause the dents in vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, the dents were alleviated somewhat, but not enough. Better than nothing.The calcification was quite substantial. I used an old butter knife and gently scraped some of the thicker accretion off. Taking the opportunity to do this now helps later in removing the oxidation.I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down. This provides a preliminary cleaning of filth off the stem 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 and made sure the interior was clean. I used a lot of pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. This was a very dirty pipe.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. This particular stem was so dirty that I also applied the cleanser to the inside with some tube brushes.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 out the stem from its bath and scrubbed the lingering de-oxidation fluid with a toothbrush. Once clean and dry, I set about fixing the bite marks 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.My next task was repairing the large hole on the underside of the stem. There are several methods of doing this and individual circumstances will dictate how to proceed. In this case, I used a straightforward method of employing the same black cyanoacrylate adhesive mentioned above. Before applying the adhesive, some preparatory work is required. With such a large gap in the vulcanite, any applied adhesive will simply run through the aperture and fill the airway. To prevent this, I coated the end of a pipe cleaner with petroleum jelly and lodged it in the airway. This provides a platform for the adhesive to sit on while curing and prevent it from entering the airway. The petroleum jelly is used to prohibit the adhesive from attaching to the pipe cleaner. This repair was much more labour intensive than normal. The adhesive patch I created failed three times before I finally made it work. The precarious nature of the repair impelled me to lay the patch much thicker than I might otherwise have. I am pleased with the final result, but I am not utterly convinced of the patch’s long-term structural integrity.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. I first used my set of needle files to reduce the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I do not want to cut into the vulcanite, but I want to lower the height of the adhesive to as close as possible above the surface. 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 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, it allows me to inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. More about that later. In the meantime, 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, this pipe needed a jackhammer to deal with the rock-hard cake in the bowl. Since I don’t have a jackhammer, I used a ½” rotary burr on my Dremel. This is a tricky procedure and I would not normally use this burr except as a last resort. The cake was so hard, that I had no other option at my disposal. Working with great care, I managed to clean out the bulk of the material and then returned to my normal tools to finish the work. As you can imagine, there was an extraordinary amount of debris in 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 provides an edge that is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim. This work revealed a lot of damage underneath: burning, scratches, gouges, etc. This would have to be addressed later.The inside of the stummel needs to be cleaned thoroughly. However, this pipe’s shank 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. 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 plain 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 wash the inside of the stummel with some liquid cleanser and tube brushes. This is the culmination to a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean. As you can see, this pipe still has some visible wounds. The damage to the rim is significant. In order to minimize the burns and nicks on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently, slightly, and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. This effectively takes down the damage, without altering the look of the pipe.A notable burn remained on the rim, so I took some crystalized oxalic acid and dissolved it in warm water. I then took some cotton swaps, dipped in the solution, and rubbed the burned spot vigorously. The acid works well to alleviate superficial burns (burns where the integrity of the wood is still good).All the cleaning I did revealed an important problem. The photos do not show it well, but the previous owner reamed this pipe overzealously. The heel of the bowl was gouged out through reaming and is now very thin. I had to fill this. To fill a gap like this, I use 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. 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, slightly rough surface for a new cake to build.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 surface. I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and left it to 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 final step is buffing. 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. Naturally, these finishing touches make the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.

All done! This Peterson 221 sterling silver prince was a lot of work, but it looks fantastic and is ready to be enjoyed again by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Irish’ 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 1⅛ in. (30 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (36 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (17 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (29 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.

A Gold Star Diplomat 9486 from my Grandfather

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by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe has a bit of a story to it. Every once in a while, I pull out a pipe from my late grandfather and clean it up. The pipe today is a charming hexagonal panelled billiard, with a square shank, and a straight square stem. I do not know where my grandfather acquired it (or under what circumstances), so I asked my father but he didn’t know either. It doesn’t really seem like the sort of pipe he would have selected, so I wonder if it was given to him. After my grandfather died, his pipes ended up wrapped in newspaper, in a cardboard box, in a basement – as so many grandfather’s pipes do. In this case, it was the basement of my parents’ home. About fifteen years ago, my parents had a small flood and this box (along with several others) got wet and stayed wet for a long time. This had ramifications… The pipe’s markings on the left side of the shank read Gold Star [over] Diplomat. On the right side, they read London England [over] 9486. Also, on the stem, there is a star enclosing the letters GS.Very little information turned up about the brand, Gold Star. Nothing from Pipedia. Over at Pipephil, they had the following:This suggested to me that the pipe was a Sasieni sub-brand. Crucially, however, Pipephil also included this line:

The pipes temporarily gathered under the “Gold Star” label obviously aren’t from the same maker.

This was important to me, because the shape number, 9486, didn’t seem to correspond to anything that Sasieni made. So, I did some sleuthing and figured out that, in fact, the name Gold Star was also produced by GBD. This did fit, and I found some examples of GBD 9486 online, including this one (among others) from Iwan Ries’ website:Clearly, my grandfather’s pipe was one of these and I can confirm that both Sasieni and GBD (at least) made the Gold Star name. I am pleased to say that this post has added that small tidbit to the collective knowledge of pipe making in the twentieth century.

Anyway, on to the pipe – and this poor pipe had some issues. Sitting in moist newspaper for as long as it did had some very negative effects. I don’t remember the crack on the shank being there in the past and I wonder if the water induced stresses in the wood that caused the crack. There were other small fissures in the bowl, I don’t think they were flood-related. Another problem related to the water was the colour of the wood – any staining this pipe had was long gone. Finally, as I was examining the pipe, I didn’t realize it in the moment, but the yellow stem would prove to be the biggest problem of them all. The effect of water on vulcanite stems is well known, but stems don’t normally sit in water for an extended period of time. Aside from the above, the stummel had the following problems: lava on the rim, charring to the rim, some cake in the bowl, and a few substantial fills. Meanwhile, the stem had its own set of problems (besides its colour): tooth marks and scratches, and a filthy stinger. The stinger was first on my list. It went for a soak in some lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I let it set 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 wiped down the outside of the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. That did next to nothing. I took my BIC lighter and painted the stem with its flame. This helped a bit, but not much. Then, I cleaned out the insides with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol.Now it was time to remove the horrific yellow on the stem. I used some cream cleanser on the outside to remove the oxidation. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Then, the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The following day, I cleaned the de-oxidizing mess off with alcohol, pipe cleaners, et cetera. I scrubbed again with cream cleanser on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation. This worked only so well. I put the stem down, thought about it for a while, and decided to repeat that entire procedure: scrub with cream cleanser, soak overnight, and scrub with cream cleanser. This made the stem so much better than before, but still not great. Steve reminded me of an additional technique to try: soaking in Oxyclean. Again, this helped a bit, but it was just not going to be enough. This stem was definitely improved, but would always show the signs of its time in the water.I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the stem to make it look as good as possible. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing.On to the stummel. I used the KleenReem to remove the built-up cake, and followed that with 220-grit sandpaper to remove as much as I could. I wanted to take the bowl down to bare briar to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the walls of the bowl. Fortunately, there were none. I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, and isopropyl alcohol. There was quite a bit of filth inside this stummel – it took many pipe cleaners et cetera to clean it out.I decided that a de-ghosting session would be a good idea. I thrust cotton balls into the bowl and the shank and saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused the oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some Castile soap and tube brushes. I then moved on to cleaning the outside of the stummel with oil soap and some cotton pads. That removed any remaining dirt. The bowl was nice and clean after this. Having completed that, I was able to address the crack on the shank and the nicks on the bowl. This took some careful work. I filled the crack and the tiny divots with cyanoacrylate adhesive then let them cure. Now, with the nicks and crack filled, it was time to sand down the stummel. I used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand everything smooth. Much improved. I felt that this pipe really needed a bit of colour – it had lost it during the flood. However, I only wanted a light stain. So I made a very dilute mixture of leather dye and alcohol. This didn’t really work well, so, instead, I simply put a drop (literally) at a time on my dauber and gently coated the wood with theat. I flamed it with my Bic lighter and let it sit overnight. Upon the morrow, I used isopropyl alcohol to wipe down the pipe and remove excess stain. I am very happy with the results.After that, a light application of Before & After Restoration Balm brought out the best in the stummel’s grain. What a difference that made! Then it was off for a trip to the buffer. A dose of White Diamond and a few coats of carnauba wax were just what this pipe needed. The lovely shine made the wood look great. This Gold Star Diplomat 9486 panelled billiard has an elegant feel to it. It took a lot of work – and the results were not exactly what I had hoped for – but I am proud of it and the final product is (hopefully) worthy of my beloved grandfather’s memory. Obviously, this is one pipe that I am keeping for myself and adding to my collection. I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe as much I as I did restoring it. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅛ in. (130 mm); height 1½ in. (39 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (31 g). 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 Peterson Sterling Silver Deluxe System 11S Pipe

1 Reply

by Kenneth Lieblich

Ah, the Peterson Deluxe System – such a lovely pipe. Good fortune has provided two such pipes for me. First is the one you’re about to see restored and the second in a few days time. The two pipes didn’t come into my possession together, but they are being restored together. Despite both being Deluxe Systems, they have different finishes, come from different eras, and had different challenges in restoration. This 11S is really a fantastic pipe with wonderful grain. I am delighted with the way it cleaned up and I hope you are too! Our first Pete is this handsome fellow. It’s an 11S shape, has a smooth-finish, comes from the Republic era, and has the classic Peterson P-lip. Let’s have a look at the markings on this pipe. The left side of the stummel reads, Peterson’s [over] DeLuxe. The right side of the stummel reads, Made in the [over] Republic [over] of Ireland [over] 11S. The band has markings too. It has a set of faux hallmarks which read K&P. Over that are the words Sterling [over] Silver. To the right, are the words Peterson [over] Dublin. Finally, the stem reads Hand [over] Cut. In order to find out a bit more about the Deluxe System, I looked at Peterson’s own website and they furnished this information:

While the Deluxe stamp first appeared on our System pipes in 1940, the design itself dates to our 1896 and 1906 catalogues and, with the exception of the Supreme, has always marked our highest tier of System pipe. Like the System Standard and System Spigot lines, the Deluxe System pipe incorporates Charles Peterson’s patented System design, including a deep reservoir to collect excess moisture from the smoke; a graduated-bore mouthpiece that funnels the smoke and allows moisture to collect within the reservoir; a sturdy sterling silver military mount, which allows the pipe to be broken down and cleaned without damage or warping; and our patented P-Lip bit, which draws the smoke upward, thus reducing tongue bite. The Deluxe differs from those aforementioned lines, comprised of bowls with only the finest grain patterns and featuring a sterling silver mount and a push-gap stem, which was never designed to be flush-fitting, the space between the mount and stem base gradually decreasing with prolonged use. The Deluxe also elevates the System pipe by fixing each stem with a traditional chimney, an aluminum fitment that extends the tenon past the chamber’s airway for optimal System performance. Created for Peterson enthusiasts interested in acquiring the finest System pipe on the market, the Deluxe System will serve as the crown of any collection.

Then, over at Pipedia, there is the following commentary:

The handsome and very distinctive Deluxe system pipes, include the Darwin, Mark Twain and the Charles Peterson 140 year anniversary Pipe. These pipes are at the top of the ‘system’ series in terms of quality and finish. Each Peterson Deluxe is made from carefully selected, age mellowed root briar. In matt finish with hallmarked sterling silver mounts and a unique space fitting mouthpiece to allow for years of wear. They are available in a wide range of shapes numbered, as follows: 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 8s, 9s, 11s, 12.5s, 20s, XL5s, 20FB and 11FB. The pipes are well carved and construction, engineering and workmanship, is outstanding. The stems are well drilled and aligned. Silver work is excellent, finish very good, and the often maligned briar is of outstanding quality. The design is a very typically Peterson classic shape. Apart from the Darwin, the balance can be stem heavy, the bit is thick and chunky, especially in the larger versions. I also enjoy the sense of presence they give to the pipe, particularly if smoking in company with friends or strangers. They have a sophistication about them. The smoking qualities are excellent, dry and cool. The draw is good, and the flavour is particularly great in new pipes. The Mark Twains are outstanding in this department. As for the aesthetics and ergonomics, I find some shapes much more attractive than others. Favourites for me are the 1s, 2s, 3s, the Mark Twains and the Darwin deluxe. As a clencher most are very good to hang, except the beautiful Darwin which is more of a ‘hand holder.’ The one weakness I find is the modern orange/golden colour, (the so called natural) it is, in my opinion, less attractive than that found in the older Walnut finish of the eighties. As far as value and cost is concerned, for the excellent quality finish, these are competitively priced at around $135 to $250 depending on size and briar grade. For what it is worth, I reckon the Deluxes are probably the best value range of pipes that Peterson produce, both in terms of functionality and value. There is not a thing wrong with these pipes. Those who malign the brand because they’re made by the hundreds using machines, are very wrong, in my opinion. I like them a lot and the bang for the buck is the best I’ve ever seen for new pipes of this quality.The Deluxes are all excellent smokers. The Darwin, of course, is a truly outstanding pipe, its only “flaw” being that it’s not a clencher. One particular aspect of this pipe that appeals to me most is its physical beauty and presence. They are a pipe like no other. For me, they also offer a bowl capacity that I like and a balance in the hand that I appreciate. They are well named Deluxe s for giving that special experience.

These Petes with the faux-marks are a bit tricky to nail down in date. Mark Irwin, who runs the great Peterson Pipe Notes blog, has a whole page here on this topic. He writes:

Pipe smokers new to Peterson sometimes wonder what the “K&P” stamp is all about, not realizing the company was known as “Kapp & Peterson” until the 1970s and is still referred to as “Kapps” by the old hands who work in the shop. Most Peterson pipes with metal mounts (and all nickel-mount Systems) have a “K & P” Maker’s Mark, also called a Sponsor’s Hallmark, which is used by The Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin (est. 1637) to identify the silversmith or goldsmith responsible for making the article. The “K & P” maker’s mark was registered at the assay office shortly after Kapp & Peterson’s incorporation and appears either in capital letters (on early sterling and later nickel mounts) or capital letters in shields (on sterling). The maker’s mark was later placed in shields, which may be flat or pointed at the top. After 1938, the K&P maker’s mark became a stand-in for the Company of Goldsmiths (aka Dublin Assay Office) date letter and was usually accompanied nearby by the STERLING over SILVER stamp. The practice of stamping sterling with the date letter wasn’t resumed at Peterson until 1969, for rather humorous reasons explained in the Peterson book.

Sadly, I don’t have the Peterson book, so I cannot enlighten you on the humorous reasons. It would seem from Mark’s words that this pipe falls into the period between 1938 and 1968. However, we can refine that a bit, as the pipe’s markings clearly indicate that it’s a republic-era pipe. Ireland became a republic in 1949, so a date range of 1950-1968 seems suitable for this pipe.

Time to get on with it! The stem was pretty dirty. It had some calcification on it and I used a sharp edge to carefully scrape that off. Once done, I scrubbed the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame in order to lift the few bite marks and dents. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. You can see just how filthy it was inside. Also, it’s worth noting that the aluminum chimney that often goes with these pipes is missing – but a replacement could be sought from Peterson’s. I wiped down the stem with cleanser to remove surface oxidation. Then the stem went for an overnight soak in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The next day, I used the cleanser again with some cotton rounds. I built up the small tooth marks on the stem with black cyanoacrylate adhesive and let them fully cure. I put a tiny piece of hockey tape over the “Hand Cut” words, so I wouldn’t accidentally sand them. I then used my needle files, Micromesh pads and Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil to make it look great. Onto the stummel, and the first thing I did was to clean up the rim a bit. I took a piece of machine metal and meticulously scraped away the cake without affecting the finish of the wood.Then I reamed out the stummel and removed all the cake. I used a bit of everything to get it all out: PipNet, KleenReem, knife, sandpaper, etc. Fortunately, there was no damage to the interior walls. I used cotton rounds and some oil soap to scrub the outside of the stummel and a toothbrush with oil soap for the lava on the rim of the pipe. I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I followed that up by de-ghosting the pipe and the bowl was nice and clean after this. I then cleaned the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. I then worked on cleaning up the sterling silver band. I taped it off, as I didn’t want to damage the wood. This worked well and I was pleased. There were a couple of very small knocks in the wood and I opted to use a damp cotton cloth and an iron to help. By laying the wet cloth over the affected area of wood and applying the hot iron, steam is generated in a way that can often swell the wood back into place.Next, I sanded all of the wood down with my Micromesh pads and made it lovely and smooth. I followed that up with some Before & After Restoration Balm. I let it sit on the wood for 20 minutes or so, then buffed it off with a microfibre cloth. I took the pipe to the buffer. I gave it a good application of White Diamond and a few coats of carnauba wax. This made all the difference. It really sparkled after that. I also polished the silver with my jewellery cloth.

This Peterson Deluxe System 11S pipe looks amazing now. It’s really a beautiful pipe and it is ready to be enjoyed by the next owner! I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Irish’ Pipemakers 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. (152 mm); height 3⅔ in. (93 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (37 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (17 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2¼ oz. (67 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I 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.

Uncovering the Identity of a Classic Metal Pipe

4 Replies

by Kenneth Lieblich

This pipe is one of those that makes you raise an eyebrow and wonder. I acquired it a while ago in a large lot of pipes and, although it was a mess, it always had appeal and intrigue. Initially, I didn’t know what the pipe was or who made it. Why? Alas, no markings of any kind! It turns out that Steve restored a pipe very much like it about four years ago, but because I had no way of searching for it (I had no brand name), I had to be creative – or, perhaps, I had to be the opposite… I went to a very fine resource on metal pipes, a website called www.smokingmetal.co.uk, in hope that I could learn more. I hunted around somewhat randomly for a while but came up empty. Then came the stultifying part. I started going through the entire list of pipes in order to find a match. There were a couple of times when I though I had found it, but it just wasn’t quite right. Eventually, after going through nearly 200 listings, I found it. This is an L&H Stern (aka LHS) pipe and – boy-oh-boy – was I ever relieved. When Steve last restored one of these, more than four years ago, he described it as follows:

It has a briar bowl with the screw holding it to the top of the metal tube that forms the shank. The smooth finished bowl is either a buldog or Rhodesian bowl with the twin rings around the cap. The shank piece is oxidized aluminum with cooling fins and a threaded end cap that is removable for cleaning. The stem is plastic (perhaps nylon or an early acrylic).

It certainly does have a futuristic look, very characteristic of mid-twentieth-century industrial design. Unfortunately, SmokingMetal didn’t have any information on LH Stern as a company, but they did have these two photos of similar pipes: Pipedia has an article on L&H Stern and I would encourage you to have a look: https://pipedia.org/wiki/LHS. Among other things, they write

Ludwig Stern, a successful pipe manufacturer since 1893 and closing around 1960, reorganized his company along with his brother Hugo Stern, opening a factory in 1911. They named the company L&H Stern Smoking Pipes & Holders. The newly formed company was moved into a six story building on the corner of Pearl and Waters street Brooklyn, NY.

Pipedia also provided a photo of a pipe like mine from a 1946 catalog. It’s difficult to be accurate in dating the pipe, but the late 1940s seems to be a reasonable supposition.Time to get to work. This pipe was a bit of a mess. The metal was dirty and dull, and the insides were filthy. The stem was worn and had some micro-cracks in it. In the following picture, you can see the pipe as I disassembled it. There are seven pieces, even though the photo appears to show only five. Allow me to explain: there is a stem, a shank (or main section of the pipe), the briar bowl, a nut on the underside of the bowl, a screw that attaches the bowl to the shank, a valve screw at the far end, and a gasket to go along with it.First things first. Before I started working on the stem, I put the metal pieces in an acetone bath. Who knows what sort of horrors might be stuck to the metal and I wanted to get it as clean as possible. I left that to sit for a few hours.The stem was first on my list. As usual, I wiped the outside down with oil soap on some cotton pads. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. It was dirty, but not terrible. I’ve seen far worse.As the photos show, there was a small chunk missing from the end of the stem and, although it didn’t affect anything significant, I wanted to ensure that it was repaired. I rolled up a piece of duct tape and fitted it snugly inside, before making a repair with amber cyanoacrylate adhesive. I used duct tape because the outside does not stick to CA glue. I built up the adhesive on the stem and let it fully cure. At this point, I also added some extra, clear CA glue to the end because the fit was very loose. I then sanded the adhesive with some sandpaper to meld seamlessly into the stem. I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to smooth the entire stem and highlight the variegated design on the stem. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing. I’m not convinced that this did anything, but it’s just what I do! I yanked the metal bits out of the acetone and wiped them down. Since most of the pipe was made of aluminum, the cleaning procedures were different than usual. The inside of the shank was much more cavernous than normal, too. I started with pipe cleaners and Q-tips for the inside, but that only worked so well. I ended up using some of my usual cleanser to clean the metal shank, including the interior – and I made extensive use of some tubes brushes to get it all really clean.Polishing up the metal was tricky because the cooling fins were relatively deep and would need to be addressed separately. I used some very fine sandpaper to work on those grooves. I then used some 0000 steel wool to give a beautiful polish to the shank. This worked spectacularly well, but it’s such a mess! I laid out some newspaper to catch the debris because it goes everywhere. I did all the same stuff on the two metal screws as well. Now for the briar bowl. This is more standard fare, since I’m working with wood again. I took a small wedge of machine metal and, holding it at a 45-degree angle, gently scraped the lava and carbon off the rim.I reamed it with the KleenReem, and 220-grit sandpaper taped to a dowel to eliminate as much build-up as possible. I took the chamber down to bare briar to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the wall. Fortunately, there were none. Then I used cotton rounds and some oil soap to scrub the outside. However, this wasn’t good enough. There were some odd blemishes to the wood and I had to fix that. I went back to the acetone and removed the blemishes thoroughly. I was amazed at how much better the bowl looked after that. I used the Micromesh pads on the bowl and made them beautiful. As I mentioned earlier, there was a small nut in the underside of the bowl. This popped out while I was working and I cleaned it as I had the other metal parts – then I glued it back in place. I then applied the Before & After Restoration Balm on the wood, as this always makes the briar sing. The buffing procedure was different because of the metal – although the briar bowl did receive the normal White Diamond and carnauba wax treatment. I used Red Tripoli first and White Diamond second to polish the metal nicely. It came out so well! When I went back to my workbench, I cleaned the grooves in the metal with some soft pipe cleaners – just to remove any slight, remaining polishing compound. I then took a microfiber cloth to wipe the metal parts of the pipe to make it shine! This L&H Stern looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by the next owner! I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘American’ 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 4⅞ in. (125 mm); height 1⅔ in. (43 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (38 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (17 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 did restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading, and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring a Very Handsome Custombilt Lovat

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by Kenneth Lieblich

My last blog post was the restoration of an Oversize Kaywoodie and, in that article, I mentioned that it reminded me of a Custombilt. Well, lo and behold! I have a Custombilt to present to you all. I was rummaging through a box of junk (and calling it ‘junk’ is being kind) and came upon a really good-looking, substantial Lovat with a great saddle stem (which is ever-so-slightly bent). It’s a pipe that instills confidence. An interesting coincidence (or is it?) is that both the Kaywoodie and this Custombilt were made at almost exactly the same time. Read on. As you can see, the pipe has the classic Custombilt rustication on it. There’s something quite satisfying about this rugged rustication. These marks are reminiscent of Tracy Mincer’s original work and are seen as something of a hallmark of the brand. On the left side of the shank, the markings were as follows: Custombilt [over] Imported Briar. No markings on the right side and no markings on the stem. The history of Custombilt pipes is an interesting one and the most comprehensive source of information comes from Individual as a Thumbprint: The Custom-Bilt Pipe Story by Bill Unger. It is a very good book. Since the last time I worked on a Custombilt, I acquired a copy and it is an excellent resource on these pipes – as well as an entertaining read.

Unger’s book gives us some good information about the dating for this pipe. He displays five different logo stampings and this particular pipe corresponds to stamp number two. Unger writes:

The second stamp, which was used during the Eugene Rich years, from 1946 through 1952 (at the latest; it could have been 1950 or 191), is also quite unmistakable. Custom-Bilt became Custombilt in 1946, and the stamp reflects the major advertising campaign that was undertaken. The script letters do not slant, but the major feature is the big, looping C, which extends over the t (although, in some cases, it extends just to the top of the t). The t has a longer cross than on the Custom-Bilt stamp, but a shorter one than would be used during the Wally Frank era. Remember that the Eugene Rich-era stamp was used on pipes still being made in [Tracy] Mincer’s Indianapolis factory.

Pipedia’s article on Custombilt consists primarily of reviews of Unger’s book. It offers a cursory view of the markings and their approximate dating. This information confirms what I found in Unger’s book. Meanwhile. Pipephil provided a bit more information on the brand, although not strictly related to my pipe. In short, I think it’s fair to say that this sturdy pipe dates from the late-1940s.Let’s get on with cleaning up this pipe. I worked on the stem first and, I must say, I was surprised at its good condition. Not too dirty, not beat up at all.I wiped the outside with some oil soap on some cotton pads. Then I cleaned out the inside with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. The stem had a bit of oxidation, so I let it soak overnight in pipe stem oxidation remover. The following day, I cleaned all of the de-oxidizing mess off with a toothbrush. The oxidation had migrated to the surface and I scrubbed with SoftScrub on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation. The stem turned out very well. I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) all over the saddle stem to remove any scratch marks and make it smooth and lovely. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing.All that finished, I set the stem aside and I began work on the very dirty stummel.Firstly, I decided to ream out the bowl. This is a large bowl and I used the PipNet Reamer’s biggest blade to remove the built-up cake, and followed that with 220-grit sandpaper taped to a couple of dowels to eliminate as much as I could. I took the chamber down to bare briar, as I wanted to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the wall. Fortunately, there were none. As the photos show, there was quite a mound of debris.I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, and lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. It was ridiculously dirty and took up the country’s supply of cotton to get it clean. To exorcise the demons of tobaccos past, I decided to de-ghost the pipe. I thrust cotton balls into the bowl and the shank and 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. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. Spic and span after that. There was still quite a bit of debris on the ample rim and it was time to address it. I took a piece of machine metal and meticulously scraped away the cake without affecting the finish of the wood. This quite a while – but it is most certainly worth it. Following that, I used some oil soap and a toothbrush to clean up the balance of the rim – especially the grooves of the rustication. I was really pleased with the results.Then I sanded the stummel down with the Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit). The smooth areas got all nine pads, whereas the rusticated areas on received only the last three or four. I then coated the pipe with restoration balm and let it sit for 20 minutes or so, before polishing with a microfibre cloth and a horsehair brush. The balm does wonderful things to the wood and makes the whole stummel sing. Finally, I took it to the buffer and applied some White Diamond and a few coats of Conservator’s Wax. The lovely shine made the wood very attractive. This is a very handsome pipe and will provide many years of smoking pleasure.This handsome Custombilt Lovat looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed again by the next owner! I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘American’ 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 7 in. (177 mm); height 2⅛ in. (53 mm); bowl diameter 1⅝ in. (41 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2¼ oz. (65 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.

Spiffing Up a Rare Caminetto Masterpiece

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Roll up! Roll up! Come and see the amazing Ascorti Radice Caminetto New Dear Chimney! What a stunning pipe! I picked up this pipe while I was visiting the historic town of Bellingham, Washington. I wish I knew some of this pipe’s individual history, but – alas! – the shop purveyor had no information. It is a remarkable pipe – with the recognizable rustication of the New Dear line and an astonishing chimney elevation. This is your chance to get your hands on an extraordinary pipe – one of the original Caminettos. The markings on this pipe were just what one would hope for. They read Ascorti [over] Radice [over] Cucciago [over] Cantu-Italy. Next to that is a little shield symbol. Further to the right are the words “Caminetto” [over] New Dear. Finally, at the end, is a letter G. There is also, of course, the moustache logo on the stem. This information is worth its weight in gold, as it will help us to get a reasonably accurate date on this beauty.First, let’s talk about Caminetto. There is quite a bit of information to be had on Pipedia about the company and I won’t attempt to reproduce it all here. However, I enthusiastically recommend reading the general Caminetto article here, the Caminetto history article here, the Ascorti article here, and the Radice article here. If you’re really keen, you could even read the Castello article here.

Phew! After all that reading, I would like to quote a bit of the history from Pipedia:

Caminetto’s history started in 1959 when Guiseppe Ascorti, from Cucciago, and known to his friends as “Peppino”, was hired by Carlo Scotti to work at Castello, located in nearby Cantu. Since it’s foundation in 1947 Castello had contributed substantially to regained glory for Italian pipemaking.

Talent and assiduity soon made Ascorti one of Scotti’s most notable pipemakers – a man he counted on for the future. But, Ascorti had his own far reaching plan: He wanted to work as a self-employed pipemaker! After his wife, Paola, had taken over her parent’s small greengrocery in the early 1960’s this plan became more concrete. The additional income from the shop enabled him to buy tools and machines little by little to furnish his own workshop. By the end of 1968 he was ready and left Castello. Ascorti also persuaded his co-worker, the young and highly-talented pipemaker Luigi Radice (born 1939), to join him – the two were neighbors in Cucciago. Carlo Scotti, whom is known as a perfect gentleman, is reported to have spoken unreservedly about this development.

Ascorti & Radice started to manufacture pipes on their own. One of the first who agreed to market their pipes was Gianni Davoli, proprietor of a tobacco shop in Milan. The situation was perfect–two pipemakers in search of a distributor, and a pipe merchant in search of a mainstay brand to market. Davoli – via friends and relations in the States – had made flourishing contacts with US pipe wholesalers and traders. He shipped some pipes across the pond for inspection and received excellent feedback for the very high quality of the pipes. He, shortly after, offered to be the sole distributor worldwide, and Ascorti & Radice happily accepted.

Then came the legendary evening when Ascorti, Radice and Davoli gathered around the fireplace after a hard day’s work enjoying their pipes, a glass of wine, and humorous conversation. Davoli is said to be the one who associated the pipes with the fireplace or chimney, which is “camino” in Italian. Hence “Caminetto”, the diminutive (smaller) singular version of camino, was coined as the brand’s name.

It is, of course, so fitting, so appropriate that this pipe is, itself, in a chimney shape. Fantastic! Reading on, I learned more about the time period in which this was made. This history was originally provided by a fellow named joshoowah on brothersofbriar.com. It is now on Pipedia. I’ve actually taken a screenshot of the relevant information so that it is easiest for you to see and understand.So, based on the above information, I can safely state that this pipe is from the earlier time period of 1968/9-1974/5.

Let’s take a closer look at the condition of the pipe. It’s actually in great shape, all things considered, and must have been greatly loved by its owner, as it was well smoked. The beautiful acrylic stem had some very minor tooth marks, but nothing of concern. The stummel was heavily caked inside the bowl and there was some definite darkening on the rim. I’d have to inspect that more closely after cleaning. Stem first. To be precise, it was stem and shank extension first. They are both acrylic, and the shank extension came off with ease, so they could be cleaned up together. I cleaned the insides with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, and isopropyl alcohol. It was pretty dirty, and I went through a good number of pipe cleaners and swabs. A lot of debris was trapped in there and I needed to do some significant scrubbing. I also tried using some cleanser with tube brushes on the inside and that did help. I gave it a thorough rinse and moved on.I filled the few tooth marks in the stem with some black cyanoacrylate adhesive (the shank extension didn’t need any). After allowing that to cure, I sanded the glue down with some sandpaper, then the whole stem with my Micromesh pads. For the last few pads, I also added some pipe stem oil. I forgot to take pictures, but I restored the moustache in gold too. On to the stummel, and there was some work to be done here! I needed to get the darn thing clean. I reamed out the stummel and removed all the cake. Fortunately, there was no damage to the interior walls.I used a dental tool to mine some chunks of gunk out of the mortise – yuck! Just like the stem, I also used pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to scrub the insides. It was quite dirty – much cotton was expended.I decided to de-ghost the pipe in order to remove any lingering smells of the past. I thrust cotton balls into the bowl and the shank and 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. The bowl was nice and clean after this. But, just to make sure, I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes. Then it was really clean. I used cotton rounds and some Murphy’s Oil Soap to scrub the outside of the stummel and a toothbrush with Murphy’s for the lava on the rim of the pipe. Once complete, I took a closer look at the darkness on the rim. It wasn’t too bad, but I thought it could use a little help. I mixed up a little oxalic acid and rubbed the dark spots with cotton swabs. This worked really well in removing a lot of the dark. I was pleased. I then rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the wood. I gently brushed it into the rustication grooves and let the balm sit for twenty minutes or so. The BARB works so well at bringing out the best in the wood. I brushed it with a horsehair brush and buffed it with a microfibre cloth. Beauty! Later, I went to the bench buffer and applied some White Diamond to the stummel and stem. Then the final polish! The rusticated surface meant that I didn’t use carnauba wax – it gets gummed up in the grooves. Instead, I used Conservator’s Wax which worked like a charm.This Ascorti Radice Caminetto New Dear Chimney was a nifty restoration and I had fun with it. I think the result is terrific and it’s a stunning pipe once again. 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 “Italy” pipe section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6 in. (152 mm); height 2½ in. (65 mm); bowl diameter 1⅓ in. (33 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (18 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅝ oz. (49 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this 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.

A Beautiful Preben Holm Surprise

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by Kenneth Lieblich

It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and, much to my surprise, my parents gave me pipes for my birthday! I say “surprise” because my lovely folks were somewhat bemused when I got into the pipe-restoration hobby. However, this would seem to indicate that they have endorsed this great hobby of mine. This pipe is, by far, the nicest of the three I received. It is a Preben Holm 400 Free Hand. The grain is truly wonderful. Fortunately for me, the pipe was in decent condition when I got it. Not too much work required. Let’s have a look at the markings. On the underside of the shank, there are the words Preben Holm [over] Free-Hand [over] 400 [over] Hand Made [over] in [over] Denmark. My mother is of Danish extraction, so perhaps that played a role in this pipe’s selection. Over on the top of the stem, we see a crown above the letters PH (obviously standing for the man himself). In the past, I have often wondered about many Danish freehand shapes – especially Preben Holm’s. Sometimes (not always) they seem to be intricate merely for intricacy’s sake – or made to look like a piece of abstract art. However, Preben Holm is a true master of the craft and I don’t feel that sense of unnecessary complexity with this specific pipe. It is genuinely well made and beautiful. Let’s learn a bit more about Preben Holm and his pipes. Pipedia’s article about him says:

Preben Holm (1947-1989) has set some marks in pipe history. Just before his 16th birthday in 1963 he sold pipes to the legendary Pipe-Dan shop and at the age of only 22 he headed 45 employees. He was among the first Danish artisans who made “Danish pipe design” famous in the USA in the 1960’s. More than that he was one of the very first carvers who exceeded this moderate Danish Design which based on the classical shapes. “Chasing the grain” they turned out wild and dramatic fancy pipes. Combining smooth with blasted surfaces, showing big areas of the original bark at the top of the bowl and at the end of the stem, these pipes were quite shocking to many elder and more conservative pipe smokers. When he started to sell his pipes to Lane Ltd. under the Ben Wade label, he caused a hype fairly beyond comparison. Especially in the U.S., as most of his pipes were sold there.The Pipedia article also goes on to provide the very interesting tale of his business written by the man himself. I recommend reading it, although it deftly sidesteps discussing his own inner demons. In the same article, Poul Winslow says about Preben Holm:

Preben was a genius. Maybe a bit wild, always flying from idea to idea and impatient for results. But could he turn a pipe! Some of the most extreme free-hands came out of our workshop in the ’70s, and whatever his critics say, they sold like crazy, mostly in America. And when it came to finishing, he was the best in the business.There are a number of forums and websites that talk about his grading system. Unsurprisingly, much of this information is muddled, contradictory, or applicable to the Ben Wade pipes he made. From what I can understand – and I am happily corrected by those who know more – the era of pipes from which my pipe came used a grading system (ascending) of 100 to 500. Regardless of the accuracy of that information, my pipe is a 400.

Holm had a line of pipes called “Crown”, which, fittingly, had a crown on the stem – just like mine. However, all the examples of Crown pipes I’ve seen state that word on the pipe and that word isn’t on my pipe. The other point of mild frustration is that I seemingly have no way of dating this pipe, other than the unhelpfully and nebulously statement that it was made “in the ‘70s”. In 2020, Steve wrote an article about a PH Crown that he restored. It is not the same as mine and doesn’t have the same markings, but there is some indication that this pipe might have been distributed in the US by Lane Ltd under Preben Holm’s own name. Moving on…

I began work on the stem. Nothing especially remarkable here, but I needed to pay attention to the crown logo and PH because they were not as distinct as one would wish. I wiped down the outside of the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame in order to lift the little bit of tooth chatter. This helped a bit. Then, I cleaned out the insides of the stem with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. Once this process was done, I used some cleanser and cotton pads to wipe down the stem. I covered the logo with a dab of petroleum jelly before throwing it in the Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover overnight. The following day, I cleaned all of the de-oxidizing mess and used a toothbrush to remove the leftover oxidation. This worked well.I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to bring out the lovely black lustre on the stem. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing.On to the stummel, and whoever previously had this pipe had done a decent job of cleaning the inside of the bowl. It didn’t need reaming, but I did use my pipe knife and some sandpaper to remove any cake. I took the bowl down to bare briar, as I wanted to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the walls of the bowl. Fortunately, there were none.Another important step in this process was removing the dirty remnants on the rim (as you’ve seen in the photos). I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped away at this debris until it was gone. I love this technique because it is incredibly effective (more so than soaking) and does no damage whatsoever to the briar. The results speak for themselves.I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, and isopropyl alcohol. There was some filth inside this stummel, but it wasn’t too bad. I then moved on to cleaning the outside of the stummel with oil soap and some cotton pads. That removed any latent dirt. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some soap and tube brushes. I noticed some very minor dents in the wood (see the photos) and I felt confident that those could be raised. I took an iron and a damp cotton cloth and steamed them. The hot, moist steam can often cause those sorts of injuries to swell back into shape. In this case, it worked a treat! I sanded down the stummel with my some of my micromesh pads to make it smooth and lovely. You will have noticed that there were two small nicks on the end of the shank. I deliberately decided to not fill these in. Instead, I simply sanded them thoroughly as I just described. This was a good decision as the nicks were minimized and are part of the pipe’s history. Of course, I added some restoration balm to the wood and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth and – boy – did it look good! This balm does beautiful things to the wood and really generates a beautiful shine. I then took the pipe to my bench polisher and buffed it with White Diamond and a few coats of carnauba wax. All finished! This is a wonderfully crafted pipe and it really looks lovely. As it is a gift from my parents, this is one pipe that I am keeping for myself and adding to my collection. I am sure that I will be enjoying this one for many years to come. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 6½ in. (165 mm); height 2¼ in. (57 mm); bowl diameter 1¾ in. (46 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅞ oz. (55 g). 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. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

A Charming NOS Cherrywood from France

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by Kenneth Lieblich

I have a BIG 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 old timer has never been smoked and has some real old-world charm. It’s sort of churchwarden sized. Take a closer look at the photos below.

This one doesn’t have any markings on it, but that doesn’t preclude it from being made by the venerable French pipe company, Ropp. Many of the cherrywoods from the old days came without markings. Just as a reminder, here is a very brief history of the Ropp company from Pipedia:

Eugène-Léon Ropp (1830–1907) acquired a patent for the cherrywood pipe in 1869. In 1870, he established a workshop to manufacture such pipes in Bussang, in the Vosges mountains. Around 1893, his business moved into the former mill of Sicard (part of the community of Baume-les-Dames in Upper Burgundy. The pipes were a big success in export as well. Shortly before 1914, Ropp designated A. Frankau & Co. (BBB) to be the exclusive distributor in the UK and its colonies. Probably in 1917, a workshop in Saint-Claude in the rue du Plan du Moulin was acquired to start the fabrication of briar pipes. In 1923, another small building in Saint-Claude, serving as a workshop for polishing, was added. Cherrywood pipes were the mainstay of Ropp until the company finally closed down in September 1991. The company was taken over by Cuty-Fort Entreprises in 1994.

Even though the pipe is new, old stock, I cleaned up the dust from decades ago, polished up the stem to make it shine, and completely repaired a small craze line on the bottom of the bowl with some cyanoacrylate adhesive. Later, I applied some Restoration Balm and buffed it with a microfiber cloth. To preserve the bark, I didn’t use the bench buffer on the sides of the bowl and shank, though I did apply Clapham’s Beeswax Finish. However, I did buff the top and bottom with White Diamond and carnauba wax on the bench buffer.

It’s a lovely, elegant pipe. 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 cherrywood are as follows: length 10½ in. (270 mm); height 2½ in. (65 mm); bowl diameter 2 in. (51 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2⅞ oz. (84 g). 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 Bewlay Popular 510 Billiard

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Next up is a handsome and modest Bewlay Popular 510 billiard. It is a simple, salt-of-the-earth type of pipe that I love. No muss, no fuss – just a solid, classic pipe. I acquired it from a local gentleman who had smoked a pipe once upon a time, but was finally divesting himself of his smoking paraphernalia. As some of the photos show, this one still has its original pipe sock to go along with it. The pipe is from The House of Bewlay – a chain of pipe stores and not a manufacturer itself – and is a classic billiard shape. The pipe’s markings on the left side of the shank read Bewlay [over] Popular. The right side of the pipe shows London Made [over] 510 (the shape number). Next to that is either a letter O or a number 0 (or maybe even a U) – it’s hard to know which, since it doesn’t look either like an O from the word “London”, nor like the 0 in the number “510”. Finally, there is a letter B on the left side of the stem.The shape number corresponds perfectly with a Bewlay catalogue from the late 60s, as you can see in the photo below. I do not know the exact date of the pipe, but it is likely from the 1960s or 70s.Let us read a bit more about Bewlay from the Pipedia article:

The English brand of Bewlay & Co. Ltd. (formerly Salmon & Gluckstein Ltd.), was in business from the early 20th century until the 1950s. The brand ended up being sold and taken over by Imperial Tobacco Co. The shop chain closed in the 1980s but there seems to be one shop still in business on Carr Lane in the city of Hull. Bewlay pipes were made by prestigious firms. Notably Barling, Charatan, Loewe & Co., Sasieni, Huybrecht, and Orlik. So understandably, the English considered a Bewlay pipe a quality pipe.

The website, Very Keen on Pipes, also includes the following information about Bewlay. I don’t know what the source of his information is, but I will reproduce here nonetheless:

One of the most famous English tobacco shops, Bewlay & Co. Ltd, was founded in 1870 at 49 W. Strand in London by the Jewish Elkan family, who immigrated from the Netherlands. At the initial stage, the business was positioned as retail trade in tobacco products; Bewley was one of the first to sell cigars. Of course, in the early 20th century, briar pipes became very popular, and Bewlay’s offered a range of Barling, Charatan’s, Loewe, Sasieni, and Orlik models. Bewlay’s was one of the first companies to export pipes to the United States. Some fans claim that Bewlay’s was the start of Joel Sasieni (Sassieni’s family were also Jewish immigrants, lived in the same area, and appear to have attended the same synagogue). In 1937, the family business was sold to Salmon & Gluckstein, which was already controlled by Imperial Tobacco. The chain of stores closed in the 1980s.

There is a long-standing confusion over determining who made which Bewlay pipes when. Bewlay used a several different fonts for the B of their logo. Equally, the pipes are marked with variations of “Made in England”, “London, England” and “London Made” (as this one is). The photo below is from Pipephil and the middle pipe is very similar to this one, in terms of markings. There is a multi-page thread in the forums of PipesMagazine.com on this topic and, if you’re interested, you can find it here. I’m not sure which of those companies might have made this pipe, but I would certainly welcome any information from someone who does know.The pipe is in very nice shape and was well-loved. The stem had some tooth scratches and dents, plus it was coated with a lot of oxidation and calcification. The previous owner must have treated this one like a lollipop. There were no significant issues with the stummel, although it did have some lava on the lovely rim. I started out by gently and carefully scraping off some of the thick layer of calcification on the stem with a butter knife. You can see in the photos that this created quite a bit of debris.I then cleaned the inside of the stem with 99% isopropyl alcohol and some pipe cleaners. It was dirty, but not too bad. I also cleaned the stem with some Murphy’s on some cotton rounds. As you can see, the stem was pretty dirty, and will need a good soaking. In fact, it had a funny pattern of tiger stripes on the stem.After all that, the stem went for a dip in the stem oxidation remover. I let it sit overnight, to allow all the oxidation to rise to the surface of the stem. The next day, I cleaned up the stem with some cleanser on some cotton pads. This took some considerable elbow grease, but, in the end, worked very nicely. Forgot to take a photo though.I then renewed the colour on the stem’s “B” by painting some nail polish there and letting it set. After that, I took my nine Micromesh pads and sanded the whole stem until it was shining like new. I also used my pipe stem oil in between the pads (from 3600 on) to bring out some extra lustre. Beauty.Onto the stummel. In order to clean out the cake in the bowl, I used the KleenReem and followed that up with a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. I sanded down the cake until I hit the briar walls, so that I could inspect them for potential damage. Everything looked good on the inside, which is great news.I proceeded to clean out the inside of the shank with 99% isopropyl alcohol and pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. It was surprisingly dirty in there! But I got it clean in the end.When that was done, I set up to de-ghost the pipe. I put some cotton balls into the bowl and the shank and soaked them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let that sit overnight so that any remaining smells and/or filth would leach out into the cotton. I also scrubbed the insides with some soap and tube brushes. It was beautifully clean after that!The stummel was in very nice shape, although the rim did have some lava on it, as previously mentioned. I used a piece of machine metal to ever-so-gently scrape off as much of this as I could so as to avoid damaging the rim. This worked perfectly. A good amount of debris came off, which was nice to see.

I then used some lightly diluted Murphy’s to clean the whole stummel. This removed any external dirt and oils, and it was much improved.I then took my restoration balm, rubbed it in the wood and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This balm is fantastic stuff and does wonderful things to nourish the wood. After letting it sit, I used a microfibre cloth and buffed it. Off to the bench polisher to put the final touches on this pipe. I first gave it a thorough (but light-handed) going-over with White Diamond compound. Following that, several coats of carnauba wax created a beautiful, glossy seal on the pipe.

All done! This Bewlay Popular 510 billiard looks fantastic and is ready to be enjoyed again by the next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! As I mentioned before, it comes with its original branded pipe sock. 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 5⅔ in. (143 mm); height 1¾ in. (45 mm); bowl diameter 1¼ in. (32 mm); chamber diameter ⅔ in. (18 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1 oz. (30 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.

Another Danish Beauty Designed by Sixten Ivarsson

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by Kenneth Lieblich

This wonderful pipe is a Danish Sovereign 64 Freehand with a smooth finish, a plateau rim and a stylized saddle stem. The more I look at this pipe, the more I like it. It is a short and stocky pipe (like an MMA fighter) and it feels strong and rugged (also like an MMA fighter). It feels wonderful in the hand and was clearly a much-loved pipe. It came from the same collection of pipes, here in Vancouver, that my recently restored freehand canted egg came from. Let’s look at the pipe’s markings. On the left side of the shank are the words Danish [over] Sovereign. On the right side of the shank is the number 64 – that’ll be the shape number. On the underside of the shank are the words Made in Denmark. On the left side of the stem are three letters: XXX. These are used to designate Danish Sovereign, specifically. I’m not sure why – there doesn’t appear to be anything smutty about these pipes. Sorry – dad joke. From previous restorations, I learned that ‘Danish Sovereign’ is a sub-brand of the esteemed Danish pipemaker, Stanwell. Pipephil lists Danish Sovereign as such, and also mentions that this brand was marketed specifically for North America.Pipedia equivocates a bit about Danish Sovereign. They list the company under its own name and that the pipes “appear to be Stanwell seconds”. However, the Stanwell page lists it clearly as one of their brands. Pipedia has a good amount of information on the Stanwell brand and its history. I certainly recommend looking it over: https://pipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell.

With the number 64 on the shank, I went to check the list of Stanwell shapes, here on Rebornpipes, and I found a match. Shape 64(a) is listed as “Freehand, Plateau top, saddle mouthpiece, by Sixten Ivarsson”. To further confirm this, here is a page from an old 80s Stanwell catalogue which clearly shows the same shape of pipe with the matching shape number.Anyway, this really is a good-looking pipe. Just a few issues to resolve. The stem was oxidized and calcified, and had some small bite marks. The plateau rim on the stummel was a bit encrusted with lava, but not too bad. The insides were fairly dirty and would need some work to clean out. The main issue with the stummel, however, is a strange mottling of the stain. The last of this series of photos shows an example of the ruined finish. The stem was first on my list. I wiped down the outside of the stem with oil soap on some cotton pads. I also took a BIC lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame in order to lift the bite marks and dents. Unfortunately, this didn’t really work, but I have ways of sorting this out. Then, I cleaned out the insides of the stem with pipe cleaners and 99% isopropyl alcohol.Once this process was done, I used some cleanser and cotton pads to wipe down the stem before throwing it in the pipe stem oxidation remover overnight. The following day, I cleaned all of the de-oxidizing mess and again scrubbed with the cleanser on some cotton pads to remove the leftover oxidation. This worked well.I used some nail polish to restore the letters XXX on the stem. I painted the area carefully and let it fully set before proceeding.Before I moved on to the Micromesh pads, I built up the dents on the stem with cyanoacrylate adhesive and let them fully cure (forgot to photograph this). I sanded the adhesive down with my needle files to meld seamlessly into the stem. I then used all nine Micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to bring out the lovely black lustre on the stem. I also used Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil in between each pad scrubbing, from 3,600 on.On to the stummel, and the usual cleaning procedures were in order for this pipe. I used both the KleenReem and some 220-grit sandpaper taped to a dowel to remove the built-up cake and take the bowl down to bare briar. I wanted to ensure there were no hidden flaws in the walls of the bowl. Fortunately, there were none.I then proceeded to clean out the insides of the shank with cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, and 99% isopropyl alcohol. There was some filth inside this stummel, but it wasn’t too bad. I followed that up by cleaning the insides with some dish soap and tube brushes.I then moved on to cleaning the outside of the stummel with oil soap, some cotton pads, a toothbrush, and a wire brush. That removed any latent dirt. However, it didn’t remove the odd, mottled stain. That needed to be sorted out straight away.In order to remove the existing mess, I opted to begin with my grey sanding pads. Those greys start out with more aggression than my Micromesh pads. That aggression was necessary to strip the wood down. I gave the wood a thorough going-over before shifting to the usual Micromesh pads. I was satisfied, as the wood came out smooth, clean, and pale. Now what? Here’s the plan. The grain in this briar was so attractive, that I wanted to make a special effort to emphasize it. I took some black leather dye and coated the stummel with it (excluding the plateau). After applying the dye, flaming it, and letting it set, I wiped those areas down with isopropyl alcohol to remove most of the dye. The goal here was to accentuate the grain with only residual amounts of black dye.The next step was to bring back the lovely rich colour that was always supposed to be there. In similar fashion, I coated everything – bar the plateau – with some light brown dye. Again, after flaming and setting, I wiped everything down with isopropyl alcohol on cotton rounds. I was so pleased with the results – the pipe looks absolutely fantastic.Naturally, I then applied the Before & After Restoration Balm to the stummel and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. There is some beautiful wood on this Danish pipe and I mimed a chef’s kiss in approval. Then it was off for a trip to the bench polisher. I buffed with gusto by applying the finishing touches of white diamond compound and carnauba wax. I had to be especially careful with the bench polisher, since the plateau edge had a tendency to catch on the buffing wheels.

This Danish Sovereign 64 Freehand was a delight from the start and its beauty only increased through the restoration process. 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 ‘Danish’ 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 Stanwell are as follows: length 4⅞ in. (124 mm); height 2 in. (50 mm); bowl diameter 1⅔ in. (42 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅞ oz. (55 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this 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.