Tag Archives: Malaga Maker George Khoubesser

Restoring a Lovely “Malaga” Custom Carved Bent Brandy Sitter

by Steve Laug

In a recent box of pipes I received from Jeff were several Malaga Pipes to work on. The one on the table now is an interesting Malaga I would call a Brandy Sitter. It has a rope like rustication pattern on the left side of the bowl and the rest is smooth with a flat bottom. We purchased it on 03/20/25 off eBay from a seller in Howell, Michigan, USA. The grain on the smooth portions of this pipe is also quite nice. The rustication on the left side of the bowl is another pattern of rustication that I have never seen before on the Malaga pipes that I have worked on. The pipe was obviously another favourite of the previous pipeman. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and read “MALAGA” and on the right side of the shank it was stamped Custom Carved. The finish was dirty and worn. There were tars and oils ground into the surface of the briar. The bowl had a thick cake that flowed over the top of the rim top with some thick lava. It was hard to clearly assess the damage to the inner edge. The condition of the rim edge and top would become clear in the cleaning process. The vulcanite taper stem was oxidized, calcified and there was chatter and tooth marks on the top and the underside of the stem ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipes before he started his clean up work. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and lava on the rim top and edges. The pipe was a dirty one but still a beauty. The vulcanite taper stem is very oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside of the stem ahead of the button. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show the interesting rope like rustication and the birdseye smooth grain on the left side. The briar is quite nice all around the pipe. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out on the bowl and shank. The heel is flattened. Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the shank. It read “MALAGA” and is clear as noted above. Jeff did captured the stamping on the right side reading Custom Carved. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual procedure. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime from around the bowl sides. It looked better, even the darkened rim top and edges were improved. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The stem looked much better and the light tooth marks on both sides were still visible and would need a little work. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was better than when it started. There was some darkening around the bowl edges and top. The stem looked better, though there were light tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the shank to show that the clean up had not damaged it at all. It looked good. It was faint in spots but still readable. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth and sanded the smooth portions of the bowl with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. The finish began to have a rich shine. The work on the rim top made it certainly look better. The briar and the bowl looked very good. I polished the bowl sides and the smooth rim top with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to be beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I worked it into the rustication on the left side with a shoe brush to get deep in the grooves. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I sanded the stem with the 2 inch square 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped down the stem after each sanding pad. I was able to remove the tooth marks and chatter on both sides with the pads. The stem looked very good.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the reshaped bowl of this “MALAGA” Custom Carved Bent Brandy Sitter and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. The grain popped and the depth of the rope rustication was stunning. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is beautiful smooth finished “MALAGA” Custom Carved Bent Brandy Sitter and rusticated patch combine with the vulcanite taper stem to give the pipe a great look. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.15 ounces/60 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

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

A Unique and Beautiful Sandblast Malaga Second on the work table now

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the table is an interesting Malaga Second Sandblast Dublin. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 08/22/2024 from a seller in Harrison Township, Michigan, USA. The grain on this pipe is quite nice beneath the oil cured finish. The pipe is stamped on the right side of the shank and reads Malaga [over] Second. It is a nice one in terms of the well-done ½ Bent Dublin. The bowl and shank were in good condition. The finish was in good condition though dirty with dust in the depths of the sandblast. The bowl had a thick cake that over flowed over the top of the sandblast rim in a lava coat. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl appeared to be in good condition under the grime. The saddle stem was vulcanite and was lightly oxidized and calcified. There were tooth marks and chatter on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his clean up work. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and lava coat in the sandblast on the rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim was caked and lava coated but seemed to be okay underneath. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. The vulcanite saddle stem was lightly oxidized, calcified and had some tooth marks and chatter on both side against the button. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show how the sandblast has followed the grain around the bowl and shank. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out on the smooth panels on the sides of the bowl and underside of the shank. Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the right side of the shank and it is clear and readable as noted above. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual process. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He cleaned up the stem with Soft Scrub to remove the oxidation and the calcification on the surface. He cleaned out airway in the stem with pipe cleaners and alcohol. It looked clean. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the bowl, rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was clean and the inner and outer edges of the bowl showed no burn damage. The stem looked better and the tooth marks are very visible on both sides ahead of the button. There was also a hairline crack in the topside of the stem mid blade.I took a photo of the stamping on the top side of the shank to show that it was clean and faint in spots but still readable as noted above. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. The condition of the bowl was excellent after the cleanup. The only thing that look like it needed work were the smooth patches on the sides and underside of the shank. They showed sanding marks and scratching. I would need to smooth out the marks and polish the smooth portions. I used 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to smooth them out. It looked much better. I polished them further with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded with each pad and wiped the smooth spots down with a damp cloth to remove and sanding debris. While not flawless it looked much better. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the finished bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I examined it and found that the blade was cracked at the bend. It would need to be replaced. To replace the stem I need to find one that would work. I went through my stems and found one that look workable. It was a little larger in diameter at the saddle than the broken one but with some work it would fit well. I reduced the diameter of the tenon and the diameter of the saddle portions with a Dremel and a sanding drum. I needed to sand out the sanding marks and make the fit smooth to the shank and mortise. I took a photo of the fit of the stem at this point. It needed more sanding to get a smooth transition with the shank but it looked quite good. I set the bowl aside and worked on the tooth marks on the stem. I “painted” them with the flame of a lighter to lift them. They came up a bit and I filled in what remained with the extra strength rubberized Black CA glue. Once the repairs cured I flattened them out and redefined the button edge with small flat files. I sanded them smooth with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I sanded the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the new stem back on the Malaga Second Sandblast Dublin and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Malaga Second Sandblast Dublin and the vulcanite saddle stem and smooth patches in the sandblast finish combine to give the pipe a great look. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 2 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¾ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.26 ounces/64 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

New Life for a Malaga Long Oval Shank Volcano Sitter

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the table is an interesting long oval shank Malaga Volcano. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 11/04/2025 from a seller in Orlando, Florida, USA. The grain on this pipe is nice beneath the oil finish stain. But what makes it different is that the pipe is etched with lines breaking up the bowl sides and long shank into various quadrants. The rim top and heel of the bowl were smooth. The pipe is stamped on the top side of the shank and reads “MALAGA”. It is a unique one in terms of the shape and the etching style rustication. The bowl and shank were in excellent condition. The finish was in good condition with no damage. The bowl was clean with some darkening on the bowl walls and also some raw briar. It was a lightly smoked pipe and other than dirty was quite clean. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl looked very good. The taper stem was vulcanite and was lightly oxidized. There were light tooth marks on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his clean up work. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show clean bowl and rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim looked good. The grain on the rim top is quite nice. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. The vulcanite stem was lightly oxidized and had light tooth marks and some chatter on the top and underside of the stem. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show some stunning and unique grain and etching rustication around bowl and shank. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out. Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the topside and it is clear and readable as noted above. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual process. He cleaned up the bowl with a PipNet pipe reamer and a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the stem with Soft Scrub to remove oxidation and cleaned the inside with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water when he removed it. It looked quite good. The photos below show it well. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff cleaned up the grime and debris in the briar and rustication. The rim top was clean as were the inner and outer edges of the bowl. The stem looked better and the light tooth marks are visible on both sides.I took a photo of the stamping on the topside of the shank to show that it was clear and readable. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like.It was time to start my work on the pipe. I sanded the scratches and marks on the rim and bowl sides with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped it down after each pad with a damp cloth. It really began to shine. I polished the bowl sides and shank with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to be beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I sanded the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the “Malaga” Etched Oval Shank Volcano Sitter and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful “Malaga” Etched Volcano Sitter and the hard rubber taper stem and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. I honestly have no idea why it is labeled a second as there are no fills or flaws in the briar. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 ¼ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.66 ounces/47- grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Restoring a Unique and Beautiful Malaga Freehand

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by Steve Laug

In the latest box of pipes, I received from Jeff was a large Malaga Freehand Pipe that came in a Malaga stamped cream coloured pipe sock. It is a smooth finished horn shape with a plateau rim top and shank end. We purchased it on 05/30/2025 from an online auction in Capac/Mussey, Michigan, USA. The grain on the bowl and shank is beautiful. It was obviously another favourite of the previous pipeman. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and read MALAGA that is filled in with gold. The finish was dirty and there were some fading at the bowl top and shank end. The bowl was quite clean and there was no lava on the rim top or cake in the bowl. The plateau rim top and shank end are in excellent condition with some darkening on the rim top. The variegated orange/red acrylic fancy saddle stem was in great condition with some light chatter and tooth marks on the top and the underside of the stem ahead of the button. Interestingly the tenon is white Delrin and could be a replacement but I am not sure of that. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his work on it. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the lack of cake and lava on the rim top and edges. It is a very clean looking bowl. The rim top shows darkening but it may actually be the original contrast stain of the plateau as the shank end plateau is the same. The finish looked good and I think it is a beauty. The fancy acrylic saddle stem had very light chatter on the top and underside of the stem ahead of the button. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show the fading at the top of the bowl sides and shank end. The briar is quite nice all around the pipe. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out on the bowl and shank. Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the shank. It was clear and read as noted above – MALAGA. The stamp has some gold in the stamp. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

I am including a link to some printed material on the Malaga brand that came to me from the daughter of George Koch (we purchased George’s pipes from his daughter) to help identify the particular stamping on the pipe. The link takes you to the entire collection of materials that were sent to me (https://rebornpipes.com/2019/02/27/malaga-pipes-catalogue-of-pipes-and-tobaccos/).

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual procedure. He reamed the light debris in the pipe with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime from around the bowl sides. It looked better but the rim top and inner edge was darkened. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The stem looked good and the light tooth marks on both sides were still visible and would need a little work. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the darkening on the rim that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top and edges looked very good and the plateau was very clean. The stem looked better, though there were some light tooth marks and chatter on both sides ahead of the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the shank to show that the clean up had not damaged it at all. The gold colour in it was faint but still present. It will need to be touched up. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. Now to work on the pipe. I wiped the bowl down with a cotton pad and some isopropyl alcohol to try and even out the stain coat. I sanded the bowl with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to remove the surface scratches in the finish. I carefully avoided the stamping so as not to damage it. The briar began to have a rich shine and the stain on the bowl looked very good. I touched up the plateau on the rim top and shank end with a black stain pen. Now both plateau ends match.I touched up the gold stamp in the Malaga stamp on the left side with some Rub’n Buff Antique Gold. I worked it into the stamping with a tooth pick and then buffed off the excess with a soft cloth. It looks good! I polished the bowl sides and the smooth rim top with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down after each pad. It really began to be beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I worked it into the plateau on the rim top and shank end with a shoe brush to get deep in the valleys. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I sanded the stem with the 2 inch square 320-3500 grit sanding pads to remove the light tooth chatter and marks in the acrylic. I wiped down the stem after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I was able to remove the marks and the stem looked very good.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a final wiped down with the cloth and set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Large MALAGA Freehand Horn and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is beautiful smooth finished MALAGA Freehand Horn and the fancy acrylic saddle stem combine to give the pipe a great look. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 7 ½ inches, Height: 2 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¾ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.15 ounces/60 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Breathing Life into a Malaga Second Zulu

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by Steve Laug

For the next little while I am working on some Malaga Pipes. I have several in queue to work on so I tend to pick them by what catches my eye. The next pipe on the table is an interesting “Malaga” Second Zulu. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 10/06/2025 from a seller in Willis, Texas, USA. The grain on this pipe is quite nice beneath the oil cured finish. The pipe is stamped on the topside of the shank and reads Malaga [over] Second. It is a nice one in terms of the well-done ¼ Bent Zulu. The bowl and shank were in excellent condition. The finish was in good condition though dirty. There were a few sandpits in the finish on the bowl sides. The bowl had a thick cake that over flowed over the top of the crowned rim in a lava coat. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl appeared to be in good condition under the grime. The taper stem appeared to be either vulcanite or hard rubber and was lightly oxidized and calcified. There were deep tooth marks and some flattened areas on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his clean up work. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and light lava coat on the rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim showed some darkening and had some cake on it. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. It had the flaws or sand pits that would help explain why it was a second. The hard rubber stem was lightly oxidized, calcified and had some deep tooth marks and flattened areas against the button. It was almost like the stem had been modified to make it a dental style bit. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show some stunning and unique grain on the smooth bowl and shank. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out. Jeff took photos of the stamping on the left and right side of the shank and it is clear and readable as noted above. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual process. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was clean and the inner and outer edges of the bowl showed darkening and burn damage. The stem looked better and the tooth marks are very visible on both sides ahead of the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the top side of the shank to show that it was clean and faint in spots but still readable as noted above. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. It was time to start my work on the pipe. I worked on the damage and darkening on the inner edge of the rim and top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. It looked better once I finished. I sanded the scratches and marks on the rim and bowl sides with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped it down after each pad with a damp cloth. It really began to shine. I polished the bowl sides and shank with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to look beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I worked it into the twin rings around the rim cap with a shoe brush. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the finished bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I filled in the deep tooth marks on the top and the underside of the stem with a black rubberized CA glue. Once it cured I shaped it with small files and then sanded the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend it into the vulcanite. I sanded the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Malaga Second Zulu and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Malaga Second Zulu and the hard rubber taper stem and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. There are flaws and sand pits in the briar that made it a second. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 3/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.16 ounces/33 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

New Life for a “Malaga” Rhodesian Oval Shank Rhodesian with a Taper Stem

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by Steve Laug

For the next little while I am working on some Malaga Pipes. I have several in queue to work on so I tend to pick them by what catches my eye. The next pipe on the table is an interesting “Malaga” Imported Briar ¼ Bent Rhodesian. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 09/14/2025 from a seller in Carleton, Michigan, USA. The grain on this pipe is very stunning beneath the oil cured finish. The pipe is stamped on the topside of the shank and reads “Malaga”. It is a nice one in terms of the well-done ¼ Bent Rhodesian. The bowl and shank were in excellent condition. The finish was in good condition though dirty. The bowl had a thick cake that over flowed over the top of the crowned rim in a lava coat. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl appeared to be in good condition under the grime. The taper stem appeared to be either vulcanite or hard rubber and was lightly oxidized and calcified. There were deep tooth marks on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his clean up work. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and a heavy lava coat on the crowned rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim showed some darkening and had some cake on it. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. The hard rubber stem was lightly oxidized, calcified and had some deep tooth marks and some chatter on the top and underside of the stem. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show some stunning and unique grain on the smooth bowl and shank. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out. Jeff took photos of the stamping on the left and right side of the shank and it is clear and readable as noted above. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual process. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The shank had an inset to take in the tenon and the end of the stem so I would need to fit a stem to sit in the shank. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was clean as were the inner and outer edges of the bowl. The stem looked better and the tooth marks are very light on both sides.I took a photo of the stamping on the top side of the shank to show that it was clean and faint in spots but still readable as noted above. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. It was time to start my work on the pipe. I sanded the scratches and marks on the rim and bowl sides with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped it down after each pad with a damp cloth. It really began to shine. I polished the bowl sides and shank with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to look beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I worked it into the twin rings around the rim cap with a shoe brush. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the finished bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I filled in the deep tooth marks on the top and the underside of the stem with a black rubberized CA glue. Once it cured I shaped it with small files and then sanded the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend it into the vulcanite. I sanded the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the “Malaga” ¼ Bent Rhodesian and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful “Malaga” ¼ Bent Rhodesian and the hard rubber taper stem and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. I honestly have no idea why it is labeled a second as there are no fills or flaws in the briar. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¾ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.34 ounces/38 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Another Beautiful “Malaga” Imported Briar Bent Billiard

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by Steve Laug

For the next little while I am working on some Malaga Pipes. I have several in queue to work on so I tend to pick them by what catches my eye. The next pipe on the table is an interesting “Malaga” Imported Briar Bent Billiard. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 09/14/2025 from a seller in Carleton, Michigan, USA. The grain on this pipe is very stunning beneath the oil cured finish. The pipe is stamped on the left side of the shank and reads “Malaga”. It is stamped on the right side and reads Imported Briar. It is a nice one in terms of the well-done Bent Billiard. The bowl and shank were in excellent condition. The finish was in good condition though dirty. The bowl had a thick cake that over flowed over the top of the crowned rim in a lava coat. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl appeared to be in good condition. The taper stem appeared to be either vulcanite or hard rubber and was lightly oxidized. There were light tooth marks on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe and the box that it came in before he started his clean up work. Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and lava spots on the crowned rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim showed some darkening and had some cake on it. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. The hard rubber stem was lightly oxidized and had some light tooth marks and some chatter on the top and underside of the stem. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show some stunning and unique grain on the smooth bowl and shank. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out. Jeff took photos of the stamping on the left and right side of the shank and it is clear and readable as noted above. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual process. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The shank had an inset to take in the tenon and the end of the stem so I would need to fit a stem to sit in the shank. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was clean as were the inner and outer edges of the bowl. The stem looked better and the tooth marks are very light on both sides.I took photos of the stamping on the left and right sides of the shank to show that it was clean and readable as noted above. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. It was time to start my work on the pipe. I sanded the scratches and marks on the rim and bowl sides with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped it down after each pad with a damp cloth. It really began to shine. I polished the bowl sides and shank with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to be beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the finished bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I sanded the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the “Malaga” Imported Briar Bent Billiard and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful “Malaga” Imported Briar Bent Billiard and the hard rubber taper stem and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. I honestly have no idea why it is labeled a second as there are no fills or flaws in the briar. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.06 ounces/30 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

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

Another Rebirthing, this time a Malaga 155 Crowned Rim Pot

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by Steve Laug

For the next little while I am working on some Malaga Pipes. I have several in queue to work on so I tend to pick them by what catches my eye. The next pipe on the table is an interesting Crowned Rim Malaga 155 Pot. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 11/04/2025 from a seller in Orlando, Florida, USA. The pipe came in a box and had the original tissue wrapping but no sock. The grain on this pipe is very stunning beneath the oil finish stain. The pipe is stamped (faint in spots) on the left side of the shank and reads Malaga [over] Imported Briar and on the underside, it is stamped with the number 155 which I believe is the shape number. It is a unique one in terms of the well-done crowned rim top. The bowl and shank were in excellent condition. The finish was in good condition though dirty. The bowl had a cake that flowed over the top of the crowned rim in a spotty lava coat. The cake in the bowl appeared to also have some unfinished dottle. It was hard to fully assess the condition of the inner edge. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl looked very good. The taper stem appeared to be either vulcanite or hard rubber and was lightly oxidized. There were tooth marks on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe and the box that it came in before he started his clean up work. I took it out of the box and took photos. You can see the oils and grime int the finish around the bowl sides and the smooth surface on the crowned rim top and part of the shank. It was a unique and beautiful Crowned Pot shaped pipe.Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and lava spots on the crowned rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim showed some darkening and had some cake on it. The grain on the rim top is quite stunning. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. The hard rubber stem was lightly oxidized and had some deep tooth marks and some chatter on the top and underside of the stem. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show some stunning and unique grain on the smooth bowl and shank. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out. Jeff took photos of the stamping on the left side and it is faint but readable as noted above. The stamping on the underside of the shank shows the shape number. It faint but still readable.For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual process. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The shank had an inset to take in the tenon and the end of the stem so I would need to fit a stem to sit in the shank. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was clean as were the inner and outer edges of the bowl. The stem looked better and the tooth marks are visible on both sides.I took photos of the stamping on the left and under side of the shank to show that it was still faint but readable. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. It was time to start my work on the pipe. I sanded the scratches and marks on the rim and bowl sides with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped it down after each pad with a damp cloth. It really began to shine. I polished the bowl sides and shank with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to be beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the finished bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I filled in the deep tooth marks on both sides with black CA glue. Once it cured, I flattened the repairs with small flat files. I sanded the surface with 220 grit sandpaper to further blend it in. It looks good. I sanded the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Malaga Beautiful Crowned Rim 155 Pot and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Malaga Crowned Rim Top Pot and the hard rubber taper stem and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. I honestly have no idea why it is labeled a second as there are no fills or flaws in the briar. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.06 ounces/30 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

Restoring a Rare and Beautiful Rusticated Dark Malaga Raskassa Apple

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by Steve Laug

For the next little while I am working on some Malaga Pipes. I have several in queue to work on so I tend to pick them by what catches my eye. The next pipe on the table is an interesting Rusticated Malaga Raskassa Apple. Jeff saw it on eBay and purchased it on 11/04/2025 from a seller in Orlando, Florida, USA. The pipe came in a box and included a pipe sock. The grain on this pipe is very stunning beneath a dark stain and some rustication around the bowl and shank. The pipe is stamped on the left side of the shank and reads RASKASSA. It is a unique one in terms of a RASKASSA as all the rest of them I have worked on have been smooth and with beautiful grain. The bowl and shank were in excellent condition. The finish was in good condition though dirty. The bowl had a very thick cake that flowed over the top of the crowned rim in a spotty lava coat. The cake in the bowl was moderate up to the top of the rim. It was hard to fully assess the condition of the inner edge. The rim top and inner edge of the bowl looked very good. The taper stem appeared to be either vulcanite or hard rubber and was lightly oxidized. There were no tooth marks on the top and the underside ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the pipe and the box that it came in before he started his clean up work.I took it out of the box and took photos. You can see the dust in the rusticated patterns around the bowl sides and the smooth surface on the crowned rim top and part of the shank. It was a unique and beautiful apple shaped pipe.Jeff took photos of the rim and bowl to show the cake and lava spots on the crowned rim top and edges. The inner edge of the rim showed some darkening and had some cake on it. The grain on the rim top is quite stunning. It was a dirty pipe but still a beauty. The hard rubber stem was slightly oxidized and there were no tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside of the stem. The photos of the sides and heel of the bowl show some stunning and unique grain on the smooth portions of the bowl among the rustication around the pipe. The oil curing/finish makes the grain really stand out on the bowl and shank. Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the left side it read Raskassa as noted above. It was clear and readable.For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, I am also including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/. That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. If you are interested to learn more then I invite you to follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

I am also am including a link to some printed material on the Malaga brand that came to me from the daughter of George Koch (we purchased George’s pipes from his daughter) to help identify the particular stamping on the pipe. The link takes you to the entire collection of materials that were sent to me. I have included a screen capture of one particular page that helps identify the RAS KASSA stamping on the pipe (https://rebornpipes.com/2019/02/27/malaga-pipes-catalogue-of-pipes-and-tobaccos/).I have enclosed the section on the brand in a red box in the picture above. To summarize, it basically says that the stamping is applied to pipes with special rare grain patterns in the briar. These appear to be straight grain, birdseye, swirled grains etc. that are tight patterns. They are rare – 1 or 2 in every hundred pipes. This pipe is one of those. You can read the description in the detailed explanation below.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe using his usual procedure. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The shank had an inset to take in the tenon and the end of the stem so I would need to fit a stem to sit in the shank. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. I took a photo of the rim top and the stem to show their condition. Jeff was able to clean up the cake and the lava overflow that was shown in the rim and bowl photos above. The rim top was clean as was the inner and outer edges of the bowl. The stem looked better, though there was still some oxidation.I took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the shank to show that it was readable and undamaged by the cleanup work. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of what the pipe looks like. It was time to start my work on the pipe. I started with the rim top and edges of the bowl. I polished the smooth rim top and the patches on the bowl sides with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit micromesh pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. It really began to be beautiful. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the finished bowl aside and we back to the stem. I started the polishing of the stem with 2 x 2 inch sanding pads – dry sanding with 320-3500 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I did a final hand polish of the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I put the stem back on the Malaga Beautifully Mixed Finish Raskassa Apple and took it to the buffer. I buffed the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish the briar and the vulcanite. Blue Diamond does a great job on the smaller scratches that remain in both. I gave the bowl and the stem several coats of carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. I am amazed at how well it turned out. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. This is a beautiful Malaga Rusticated Raskassa Apple and the hard rubber taper stem and smooth finish combine to give the pipe a great look. I honestly have no idea why it is labeled a second as there are no fills or flaws in the briar. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.27 ounces/37 grams. This is another pipe that I will be putting on the rebornpipes online store in the American Pipe Makers and Pipemaking Companies Section shortly, if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me on this beauty!

New Life for a Malaga Second Diamond Shank bent billiard with a saddle stem

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the table is a “Malaga” Second pipe that Jeff picked up from eBay early on 08/22/2024 from a seller in Harrison Township, Michigan, USA. It is an interesting looking octagonal Panel Billiard with a square shank. It has the classic Malaga oil cured finish and some great looking grain around the bowl and shank. There are some sand pits on the sides of the bowl which are the only flaws I can see. The pipe is stamped on left side of the shank and reads MALAGA [over] Second. The carver did a great job of carving the pipe to capture the grain around the bowl and the diamond shank. The bowl had a heavy cake with an overflow of lava on the crowned rim top. The sides of the bowl and shank are very dirty with grime and oils ground into the finish from prolonged use. The vulcanite saddle stem was heavily oxidized and calcified. It had tooth dents and chatter on the top and the underside of the stem. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started the cleanup work. With some work it will be a real beauty. I looked forward to seeing it in person. Jeff took a close up photo of the bowl and rim to capture the condition of the pipe before he started the cleanup work. The bowl has a thick cake and the uneven overflow of lava on the rim top is quite thick all the way around. The inside edge of the rim could be damaged but it quite hidden under the lava coat. The stem is deeply oxidized, calcified and dirty and there is tooth chatter and marks on both sides of the stem ahead of the button. Jeff took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to give a picture of what the briar looked like. There is some nice grain around the sides. You can also see the damage to the rim edges and the heel of the bowl in the photos below. He took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the diamond shank. It read as noted above. It is clear and readable.I am including the link to a blog that I wrote that gives some of the history of the Malaga brand and the Malaga Pipe Shop in Royal Oak, Michigan in the USA. I have written an earlier blog to give a little history of the Malaga Brand and the pipemaker, George Khoubesser. Here is the link – https://rebornpipes.com/tag/malaga-pipes/.That blog also includes links to a catalogue and the history of the pipemaker George Khoubesser. Follow the link to get a feel for the brand and the pipemaker.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer and removed the rest of it with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the bowl with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap with a tooth brush. He rinsed it under running warm water to remove the soap and grime. He cleaned out the inside of the shank and the airway in the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs, shank brushes and pipe cleaners. He soaked the stem in Briarvilles Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. I took photos of the pipe once I received it. The rim top cleaned up really well. The rim top and outer edge of the bowl show some darkening over most of the surface. There is damage to the inner edge of the bowl and bowl is out of round. The stem surface looked very good with tooth marks and chatter on the top side and the underside near the button.The stamping on the top left side of the diamond shank is clear and readable. It reads as noted above. I removed the saddle stem and took a photo of the pipe to give a sense of the whole. I heated the stem with the flame of a lighter and gave a more dramatic bend to follow the flow of the curves of the briar.I sanded the bowl sides and rim top with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. It began to look very good. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiping it down after each pad with a damp cloth. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the surface of the bowl sides and shank with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 10-15 minutes and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The grain came alive and the finish looked rich. I set aside the bowl and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a Bic lighter to lift them as much as possible. I did the lifting of the marks at the same time I heated the stem to bend it. I filled in the remaining tooth dents and marks with rubberized Black CA Glue and set it aside for the repairs to cure. Once they cured I flattened them with small files. I cleaned up the repaired areas with 220 sandpaper to blend the repairs into the surface of the stem. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit 2 x 2 inch sanding pads and wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad to remove the sanding debris. The stem began to take on a rich shine.I polished the vulcanite stem with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This Malaga Second Diamond Shank Bent Billiard with a vulcanite saddle stem turned out to be a real beauty. The carver really maximized the grain with the shape of the pipe. I polished stem and the bowl with Blue Diamond polish on the buffing wheel and the finish just popped and came alive. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The pipe polished up pretty nicely. The pipe took on life with the buffing. The rich oil cured colour works well with the polished black vulcanite stem. The finished Malaga Second Bent Billiard has a rich look that is quite catching. Have a look at it with the photos below. The shape, finish and flow of the pipe and stem are very well done. The dimensions are Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe was 44 grams/1.48 ounces. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store shortly. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. There are many more to come!