Tag Archives: Peretti Pipes

Repairing (again!) a Son’s Gift – an L. J. Peretti Stem Splice

Blog by Dal Stanton

We all have favorite ‘friends’ in our specially chosen, first string rotation of pipes that are ready when we call upon them. For me, each of these pipes have names and associations with my life – memories of a person or a special event or both – that is stirred to life when I grab that pipe off the rack and spend time, usually packed with my favorite blend, Lane BCA. In several blogs I have referenced my attraction to L. J. Peretti pipes of Boston – I’ve started a collection of Perettis and I have found they are hearty pipes and good smokers. My fascination with Perettis started with a Christmas gift from my son, Josiah, a few years back in Denver. He found this wounded warrior in the Armadillo Antique Mall in Denver and I found it under the Christmas tree with Josiah’s confidence that I could mend his wounded pride and broken stem!This hearty L. J. Peretti Square Shank Billiard became my first experience in the art of stem splicing. I learned a lot and was proud when I published the write up of this achievement: A Christmas Gift in need of a stem splice – L J Peretti Squared Shank Billiard. Josiah’s gift started my appreciation for Peretti pipes in Denver. I have enjoyed this pipe and he was joined serendipitously by another Peretti, another square shank, but a Rhodesian (See: LINK for write up). Jon, a friend and colleague working in Ukraine, gave me my second Peretti! These two, together, I call the Peretti brothers.As life unfolds, things happen. I was back in Denver from Bulgaria last February for the births of two brand new beautiful granddaughters and had grabbed the Peretti Brother Billiard and was heading up the stairs to go outside to enjoy a bowl and the view of the Rocky Mountains, when I fell (going up the stairs!) and the stem splice that had served faithfully was overcome by the impact of my body coming down on it. The stem broke at the end of the ‘shelf’ created for gluing. You can see this on the next picture. I lost the remainder of the stem in the flight back to Bulgaria, but it wouldn’t have mattered because there wasn’t enough left of it to repair. The picture below shows the remainder of the original cannibalized stem’s fashioned shelf remaining on the Peretti saddle stem – the junction line shows up in the shine on the stem. I decided to do a write up simply of this repair, but I have an alternative motivation too. My wife and I are leaving soon for the Black Sea coast for our annual R&R and I wanted to repair the Peretti Brother to take with me to the beach! So, I took pictures of the repair process but am now doing the write-up on the beach, looking out over the Black Sea!Starting the repair, I find an adequate donor stem to cannibalize for the replacement. I measure it and cut it with adequate length so that the cut is at the old seam that you see in the picture above. I make the measurement then, using a flat needle file as a saw, I make the cut after placing the stem in a vice in such a way that I can use the edge of the vice as a guide during the cut. In this way, I hope that the cut is straight and perpendicular to the stem!There is a little vulcanite spur left that I clean off easily with the file.Lining the donor stem up with the remaining original stem looks like the right length for a balanced feel and look.Next, carefully I cut an upper groove on the original stem essentially in the same place as the first shelf was, thus removing the old donor remnants.I use the tapered pieces of a clothespin to wedge the square shank saddle in the vice safely and securely. I want the saddle stabilized in a horizontal plane for the filing/cutting process. I also line up the old seam with the edge of the vice so that the vice’s edge helps as a guide. I’m aiming for a cut that is perpendicular to the stem’s length as I create a new groove using the flat needle file. Patience is my best friend in this process. The pictures show the progress. As I draw close to the airway, my goal is to stop when the airway is exposed halfway while keeping the horizontal shelf and the inside vertical edge of the shelf at right angles.Satisfied that I’ve gone far enough, I trim off the end of the lower shelf – as close to right angles as possible! I think it’s looking good. I eyeball the progress. The truth is that not all stems are drilled with holes in the exact middle. To get an idea of the best alignment of the new donor stem with the original, I put a pipe cleaner through both. I flip the donor stem eyeballing the alignment to see if one position is better than the other. The most important alignment consideration is the airway. The external stem can be cosmetically improved, but a blocked airway cannot be easily removed. When one doesn’t have precision tools, which for the most part I don’t, one lives with the value of improvisation. To cut the shelf in the donor stem now, I mount the donor stem in the vice and again, using the angled pieces of a clothespin, I fashion a stable filing platform! I file conservatively. That is, not to go for an exact measurement but leaving some excess stem to file down gradually, working up to a good fit. I use the width of the flat needle file as the measure for the length of the shelf which leaves me a little ‘fat’ to work with. The challenge will be keeping the shelf that is fashioned as much of a right angle as possible or, the two, shelf butt ends to be parallel! As before, I use the side of the vice as a guide to keep the new edge straight. I take pictures of the filing progress. At this point, after eyeballing the progress, I realize that as I’m filing the shelf, it is not horizontal but sloping downward toward the end of the shelf. To address this, I use the short edge of the flat needle file and saw a straight line to open the airway. In doing this, I now I have a built-in level – the top of the airway. I continue to file the shelf to reveal uniformly the airway and this should be close to being level – I hope! The progress is shown. At this point, I test the alignment even though there’s a long way to go on the donor stem. To test, I put a pipe cleaner through the airway in both pieces. The airway must line up in the finished repair.After more filing, another test. Closer.As I file and test, I realize that the lower shelf extension on the original Peretti stem was still a bit fat, so more vulcanite is filed off. The challenge is not taking off too much because it can’t be replaced easily!In time, another test – getting there. You can see the pipe cleaner creating the alignment axis through the two pieces. The gap that is showing on the top I address by taking off more vulcanite from the donor stem (second picture), after flipping over I file the vertical edge ‘back’. This will close the gap on the top and spare the original Peretti stem from giving up more vulcanite.I decide I’ve filed and fitted enough. The time has come to glue the two pieces of stem. I think its possible to fiddle too much seeking ‘Fit Nirvana’! I clean the shelves with alcohol, including the airway with a pipe cleaner. The tricky part of the gluing is to avoid CA glue getting into the airway and sealing it – not a good situation! The way to avoid this is by inserting a pipe cleaner that has petroleum jelly on it – the CA glue will not stick to it. The challenge doing this is that when you press petroleum jelly into a closed space it squeezes out and can contaminate the area that needs maximum CA glue effectiveness!After cleaning the area and thinking about how I might maximize the bond between the spliced stem pieces, I remembered a technique that I had previously read in either one of Steve’s Rebornpipes blogs or Charles Lemon’s, Dad’s Pipes blogs, describing how drilling holes can enhance the glue’s penetration and bonding qualities. To do this I mount a 1mm drill bit into the Dremel. WARNING bells are going off in my mind: Do not drill through the vulcanite! There’s not a large margin of error. With the bells ringing, I drill a couple of holes on each side of the airway on both stems’ shelf. It looks good and I’m glad I remembered this technique.I repeat the cleaning of the upper and lower shelves with alcohol and insert a pipe cleaner through the pieces with a bit of petroleum jelly on it. I then apply thick CA glue to the shelves and draw the two pieces together while keeping the pipe cleaner taught assuring a straight airway. I use a thick CA glue so that the glue remains in place and doesn’t run spread over the stem.By keeping the pipe cleaner taut and the airway straight, I maneuver the two pieces to fit as well as possible which leaves the external appearance a bit ‘Frankenstemish’ but that’s OK and expected at this point in the process. I can address that later. In the pictures following you can see gaps and where the stem surface is not flush as the stem transitions through the splice. The primary bonding of the splice is successful with a clear and straight airway. To address the gaps, I mix a batch of activated charcoal powder and regular CA glue to make a putty that acts as a filler for the imperfections of the fit. I keep the putty a bit thinner than normal when I use this mixture repairing tooth dents and damage to the bit. Keeping the CA and activated charcoal putty thinner, or wetter, allows a better penetration into the gaps around the split. After I mix the putty, I apply it around the spliced area with a flat dental spatula and tamp the putty down into the gaps. The pictures show the process. The result looks truly like a ‘Frankenstem’. A give a full 24 hours for the putty to cure well and I then begin the filing and shaping process using a flat needle file. The pictures show the gradual process of shaping the external appearance of the stem splice. Following the filing, I use 240 grit paper to further smooth and shape. In the next pictures you can see that I sand the entire stem. The entire stem must be tapered and sloped so that the spliced area disappears into one unified stem presentation. The tapering is not only on the upper and lower stem, but also on the stem’s sides where the stem bows inwardly from the saddle to the button.Following the 240 grit paper, I smooth further with 600 grit paper.As the stem splice smooths during the sanding, I detect a hole where the putty failed to fill. I dispatch this by spot dropping black CA glue in the hole to seal it. After it cures, I continue sanding and smoothing the area. With the splice repair essentially finished, what I don’t show in pictures following is the normal, full sanding and buffing process. I follow the 600 grit paper by buffing the stem with 0000 grade steel wool. I then follow with 9 micromesh pads from 1500 to 12000 with a coat of Obsidian Oil between each set of 3 pads. I then apply Blue Diamond compound with the Dremel, followed by the application of carnauba wax to both stem and stummel. You can still see the seams of the splice, but the entire stem looks great. The pictures show the finished spliced stem. The Peretti Brother Billiard joined me on the Black Sea and both of us have enjoyed a great reunion! Thanks for joining me!

Another L. J. Peretti Oom Paul Sitter Recommissioned

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Blog by Dal Stanton

I’m almost finished working through the Peretti Lot of 10 I acquired off the eBay auction block. I’m amazed at the interest in these pipes since I posted a picture of the Peretti Lot on several of my favorite Facebook pipe groups. I also enjoy posting on Instagram and Facebook giving updates of the restorations on my worktable here in Sofia, Bulgaria. One of the best things I enjoy about ‘Pipedom’ and social media are the relationships developed around the world with pipe men and women whose love of pipes – their names and their histories, trust people like me who restore these friends enabling them to be passed on to the next generation of pipe men and women. That’s why I named my pipe space, The Pipe Steward. We are stewards when we understand that we don’t own, but we merely take care of something special for a time, add our histories then pass it on. I met Tim via social media when I posted the picture below. He was drawn to the Oom Pauls and commissioned one of the Sitters potentially to add to his already large collection – I see the plethora of posts and pipes he has on Instagram! So, adding this Peretti Oom Paul Sitter to his collection is special and appreciated. When one of my pipes is commissioned, the final decision to keep it is made after its restored and I publish the write up and a price is set. So, Tim has first dibs on this Oom Paul Sitter when it goes to The Pipe Steward Store. As with the other Perettis, this Sitter will benefit the Daughters of Bulgaria – our work here in Bulgaria helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited.

Of the Peretti Lot of 10, there are two Oom Pauls yet to be restored that have been commissioned. Two other pipes above are joining my collection of Perettis when I finally get to restoring them! The Calabash on the top, left, and the COLOSSUS Billiard on the bottom. The Oom Paul Sitter before me now is distinctive and stands out even in the picture above – bottom right. The vertical straight flame grain is distinctive even in its present state. Here are pictures chronicling the Oom Paul Sitter’s condition and challenges. The condition of this Sitter resembles all his brother Oom Pauls and the cousins. The former steward of these Perettis seemed to have a scorched earth policy. All of them, this one included, have thick cake in the chamber and thick, crusty lava flowing over the rim. As with the others, the left side of the rim has taken the brunt of the tobacco lighting and the briar is charcoal where the flame was pulled over the side, burning the rim. The unfortunate result of this is that when the charred wood is cleaned away, the rim/bowl is thinner on that edge and therefore out of round. The stummel surface is dirty but will clean up well showing the beautiful vertical grain. I see no fills in this briar. The stem carries with it the bites and dents that all the other Perettis received as well. The stem is moderately oxidized and has a little calcification on the bit. The one critical observation I have made about the Peretti Oom Pauls is that the drilling of the mortises for the tenon/stem fit hasn’t been the best. This Sitter’s stem does not sit evenly with the shank. The shank has a lip over the upper part of the saddle stem and the stem has a lip over the lower shank. The drilling has left something to be desired! The tenon fit is also loose. I have plenty of hurdles to address as this Oom Paul Sitter is recommissioned!

Beginning with the stem, it joins 4 other stems in a bath of Before and After Deoxidizer. The stem soaks for several hours and when I fish it out, I let it drain and then wipe it down with cotton pads and light paraffin oil – this removes the Deoxidizer and the raised oxidation which wipes off as a very nasty brown. The Deoxidizer has done a good job.Before proceeding further with the stem, I turn to the stummel cleanup. I start by reaming the thick, crusted cake in the chamber. Using my Pipnet Reaming Kit, I start with the smallest blade – first laying paper towel down to minimize cleanup! I use 3 of the 4 blades available in the Pipnet Kit. The cake is hard causing the reaming tool to seize at times and I’m careful not bear down through stops in the turning of the blades but draw out the blades and go at it again. I follow the Pipnet blades by employing the Savinelli Fitsall Tool which scrapes the walls more closely giving me more control. I remove more cake on the top rim charring. The goal is to find solid, healthy briar – which I do, but I can see the narrowing of the rim a bit due to the removal of the damaged wood. I then sand the chamber with 240 paper wrapped around a Sharpie Pen to give leverage. This process clears the remnants of carbon cake and brings out a freshened briar to allow the new steward to restart a proper cake development – the thickness of an American dime is sufficient and helpful to protect the briar. Thicker than that and the carbon cake can damage the bowl as the cake heats and expands. Finally, I wipe the chamber with cotton pads wetted with isopropyl 95% – ridding the chamber of the carbon dust.The bottom of the picture below represents the left side of the stummel where the rim damage is greatest. You can see the narrowing of the rim on the bottom (left) compared to the opposite side.Now to attack the lava flow on the rim and to clean the stummel surface. I take a few pictures of the stummel grime to show the progress. I’m looking forward to seeing what Murphy’s will do! Using undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap, I go to work using cotton pads. I also use a brass brush on the rim – brass brushes do not scratch the wood. The hard crust is not easily moved. I use the Savinelli Fitsall tool’s flat straight edge and carefully scrape the crust off the rim. After getting the rim and stummel as clean as I can, I rinse the stummel with cool tap water and wow! I’m not disappointed. The beauty of this block of briar is shouting from the housetop! I’m liking this a lot. The downside is the rim. As with all the other brothers and cousins, this stummel will be topped to restore fresh briar to the rim. I love doing ‘before & after’ comparisons. Who says that a good cleaning doesn’t help!? Now, to clean the internals of the stummel I use pipe cleaners and cotton buds dipped in isopropyl 95%. I’m amazed that the internals, mortise and draft hole, are not terribly dirty. With only a few pipe cleaners and cotton buds expended, I turn to the stealth approach. To freshen the internals even more, I use the kosher salt and alcohol soak. I fashion a wick using a cotton ball by pulling and twisting it. I then push it down into the mortise into the draft hole using a straight hard wire. I fill the bowl with kosher salt which will not leave an aftertaste as iodized salt and I cover the bowl and give the stummel a shake to displace the salt. I then fill the bowl with isopropyl 95% until it surfaces over the salt. In a few minutes the alcohol has been absorbed so I top if off again. I put the stummel aside for the night, I turn out the light and my day is finished.The sun has risen on a new day in Bulgaria and the kosher salt and alcohol soak has done the job. The salt and wick are discolored showing that the oils and tars were absorbed through the night. I thump the stummel on my palm to dislodge the salt into the waste and I wipe the chamber out with paper towel as well as blowing through the mortise. I dislodge any leftover salt crystals. To make sure all is clean I run a pipe cleaner through the draft hole and a cotton bud in the mortise and all is clean and fresh. I wonderful thing to behold!Before proceeding any further with stummel or stem restoration, I work on the issue of the junction between the two. The upper half of the shank is extending over the stem so that when I run my fingers over the area there is an obvious ridge. I take a close-up to show this. Also, on the bottom of the shank, the stem extends over the shank – not as much, but I still detect a ridge in the opposite direction with the touch. The mortise drilling was too low creating the offset.Leaving stem and stummel joined, I carefully sand the higher areas on both shank and stem to form a smooth transition from shank to saddle stem. Of course, much care is given in the sanding so that I don’t inadvertently erase the ‘TI’ at the end of the L. J. Peretti nomenclature on the shank! In the immediate picture below, you can see the sanded alignment transitioning into what has yet to be sanded on the top of the shank. The hope is to remove the ridge, but also to taper the sanding down the shank a bit to avoid the ‘stuffed pants’ look – a bulge of briar paralleling the ridge sanding. The goal is a smooth, tapered transition. I like the results. The ridges are removed and tapered. Now, switching to 600 grade paper I erase the scratches left by the 240 sanding. After the 600 grade sanding is completed, I take a look at the junction. Through the cleaning process, I have noticed that the stem has loosened in the mortise. I’ll need to address the tenon/mortise junction. …AND IT WAS GOING SO WELL, until it wasn’t. As I was surveying the stem, my eye caught sight of what looked like a hole on the upper side of the stem, mid-way through the bend. Oh my! Well, I first thought my eyes were not seeing what they were obviously seeing. My initial reaction was, “How did I do that?” Then, my next inclination was to look at earlier pictures of the stem to see if it was there and if so, how is it possible to have missed something so obvious?!?! I’m glad you couldn’t hear the conversation floating through my mind at that point! I found a picture before the restoration began, and yes, it was there. The pictures reveal the source my current frustrations which is part and parcel of pipe restorations – and life…. I put a dental probe in the hole, and yes, it did go through. I then ran a pipe cleaner through to see how thin the vulcanite was at the stem’s bend where the hole broke through. It appears thin, but salvageable. To test the integrity of the surrounding vulcanite I pinch it hard to see if it would break. It didn’t and that is good. I decide to patch it like a typical hole in a bit scenario but perhaps leave the patch a little ‘fat’ to add some reinforcement to the area.So, the projects are mounting for this stem. First, to address the stem’s looseness – the tenon/mortise junction. Second, repair to the hole in the bend. Third, repair the chewed bit and button – upper and lower. Then, the sanding and preparations for the finishing phase. I begin with the tenon expansion to tighten the stem’s fit. I do this first because it’s the easiest and least time consuming. I find a drill bit just a little larger than the existing tenon draft hole to act as the ‘expander’. I use a Bic lighter and heat the vulcanite tenon by painting it with the lighter’s flame. As the vulcanite heats, as a rubber composite, it softens and becomes pliable. When heated sufficiently, gently I push the smooth end of the bit into the hole and the tenon expands as a result. It works like a charm. After heating the tenon, inserting the bit by twisting it, and retracting it, I test the fit. It is good and snug, but not too tight that one is afraid of cracking the shank – which I’ve had experience in! I decide to do the prep work on the bit next so that at the conclusion, I can apply patch material to the bit area as needed as well as to the bend hole. Looking at the bit and button first, I take a few more pictures to get a closer look. I notice that there was something on the side of the draft hole and I began digging with a dental probe. One hunk of something dislodged like it was hanging on for dear life. I stuck the probe in deeper…there’s more…. I was incredulous! How could so much stuff hide in the button draft hole! I took pictures – it is an event!Addressing the dents first, I paint the dents with the flame of a Bic lighter to expand the vulcanite as it heats. As it expands, the dents tend to dissipate in their severity. Often, after flaming dents one is able simply to sand out the remaining damage – or much of it. I also flame the button hoping to minimize the dents on the lip. It did help, but sanding is still necessary. With a flat needle file and 240 grade sanding paper, I go to work on the upper and lower bit. I use the file to refine the button and remove the dents where possible. The sanding removes much except for one dimple on the top and one on the lower bit. The button sanded out nicely. I also employ a round sharp needle file to sharpen the edges of the draft hole. For the upper and lower dimples, I spot drop Special ‘T’ CA glue which is thicker. First, I clean off the areas with alcohol and cotton pads to clean it. I start with applying glue on the lower dimple and wait for an hour or so for the glue to set, and I flip the stem over and apply glue to the upper bit dimple. Now to the bend hole. I use 240 grit paper and lightly rough up the area around the hole. I then wipe it with isopropyl 95% to clean the area. Instead of applying CA glue, I’ll use a putty created out of mixing CA glue and activated charcoal dust. I believe this will give me more texture for blending if I leave a larger area of patch to reinforce the area. I don’t know if this will work in the end, but I can start with this intention and if it doesn’t work, I can always sand the excess. First, I put petroleum jelly on the end of a pipe cleaner and I insert it to where I see it has reached the hole. The pipe cleaner will hopefully keep the glue/charcoal in place and the petroleum jelly will keep the putty from sticking to the pipe cleaner, so I can pull it out! Next, I place some charcoal dust on an index card. I then place a bit of regular super glue next to the charcoal. I use a tooth pick to draw the charcoal into the glue so that it’s gradually added. In this way I can judge what the thickness should be – not too thin so it runs – not so thick that it doesn’t penetrate the hole. I mix the activated charcoal and superglue and when it seems to be the right consistency, I apply it to the hole using the toothpick as a trowel. I tamp the putty down so that it fills the hole and I spread the patch around the surface. I give a few movement tugs on the pipe cleaner and it is not stuck. I put the stem aside to allow all the patches to cure. Turning again to the stummel, I focus on the rim repair. I start by topping the Oom Paul Sitter. Using 240 grade paper on a chopping board I rotate the inverted stummel on the paper in a circular motion. I will remove enough on the rim trying to minimize the internal bevel which will remove the remainder of the charred wood. I’ll have to be careful. When placing the inverted stummel on the chopping block before putting the 240 paper down, I test how level the top is – the stummel rocks a bit. This tells me that the rim is not level and most likely the left side, where most of the damaged wood is, has deteriorated. Charred wood is softer and therefore probably dipped. I start topping and check often to see where things are going. I also use a sanding block to help direct the topping to areas to try to bring about an evenly rounded rim – a challenge with the charring damage on the left side of the stummel – depicted on the bottom in the pictures below. The pictures show the process. I’ve removed enough top briar real estate at this point and I will try to bring more balance to the rim as I remove the internal charring as I introduce a bevel. Using a coarser 120 grade paper, I cut the initial bevel removing the charring. I follow the 120 beveling using a rolled piece of 240 grade paper which smooths and continues to clean the char. I then take the stummel back to the topping board again to reestablish the lines of the rim. I do this a few more times, as I try to create a more balanced looking rim. I then top the stummel again with 600 grade paper and beveling as well. The pictures show the rim cleaning and balancing process. One last step. To soften the entire look of the rim, I introduce a gentle bevel on the external rim edge by cutting it with 120, following with 240 then 600 rolled pieces of sanding paper. Considering from where we’ve come, I’m satisfied with the appearance of the rim! It’s not perfect and this Peretti will carry the rim imbalance with it the ‘limp’ but he’s moving!Next, to prepare the stummel surface for the finishing phase, I use micromesh pads 1500 to 2400 to wet sand the stummel. Then I follow this by dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000, then 6000 to 12000. The grain on this Peretti Oom Paul Sitter is exceptional. I watch it emerge through each micromesh cycle. This is going to be a beautiful pipe. With most of the Peretti Oom Paul restorations I have done (and the Peretti Half Bent Billiard) I was very pleased with the results of applying Before and After Restoration Balm on the stummels. Keeping the light, natural original motifs of these Perettis has been my goal and the use of the Balm has helped maintain this desire. I do the same with this Peretti. I put some Balm on my finger and I work the Balm into the briar surface. As I work it in, it starts as more liquid – with the consistency of light oil, but then gradually firms up until it is wax-like. After I work it in thoroughly with my fingers, I set the stummel on the clothespin stand to allow the Balm to do what it does for a while. I take a picture of the Balm on the stummel. After several minutes, I wipe the Balm off by buffing it out with a clean microfiber cloth. It looks great – as I was expecting.With the Sitter’s stummel waiting in the wings for the stem to catch up, I pick up the stem. Having had a night to thoroughly cure, the patches are ready to be filed and sanded down. Before I forget it, since I had a pipe cleaner with petroleum jelly on it in the stem’s airway, I want to clean the airway so I run a pipe cleaner through the stem dipped with isopropyl 95%. Also, the thought in the back of my mind is the putty in the hole patch, did it push through and harden in the airway and form an obstruction. Unfortunately, this was the case. With the pipe cleaner coming from the tenon side, there seems to be a ridge at the patch site just entering the bend. The pipe cleaner hung up there. Coming from the button end, there is no problem with an obstruction. As I test repeatedly, I discover that coming in from the tenon side, if I put a slight downward bend to the end of the pipe cleaner, the pipe cleaner would successfully navigate past the patch down to the button draft hole. This is not a perfect situation, but it could be much worse with no passage through the airway. Yet, the bright side of the scenario is that the patch is a bit stronger as a result, though the new steward will need to be aware of this bump in the road. So, we move on. I begin the filing on the bend hole patch using a flat needle file. I focus on keeping the file on the patch mound to not impact the vulcanite around the patch.To help me see what the patch would look like if I left it a bit ‘fat’ on the surface, I take a little detour. My thinking is that it might help strengthen the area to leave the patch fatter on the surface. To get a preview of the patch area, I ran the patch through the entire sanding process to get a better idea how visible it would be. It didn’t take long to go from the filing to 240, 600 then 0000 steel wool focusing only on the patch area. Then I ran the patch spot through all the micromesh pads 1500 to 12000, applied Obsidian Oil and I look at the patch area. I take two pictures to show the future. I decide I didn’t like the future! Actually, the patch isn’t that bad, but I know it’s there and it seems unfinished…. I decide to continue to blend the patch by sanding.This is the bend patch after continuing with 240 and 600 grade papers. That’s much better.I move on to the upper and then lower bit. I use the flat needle file, 240 then 600 on both upper and lower sanding the patches and blending them.I follow by sanding/buffing the entire stem with 0000 steel wool before starting the micromesh pad process.Now to the fine-tuning sanding process. I wet sand the stem using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400. I then follow this by dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 then 6000 to 12000. After each set of three pads, I apply Obsidian Oil to revitalize the vulcanite. The Peretti’s stem is looking good even with all the repairs that were done. I love the glassy pop of the vulcanite! The patch work blended well. Now the home stretch. I reunite the Peretti Oom Paul Sitters stem and stummel and mount the felt buffing wheel to the Dremel, set it at the slowest speed and apply Tripoli compound to the stummel. Tripoli is a coarser compound I apply using a circular pattern over the stummel in a methodical way to cover the entire stummel. I do not put too much pressure on the wheel, but allow the speed, compound and the felt to do the work. When the Tripoli is complete, I mount a cotton cloth wheel to the Dremel, remaining at the same speed and I apply Blue Diamond compound to both stummel and stem. I do it in the same way as the Tripoli. Finally, I change cotton cloth buffing wheels and apply White Diamond compound to the stem alone. When the compounds are completed, I buff the pipe with a felt cloth to remove the compound dust from the surface of the briar. I mount yet another cotton cloth buffing wheel to the Dremel, increase the speed to about 40% of full power and I apply a few coats of carnauba wax to stem and stummel. Finally, I complete the restoration of this Peretti Oom Paul Sitter by giving it a brisk hand buffing using a microfiber cloth.

The vertical flame grain on this large Oom Paul Sitter stummel is striking and it is complemented by bird’s eye on the heel as well as the shank. It is unique in the Peretti Lot of 10 where the pipes showcased mainly horizontal and bird’s eye grain. This Peretti will provide much visual pleasure to his new steward and with the size of the bowl, he will pack enough favorite blend for a nice long reflective time. The stem and rim gave some challenges which I think have worked out well. He carries with him some marks from his former life – as we all do! Tim lives in Missouri and is the pipe man who commissioned this Oom Paul Sitter and has first dibs on the pipe when I put it in The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe will benefit the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Thanks for joining me!

Another L.J. Peretti of Boston: A Hefty Half Bent Billiard with a Saddle Stem

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Blog by Dal Stanton

I have been placing several L. J. Peretti pipes in the hands of new stewards which brings me much satisfaction! The others were all Oom Pauls – classic Oom Paul’s and some slightly modified by Peretti to serve as Oom Paul sitters. After I was introduced to L. J. Peretti pipes and restored some that I added to my own collection, I started keeping my eyes open for these pipes because I discovered they were pretty good smokers and that the briar used to make them was not bad – actually, was quite good. When I saw the Peretti Lot of 10 on the eBay auction block with the seller’s location nearby Peretti’s home of Boston, I figured (correctly) that these all came from a Peretti collector who lived in Boston or near enough to know the Peretti story. The L. J. Peretti Co. is the 2^nd oldest Tobacconist shop in the US – where custom blends are still created by hand. Here is the picture I saw on eBay. The Peretti on my worktable now is the Billiard Half Bent Saddle on the right, center in the picture above. Two things stood out when I cradled this Billiard in my palm for the first time. First, the stem has the classy cursive Peretti ‘P’ stamped on it. Only a few in the Lot of 10 had this stamp. Only hazarding a guess, but this may indicate a higher-grade line in the Peretti offerings – though I haven’t laid my eyes on anything that could confirm this, catalogues, etc. It is a classy touch to have the ‘P’ embedded on the stem. Secondly, this Billiard is a big boy! Just comparing him to the hefty Oom Pauls in the photograph above shows that this Billiard is not shrinking away in embarrassment! The bowl is full and the shank is long and broad. His dimensions are Length: 5 7/8 inches, Height: 2 inches, Rim Diameter: 1 5/16 inches, Chamber Diameter: 1 7/8 inches, Bowl depth: 1 3/4 inches. I also put him on the scale and he weighs 57 grams.

Our cousin, Stephen, who my wife and I visited while we were in the US some months ago, saw the Peretti Lot of 10 when I posted a picture of the 10 offering the Oom Pauls to new stewards to be commissioned. He responded but he wasn’t interested in an Oom Paul. He was drawn to the Half Bent Billiard because it reminded him of a pipe he had earlier in life. I was glad to restore the Billiard for Stephen because I remembered that during our visit to his home in Alabama, he saw my restored L. J. Peretti HUGE Bent Egg in my pipe pouch – also from the Lot of 10 pictured above – center, left and pictured below after being restored (See LINK for restoration), and Stephen tried to barter him away from me! Who could blame him?! I held firm and my Peretti Egg and I continue to have regular fellowship here in Bulgaria! Thank you, Stephen! Since Stephen commissioned this Peretti, he will have first dibs on it when I put it in The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe benefits our work here in Bulgaria helping trafficked and sexually exploited women and girls (and their children!) – the Daughters of Bulgaria.Bringing the Half Bent Billiard on my worktable here in Sofia, Bulgaria, I take some pictures to take a closer look as well as to assess what this Billiard’s challenges are. As with all his Peretti cousins in the Lot of 10, the L. P. Peretti Co. is stamped on the left side of the shank. Some of the other Perettis are without the ‘Co.’ As noted above, this Peretti also has the cursive ‘P’ stamped nicely on the stem. Only a few of the Perettis had this stamp in the Lot. This Billiard shares with all his cousins the thick cake in the chamber. It also has very thick lava flow on the rim. It is also most likely, as with the other Perettis, that there will be scorching damage underneath the lava. The briar surface is dirty – lots of grime, but this should clean up nicely, as with the other Perettis, this large patch of Billiard briar shows great promise. The stem is also showing deep oxidation and calcification on the stem – especially on the bit. As with all his cousins, the bit and button show a good bit of biting, clenching and the subsequent dents, chatter and button damage.

To start the restoration of this hefty Peretti Billiard Half Bent Saddle, I add the stem to a bath of Before and After Deoxidizer. This was the first time I used the Before and After product and I was testing it to see how it worked. The Peretti Billiard joined several pipes and their stems in the queue. After soaking for several hours, I fished out the Billiard’s stem and allowed the Deoxidizer to drain. I then wiped off the oxidation with a cotton pad wetted with light paraffin oil, Bulgaria’s mineral oil. One of the attributes of Before and After Deoxidizer is that it is stamp friendly, which proves to be the case with the Peretti ‘P’. With the stummel now in hand, I use the Pipnet Reaming Kit to remove the very thick cake resident in the chamber. By removing the cake down to the briar gives it a fresh start and enables me to examine the chamber wall for damage. After putting down paper towel for easier cleanup, I start with the smallest blade. I use 3 of the 4 blades available in the Pipnet Kit. I then fine tune the reaming by using the Savinelli Fitsall Tool to scrape the chamber walls removing more carbon cake left behind. Wrapping a piece of 240 grit paper around a Sharpie Pen, I sand the chamber. Finally, I clean the chamber of the carbon dust using cotton pads with isopropyl 95%. The chamber walls look great – no problems. The pictures show the steps in the process. Now to the external surface. I use undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and cotton pads to scrub the grime – and there’s plenty of it. I also work on the crusty rim surface utilizing a brass brush and scraping with my thumb nail. I also employ a pin knife to help scrape the crust. What emerges is beautiful grain on the stummel – large swirling bird’s eye catches my eye. Surprisingly, a nice looking, slightly rounded rim emerges from underneath all the crust! The briar on the rim reveals that this was a nice-looking pipe at one time – I’m thinking it was on Peretti’s upper scale shelf. The scorching on the inside of the rim is significant and will need to be addressed. Next, the dirty job. Using pipe cleaners and cotton buds dipped in isopropyl 95% I attack the internals of the stummel. I also utilize a dental spatula to scrape the mortise walls. With a little effort the buds and pipe cleaners started coming clean. As I usually do with all my restorations, I follow this cleaning with a kosher salt/alcohol soak. I find that this additionally cleans the internal briar and freshens the internals. After putting the stummel in an egg carton to keep it upright and stable, I fill the bowl with kosher salt which leaves no aftertaste (as iodized salt does). I then fashion a ‘wick’ by stretching and twisting a cotton ball which is inserted down into the draft hole and mortise – as far down as I can manage. I then fill the bowl with isopropyl 95% alcohol until it surfaces over the salt. After a few minutes, after the alcohol has been absorbed, I will top the alcohol off again. I put the stummel aside and let it soak through the work day until I return home this evening. Later, when I arrive home from work, I’m always pleased to see the nasty results of the salt/alcohol bath. The salt has discolored, and the wick has absorbed the grunge. I thump the old salt into the waste, wipe the bowl with paper towel and blow through the mortise to dislodge any remnants of salt from the soak. To make sure all was clean, I ran a pipe cleaner through the draft hole and plunged a cotton bud in the mortise – both dipped in isopropyl 95%, and both came out clean. Done – always a nice place to be.I turn now to the chewed up and dented stem – oh my. The entire Peretti Lot of 10 I determined came from one steward. One of the ways I determined this was that all the stems were clenched the same way and therefore reveal the same forensics! I take a few pictures to show the problems with upper and lower bit and button. The first step I use is using flame to heat the vulcanite which expands it making the dents less severe and more easily sanded. I use a Bic lighter and paint the upper and lower bit areas. I concentrate on the button as well. After several cycles of ‘painting’ I have come to the point where the vulcanite is no longer expanding. It has helped but there remains some denting and bite marks. I pair the before and after ‘flame painting`’ pictures to let you compare. I think the button benefited most. Using 240 sanding paper, I sand both upper and lower bit and the button to see how much of the damage can be sanded out. The heating technique helped more than I realized – good news. The upper bit sanded out completely. The lower bit still shows two dents. Using the flat needle file, I worked on the button and refreshed the upper and lower button lips. The draft hole was dented too. I pull out the topping board with 240 paper on it and ‘top’ the button to flatten it out. I smooth out the draft hole using a rounded needle file. I take a picture to show the progress of the 240 paper and file work. When I look at the stem I see something I didn’t see before. A hole in the stem on the right at the base of the saddle. I’ve never seen this before. I’ll need to patch it as well. I wipe the stem with alcohol to clean the area where I will apply black CA glue to fill the dents. After clean, using a toothpick, I spot drop black CA glue on both dents on the lower bit. The toothpick allows me to control where and how much glue I apply. I wait an hour or so for the glue to set and then turn over the stem and spot drop glue on the ‘saddle’ hole. I set the stem aside for the patches to cure for several hours. With the stem patch curing, I turn again to the stummel and the rim. The scorched briar needs to be removed and topping the stummel will move in that direction. Like all the Peretti Billiard’s cousins in the Lot of 10, the left side seems to have borne the brunt. I’m hoping I only need to top a small amount and remove the remaining scorched wood on the internal rim edge by introducing a bevel. That’s the plan. Placing 240 grit paper on the chopping block, I top by moving the inverted stummel in a circular motion and evenly as possible.I stop to check a number of times how much progress has been made on removing the scorched briar.At this point, I’ve removed enough damaged surface via topping leaving a manageable internal ring of charred material that can be removed without taking more healthy briar. I use a rolled piece of 120 coarse sanding paper to cut an internal bevel and remove the scorched area. I also aim at balancing the round of the rim – it is slightly out of round because of the greater damage on the left side of the bowl where the former steward lit his tobacco. After cutting the bevel with 120, I give another very light topping with 240 grit paper to restate the rim line after the bevel.I follow the 240 topping board and 120 paper beveling by using 240 grade paper to erase the scratches of the 120 beveling. Then, I use 600 grade both to erase the scratches of the 240 on the bevel, but to top again lightly the stummel with the 600 grade paper to erase 240 scratches and to smooth.Finally, I introduce a very gentle external bevel around the rim using 240 then 600. I do this to soften the look of the rim and to give it more of a rounded appearance. I’m pleased with the rim repair. This Peretti Big Boy Billiard has already come a long way from the caked, scorched condition he arrived in! He’s looking good.Now to the briar surface – and there’s a lot of briar real estate on this stummel! I begin by wet sanding with micromesh pads 1500 to 2400. Then dry sanding, I use 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. I take a picture after each set of three. I enjoy watching the grain emerge on the Peretti Billiard through the micromesh pad cycles – it’s an amazing transformation. Along with most of his Peretti cousins, the briar seems to be a higher grade – no fills and the grain is beautiful. To maintain the rich natural briar look consistent with the Peretti hue template, yet to deepen and make the briar grain richer, I use Before and After Restoration Balm. I apply the Balm to my finger and then spread it over the stummel and work it in to the briar. The Balm begins as an oily liquid and then gradually grows firmer until it takes on the characteristics of a thick wax. After I work the Balm in well, I put the stummel on the stand to absorb the Balm for several minutes and take a picture. I then wipe the stummel with a clean cotton cloth to remove the Balm residue and buff up the surface. I put the stummel to the side and turn my focus again to the stem.After the black CA glue patches have thoroughly cured, I first use 240 sanding paper to do the initial removal of excess patch and blending. I continue to shape and fine tune the button lips with the 240 as well as remove the patch excess and smooth the saddle hole on the side. Then, to erase the tracks of the 240, I use 600 grade paper. To erase the scratches of the 600, I buff the entire stem with 0000 grade steel wool which leaves a good evenly prepared surface to begin the micromesh pad cycles. I like the way the chewed bit came out.Now, using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400 grade, I wet sand the stem. It was going so well until it wasn’t! After starting the second cycle dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000, I see what I didn’t see before. As the lower bit was glossing up because of the micromesh sanding, a small dimple remnant of the lower bit dent became visible to me – ugh. When it comes to restoring pipes (and with many things in life 😊) I’m a stickler for detail and even though I’m well advanced in the stem finishing process, this dimple will not stand! I wipe the spot with alcohol to assure that it is clean and I spot-drop Special T CA glue on the dent. This glue is extra thick because I want the drop to stop on the spot and not run over the stem as thinner CA glue tends to do. I’ll spare you all the pictures of starting over filing, sanding, steel wooling and micromeshing pads catching this dimple patch up, so let it suffice to show the before and after, and then we move on. Starting with the completion of pads 1500 to 2400:The discovery. Before….And after….Now moving on to dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000. To revitalize the vulcanite, after each cycle of three I apply Obsidian Oil. The stem looks great even though I encountered a significant detour along the way. I love the pop of vulcanite that has been fine-tuned with micromesh pads!The home stretch! As I reunite the half-bent saddle with the stummel to begin the compound buffing cycle I discover that the union between stem and stummel has loosened. As sometimes can happen during the cleaning process, the mortise can be opened, and the result is that the tenon is not as snug. To remedy this and to tighten the mortise/tenon union a bit, I use the flat end of a drill bit just a little larger than the diameter of the tenon draft hole. I heat the vulcanite tenon with a small flame and as it warms the vulcanite it becomes pliable and gradually I insert the drill bit into the airway. This expands the mortise a bit and hopefully, creates a better fit. The approach works perfectly even though it required two enlarging drill bits to provide a snug union. With stem and stummel reunited with a good fit, I mount a cotton cloth buffing wheel to the Dremel and set the speed to the slowest. Using Blue Diamond compound, I apply it to the stummel and stem using a slow, methodical, circular approach, not applying too much pressure to the buffing wheel, but allowing the speed of the Dremel and compound to do the work. With my wife’s assistance, I include a picture showing this below. After completing the Blue Diamond application, I mount another cotton cloth buffing wheel dedicated to the application of wax. After increasing the speed to about 40% of full power, I apply the carnauba wax in the same way as the compound. Afterwards, I use a microfiber cloth and give the pipe a brisk hand buffing to raise the shine.None of the Peretti pipes that I’ve restored thus far have disappointed. They arrived on my worktable in rough shape with scorching and chewed bits. This L. J. Peretti Co. Billiard Half Bent Saddle was no exception. The briar grain showcased in the large bowl reveals swirls of large bird’s eye pattern and horizontal straight grain in a whimsical contrast. The grain flow reminds me of pictures of Jupiter’s atmosphere intermingling! The distinctive Peretti “P” stamping stands out nicely imbedded in the glassy shine of the half bent saddle stem. Cousin Stephen commissioned this hefty Peretti Billiard and will have first dibs on it in The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe benefits women and girls (and their children) that we work with here in Bulgaria, who have been trafficked and sexually exploited – the Daughters of Bulgaria. Thank you for joining me!