Tag Archives: Petersons Pipes

It is alive – a Sandblast Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 308 Bent Billiard

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table is Peterson’s System pipe that we purchased from an antique store in Wheeler, Oregon, USA on 08/24/2024. It was stamped on the underside of the shank and read Peterson’s [arched over] System followed by Made in the Republic of Ireland (in three lines) [over] the shape number 308. The nickel ferrule on the shank end was oxidized and is stamped on the top and left side K&P [over] the three common hallmarks on System pipes with Nickel ferrules – a shamrock, a wolf hound, and a tower. That is followed by Peterson’s. It has a rich sandblast finish with unique patterns around the bowl and shank that is covered with a lot of oils, debris and grime. There was a thick cake in the bowl with remnants of tobacco stuck on the walls. There was a heavy lava overflow filling in the sandblast on the rim top and edges. The top and edges of the rim were well hidden under the tars and lava. There was a very beautiful pipe underneath all of the buildup of years of use. The stem was a Peterson’s style P-Lip. It was oxidized and calcified toward the end with some tooth marks and chatter. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his cleanup work on it. Jeff took photos of the bowl and rim top to show the thick, hard cake in the bowl with remnants of tobacco stuck on the walls of the bowl. There was a lava build up on the top of the rim and the edges of the bowl. The rim top looked pretty good but it was hard to know for sure if there was damage under the thick lava. Only clean up would tell the full story. Jeff took photos of the top and underside of the stem showing the tooth chatter, calcification and oxidation on the stem surface and wear on the edges of the button. Jeff took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the condition of the finish. You can see the grime around the sides of the bowl and shank. Even under the dirt and debris of the years it looked very good. Jeff took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. The stamping was readable as you can see from the photos. It read as noted above. The nickel ferrule is actually clearly stamped and readable. I am including the information from Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). I have included a bit of the pertinent history here.

1950 – 1989 The Republic Era – From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland” in a block format generally in three lines but two lines have been used with or without Republic being abbreviated.

During the 1950’s and 60’s the Kapp & Peterson company was still in the ownership of the Kapp family. However 1964 saw the retiral of the company Managing Director Frederick Henry(Harry) Kapp.

Pipedia also included a section of information on the System pipes including a diagram of the systems look (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson#Republic_Era_Pipes). I quote a section of the article in part and include a link to another article on Pipedia on the System pipe.

The Peterson System pipes are the standard bearers of the Peterson pipe family, famous for the excellent smoking pleasure they provide. Often imitated but never equaled, the Peterson System smokes dry, cool and sweet, thanks to the scientific effectiveness of the original design. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture flows into the reservoir and, thus cannot reach the smoker’s mouth. The Peterson Lip further enhances the effectiveness of the graduated bore by directing the flow of smoke upwards and away from the tongue. This achieves a uniquely even distribution of smoke and virtually eliminates any chance of tonguebite or bitterness. Furthermore, the shape is contoured so that the tongue rests comfortably in the depression under the opening. Each “PLip” mouthpiece is made from Vulcanite. For the Peterson System pipes to work properly, the stem/tenon has to have an extension, the tip of which will pass by the draft hole from the bowl and into the sump. Upon the smoker drawing in smoke, this extension then directs the smoke down and around the sump to dispense a lot of the moisture before the smoke enters the extension and stem. On the System Standards and other less expensive systems, this extension with be made of Vulcanite turned integrally with the stem. On the more expensive System pipes this extension will be made of metal which screws into the Vulcanite stem. This extension on the earlier pipes will be of brass and the newer pipes will be of aluminum. Most smokers not knowing this function of the metal extension, assumes that it is a condenser/stinger and will remove it as they do with the metal condensers of Kaywoodie, etc. Should you have a System pipe with this metal extension, do not remove it for it will make the System function properly and give you a dryer smoke (https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_closer_look_at_the_famous_Peterson_Standard_System_Pipe).

I have included the information on the shape number on this pipe that I picked up on researching the previous pipes. I have included a page from a Petersons Catalogue that I have on rebornpipes (https://rebornpipes.com/tag/peterson-hallmark-chart/). There is no shape 309 shown in the catalogue page of rusticated shaped shown below. I wonder if it is an older or a newer shape. But I am uncertain of that. I knew that I was dealing with a Republic Era pipe made between 1950-1989. It was a Sandblasted Peterson’s System Standard 308 Bent Billiard with a great sandblast. The bowl was stained with a combination of black and brown stains. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

Jeff had cleaned it thoroughly. He had reamed it with a PipNet reamer and cleaned that up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He had scrubbed the exterior of the briar with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap. He removed the shiny coat on the briar with acetone on cotton pads. He cleaned out the interior of the shank, sump and airway in the shank and stem with alcohol, pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. He scrubbed the stem with Soft Scrub to remove the oxidation and calcification on the surface. He soaked it in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation. He removed it from the Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. I took some photos of the pipe before I started my part of the work (sadly I forgot to take photos until after I had rubbed the bowl down with Before & After Restoration Balm. But you can see the idea. I took close up photos of the rim top and also of the stem surface. I wanted to show what an amazing job Jeff did in the cleanup of the rim top. The rim top was and inner edge were in good condition. I also took close up photos of the stem to show the condition of the vulcanite. It was quite clean and the light tooth marks and chatter on the stem ahead of the button are clear.One of the things I appreciate about Jeff’s cleanup is that he works to protect and preserve the nomenclature on the shank of the pipes that he works on. The stamping on this one was very faint to start with so I was worried that it would disappear altogether with the cleanup. He was not only able to preserve and maintain its condition in the process. I took some photos to show the clarity of the stamping. I have noticed that many restorers are not careful to protect the stamping in their cleaning process and often by the end of the restoration the nomenclature is almost destroyed. I would like to encourage all of us to be careful in our work to preserve this as it is a critical piece of pipe restoration! I took the stem off the shank and took a photo of the pipe. I decided to start my work on the pipe by rubbing the bowl and rim down with Before & After Restoration Balm. It was in very good shape, so I worked it into the surface of the briar with my fingertips and a horsehair shoe brush to clean, enliven and protect it. I let the balm sit for 10 minutes and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. I really like watching the Balm do its magic and bring the briar alive. I polished the nickel ferrule with a jeweller’s cloth to remove the oxidation and to further protect it from further oxidation. The shine is quite nice. I set the bowl aside and moved on to sand the stem with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped it down with an Obsidian Oil cloth after each sanding pad to remove the sanding debris. The stem began to look much better.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it 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. Once again at this point in the restoration process I am excited to be on the homestretch. I look forward to the final look when the Sandblasted Peterson System Standard 308 is put back together, polished and waxed. I put the bowl and stem back together. I lightly polished the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish out the scratches in the briar and the vulcanite. 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 depths of the rustication really pop with the wax and polish. The shiny black vulcanite stem is a beautiful contrast to the dark browns of the bowl and thick shank and nickel ferrule. This Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 308 Sandblasted Bent Billiard was another fun pipe to work on. It really is a quite stunning piece of briar whose shape follows the flow of the briar. The pipe feels great in the hand will be better when warmed up while smoking. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.01 ounces/56 grams. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipemakers Section if you would like to add it to your rack and carry on the previous pipeman’s legacy. This is an interesting estate to bring back to life.

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.

Fresh Life for a Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 302 Bent Apple with a 9mm Filter Stem

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe I have chosen is a sandblast dark finished Peterson’s System – this time a System Standard shape 302. It came to us from our source in Copenhagen, Denmark on 04/11/2023. It had a P-lip System style stem. The finish was sandblast with some nice grain showing through the blast around the sides and shank. It was stamped on the underside of the shank and reads Peterson’s [arched over] System [over] Standard. Following that it was stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland (three lines) over the shape number 302. It was dirty with grime ground into the finish around the bowl and shank. There was a thick cake in the bowl and lava spots in the sandblast the rim top. The nickel ferrule was in good shape but stained with oils and tars leaving it yellow. It would need to be polished to bring it back to its silver colouring. It is stamped as well and reads K & P [over] Peterson on the left side. The vulcanite P-lip stem was unstamped and there was some oxidation, calcification and light chatter near the button that would polish out. It was also a stem with a tenon drilled to receive a 9mm filter. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started his work. He took photos of the rim top and stem to show the general condition of the pipe. The bowl is moderately caked and the rim top and edges have a spotty lava overflow. The stem looks good but it has light tooth marks on the top and underside near the button. He took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the sandblast grain that was very visible around the bowl and shank. He took photos of the stamping on the shank sides and the ferrule. It read as noted above and was clear and readable. I am including the information from Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). I have included a bit of the pertinent history here.

1950 – 1989 The Republic Era – From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland” in a block format generally in three lines but two lines have been used with or without Republic being abbreviated.

During the 1950’s and 60’s the Kapp & Peterson company was still in the ownership of the Kapp family. However 1964 saw the retiral of the company Managing Director Frederick Henry(Harry) Kapp.

Pipedia also included a section of information on the System pipes including a diagram of the sytems look (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson#Republic_Era_Pipes). I quote a section of the article in part and include a link to another article on Pipedia on the System pipe.

The Peterson System pipes are the standard bearers of the Peterson pipe family, famous for the excellent smoking pleasure they provide. Often imitated but never equalled, the Peterson System smokes dry, cool and sweet, thanks to the scientific effectiveness of the original design. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture flows into the reservoir and, thus cannot reach the smoker’s mouth. The Peterson Lip further enhances the effectiveness of the graduated bore by directing the flow of smoke upwards and away from the tongue. This achieves a uniquely even distribution of smoke and virtually eliminates any chance of tonguebite or bitterness. Furthermore, the shape is contoured so that the tongue rests comfortably in the depression under the opening. Each “PLip” mouthpiece is made from Vulcanite. For the Peterson System pipes to work properly, the stem/tenon has to have an extension, the tip of which will pass by the draft hole from the bowl and into the sump. Upon the smoker drawing in smoke, this extension then directs the smoke down and around the sump to dispense a lot of the moisture before the smoke enters the extension and stem. On the System Standards and other less expensive systems, this extension with be made of Vulcanite turned integrally with the stem. On the more expensive System pipes this extension will be made of metal which screws into the Vulcanite stem. This extension on the earlier pipes will be of brass and the newer pipes will be of aluminium. Most smokers not knowing this function of the metal extension, assumes that it is a condenser/stinger and will remove it as they do with the metal condensers of Kaywoodie, etc. Should you have a System pipe with this metal extension, do not remove it for it will make the System function properly and give you a dryer smoke (https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_closer_look_at_the_famous_Peterson_Standard_System_Pipe).

With that information in hand I knew what I was dealing with in terms of the stamping and the age of this pipe. I knew from the information that the pipe was made during the Late Republic Era between 1950 and the present day. Personally, I think this is probably a 60s-70s pipe. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

Jeff had cleaned up the pipe with his usual thoroughness. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet Pipe Reamer and cleaned up the remnants 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 and pipe cleaners. He soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. Somewhere along the way as it sat here it picked up some stickiness on the top of the stem that looks a lot like what is left behind by a gummed label. I took photos of the pipe 3 years later when I finally got around to working on it. As you can see it is another beautiful looking pipe. I took photos of the rim top and bowl as well as the stem to give a sense of the condition of both. The rim top and the inner edge had some darkening and burn damage on the inner edge on the back of the bowl. The stem was clean but had light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside ahead of the button.I took photos of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It is clear and readable as noted above. I took the stem out of the shank and took a photo of the overall look of the pipe. It is another beauty. The bowl was very clean so I started my work by rubbing the bowl down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the surface of the bowl sides and shank with my fingertips and a shoe brush. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for a little while and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. I polished the nickel ferrule with a jeweller’s cloth to protect and polish the metal. It really adds a sparkle to the metal ferrule. I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I “painted” the surface with the flame of a lighter to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift them significantly. Those that remained I filled in with black rubberized CA glue. When it cured I flattened the repairs with a flat file to start blending it into the surface of the surrounding vulcanite. I further flattened it by sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper. I was looking significantly better. I sanded it further with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads, I wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove the grit and debris on the stem surface. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Oil to protect the surface at this point.I polished the 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. I gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I fitted the stem with a new 9mm filter. The fit in the stem was perfect. With it in place it fit the shank of the pipe very well.This Republic Era Peterson’s System Standard 302 Sandblast Bent Apple with a vulcanite, P-lip saddle stem is a great looking pipe now that it has been restored. The beautiful grain that shines through the polished sandblast finish is stunning. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Peterson’s Sandblast System Standard 302 fits nicely in the hand and feels great. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 64 grams/2.26 ounces. This pipe will soon be available on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. There are many more to come!

You Got to Love these Peterson’s Republic Era K&P Irish Made 101 Billiards

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by Steve Laug

This great looking Billiard pipe was purchased on 04/11/2024 from our contact in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and clearly reads K&P [over] Irish Made. On the right side it is stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland [three lines]. The shape number 101 is stamped to the right of that next to the bowl/shank junction. The nickel ferrule is stamped K&P [over] Petersons. The bowl had a cake on the walls and fortunately little overflow of lava onto the rim top and edges. The inner edge had some damage and darkening. The smooth finish is dirty with debris and oils. The vulcanite taper, fishtail stem has no stamp or logo on it. It was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. It was a beautiful looking pipe even through the grime in the finish. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started cleaning it up. Have a look.Jeff took close up photos of the bowl and rim top to show the condition of the bowl and the rim top. In the close up you can see the light lava on the rim top, inner edge and the cake in the bowl. The damage on the rim top and the inner edge is also visible. He also took close up photos of the stem to show its condition as mentioned above. He also took photos of the tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. He took photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the grain around the bowl. The grain is quite nice even through the grime. He took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. The stamping is clear and readable as noted above. The stamping on the nickel ferrule is also clear.I did not have a lot of back story on the Irish Made pipes so I turned to Peterson’s website to see what I could find out about the line specifically(https://www.peterson.ie/pipes/classic/irish-made-army/moreinfo.cfm?pd_product_id=991). Turns out the Irish Made Army pipes were a series of pipes. The information was quite helpful and I have included it below.

About The Series

Since the 19th century, we’ve made army mounted pipes, defined by their inclusion of a sturdy mount reinforcing the shank and a push-style tenon that can be removed easily from the shank, without risking damage to the pipe. Our entry-level, Irish Made Army line is one of our oldest and most popular within that style, featuring nickel army mounts and reserved walnut finishes. Merging utilitarian design with practical grace, it’s available in a variety of classic, non-System shapes, including straight designs.

From there I turned to Mark Irwin’s Petersonpipenotes blog to see if he had specifically worked on or noted this line (https://petersonpipenotes.org/tag/peterson-kp-irish-army/). He had and I quote a short section below from the site.

The “K&P” in “K&P over IRISH MADE” is actually part of the line’s name, which most people don’t know, and understandably so. The non-System army-mount Peterson dates from the 1906 catalog and has been issued in several line names. It is currently enjoying a huge vogue, with Peterson releasing two or three new army-mount lines every season.

Armed with the information above, I turned my attention to the pipe itself. Jeff had cleaned the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness that I really appreciate. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals with alcohol, pipe cleaners, shank brushes and cotton swabs until the pipe was clean. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime and grit on the briar and the lava on the rim top. The finish looks very good with good looking grain around the bowl and shank. Jeff soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation on the rubber. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver for the second stop of its restoration tour it looked very good. I took photos before I started my part of the work. I took close up photos of the bowl, rim top and stem to show how clean the pipe was. The bowl was clean and the rim top and the inner edge clearly show the damage. The stem was clean and showed the light tooth marks and chatter.I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is very clear and readable and read as noted above. I also removed the stem from the shank and took photos of the pipe to show the look of the parts. I started working on the damaged rim top and burn damaged areas on the inner edge of the rim first. I used 220 grit sandpaper and a wooden sphere to clean up the edge. It looked significantly better. I will sand it with sanding pads when I work on the bowl and shank.I sanded the bowl and shank with 320-3550 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to smooth out the scratches on the rim top and sides of the bowl. I wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I sanded the exterior of the bowl with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with each pad and wiped the briar down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl and shank for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I sanded out the tooth marks and chatter with 220 grit sandpaper and was able to remove all of them.I continued sanding the stem 320-3500 grit sanding pads – dry sanding with 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. It began to take on a rich shine by the final pad. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. Once again, I wiped it down between each pad with Obsidian Oil. I further polished it with Before and After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. It looked very good. I am excited to finish this beautifully grained, Peterson’s Irish Made army 101 Billiard. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. The straight Pot looks great with the black vulcanite saddle stem. This smooth Classic Peterson’s Irish Made Army Billiard is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 39 grams/1.41 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will be putting on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. It is a real beauty. Thanks for walking through the restoration as I brought the pipe back to life.

New Life for a Republic Era Peterson’s Kapet 606S Pot with a Saddle Stem

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by Steve Laug

This beautifully grained briar pipe was purchased on 08/27/2024 from an auction on eBay from a seller in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and clearly reads Peterson’s [over] Kapet. On the right side it is stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland [three lines]. The shape number 606S is stamped to the right of that next to the bowl/shank junction. I believe the 606 is the shape number for a Pot and the S is for the saddle stem. The bowl had a thick cake on the walls and fortunately little overflow of lava onto the rim top and edges. The smooth finish is dirty with debris and oils. The vulcanite saddle stem has a “P” stamped on the left side of the saddle. It was oxidized, calcified and has tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. It was a beautiful looking pipe even through the grime in the finish. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started cleaning it up. Have a look. Jeff took close up photos of the bowl and rim top to show the condition of the bowl and the rim top. You can also see the light lava on the rim top, inner edge and the cake in the bowl. He also took close up photos of the stem to show its condition as mentioned above. He also took photos of the tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. He took photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the grain around the bowl. The grain is birdseye and mixed. Jeff also took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is faint in spots but readable as noted above. He also captured the condition of the P stamp on the stem side. I am including the link to the Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). There was a short note toward the bottom of the page about the series. It is definitely referring to the newer line that came out later. I quote:

I turned to Pipedia (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson) to first pin down a date that the pipe was made. I knew that the Made in Ireland stamp would give me that. I quote:

As usual when trying to get accurate facts in regard to Peterson history, something will jump up and get in the way. They are missing many of their records. The following is the best that we can do for a guide to the myriad markings during the period 1922 – 1949. Prior to 1920 it was rare for a country of origin to be stamped on the pipe, just Peterson’s Dublin on the band. After 1921/22, if it is stamped “MADE IN IRELAND” and the “Made in” is stacked over “Ireland” or “MADE IN EIRE” or several other forms, it was made between 1922 and 1938. A considerable number of Peterson pipes were stamped “Irish Free State”. From about 1930 to 1949, most of the pipes (those which were stamped) were stamped “Made in Ireland”.” If the stamp reads “MADE IN IRELAND” in a circle, the pipe was made between 1939 and 1948. These are all “Pre-Republic” pipes. I can tell you that the mark “Irish Free State” was adopted in 1922; and replaced by “Eire” in 1937 and then by “Republic of Ireland” in 1949.

That gave me a date for the pipe – it was made after 1949 as can be proved by the Made in the Republic of Ireland stamp on the right side of the shank.

I turned to “The Peterson Pipe” by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg to get some background on the Peterson’s Kapet Line. On page 305 it had the following information.

Kapet (1925-87) Line first described in 1925 brochure and featured in occasional catalogs through 1987. Early specimens will be stamped IRISH over FREE STATE. Described in 1937 catalog as available in dark plum or natural finish. Featured an aluminum “inner tube” or stinger until 1945.  Mid-century specimens may be stamped Made In over Ireland. Specimens from 1970 on may have mounts with hallmarks.

Judging from the Made in the Republic of Ireland stamp, the pipe I am working on is probably made after 1945 when the stinger or inner tube was removed. Those dates work also for the Kapet information above. The stem has the original P stamp on the saddle side and no stinger.

Armed with the information above, I turned my attention to the pipe itself. Jeff had cleaned the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness that I really appreciate. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals with alcohol, pipe cleaners, shank brushes and cotton swabs until the pipe was clean. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime and grit on the briar and the lava on the rim top. The finish looks very good with good looking grain around the bowl and shank. Jeff soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation on the rubber. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver for the second stop of its restoration tour it looked very good. I took photos before I started my part of the work. I took close up photos of the bowl, rim top and stem to show how clean the pipe was. The bowl was clean and the rim top and the inner edge look beautiful. The stem was clean and did not show either tooth marks or chatter.I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is very clear and readable and read as noted above. I also removed the stem from the shank and took photos of the pipe to show the look of the parts. I started working on the damaged rim top and burn damaged areas on the inner edge of the rim first. I used 220 grit sandpaper and a wooden sphere to clean up the edge. It looked significantly better. I will sand it with sanding pads when I work on the bowl and shank.I sanded the bowl and shank with 320-3550 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to smooth out the scratches on the rim top and sides of the bowl. I wiped the bowl down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I sanded the exterior of the bowl with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with each pad and wiped the briar down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding- debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl and shank for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the surface with the flame of a lighter to try and lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift some of them but those that remained I filled in with black, rubberized CA glue. Once the repairs cured I used a small file to flatten them and start blending them into the surface. I finished the cleanup with 220 grit sandpaper. It looked smooth. I touched up the “P” stamp on the left side of the saddle with some white acrylic nail polish. I let it cure then scraped off the excess and sanded the remnant off with a 1500 grit sanding pad.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. Once again, I wiped it down between each pad with Obsidian Oil. I further polished it with Before and After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. It looked very good. I am excited to finish this beautifully grained, Peterson’s Kapet 606S Saddle Stem Pot. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. The straight Pot looks great with the black vulcanite saddle stem. This smooth Classic Peterson’s Kapet 606S Pot is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 39 grams/1.34 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will be putting on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. It is a real beauty. Thanks for walking through the restoration as I brought the pipe back to life.`

New Life for a Republic Peterson’s De Luxe 440 Billiard

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by Steve Laug

In the last box of pipes Jeff sent me there was an interesting, nicely grained Peterson’s Billiard to restore. We purchased it from a seller on eBay on 08/22/2024 who was in Harrison Township, Michigan, USA. It is a Peterson’s De Luxe 440 Straight Billiard. It is stamped on the left side of the shank Peterson’s [over] De Luxe and on the right side it reads Made in the Republic of Ireland (three lines) followed by the shape number 440. It was a dirty pipe when we received it. There was lava on the rim top and heavily coated on the bevelled inner edge of the rim. The rim top was dirty and showed some wear and tear on the surface coming up for the bowl. There was a thick cake in the bowl that had remnants of tobacco stuck in it. The finish was dirty and there were spots of grime and oils. Under the finish was a great looking pipe with nice grain. The stem was calcified, oxidized and there were light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside ahead of the button. Jeff took some photos of the pipe before he started his cleanup work.He took photos of the bowl and rim top to show their general condition. You can see the tars on the inner edge and some scuffing on the rim top. The cake in the bowl is quite thick and there is tobacco debris on the walls of the bowl. The finish on the bowl is dull but the grain is still very stunning. This pipe has a classic Peterson’s P-lip stem on a saddle stem. It has calcification and oxidation on the surface of the vulcanite that is quite deep. There seems to be some tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside. Jeff took some photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to give an idea of the grain on this particular piece of briar. It is amazing and I cannot wait to see what it looks like once it is polished and waxed. He took photos of the stamping on both sides of the shank to capture it for me. The first photo shows the left side of the shank and the stamping as noted above as well as the P logo on the stem. The second and third photos show the right side of the shank with the Made in the Republic of Ireland three line stamp and shape number 440. I did a bit of work on Google to gather background on the De Luxe line of pipes when I worked on the 4S previously. I decided to quote that here as well.

The first information I found about the Deluxe line was on the Peterson’s website (https://www.peterson.ie/pipes/system/deluxe-system-smooth/). I quote from the description of the line below. I have highlighted several key portions in bold black for emphasis.

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

From that information I knew how the De Luxe fit in the hierarchy of Peterson’s pipes. It was always the highest tier of the System pipes. The attachment of a chimney at the end of the tenon was to maximize System performance (the chimney was missing in this particular pipe).

From there I also turned to Pipedia to see what that would add to the information I had on the brand and line. I quote from an article by Jim Lilley and have included portions of it below. (https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_Closer_Look_at_The_Peterson_Deluxe_System_Pipe). Once again, I have highlighted pertinent sections in bold below.

The version of the system pipe for our closer inspection is one of Peterson’s more recognisable series, the handsome and very distinctive De Luxe system pipes, which include the Darwin and Mark Twain. These pipes are at the top of the ‘system’ series in terms of quality and finish.

Each Peterson Deluxe is made from carefully selected, age mellowed root briar. In matte finish with hallmarked sterling silver mounts and a unique space fitting mouthpiece to allow for years of wear. They are available in a wide range of shapes numbered, as follows 1s,2s,3s,4s,5s,8s,9s,11s,12.5s,20s, XL5s, 20FB and 11FB.

The pipes are well carved, construction, engineering and workmanship, is outstanding. The stems are well drilled and aligned. Silver work is excellent, finish very good, and the often maligned briar is of outstanding quality.

The design is a very typically Peterson classic shape. Apart from the Darwin, the balance can be stem heavy, the bit is thick and chunky, especially in the larger versions. I also enjoy the sense of presence they give to the pipe, particularly if smoking in company with friends or strangers. They have a sophistication about them.

The smoking qualities are excellent, dry and cool. The draw is good, and the flavour is particularly great in new pipes. The Mark Twain’s are outstanding in this department….

With that information I turned my attention to working on the pipe.

Jeff had cleaned it thoroughly. He had reamed it with a PipNet reamer and cleaned that up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He had scrubbed the exterior of the briar with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush. He rinsed it with running water to remove the grime and oils. He cleaned out the interior of the shank, sump and airway in the shank and stem with alcohol, pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. He scrubbed the stem with Soft Scrub to remove the oxidation and calcification on the surface. He soaked it in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation. He removed it from the Deoxidizer and rinsed it off with warm water. I took some photos of the pipe before I started my part of the work. I took some photos of the rim top and stem. The rim top and bowl looked very good. The cake and lava overflow were gone and the inward bevelled rim was very clean. There was also some darkening on the bevelled inner rim edge and light damage on the edge of the top and the bevel. Jeff had been able to get rid of all of the lava and tars. The rim top looked good with light marks and scratches on the surface. The closeup photos of the stem shows that it is a much cleaner and better looking stem. The tooth marks and chatter were still present ahead of the button.I took some photos of the stamping on the shank sides to show the condition after the cleanup. Often the stamping takes a hit with the cleaning and is lessened in its clarity. Jeff does a great job in leaving the stamping looking very good. The stamp on the stem is also in good condition and will need to be recoloured. I also took the stem off the shank and took a photo of the parts of the pipe to show the proportion. The grain around the bowl and shank on this pipe is very beautiful. I started my restoration work on this pipe by addressing the darkening around the inner edge of the bowl. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean up the bevelled inner edge and the rim top with the same sandpaper. The finished rim top looked very good.I used 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to remove the darkening on the rim edges and top as well to smooth out some of the scratches in the briar. Once finished it was ready to be polished. I started my polishing regimen on the bowl. I used nine micromesh sanding pads and dry sanded the bowl with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each pad. The bowl really shines by the final three pads. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect it. I let the balm sit for a little while and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. On other Deluxe pipes I have used gold to touch up the stamp rather than white acrylic. I touched up the “P” stamp on the left side of the stem with some Rub’n Buff Antique Gold. I worked it into the stamp with a tooth pick. I buffed it off with a soft cloth and some Obsidian Oil. It looked very good.I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to minimize the scratches and tooth chatter. I wiped the stem down after each pad with Obsidian Oil on a cloth. By the final pad it looked good.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped them down after each sanding pad with a cloth containing some Obsidian Oil. I finished polishing it with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine and buffed it off with a cotton cloth. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Oil to preserve and protect the stem.  I don’t know how many times I have said this but I love it when I come to the end of a restoration and all of the parts come together and the pipe looks better than when we started the cleanup process. I put the stem back on the Peterson’s De Luxe 440 Billiard and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I carefully avoided the stamping on the shank sides during the process. I gave the bowl and stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad on the buffer. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is a real stunning example of a Republic Era Peterson’s De Luxe 440 Straight Billiard. Once again, the grain and the way the shape follows the grain is amazing. Give the finish pipe a look in the photos below. I can only tell you that it is much prettier in person than the photos capture. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is .99 ounces/28 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be putting this one on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipemakers Section. Let me know if you are interested in adding it to your collection. Thanks for your time.

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.

New Life for a Republic Era 1994 Peterson’s “Dublin” Lovat with Sterling Silver band

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe I have chosen is smooth finished Peterson’s “Dublin” Lovat pipe that had a very dirty/grimy finish but had some good looking grain around the bowl sides and shank. It had a tarnished Sterling Silver band on the shank. It came to us from our contact in Copenhagen, Denmark on 14/11/2024. This Lovat was stamped on the left side of the shank and read Peterson’s [over] “Dublin”. It was stamped on the right side and read Made in the Republic of Ireland (three lines). The Sterling Silver Band is stamped on the top with three shields K & P over Sterling Silver. On the right side of the band it has three hallmarks – Hibernia seated arm on a harp (signifies country of manufacture), a crowned harp designating Sterling quality and finally a Date Letter mark – in this case it is an italic “I” (1994). On the left side it is stamped 1997. The pipe was in filthy condition when we brought it to the table. The finish was dirty with grime ground into the briar sides and rim. The bowl had a cake and there was some lava on the rim top and edges. The inner edge of the bowl appeared to be okay and a burn mark on the outer edge on the front. The stem was dirty and moderately oxidized. There were light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside on and near the button. There was a white “P” stamp logo on the left side of the saddle stem. Jeff took photos of the pipe before his cleanup work. They tell the story and give a glimpse of the promise that we see in this pipe. Jeff took photos of the rim top and stem to show the general condition of the pipe. The bowl and was heavily caked and the rim top had a spotty lava overflow. The inner edge of the bowl looks good and you can see a burn mark on the front outer edge of the bowl. The photos of the stem show the light tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. Jeff took some photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the amazing grain that was around this bowl underneath the grime and grease coat on the surface. It is a nice looking pipe.  He took photos of the sides of the shank to show the stamping. The stamping is readable in the photos below and is as noted above. He also captured some of the stamping on the Sterling Silver band on the shank. I am including the link to the Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson).

I turned to “The Peterson Pipe” by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg to get some background on the Peterson’s London Made England line. On page 298 it had the following information.

“Dublin” (1992-2003) An orange-brown smooth line with a brass-nickel-brass sandwich band, vulcanite fishtail mouthpiece, consisting mostly of D shapes released for the Danish market. Stamped PETERSON’S in script over “DUBLIN”. A tenth anniversary pipe for the line was produced with a sterling band stamped 2001. Market demand fell shortly thereafter and several pipes stamped “DUBLIN” were released in ’03 for the Fourth of July commemoratives for the US market.

I knew a date range for the pipe I was working on from the stamping on the silver– 1994-1997. My guess is that it was made in 94 and purchased in 97 by the pipe man or woman who held it in trust. Since the one I was working on did not have a D shape it is not provable that it was made for the Danish market. However, other than the shape number, the colour, the silver band and the fishtail stem is the same on the pipe. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet reamer and cut back the cake back to the bare briar. He cleaned up the walls with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, shank brushes and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He worked on the rim top lava and the darkened spots with the soap and tooth brush. He scrubbed the inside of the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior with Soft Scrub and then soaked it in Briarville Pipe Stem Deoxidizer. He washed it off with warm water to remove the Deoxidizer. The pipe had some dark spots on the briar but it looked far better when it arrived. I took some close up photos of the rim top and also of the stem surface. I wanted to show how well it had cleaned up. The rim top had some looked good but there was darkening on the rim top and inner edge and some burn spots on the front and back outer edge of the bowl. It should clean up really well. I also took close up photos of the stem to show the light tooth marks on the surface near the button.I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. You can see that it is stamped as noted above. It is clear and readable. The P logo stamp on the stem side is clear but will need to be touched up. I took photos of the stamping on the silver band to try and capture what was on the band. It is readable. I removed the stem and took a photo of the pipe to have a look at the parts and overall look. I moved on to address the damage on the rim top and the front inner edge of the bowl. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the damage and bring the bowl back to round. It looked much better at this point in the process. I wiped down the dark spots on the edges of the rim and the heel of the bowl with some oxalic acid on a cotton pad. While it greatly lightened the spots it did not remove them.I sanded the bowl and rim with 320-3500 sanding pads to minimize the dark spots further on the rim edges and the heel of the bowl. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth between pads to remove the sanding dust. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips. It works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let it sit for 15 minutes then buffed it off with a soft cloth and raised the shine. The bowl looks great at this point. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to continue to blend the repairs into the surface of the vulcanite. I wiped the stem down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth to remove the sanding dust and preserve the vulcanite.I touched up the P stamp on the top of the stem with white acrylic fingernail polish. Once it dried I scraped off the excess and sanded the surface with 1500 grit micromesh pad.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each pad. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine and gave it a final coat and set it aside to dry. I polished silver band with a jeweller’s cloth to remove the tarnish and protect the finish from further tarnishing. It took on a rich shine. I am excited to finish this Peterson’s “Dublin” silver banded Lovat. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. Added to that the polished black vulcanite stem combined with the bowl and sandwich brass/nickel/brass band on the shank and made a stunning pipe. This smooth Classic Peterson’s “Dublin” banded Lovat is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 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 32 grams/1.13 ounces. It is a beautiful pipe that I will soon be putting on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection send me an email or a message. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe. Thanks to each of you who are reading this blog.

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.

New Life for a Peterson’s “Dublin” Made in the Republic of Ireland 264 Canadian

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe I have chosen is smooth finished Peterson’s “Dublin” Canadian pipe that had a very dirty/grimy finish but had some good looking grain around the bowl sides and shank. It came to us from our contact in Copenhagen, Denmark on 14/11/2024. This Canadian was stamped on the topside of the shank and read Peterson’s [over] “Dublin”. It was stamped on the underside and read Made in the Republic of Ireland (three lines). On the right side of the shank near the bowl it is stamped with the shape number 264. The pipe was in filthy condition when we brought it to the table. The finish was dirty with grime ground into the briar sides and rim. The bowl had a thick cake and there was an overflow of lava on the rim top and edges. The inner edge of the bowl appeared to be okay but the heavy lava coat prohibited knowing with certainty. There was a thin three layered band on the shank end with a piece of silver sandwiched by gold on each side. The stem was dirty and moderately oxidized. There were light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside on and near the button. There was a white “P” stamp logo on the top of the taper stem. Jeff took photos of the pipe before his cleanup work. They tell the story and give a glimpse of the promise that we see in this pipe. Jeff took photos of the rim top and stem to show the general condition of the pipe. The bowl and the rim top were heavily caked and had a thick lava overflow. The inner edge of the bowl is hard to assess until cleaned. The photos of the stem show the light tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. Jeff took some photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the amazing grain that was around this bowl. It is a nice looking pipe.  He took photos of the sides of the shank to show the stamping. The stamping is readable in the photos below and is as noted above. He also captured the white stamped P logo on the stem top. I am including the link to the Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson).

I turned to “The Peterson Pipe” by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg to get some background on the Peterson’s London Made England line. On page 298 it had the following information.

“Dublin” (1992-2003) An orange-brown smooth line with a brass-nickel-brass sandwich band, vulcanite fishtail mouthpiece, consisting mostly of D shapes released for the Danish market. Stamped PETERSON’S in script over “DUBLIN”. A tenth anniversary pipe for the line was produced with a sterling band stamped 2001. Market demand fell shortly thereafter and several pipes stamped “DUBLIN” were released in ’03 for the Fourth of July commemoratives for the US market.

Now I knew a date range for the pipe I was working on – 1992-2003. Since the one I was working on did not have a D shape it is not clear that it was made for the Danish market. However, other than the shape number, the colour, the brass, nickel, brass band and the fishtail stem is the same on the pipe. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

Jeff had done a great job cleaning up the pipe as usual. He reamed the pipe with a PipNet reamer and cut back the cake back to the bare briar. He cleaned up the walls with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed the interior of the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, shank brushes and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He worked on the rim top lava and the darkened spots with the soap and tooth brush. He scrubbed the inside of the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners. He scrubbed the exterior with Soft Scrub and then soaked it in Briarville Pipe Stem Deoxidizer. He washed it off with warm water to remove the Deoxidizer. The pipe looked far better when it arrived. I took some close up photos of the rim top and also of the stem surface. I wanted to show how well it had cleaned up. The rim top had some looked quite good and the inner edge had some darkening and damage on the front. It should clean up really well. I also took close up photos of the stem to show the light tooth marks on the surface near the button. I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. You can see that it is stamped as noted above. It is clear and readable. I removed the stem and took a photo of the pipe to have a look at the parts and overall look. (The three part band was loose from the clean up and you can see it has turned in the fourth photo below.) I glued the triple band back on the shank carefully aligning it before the glue cured. I used a white all-purpose glue as I find that it works very well.I moved on to address the damage on the rim top and the front inner edge of the bowl. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the damage and bring the bowl back to round. It looked much better at this point in the process.I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips. It works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let it sit for 15 minutes then buffed it off with a soft cloth and raised the shine. The bowl looks great at this point. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the tooth marks with the flame of a lighter to lift them. I was able to lift them all significantly but a few remained on each side. I filled them in with black, rubberized CA glue. Once the glue cured I flattened the repairs with a small flat file. I sanded the repaired areas with 220 grit sandpaper to further flatten them. I wiped the stem down with an Obsidian Oil cloth when I finished. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to continue to blend the repairs into the surface of the vulcanite. I wiped the stem down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil cloth to remove the sanding dust and preserve the vulcanite.I touched up the P stamp on the top of the stem with white acrylic fingernail polish. Once it dried I scraped off the excess and sanded the surface with 1500 grit micromesh pad.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil after each pad. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine and gave it a final coat and set it aside to dry. I am excited to finish this Peterson’s “Dublin” 264 Canadian. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. Added to that the polished black vulcanite stem combined with the bowl and sandwich brass/nickel/brass band on the shank and made a stunning pipe. This smooth Classic Peterson’s “Dublin” 264 Canadian is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 6 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 31 grams/1.09 ounces. It is a beautiful pipe that I will soon be putting on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection send me an email or a message. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe. Thanks to each of you who are reading this blog.

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.

Restoring a Peterson’s Kapet Made in the Republic of Ireland 502

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by Steve Laug

This beautifully grained briar pipe was purchased on 08/27/2024 from an auction on eBay from a seller in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It is stamped on the left side of the shank and clearly reads Peterson’s [over] Kapet. On the right side it is stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland [three lines]. The shape number 502 is stamped to the right of that next to the bowl/shank junction. The bowl had a thick cake on the walls and an overflow of lava onto the rim top and edges. The smooth finish is dirty with debris and oils. The vulcanite saddle stem has a “P” stamped on the left side of the saddle. It was oxidized, calcified and has light tooth marks and chatter on both sides near the button. It was a beautiful looking pipe even through the grime in the finish. Jeff took photos of the pipe before he started cleaning it up. Have a look. Jeff took close up photos of the bowl and rim top to show the condition of the bowl and the rim top. You can also see the lava on the rim top, inner edge and the cake in the bowl. He also took close up photos of the stem to show its condition as mentioned above. He also took photos of the tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. He took photos of the bowl sides and heel to show the grain around the bowl. There are small fills on the left side mid bowl. The grain is beautiful straight or flame grain. Jeff also took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is clear and readable as noted above.I am including the link to the Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). There was a short note toward the bottom of the page about the series. It is definitely referring to the newer line that came out later. I quote:

I turned to Pipedia (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson) to first pin down a date that the pipe was made. I knew that the Made in Ireland stamp would give me that. I quote:

As usual when trying to get accurate facts in regard to Peterson history, something will jump up and get in the way. They are missing many of their records. The following is the best that we can do for a guide to the myriad markings during the period 1922 – 1949. Prior to 1920 it was rare for a country of origin to be stamped on the pipe, just Peterson’s Dublin on the band. After 1921/22, if it is stamped “MADE IN IRELAND” and the “Made in” is stacked over “Ireland” or “MADE IN EIRE” or several other forms, it was made between 1922 and 1938. A considerable number of Peterson pipes were stamped “Irish Free State”. From about 1930 to 1949, most of the pipes (those which were stamped) were stamped “Made in Ireland”.” If the stamp reads “MADE IN IRELAND” in a circle, the pipe was made between 1939 and 1948. These are all “Pre-Republic” pipes. I can tell you that the mark “Irish Free State” was adopted in 1922; and replaced by “Eire” in 1937 and then by “Republic of Ireland” in 1949.

That gave me a date for the pipe – it was made after 1949 as can be proved by the Made in the Republic of Ireland stamp on the right side of the shank.

I turned to “The Peterson Pipe” by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg to get some background on the Peterson’s Kapet Line. On page 305 it had the following information.

Kapet (1925-87) Line first described in 1925 brochure and featured in occasional catalogs through 1987. Early specimens will be stamped IRISH over FREE STATE. Described in 1937 catalog as available in dark plum or natural finish. Featured an aluminum “inner tube” or stinger until 1945.  Mid-century specimens may be stamped Made In over Ireland. Specimens from 1970 on may have mounts with hallmarks.

Judging from the Made in the Republic of Ireland stamp, the pipe I am working on is probably made after 1945 when the stinger or inner tube was removed. Those dates work also for the Kapet information above. The stem has the original P stamp on the saddle side and no stinger.

To help clarify the stamping on the shank more, I did some digging and found a blog on Mark Irwin’s Site that had information on the 500 shapes and specifically the 502 shape and it did indeed have a saddle stem (https://petersonpipenotes.org/tag/peterson-502/). That also move the date forward to post 1980.

The 500 shapes aren’t documented in the Peterson ephemera, which is an important reason to stop and let everyone know they’re available just now. They’re big, XL shapes, mostly bulldogs and Rhodesians, and appeared around 1980 in a red stain in the Spigot, Sterling Silver and  Kapet lines (from high to low), but also in standard brown stain in the lower Kildare and K Briar entry-grade lines. I’ve also seen a Supreme on the internet.

The 1980s were a difficult period in the company’s history, as we recount in The Peterson Pipe: The Story of Kapp & Peterson. Global pipe sales had plummeted to an all-time low and Peterson, like many other companies, was retrenching.  While we have a good record of the company’s offerings in the 1970s and 80s, the 500 shapes are nowhere to be seen. They’re big pipes, which made me think they might have been made designed for the U.S. market, were it not for the fact that some of them accommodate a 6mm filter, which is usually a sign that they were destined for the German market.Armed with the information above, I turned my attention to the pipe itself. Jeff had cleaned the pipe with his usual penchant for thoroughness that I really appreciate. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals with alcohol, pipe cleaners, shank brushes and cotton swabs until the pipe was clean. He scrubbed the exterior of the bowl with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime and grit on the briar and the lava on the rim top. The finish looks very good with good looking grain around the bowl and shank. Jeff soaked the stem in Before & After Deoxidizer to remove the oxidation on the rubber. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver for the second stop of its restoration tour it looked very good. I took photos before I started my part of the work. I took close up photos of the bowl, rim top and stem to show how clean the pipe was. The bowl was clean and the rim top and the inner edge look beautiful. The stem was clean and did not show either tooth marks or chatter.I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is very clear and readable and read as noted above. I also removed the stem from the shank and took photos of the pipe to show the look of the parts. I started by sanding the exterior of the bowl with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with each pad and wiped the briar down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding- debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl and shank for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I set the bowl aside and touched up the “P” stamp on the left side of the saddle with some white acrylic nail polish. I let it cure then scraped off the excess and sanded the remnant off with a 1500 grit sanding pad.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. Once again, I wiped it down between each pad with Obsidian Oil. I further polished it with Before and After Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. It looked very good.I am excited to finish this beautifully grained, Peterson’s Kapet 502 Saddle Stem Apple. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I hand buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. The straight apple looks great with the black vulcanite saddle stem. This smooth Classic Peterson’s Kapet 502 Apple is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 45 grams/1.62 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will be putting on the rebornpipes store in the Irish Pipe Makers Section. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. It is a real beauty. Thanks for walking through the restoration as I brought the pipe back to life.

Restoring a Republic Era Made for Canada Peterson’s System Standard 1307

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by Steve Laug

Last weekend Kenneth and I went to an antique show in New Westminster, BC. It is our third year going but still we have no idea what we are going to fine each time we go. It is always a part of the fun to wander through the various stalls and see what the vendors are offering on their tables. There are always surprising things – items that I grew up with that are now called antiques or at least collectibles. If only my foresight had been as good as my memory is now I could have sold many of the things I played with and ate from! But I digress. Back to the pipe hunting. We saw the usual offerings of things Grabow and Medico that were in very rough shape. I think we both have become much more selective over time and we passed on spending time with them. I did a few items that I picked up to restore. I took a picture of the group of fout pipes. In the left column from top to bottom there was a Peterson’s System Standard 1307 (Canadian number on a 307 shape), a Bulldog that was stamped Fraser Valley Made in Canada with a white dot stem and at the bottom was another Peterson – a K&P Dublin Made in Ireland Canadian with a Sterling Silver Band. The one on the right side is an older GBD Nosewarmer with an orific button on the short stem. Not a bad group of pipes to bring to the work table.The last pipe that I picked up at the Antique fair a few weekends ago – a Peterson’s System Standard pipe. It had a smooth finish. It was stamped on both sides of the shank. On the left side it read Peterson’s System Standard. On the right side it was stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland and under that was the shape number 1307. The nickel ferrule was in good condition and was stamped K&P Peterson. There were faux hallmarks under that. The finish was dirty and dusty with oils ground into the briar. The rim top had some lava on the flat surface and the inner rim is damaged and slightly out of round. The bowl had a moderate cake on the walls but appeared to be in decent condition underneath. The vulcanite stem was lightly oxidized and had tooth marks and chatter near the button on both sides. I took close up photos of the bowl and rim top to show the condition of the bowl and the rim top. You can also see the lava on the rim and the cake in the bowl. The inner edge shows some chipping and damage. I also took close up photos of the stem to show its condition as mentioned above. I also took photos of the tooth marks and chatter on both sides of the stem. I took photos of the stamping on both sides of the shank to show what I was speaking about above. It is very readable. On the left side it reads Peterson’s System Standard. On the right side it read Made in the Republic of Ireland over the shape number 1307. The nickel ferrule stamping is very readable and undamaged.  I also took a photo of the bowl with the stem removed. It is a beauty with great grain. I have included the information on the shape number on this pipe that I picked up on researching the other pipes. It is a Peterson’s System Standard pipe with a 1307 shape number. The 307 is identical in shape, size and marking. I started my hunt for information by turning to a Peterson Catalogue that I have on rebornpipes and looked up the System Standard pipes (https://rebornpipes.com/tag/peterson-hallmark-chart/). I have put a red box around the 307 shown in the catalogue page shown below. That should give a clear picture of the size and shape of the pipe. But there was nothing to give me any information on what the first number 1 meant in the shape number 1307 that I am working on. Since this is stamped with the same “1” as previous Peterson pipes that I have worked on I turned to the blog and had a look. I am including the information on the unique numbering. Mark pointed me in the direction that I needed. I quote the pertinent part of his email. The underlined portion was the clue I was looking for on this pipe. I have already cleaned up several of Bob’s pipes that were sold through GT&C (Genin, Trudeau and Company, Montreal, Quebec).

The index at the back of the book is pretty good, and points you to all the GT&C goodies, but 155 has a photo from the catalog with your 1307, while 318 and 323 explain the rationale for the “1” prefix. In a nutshell, just drop the “1” and you’ve got the shape. My theory is that GT&C added this to aid them in warranty work, so they’d know the pipe was bought on Canadian soil.

I turned then to a previous blog I had written on a Kapruf 54 that had an odd shape number stamp and referred to the Canadian numbering system used by GT&C. Here it the link to that blog (https://rebornpipes.com/2019/08/09/back-to-bob-kerrs-estate-another-canadian-import-petersons-kapruf-a-54/). In the blog I included a link to a blog I did on the GT&C Catalogue that came to me in some paperwork the family gave me. I have included the cover of the catalogue and the page on the system pipes showing the 1312 shape. I have put a red box around the shape for ease of reference (https://rebornpipes.com/2016/09/13/petersons-pipes-brochure-from-genin-trudeau-co-montreal-quebec/). Be sure to check out the rest of the document on the link.

The GT&C Catalogue combined with the earlier Peterson Pipe Catalogue page make the link definitive. I am also including the information from Pipedia’s article on Peterson pipes. It is a great read in terms of the history of the brand (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson). I have included a bit of the pertinent history here.

1950 – 1989 The Republic Era – From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland” in a block format generally in three lines but two lines have been used with or without Republic being abbreviated.

During the 1950’s and 60’s the Kapp & Peterson company was still in the ownership of the Kapp family. However 1964 saw the retiral of the company Managing Director Frederick Henry(Harry) Kapp.

Pipedia also included a section of information on the System pipes including a diagram of the sytems look (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson#Republic_Era_Pipes). I quote a section of the article in part and include a link to another article on Pipedia on the System pipe.

The Peterson System pipes are the standard bearers of the Peterson pipe family, famous for the excellent smoking pleasure they provide. Often imitated but never equaled, the Peterson System smokes dry, cool and sweet, thanks to the scientific effectiveness of the original design. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture flows into the reservoir and, thus cannot reach the smoker’s mouth. The Peterson Lip further enhances the effectiveness of the graduated bore by directing the flow of smoke upwards and away from the tongue. This achieves a uniquely even distribution of smoke and virtually eliminates any chance of tonguebite or bitterness. Furthermore, the shape is contoured so that the tongue rests comfortably in the depression under the opening. Each “PLip” mouthpiece is made from Vulcanite. For the Peterson System pipes to work properly, the stem/tenon has to have an extension, the tip of which will pass by the draft hole from the bowl and into the sump. Upon the smoker drawing in smoke, this extension then directs the smoke down and around the sump to dispense a lot of the moisture before the smoke enters the extension and stem. On the System Standards and other less expensive systems, this extension with be made of Vulcanite turned integrally with the stem. On the more expensive System pipes this extension will be made of metal which screws into the Vulcanite stem. This extension on the earlier pipes will be of brass and the newer pipes will be of aluminium. Most smokers not knowing this function of the metal extension, assumes that it is a condenser/stinger and will remove it as they do with the metal condensers of Kaywoodie, etc. Should you have a System pipe with this metal extension, do not remove it for it will make the System function properly and give you a dryer smoke (https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_closer_look_at_the_famous_Peterson_Standard_System_Pipe).

With that information in hand I knew what I was dealing with in terms of the stamping and the age of this pipe. I knew from the information that the pipe was made during the Republic Era between 1950 and 1989. My guess is that this is also a 60’s era pipe. I also knew that the pipe was brought into Canada by the Canadian Importer, Genin, Trudeau & Co. in Montreal, Quebec. Noting above that the catalogue postal code puts it in the late 60s early 70s which also fits the story. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

I reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer using the first two cutting heads. I followed up with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife to clean up the remnants of cake left in the bowl and check the bowl walls. I sanded the bowl with a piece of dowel wrapped with 220 grit sandpaper. It looked much better at this point. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean up the top of the rim and to lightly bevel the inner edge to clean up the out of round bowl. I was able to make it look better. I cleaned the mortise and the airway in the shank and stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. They were dirty but the pipe is clean now.   I scrubbed the externals of the pipe with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime in the finish and on the rim top. I worked on it until it looked much better and then rinsed it off with warm water. I dried it off with a soft cloth. I sanded the bowl with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. By the final pad it looked quite good. I polished the bowl and worked on the rim top with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down between pads with a bit of olive oil on a paper towel. It really began to take on a deep shine. The grain really began to show on the briar. The exterior of the bowl looks better after sanding. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the hard rubber surface with the flame of a lighter to try and lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift some of them. The remaining ones I filled in with rubberized black CA glue. Once the repairs cured I flattened them with a small file and then finished blending them in with 220 grit sandpaper. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend in the repairs and remove the remaining oxidation on the stem surface. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad to remove the sanding dust.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 to further protect the vulcanite surface. I finished the polishing with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – Fine and Extra Fine. I wiped the stem down a final time with Obsidian Oil and a cloth. It really looks very good. It feels good to be finishing the restoration of last of the four pipes found at the Antique Fair, a Peterson’s System Standard 1307 Bent Billiard. I polished the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish out the scratches in the briar and the vulcanite. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffer. 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 grain is quite stunning and really pops with the wax and polish. The shiny black vulcanite stem is a beautiful contrast to the browns of the bowl and shank. This Peterson’s System Standard 1307 Bent Billiard was a great pipe to end the restoration of the four pipes I picked up. The polished nickel Ferrule works as a contrast between the stem and the briar and binds it all together. It really is a quite stunning piece of briar whose shape follows the flow of the briar. The pipe is comfortable pipe to hold in the hand. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 ½ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe 2.54 ounces/71 grams. This beautiful pipe will be going on the Irish Pipe Makers Section of the rebornpipes store. Email if you are interested in adding it to your rack. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. This was an interesting pipe to bring back to life.

Restoring a Badly Burned Out Peterson’s Kapmeer 407 Prince

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by Steve Laug

Several months ago, now I received an email from Jake about a Peterson’s Prince that he had that had a burnout in the bottom of the bowl. I asked him to send me photos of the pipe so that I could see what the issues were with the pipe. The photos showed the large hole in the bottom of the bowl. The hole is the same diameter as the inner walls of the bowl by the looks of the photo. I did not know what the brand mark on the pipe was as we never spoke about it. My guess about it was that the stem made me think of a Dunsmore or perhaps a Kapmeer pipe. We talked about it and what it would cost to restore it. Jake said he would send it up for work. Time passed and I really forgot about the pipe then on the weekend Jake wrote that he was mailing it. I told him I would keep an eye out for it and early this week the pipe arrived. Here are the photos that Jake sent me to show me the damage. When I unpacked the box I took the pipe out and had a look at it. The hole was quite large and the edges of the hole were thin and chipping. The stem was very oxidized and had some tooth marks on the top and the underside ahead of the button.
I took a photo of the bowl to show the size of what I was dealing with. The liner on the walls of the bowl were meerschaum. I believe that originally the Kapmeer had a Meerschaum tube on the walls that did not have a meerschaum bottom. I took photos of the stem to show its condition. The stem was oxidized and had tooth chatter and marks on the top and underside of the stem ahead of the button. The pipe is stamped around the sides of the shank. I took photos of the stamping and have included them below. They are clear and readable. The stamping on the left side read Peterson’s [over] KAPMEER. On the left side of the stem there was a stamped “P” that was clear and readable. The stamping on the right side read Made In [over] Great Britain. On the underside of the shank it was stamped with the shape number 407. I took the stem off the shank and took a photo of the pipe parts to give a sense of what it looked like. I started my repair on the burnout by cleaning up the pipe. I carefully reamed the thick cake out of the bowl with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I scraped the cake off the walls of the bowl. I sanded the bowl out with sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel to remove any residual cake and smooth out the meerschaum.I used a pen knife to clean of the edge of the hole in the bottom of the bowl. I cut out all of the burned and thin areas on the hole. I cut a piece of briar out of the heel of a sacrificial old pipe. I cut a bit bigger than the hold as I would need to shape and fit it in the hole. I used the shape of the inner edge of the bowl and rim to set the shape of the plug that I was going to use on the repair. I used a Dremel to reduce the edges and make the plug round. I scored the back edge with the Dremel where the airway entered the bowl. I would reduce the edges of the plug to fit in the hole from the outside. I used a Dremel and sanding drum as well as several files to shape of the bottom of the plug to the same size as the hole in the bottom. Once it was shaped I fit it to the hold in the bottom. I glued it in place with clear CA glue. I filled in the gaps around the plug with briar dust and super glue. When the glue cured I sanded the repair smooth with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I took a photo of the inside of the bowl. It shows some of the glue from the plug around the edges. I mixed a batch of JB Weld and pressed it into the bottom of the bowl. I used a folded pipe cleaner and pipe nail to press it into the bottom. I raised the bottom of the bowl to the bottom of the entrance of the airway.I sanded the outside of the bowl and the rim top with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. The repair blended into the surrounding briar. There was some darkening around the outer edge of the patch. I stained the repaired burnout with a Walnut stain pen. It is a different piece of briar but the colour is a close match.I polished the briar with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it and then wiped it down after each sanding pad to remove the sanding dust. It began to take on a shine. The exterior of the bowl looks better after polishing. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar with my finger tips. I let it sit on the bowl for 10 minutes and then buffed it off with a paper towel and soft cloth. The product is a great addition to the restoration work. It enlivens, enriches and protects the briar while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I scrubbed the stem with Soft Scrub to remove the oxidation on the surface of the stem. It took some work but I was able to remove a lot of the oxidation.I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a lighter to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift some of them. I filled in the few that remained with a rubberized black CA glue. Once it cured I use a small flat file to smooth out the repairs on the stem surface. I followed that up by sanding it with a folded 220 grit sandpaper. I sanded the stem surface with 220 grit sand paper to smooth out the repairs. I forgot to take photos of this part of the process. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to remove the scratching, oxidation and further polishing the stem surface.I touched up the “P” logo stamp on the left side of the stem with white acrylic fingernail polish. Once it cured I scraped of the excess and sanded the surrounding area with 1500 grit sanding pads. It looked very good. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grits pads. I wiped the stem down with an Obsidian Oil Cloth after each pad. There still seems to be some oxidation around the stem. But it looks much better. I mixed a batch of sour cream and charcoal powder and painted the bottom of the bowl with a folded pipe cleaner. The mixture cures hard and flavourless and protects the repaired bottom of the bowl. With the burned out bowl repaired, the bowl cleaned and restored I put the polished stem back on the shank. The Peterson’s Kapmeer 407 Prince looked beautiful. Even the repaired burnout on the bottom of the bowl looked interesting with the dark ring around it on the bowl bottom. I buffed the pipe Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel and worked over the briar and the vulcanite with it. The buffer brought out a rich shine on the bowl and stem. I gave it multiple coats of Carnauba wax and then buffed it with a clean buffing pad. I had buffed the pipe with a soft cloth to deepen the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful mixed grain all around it. The pipe looks great with the black vulcanite stem. This smooth Peterson’s Kapmeer 407 Meerlined Prince is great looking and the pipe feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 6 inches, Height: 1 ¼ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 29 grams/0.99 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will be sending it back to Jake soon. He is looking forward to enjoying it once again. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe. Thanks to each of you who are reading this blog.