Tag Archives: pipe restemming

Restemming and Restoring a Savinelli Extra Lumberman

by Steve Laug

My brother and I have picked up a lot of bowl without stems over the years and boxed them for potential restemming at a later date. Unfortunately, we did not record where we picked them up. This one was a long shanked Canadian. Jeff had reamed and cleaned the pipe before we boxed it so it was clean, just needing finishing and restemming. It spots of rustication around the bowl sides and the shank. There was also a joint mid shank that was “hidden” under the rustication. The pipe was stamped on the underside of the bowl and shank and read Savinelli [over] Extra on the bowl heel [followed by] LUMBERMAN [followed by] Italy. The briar was clean and the rustications were also clean. The rim top had damage on the bevelled inner edge and some darkening on both. The joint of the two parts was well done and the rustication did a great job hiding it. There is a silver band on the shank is a repair band I believe that was added after carving. It is stamped with an arched Sterling Silver on the topside. I took some photos of the bowl before I started working on it. I took photos of the rim top and inner edge to show the condition of the bowl and rim. I also took photos of the junction of the two parts of the shank. Note the condition of the union of the two parts of the long shank. It is very well done and the connection is clean and undamaged.I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It was clear and readable as noted above. I did a google search on a Savinelli Extra Lumberman and found one on MBSD’s Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/p/DBu1kPTPCFF/). I captured one of the photos from the site and also the pertinent descriptive information that was in the side bar for the pipe.….…This is an interesting Savinelli. Though technically a Canadian, this extra long Lumberman model is not one you’ll find on Savinelli’s contemporary shape chart. In fact, I think this is a shape from before 1970 and the advent of the chart that Savinelli uses as standard today. It also features something that Savinelli has not done for a long time: spot carving. I.e., partial rustication, which lends the pipe a slightly rugged look, juxtaposed nicely with its virgin blonde stain. Finally, the pipe has vulcanite stem, which is also not very common on Savinellis anymore.

Now it was time to restem the pipe. I went through my can of stems to find a stem that would fit this pipe both in terms of the airway and the shank fit. I found a nice taper stem that would work well with this long shank Canadian. With a bit of work it would fit very well. It was close to a fit so I used a Dremel and sanding drum to reduce the diameter of the tenon for a shank fit. I adjusted it further with some small flat files. Once I completed the clean up of the tenon I fit it in the shank on the pipe and took photos of the pipe at this point in the process. I still needed to adjust the width of the stem at the shank as well as the overall shape to match the shank end.I used 220 grit sandpaper to shape and adjust the stem to match the shank end. It took a lot of sanding and shaping but it began to look very good.I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad to check the progress of the fit to the shank. It began to look very good.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I set the stem aside and turned my attention to the bowl. I used a piece of 220 grit sandpaper and a half sphere to work over the inner bevelled edge on the bowl. Then I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the inner edge some more. It started to look very good at this point. I sanded the briar with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads to smooth out the scratching in the surface. I wiped the briar down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the dust and debris. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I worked over the inner and outer edge of the rim as well. After each pad I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. It really took on a shine by the last three sanding pads. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my finger tips and a shoe brush to get into the carving on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. I polished the silver band on the shank with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with a jeweller’s cloth to remove the debris and to polish the silver and remove the oxidation and prevent more from developing. I am excited to finish restemming and restoring this Savinellil Extra Lumberman. 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 with just a few small flaws in the briar. The polished grain on the pipe looks great with the black vulcanite stem. This smooth Savinelli Extra Lumberman with spot rustications 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: 7 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 45 grams/1.55 ounces. It turned out to be a beautiful pipe. I will soon be putting it on the rebornpipes store in the Pipes by Italian Pipe Making Companies Section. If you are interested in adding it to your collection let me know.

Remember we are the next in a long line of pipe men and women who will carry on the trust of our pipes until we pass them on to the next trustee. Thanks for your time reading this blog.

Restemming and Restoring a Neidlinger Imported Briar Rhodesian Bowl

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by Steve Laug

Once in a while I break the rhythm of restoration of pipes that Jeff has sent to me work on a bowl that I have in a very big box of bowl without stems. There are probably about 100 bowls that I have been chipping away at for a long time now. Yesterday I had to urge to restem a few of the bowls. The first of them was this interesting rusticated Rhodesian bowl that looked a lot like some of the rustication on Custombilt pipes though with a bit of variation that separates it from them. It bears an oxidized Sterling Silver band on the shank that will need some attention. The stamping on the left side of the shank reads NEIDLINGER [over] Imported Briar. Somewhere a long the way Jeff had reamed and cleaned the bowl and it was waiting a new stem. I examined the silver and it was stamped across the top of the band and read STERLING. I took a photo of the stamping on the shank side. It was clear and readable as noted above.I went through my can of stems and found one that that was close to the diameter I needed and the tenon would need a slight adjustment for it to fit in the shank. I used a file to reduce the diameter of the tenon. I cleaned up the tenon diameter with my Dremel and a sanding drum. It did not take much for the stem to fit well in the shank. I put it in place and took photos. You can see in the photos that the stem diameter will need to be adjusted as the shank is not round and the stem is. I worked on the adjustment of the outside diameter of the stem with my Dremel and a sanding drum. I took off the majority of the excess vulcanite that way. The rest would need to be done with files and sanding pads. I sanded the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the marks from the Dremel. I followed that by sanding it with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend down the sanding areas. I wiped the stem down between pads with an Obsidian Oil cloth to remove the sanding debris from the stem.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I set the stem down and turned my attention to the clean bowl. I used a brass bristle wire brush to work over the rim top and remove the debris in the carving. It looked cleaner.I polished the silver band with 1500-3000 grit micromesh sanding pads and then finished with a jeweller’s cloth to raise the shine and protect it from further oxidation. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my finger tips and a shoe brush to get into the carving on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. This Rusticated Neidlinger Imported Briar Rhodesian is a great looking pipe now that it has been restored and restemmed. The rich finish gives the shape an elegant look. The flow of the bowl and stem are well done make for a great hand feel. I put the stem back on the bowl and carefully buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel using a light touch on the briar. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel. I buffed the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Neidlinger Rhodesian 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 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 64 grams/2.26 ounces. It is a great looking and light weight pipe. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store shortly. If you are interested in adding this pipe to your collection send me a message or an email. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it.

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.`

Restemming and Restoring a Meerschaum Apple

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by Steve Laug

This afternoon I decided to work on the pipe that I no longer know where or when we purchase it. I have a large box of Meerschaum pipes that is sitting in my storage that I need to clean up and restore. I have honestly avoided them for years but now was the time to start my work on some of them. The first one I chose was definitely an older ball or apple shaped smooth meerschaum with a red acrylic shank extension. It is a beautifully shaped meer with scratches from its journey and some nice patina around the shank and sides. The meer is dirty from use with a thick cake in the bowl and a light overflow of lava on the inner edge and thin rim top. The acrylic shank extension was loose and would need to be cleaned. The stem fit well against the shank end however it was a Preben Holm vulcanite stem and it was too long. It would need to be replaced with a more fitting stem for the size of the pipe. There were no identifying logos on the bowl or shank. I took photos of the pipe before I started my clean up work on it. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show the condition of the pipe when I brought it to the worktable. You can see the cake in the bowl and the build up of lava and debris on the edge and top of the thin rim top. It is another dirty pipe but still a charmer. The vulcanite stem has chatter and deep tooth marks on both sides near the button. It also has a Preben Holm crown on the top of the stem. It will be replaced so fortunately I will not need to deal with it.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts. To me proportionally the stem is too long for this pipe. I went through my stems and found a stem that would work well. In the photos it looks the same length or longer but it is about an inch shorter and the blade is also wider and looks good. I took a photo of the pipe with the new stem. I shortened the tenon a bit to bring it closer to the shank extension. The second photo of the stem in the shank shows the new look. I reamed the thick cake out of the bowl. I started with a PipNet reamer and the 2nd and 3rd cutting heads to take back the cake to the walls of the bowl. I cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I sanded the bowl walls with a piece of dowel wrapped with 220 grit sandpaper. Once finished it looked very good. I cleaned out the airway in the shank and mortise as well as in the new stem with pipe cleaners (both bristle and regular). It was much better.I cleaned up the rim top and edges of the bowl with a 320 grit sanding pad. I removed the darkening and damage and it looked better.The shank extension was held to the shank with a white Delrin tenon. The shank on the pipe was thread and the smooth end fit partially into the extension. When screwed into the shank it was a snug fit. I chose not to glue it but leave it unglued and removable.Now it was time to work on the bowl itself. I started my work by sanding with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. It smoothed out the scratches and revealed more and more of the patina around the bowl and shank. It is a beautiful looking pipe. I polished the meerschaum with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cotton cloth. The bowl took on a shine by the last pads. I gave the bowl multiple coats of Clapham’s Wax that blends both carnauba and beeswax in a soft wax. I rubbed the wax on the bowl sides and the shank end with my fingers and set it aside to dry. Once the wax cured I buffed the bowl with a clean buffing pad and then with a soft microfibre cloth. The bowl has a rich glow. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a lighter to lift the tooth marks on the surface. It lifted many of them. I filled in those that remained with some black, rubberized CA glue. When it cured I flattened out the repair with a small flat file and then sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out. I continued sanding the stem surface with 320-3500 grit 2×2 inch sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with a damp pad to remove the debris. By the end it was quite shiny and ready for polishing.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it 1500-12000 pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad to protect it and preserve it. I polished it with Before After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I am really happy with the way that this Meerschaum Freehand Style Apple turned out. It really is a beautiful looking pipe with a unique shape and smooth meerschaum bowl. The acrylic shank extension and the fancy vulcanite saddle stem are really nice. The patina on the meerschaum came alive with waxing and buffing. The rich patina on the finish gave the pipe a sense of depth with the polishing and waxing. 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 beeswax/carnauba wax and buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Meerschaum style Freehand really is a beauty and feels great in the hand and looks very good. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: 1 inch. The weight of the pipe is 66 grams/2.33 ounces. The pipe will be going on the rebornpipes store soon. It will be in the Ceramic and Meerschaum Pipes Section if you would like to add it to your collection. Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. It was a fun one to work on!

Fitting a stem on an UNSMOKED Freehand bowl from the estate of Byron Harwood

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by Steve Laug

The next pipe I chose to work on was one that we purchased on 12/28/2024 from as part of an estate that belonged to a pipeman and carver, Byron Harwood from Missoula, Montana, USA. This Freehand was one of Byron’s own handmade pipes. It is a lovely piece of plateau briar (rim top and shank end) that was shaped with an apple bowl that highlighted the grain. The bowl and shank were smooth and highlighted some beautiful grain. The airway in the mortise and shank are well executed and the draught is very good. The bowl was unsmoked and other than dusty when we received it, the pipe was in excellent condition. The stem that came with it really did not fit – more of a Lovat style saddle stem on a midsized freehand. It looked like it had just been put in the shank before shipping. Everything about the stem said “restem me” to this repair guy. The pipe fit well in the hand and had a small bowl but there was a charm to it! Here is what it looked like when I brought it home from Jeff’s place. I took some photos of the rim top and bowl to give a clear picture of the condition of the rim top and bowl. You can see the drilling and the plateau. It is an unusual pipe. I also took photos of the stem to show its condition also the general look of it and why I don’t think it is a good fit.I sanded the briar bowl with 320-3500 sanding pads. I wiped the briar down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. It began to look very good. I polished the bowl with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiping it down after each sanding pad with a damp cloth. The grain of the briar began to shine. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface 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 wood while giving it a deep glow. It is a product I use on every pipe I restore. I went through my stems and found an acceptable acrylic saddle stem. It had been used for a short time and the airway was stained with dark tobacco stains. I would be able to remove some of the stain but not all. I took a photo of the two stems together. I put it in the shank of the bowl at hand and took a photo of the look with a new stem. The combination works very well.I cleaned the airway in the stem with alcohol and pipe cleaners – smooth and bristle. I followed up on that by cleaning it again with Soft Scrub cleanser. I gave it a quick rinse of alcohol to remove the residue of the cleanser and the swirls of tans, creams, ivory, browns and black look very good. There is some heavy darkening stain that I cannot remove but the stem is very clean.I set the bowl aside and worked on the stem. I filled in the tooth marks in the acrylic with clear CA glue. Once they cured I flattened the repairs with a small file and then sanded the repairs smooth with 220 grit sandpaper. I sanded out the light tooth marks and chatter with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the stem down with an Obsidian Oil cloth after each sanding pad. The stem looked better at this point.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished it with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I buffed the stem with a soft cloth to raise the shine. I gave it a final wipe down with Obsidian Oil to add shine to the acrylic. I don’t know what it is about finishing a restoration but I have to tell you that it is my favourite part of the process. It is the moment when everything that I have worked on comes together. I can compare it to where I started and there is always satisfaction that it does indeed look better than when we picked it up. As always, I put this Byron Harwood Freehand Apple and new stem 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 buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad and hand buffed it to raise the shine. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like along with the polished clear acrylic stem. This Byron Harwood Freehand Apple is a great looking pipe and I am sure that it will be comfortable in hand when smoking as it is light and well balanced for a pipe of this size. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 6 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.26 ounces/64 grams. It is another beautiful pipe and one that will be on the rebornpipes store soon. You can find it in the section of Pipes by American Pipe Makers. If you are interested in adding it to your collection let me know. 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 the last of 11 pipes sent for restoration – a Bertram 30 Bent Billiard

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by Steve Laug

A while back I was asked by a customer and friend, Jack to take on some projects for him. I have worked on a few pipes for him over the years so we seem to have a standing agreement that I will clean up his pipes. This time he sent a batch containing 11 pipes (actually as mentioned on the last pipe I can’t count) but going over it again I found I was right the first count. There were six Bertrams, an Arlington, a GBD, an old WDC Triangle Bakelite, Citation in need of a stem and one marked Texaco. All of them were in various conditions and would need different types of work. I took a photo of the pipes before I started working on them.The last pipe I had to work on was a Bertram Bent Billiard that needed to be cleaned up and restored. This last one is from Jack’s 11 pipes – a dirty, dull Bertram with an oxidized tapered vulcanite stem that I swapped with a straight billiard. The pipe is stamped on the left side and reads Bertram [over] Washington D.C. centered on the shank. There is a shape number 30 on the underside of the shank. The finish had a lot of grime ground into the bowl and some nicks and flaws where the fills were shrunken or broken around the sides. The bowl was moderately caked with a light lava coat on the top of the rim, heavier toward the back of the bowl. The edges looked okay other than some potential damage on the back inner edge. The new stem was calcified, oxidized, dirty and had tooth chatter and marks on the top and underside ahead of the button. The photos show the condition of the stem surface. There were no markings or a logo on the taper stem. Like the rest of the Bertrams that Jack sent, this one had promise but it was very dirty. I took photos of the pipe before I started his cleanup work. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show the condition. You can see the cake in the bowl and overflow of lava on the rim top. The photos of the stem show the calcification, tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside of the stem and the button. I took photos of the stamping on the left and underside of the shank to capture it. The Bertram stamp was clear and readable as noted above. Once restored again it will have a long life ahead of it. I removed the stem and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of the look of the pipe.As I have worked on a lot of Bertram pipes in the past, I have written on the brand and have included the following information. If you have read it in past blogs, you can skip over it. If you have not, I have included the link to Bertram history and information. I would recommend that if you don’t know much about them take some time to read the background. I include a link to the write up on Pipedia (http://pipedia.org/wiki/Bertram). Bertram pipes were based out of Washington DC. They were popular among famous politicians and celebrities of the time. They made many products for them from FDR’s cigarette holders to Joseph Stalin’s favorite pipe. They were considered some of the best America had to offer till they finally closed their doors in the 70s. Bertram graded their pipes by 10s and sometimes with a 5 added (15, 25, 55 etc.), the higher the grade the better. Above 60s are uncommon and 80-90s are quite rare. I have worked on one 120 Grade billiard. I have several blogs that I have written on rebornpipes that give some history and background to Bertram pipes. (https://rebornpipes.com/2015/06/16/an-easy-restoration-of-a-bertram-grade-60-217-poker/).

I have included the following link to give a bit of historical information on the pipe company. It is a well written article that gives a glimpse of the heart of the company. http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2012/01/bertrams-pipe-shop-on-14th-street.html#

From this information I learned that all of these Bertrams were made before the closure of the shop in the 1970s. This Bertram Bent Billiard has some mixed grain around the bowl. This pipe has a Grade 30 stamp on it. But like many of these Bertrams the Grading system is a mystery to me.

I started my work on the pipe by reaming the bowl with a PipNet reamer. I used the first cutting head and took the cake back to bare briar. I cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife and removed all the remnants of the cake. I scraped the rim top with the flat edge of the blade at the same time and removed most of the thick lava build up. I sanded the walls of the bowl with a piece of dowel wrapped in 220 grit sandpaper. The walls look very good at his point in the process. The darkening on the rim top and inner edge of the bowl would need to be dealt with. I cleaned up the inner edge and the rim top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper and was able to remove the darkening. I also started to sand the shank repair at the same time. The old warrior is visible in the photos below.I cleaned out the shank, the airway and the mortise with alcohol, cotton swabs, hard bristle and soft bristle pipe cleaners. It was a very dirty pipe which just meant that it had really been enjoyed by the previous pipe man. Since I was restemming the pipe I would do the clean out on the new stem when I got to it.I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl and shank with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap. I scrubbed the lava on the rim top and overflow on the outside of the bowl with the soap. I rinsed the briar with warm water to remove the grime and debris of the scrubbing. It looked significantly better after the scrubbing. The darkening on the rim top came away clean. Once I cleaned the bowl with the soap I brought it back to the work top and examined it. This was a pipe full of fills around the rim top and the right front side of the bowl. All were shrunken and need of repair. I filled in all of the damaged fills with clear CA glue. I smoothed them out with a dental spatula. Once the repairs cured I sanded them smooth with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface of the briar. Once finished it looked much better. I sanded the bowl it with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further remove the stain and make a more transparent finish on the rim top, the bowl and shank. The light spots blended in better. I wiped the briar down with a drop of Olive Oil to see if I have any areas that I still needed to work on. The briar began to take on a rich shine and the repairs to the repairs blended in better with work. The photos tell the story. I polished the bowl and rim top with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it with 1200-15000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. The grain started to rise to the surface and the repairs blended even more as I polished it. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I laid the bowl aside and turned my attention to fitting a new stem. I made a decision about putting the short taper stem to the bent Billiard and putting a nice saddle stem on the straight Billiard. This new stem was the right length for this smaller Bent Billiard and was very close to the diameter of the shank – slightly larger but very workable. It would take some work to clean up but it would look good once it was finished. The taper stem had a small bite through on the underside ahead of the button. I greased a pipe cleaner and inserted it in the airway below the small hole. I filled in the tooth marks in the top of the stem as well. I removed the pipe cleaner to continue working on the stem. I cleaned out the airway in the stem with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. It was a dirty stem. I sanded the stem surface and repairs with 220 grit sandpaper. I was able to flatten the repairs and also remove some of the oxidation. It would need more sanding but I turned to the make the slot in the button. I reshaped the entrance of the airway in the stem end with needle files. I used oval and round files to reshape the entrance into an oval shape. It looked much better. I used my heat gun to soften the vulcanite. Once it was soft enough to shape I bent it at the right angle to match the flow of the curves of the bowl. I set the bend in the stem with cold running water and took a photo of the newly bent stem. I removed the stem from the shank and sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to adjust the fit to the shank. By the time I was finished sanding it the stem very well to the shank and the transition was smooth.I sanded the surface of the new vulcanite stem with the 2 x 2-inch sanding pads – 320-3500 grit pads to clean up the sanding marks on the stem surface. By the final 3500 grit pad the stem started to really shine. I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I am excited to finish this Bertram Washington DC Smaller Bent Billiard 30 with a newly fit taper stem. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine and then by hand with a microfibre cloth to deepen it. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful grain on the smooth portions and the rustication depths all around it. The polished grain on the pipe looks great with the black vulcanite stem. This Bertram Bent 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 inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 47 grams/1.69 ounces. This final pipe of Jack’s is another beautiful pipe that I will send to him later this week. I look forward to hear what he thinks of this resurrected beauty. It should be a great smoking pipe.

Restoring the 10th of 11 pipes sent for restoration – a Bertram Straight Billiard

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by Steve Laug

A while back I was asked by a customer and friend, Jack to take on some projects for him. I have worked on a few pipes for him over the years so we seem to have a standing agreement that I will clean up his pipes. This time he sent a batch containing 11 pipes (actually as mentioned on the last pipe I can’t count) but going over it again I found I was right the first count. There were six Bertrams, an Arlington, a GBD, an old WDC Triangle Bakelite, Citation in need of a stem and one marked Texaco. All of them were in various conditions and would need different types of work. I took a photo of the pipes before I started working on them.I chose to work on the Bertram Straight Billiard that needed to be cleaned up and restored. This next one is from Jack’s 11 pipes – a dirty, dull Bertram with an oxidized tapered vulcanite stem. The pipe is stamped on the left side and reads Bertram [over] Washington D.C. centered on the shank. There is no shape number to be seen. The finish had a lot of grime ground into the bowl and some nicks and flaws where the fills were shrunken or broken around the sides. The bowl was moderately caked with a light lava coat on the top of the rim, heavier toward the back of the bowl. The edges looked okay other than some potential damage on the back inner edge. The stem was calcified, oxidized, dirty and had tooth chatter and marks on the top and underside ahead of the button. The photos show the condition of the stem surface. There were no markings or a logo on the taper stem. Like the rest of the Bertrams that Jack sent, this one had promise but it was very dirty. I took photos of the pipe before I started his cleanup work. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show the condition. You can see the cake in the bowl and overflow of lava on the rim top. The photos of the stem show the calcification, tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside of the stem and the button. I took photos of the stamping on the left and underside of the shank to capture it. The Bertram stamp was clear and readable as noted above. Once restored again it will have a long life ahead of it. I removed the stem and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of the look of the pipe.As I have worked on a lot Bertrams in the past, I have written on the brand and have included the following information. If you have read it in past blogs, you can skip over it. If you have not, I have included the link to Bertram history and information. I would recommend that if you don’t know much about them take some time to read the background. I include a link to the write up on Pipedia (http://pipedia.org/wiki/Bertram).Bertram pipes were based out of Washington DC. They were popular among famous politicians and celebrities of the time. They made many products for them from FDR’s cigarette holders to Joseph Stalin’s favorite pipe. They were considered some of the best America had to offer till they finally closed their doors in the 70s. Bertram graded their pipes by 10s and sometimes with a 5 added (15, 25, 55 etc.), the higher the grade the better. Above 60s are uncommon and 80-90s are quite rare. I have worked on one 120 Grade billiard. I have several blogs that I have written on rebornpipes that give some history and background to Bertram pipes. (https://rebornpipes.com/2015/06/16/an-easy-restoration-of-a-bertram-grade-60-217-poker/).

From this information I learned that all of these Bertrams were made before the closure of the shop in the 1970s. This Bertram Bent Billiard has some mixed grain around the bowl. This pipe does not appear to have a Grade stamp on it but the fills make my think a lower grade due to the quality of the briar. But like many of these Bertrams the Grading system is a mystery to me.

I started my work on the pipe by reaming the bowl with a PipNet reamer. I used the first cutting head and took the cake back to bare briar. I cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife and removed all the remnants of the cake. I scraped the rim top with the flat edge of the blade at the same time and removed most of the thick lava build up. I sanded the walls of the bowl with a piece of dowel wrapped in 220 grit sandpaper. The walls look very good at his point in the process. The darkening on the rim top and inner edge of the bowl would need to be dealt with. I cleaned up the inner edge and the rim top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper and was able to remove the darkening. I also started to sand the shank repair at the same time. The old warrior is visible in the photos below.I cleaned out the shank, the airway and the mortise with alcohol, cotton swabs, hard bristle and soft bristle pipe cleaners. It was a very dirty pipe which just meant that it had really been enjoyed by the previous pipe man. Since I was restemming the pipe I would do the clean out on the new stem when I got to it. I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl and shank with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap. I scrubbed the lava on the rim top and overflow on the outside of the bowl with the soap. I rinsed the briar with warm water to remove the grime and debris of the scrubbing. It looked significantly better after the scrubbing. The darkening on the rim top is very clear. Once cleaned the bowl with the soap I brought it back to the work top and examined it. This was a pipe full of fills around the heel of the bowl. All were shrunken and need of repair. I filled in all of the damaged fills with clear CA glue. I smoothed them out with a dental spatula. Once the repairs cured I sanded them smooth with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface of the briar. Once finished it looked much better. I sanded the bowl it with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further remove the stain and make a more transparent finish on the rim top, the bowl and shank. The light spots blended in better. The briar began to take on a rich shine and the repairs to the repairs blended in better with work. The photos tell the story. I polished the bowl and rim top with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it with 1200-15000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. The grain started to rise to the surface and the repairs blended even more as I polished it. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I laid the bowl aside and turned my attention to fitting a new stem. I made a decision about switching the short taper stem on this pipe to one of the other Bent Billiards that I needed to restem. I went through my stems and found one that did not have a tenon but was very close to the diameter of the shank – slightly larger but very workable. I would use the original stem on the bent. I chose this saddle fishtail stem for this one. It would take some work to clean up bu tit would look good. I cleaned out the the airway in the stem with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. It was a dirty stem.To fit the tenon to the shank I used several flat files and reduced the tenon size. I cleaned it up with a Dremel and sanding drum, flat files and sand paper until the fit was snug in the shank. It was going to work well.I sanded the saddle portion of the stem with 220 grit sandpaper to adjust the fit to the shank. By the time I was finished sanding it the stem very well to the shank and the transition was smooth. I sanded the surface of the new vulcanite saddle stem with the 2 x 2-inch sanding pads – 320-3500 grit pads to clean up the sanding marks on the stem surface. By the final 3500 grit pad the stem started to really shine.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I am excited to finish this Bertram Washington DC Straight Billiard with a saddle stem. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine and then by hand with a microfibre cloth to deepen it. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful grain on the smooth portions and the rustication depths all around it. The polished grain on the pipe looks great with the black vulcanite stem. This Bertram 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: 6 inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 51 grams/1.73 ounces. It is another beautiful pipe that I will send to Jack after I finish working on the last of the pipes. I look forward to hear what he thinks of this resurrected beauty. It should be a great smoking pipe.

Retemming and Restoring a Citation Imported Briar ¼ Bent Apple – Jack’s 12th Pipe

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by Steve Laug

I started my work on the bowl by cleaning out the shank, the airway and the mortise with alcohol, cotton swabs, hard bristle and soft bristle pipe cleaners. It was a very dirty pipe which just meant that it had really been enjoyed by the previous pipe man. Since I was restemming the pipe I would do the clean out on the new stem when I got it.I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl and shank with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap. I scrubbed the dusty inside of the bowl with the soap. I rinsed the briar with warm water to remove the grime and debris of the scrubbing. It looked significantly better after the scrubbing. I paused from the bowl cleanup to see what I could find regarding a stem and a stinger that I could use. I found a stem that had the same diameter as the shank. It was a push stem so I cut off the tenon with a hacksaw blade. I have collected many stingers over the years and put them in a jar. I scavenged them from ruined stems and other places and have kept them all. I went through the jar and found the stinger I needed for this mortise. I threaded it into the shank and checked the fit. It was perfect.Now I had the proper stem and the proper stinger tenon. Now I had to put those pieces together in such a way that the stem lined up properly with the shank. I drilled out the airway in the stem with my cordless drill. I checked the fit of the threaded end of the stinger in the airway and it fit well. I cleaned the inside of the airway with alcohol and pipe cleaners so that it would be clean(no photos taken). I threaded it into the shank and marked the top. I unscrewed it and coated it with a layer of all purpose glue. I turned it into the stem end and set it aside to dry. The glue did not cure hard enough and when I turned it into the shank it popped loose. I reglued it with black CA rubberized glue and set aside once again. Once the tenon hardened in the stem I screwed it onto the shank and lined it all up to make sure it was straight! It was perfect! I “painted” the stem surface with the flame of a lighter to soften the vulcanite so I could bend it. Once it was flexible I set the bowl rim top down and pressed down on the stem where I wanted the bend to be and let it cool in that position.Since it was in decent condition after cleaning it I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. It looked very good once I finished. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I set the bowl aside and turned my attention back to the vulcanite stem. I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the oxidation and smooth out the tooth chatter on the surface. It looked better.I sanded the surface of the vulcanite with the 2 x 2-inch sanding pads – 320-3500 grit pads to clean up the sanding marks and remaining casting marks on the stem surface. By the final 3500 grit pad the stem started to really shine.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I am excited to finish this Citation Bent Apple/Author with a newly fit taper stem and metal stinger tenon. 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 buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine and then by hand with a microfibre cloth to deepen it. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful grain all around it. The polished grain on the pipe looks great with the new black vulcanite stem. This Citation Bent Apple/Author 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 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 43 grams/1.52 ounces. It is another beautiful pipe that I will send to Jack after I finish working on the other 4 pipes. I look forward to hear what he thinks of this next beauty. It should be a great smoking pipe.

Restoring the 7th of 11 pipes sent for restoration – a Bertram 30 Bent Billiard with a new stem

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by Steve Laug

A while back I was asked by a customer and friend, Jack to take on some projects for him. I have worked on a few pipes for him over the years so we seem to have a standing agreement that I will clean up his pipes. This time he sent a batch containing 11 pipes – six Bertrams, an Arlington, a GBD, an old WDC Triangle Bakelite and one marked Texaco. All of them were in various conditions and would need different types of work. I took a photo of the pipes before I started working on them.I chose to work on the Bertram 30 Bent Billiard that needed to be restemmed next. This next one is from Jack’s 11 pipes – a dirty, dull Grade 30 Bertram with a ruined tapered vulcanite bite proof stem. The pipe is stamped on the underside side near the stem with the Grade 30 number. On the left side it is stamped Bertram [over] Washington D.C. centered on the shank. The finish had a lot of grime ground into the smooth finish on the bowl and some darkening around the sides of the bowl. The bowl was moderately caked with an overflowing lava coat on the top of the rim, heavier toward the back of the bowl. The edges looked okay other than some potential damage on the back inner edge. The ruined replacement twin bore, or bite proof stem was calcified, oxidized, dirty and had tooth chatter and many bite throughs and chips on the top and underside near the button. The photos show the condition of the stem surface. It will need to be replaced. There were not markings or a logo on the taper stem. Like the rest of the Bertrams that Jack sent, this one had promise but it was very dirty. I took photos of the pipe before I started his cleanup work. I took photos of the rim top and the stem to show the condition. You can see the thick cake in the bowl and overflow of lava on the rim top. The photos of the damaged (I would say ruined) stem show the thick calcification, tooth marks, bite throughs and heavy damage in the vulcanite on the top and underside of the stem and the button. I took photos of the stamping on the left and underside of the shank to capture it. The Bertram stamp was clear and readable as noted above. The 30 stamp was more faint on the underside but is visible in person. I removed the stem and took a photo of the parts to give a sense of the look of the pipe. I took a photo of the bite proof stem end showing the twin bore airways in the button. As I have worked on a lot Bertrams in the past, I have written on the brand and have included the following information. If you have read it in past blogs, you can skip over it. If you have not, I have included the link to Bertram history and information. I would recommend that if you don’t know much about them take some time to read the background. I include a link to the write up on Pipedia (http://pipedia.org/wiki/Bertram).Bertram pipes were based out of Washington DC. They were popular among famous politicians and celebrities of the time. They made many products for them from FDR’s cigarette holders to Joseph Stalin’s favorite pipe. They were considered some of the best America had to offer till they finally closed their doors in the 70s. Bertram graded their pipes by 10s and sometimes with a 5 added (15, 25, 55 etc.), the higher the grade the better. Above 60s are uncommon and 80-90s are quite rare. I have worked on one 120 Grade billiard. I have several blogs that I have written on rebornpipes that give some history and background to Bertram pipes. (https://rebornpipes.com/2015/06/16/an-easy-restoration-of-a-bertram-grade-60-217-poker/).

From this information I learned that all of these Bertrams were made before the closure of the shop in the 1970s. This Bertram Prince has stunning straight and flame grain around the bowl. This pipe has a 30 Grade stamp on it which I am sure explains the quality of the briar. But like many of these Bertrams the Grading system is a mystery to me.

I started my work on the pipe by reaming the bowl with a PipNet reamer. I used the first cutting head and took the cake back to bare briar. I cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife and removed all the remnants of the cake. I scraped the rim top with the flat edge of the blade at the same time and removed most of the thick lava build up. I sanded the walls of the bowl with a piece of dowel wrapped in 220 grit sandpaper. The walls look very good at his point in the process. The darkening on the rim top and inner edge of the bowl would need to be dealt with. I cleaned up the inner edge and the rim with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper and was able to remove the darkening.I scrubbed the exterior of the bowl and shank with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap. I scrubbed the lava on the rim top and overflow on the outside of the bowl with the soap. I rinsed the briar with warm water to remove the grime and debris of the scrubbing. It looked significantly better after the scrubbing. The darkening on the rim top is very clear. As I cleaned it up, I noticed that the fills on the right side and the front mid bowl were shrunken and damaged. I filled them in with clear CA glue and briar dust. Once the repair cured I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to flatten the repair and blend it into the surface of the briar.I sanded the bowl it with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to finish the rim top, the bowl and shank. The briar began to take on a rich shine and the darkening on the top was gone and the fill blended in better with work. The photos tell the story. I remembered that I had forgotten to clean the pipe. I cleaned out the shank, the airway and the mortise with alcohol, cotton swabs, hard bristle and soft bristle pipe cleaners. It was a very dirty pipe which just meant that it had really been enjoyed by the previous pipe man. Since I was restemming the pipe I would do the clean out on the new stem when I got it.I polished the bowl and rim top with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding it with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the bowl down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. The grain started to rise to the surface as I polished it. I rubbed the bowl and shank down with Before & After Restoration Balm to deep clean the finish on the bowl and shank. The product works to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it in with my fingers to get it into the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I wiped it off and buffed it with a soft cloth. The briar really began to have a rich shine. I took some photos of the bowl at this point to mark the progress in the restoration. It is a beautiful bowl. I laid the bowl aside and turned my attention to fitting a new stem. I went through my stems and found one that did not have a tenon but was very close to the diameter of the shank – slightly larger but very workable. I would pitch the chewed up twin bore stem in light of this fishtail one. I pushed a tenon in the stem for the photos below. I would need to secure once I started.I gave the threaded end of the tenon a coat of black CA rubberized glue and pressed it into the stem. I turned it until all was aligned and straight and then secured it until the glue hardened and the tenon was solid.Since there was little to do on the stem other than cosmetic adjustments I decided to give it a slight bend to match the damaged stem and the flow of the bowl. I have found that if I “paint” the area where I want the bend with a lighter until the surface softens I can save getting my heat gun out. I do this while the stem is on the pipe. Once the surface was soft I press the top of the bowl and the stem down against my worktable to get the bend in place. I let it sit that way with pressure from my hand until the rubber of the stem cools. You can speed up the process by putting the stem under cold water but I did not do this on this pipe. Once cooled I took a photo of the look of the bent stem. Those paying attention to the photos of the bowl work will see that I bent the stem before I did any of the clean up on the bowl 😉I worked on the diameter of the stem at the shank first with my Dremel and sanding drum to get it close to what I wanted. I followed that by sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper. I sanded the rest of the stem to clean up the casting marks on the sides and button end. I constantly checked the fit on the shank and once I had it ready I wiped the stem down with a bit of Obsidian Oil and took the photos below. It began to really look very good.I sanded the surface of the vulcanite with the 2 x 2-inch sanding pads – 320-3500 grit pads to clean up the sanding marks and remaining casting marks on the stem surface. By the final 3500 grit pad the stem started to really shine.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the stem down after each sanding pad with Obsidian Oil. I polished the stem with Before & After Pipe Stem Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine. I gave it a coat of Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil. It works to protect the stem from oxidizing. I set it aside to dry. I cleaned out the drilling and sanding debris from the airway in the stem with pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. It was clean other than the dust.I am excited to finish this Bertram Washington DC 30 Bent Billiard with a newly fit taper stem. I put the pipe back together and buffed it with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel. I gave the bowl multiple coats of Conservator’s Wax and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax. I buffed the pipe with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine and then by hand with a microfibre cloth to deepen it. It is fun to see what the polished bowl looks like with beautiful grain on the smooth portions and the rustication depths all around it. The polished grain on the pipe looks great with the black vulcanite stem. This Bertram Bent 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 ½ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 3/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 49 grams/1.73 ounces. It is another beautiful pipe that I will send to Jack after I finish working on the other 4 pipes. I look forward to hear what he thinks of this next beauty. It should be a great smoking pipe.