Guest Blog by Robert M. Boughton
Member, North American Society of Pipe Collectors
http://www.naspc.org
http://www.roadrunnerpipes.com
http://about.me/boughtonrobert
Photos © the Author

“If it ain’tbroke, don’t fix it.”
—Thomas Bertram Lance (1931-2013), Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Jimmy Carter Administration

INTRODUCTION
Every now and then, a pipe comes my way that is in such good condition that I can only call what I have to do to clean it up a refurbish job as opposed to a real restoration, and for the most part I do not even bother with a blog. This is one of those rare but pleasant occasions with the exception that the smooth white hand-carved Turkish meerschaum in question is so elegant I just have to share it.

REFURBISH
Almost all this simple looking Dublin needed was a simple bath with purified water and a little work on the rim and chamber.

Starting with super fine steel wool on the rim, I encountered more difficulty than usual removing the thick char that seemed to have something else mixed in with it, but nothing worth griping about. As I worked through the char-grime, I saw more coloration emerge – along with a chip. I even considered letting it be, but thinking better, added some elbow grease and focus to the steel wool. I removed enough of the chip and crack to be satisfied. Then I buffed the rim with 1500 micromesh followed by 3200 and moved on to the chamber. Not about to assault it with the reamer that has been necessary for every meerschaum I have fully restored, I used 150-grit paper first and then 500 to smooth it out.

With all of the dirty work finished, I gave it the light bath it needed.

CONCLUSION
Of course, I ran a couple of bristly cleaners soaked in pipe freshener through the shank and around the chamber and one more through the stem, but that was all it took to clean this near-pristine pipe. Even the stem didn’t need any sanding or work of any kind.

And so, for once I cannot complain of a pipe abused. God bless the merry gentleman who owned and enjoyed this beauty, albeit for a short time.