Tag Archives: Stem repairs

Cleaning up another of the 12 – An Imported Briar Lovat Style Pot

by Steve Laug

This is another of the pipes I received from Robert with a group 12 pipes that needed to be restored in various ways from cleanup to restemming. I have just a few left now so I chose to work on this Kaywoodie like Lovat Style Pot with a short saddle stem. The bowl and shank were very dirty with oils and tars on the surface of the smooth finish. The bowl had been reamed recently so the bowl was free of cake. There was an overflow of thick lava on the rim top. The lava was thick and there as darkening on the inner edge. The pipe was faintly stamped on the left side of the shank and read Imported Briar. There was no other stamping on the shank sides though there may well have been some originally. This one came with the original stem in place on the shank. The shank end had an aluminum fitting that provided a mortise of the threaded metal stinger/tenon on the pipe. The stem did not fit tightly against the shank for some reason that clean up would reveal. It was oxidized and calcified on the button end. There were light tooth marks on the top and underside of the stem near the button. The surface of the button is also tooth marked. There were no logos on the stem sides. I took some photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. I took some closer photos of the bowl and rim top to show its condition before I started my work on the pipe. You can see the relatively clean bowl with no cake and the thick lava coat on the rim top. The stem photos also show the general condition of the stem as noted above. I tried to capture the faint stamping on the left side of the shank but it is not clear. I also took a photo of the right side to look for stamping. There was nothing visible in the photos. The left side had a faint stamp that read as noted above. I also unscrewed the stem to give a sense of what the pipe looked like with two parts shown side by side. It definitely is a pot but the long shank and the saddle stem give it the look of a Lovat. Since there was no stamping on the pipe there was really nothing to be learned about its history. It is kind of a mystery pipe. It could be a Kaywoodie I suppose but again there is no proof of that. I decided to begin my work by addressing the fit of the stem to the shank. There was a thick rubberized glue around the stem end of the threaded tenon. It filled in the last thread and also on the top of the stem face. This accounted for the fit to the shank at this point. I used a small pen knife to cut away the rubberized glue and cleaned up the tenon a bit. I turned it into the stem and found the answer to my question of why the rubber! The stem fit against the shank perfectly but was over clocked by about ¼ turn. I would need to deal with that.I used an old trick I learned from one of the old timers on ASP. I heated the metal stinger tenon with the flame of a lighter to soften the glue in the stem. I screwed it into the stem and tried to turn it. I repeated the process until the glue softened. I then was able to align the stem properly on the shank. I set it aside to let the glue reharden before I took the stem off. It looked very good at this point in terms of alignment.Once the stem cooled and the alignment was set I removed it from the shank and cleaned out the airway in the stem and shank, the mortise and the entry of the airway into the bowl. I used alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. It was dirty but cleaned up well.I scraped the lava off the rim top with the edge of the Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. It is better but there is still a lot of work to do on the inner edge and top. I sanded the inner edge of the bowl and rim top with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean it up. I wiped the briar down with some acetone on cotton pads to remove the shiny varnish coat and allow me to work on the rest of the bowl. It is finally beginning to look better. I scrubbed the exterior of the with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush. I worked on edges of the rim top along with the rest of the bowl and the shank. I rinsed it off with warm running water and dried it off with a cotton towel. It is definitely looking better. I worked on the bowl, rim top, edges and shank with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further remove the darkening on the briar. I also worked over the aluminum shank/mortis piece at the same time. It is improving with each pad. I wiped the top down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I polished it with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads and wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. The pipe looked very good. I rubbed the bowl down with Before & After Restoration Balm. It is a paste/balm that works to deep clean the finish, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it into the briar with my finger tips to make sure that it covered every square inch of the pipe. I set it aside for 10 minutes to let it do its work. I buffed it with a cotton cloth. The briar really began to have a deep shine. The photos I took of the bowl at this point mark the progress in the restoration. I “painted’ the surface of the stem with the flame of a lighter to try and lift the bite marks. It worked very well. There were two small marks left on the surface – one on each side. I filled them in with some black rubberized CA glue. Once it cured I sanded out the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the stem surface. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil impregnated cloth to remove the sanding debris. It began to take on a shine.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with some Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I polished it further with Before & After Stem polish – both Fine and Extra Fine and then wiped it down another time with the oil. I put the Imported Briar Lovat Style Pot and the stem back together. I polished the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish 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 original brown stains gave depth to the beautiful grain around the bowl and worked amazingly well with the polished vulcanite saddle stem. The grain around the bowl and shank and looks quite remarkable. There are still some nicks for the pipe’s journey that I left as it is part of the story of the pipe. This is truly a beautiful Imported Briar Pot. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ½ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 3/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.55 ounces/44 grams. This pipe will be put in the box while I work on Rob’s remaining pipes in the 12 pipe lot. Once I finish them I will be mailing the lot back to him. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me. Cheers.

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 GEFAPIP Giant 4–SM Panel Billiard – another of the 12 Pipes

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by Steve Laug

Back in January I received an email from Robert with a group 12 pipes that needed to be restored in various ways from cleanup to restemming. I chose to work on the large Panel Billiard with a saddle stem. The bowl and shank were very dirty with oils and tars on the surface of the smooth finish. The bowl had a thick cake in it that overflowed in lava onto the rim top. The lava was thick and there as darkening on the inner edge. The pipe was stamped on the underside of the shank and read GEFAPIP [over] Giant [over] France. On the shank end running horizontally it is stamped with the shape number 4-SM. This one came with the original stem in place on the shank. It was oxidized and calcified on the button end. There were light tooth marks on the top and underside of the stem near the button. The surface of the button is also tooth marked. It had the Gefapip logo the left side of the saddle stem. I took some photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. I took some closer photos of the bowl and rim top to show its condition before I started my work on the pipe. You can see the heavy cake in the bowl and the thick lava coat on the rim top. The stem photos also show the general condition of the stem as noted above. I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It was stamped on a smooth panel and was faint but readable. It reads as noted above. I also captured the Gefapip logo on the left side of the saddle stem. I removed the stem and took a photo of the parts of the pipe to show the look of the pipe. Pipedia gives some general information about the French origin of the GEFAPIP that is brief but helpful. I quote:

Gefapip was a French brand from the St Claude region. Their products appeared in the 1979 Tinderbox catalog, with prices ranging from $17.50 to $62.50.

The following catalog page (1979 Catalog page, courtesy Doug Valitchka) was included with the text and it added helpful information that the GEFAPIP name was started by a group of master carvers in the St. Claude region. The production line pictured in the catalog page are examples of shapes smoked in the Saint Claude region in the 1890s according to the caption.Pipephil.eu did not produce new information but gave some additional examples of GEFAPIP pipes. The stem stamping on the pipes shown in the photos on site are identical to the stamping on the pipe I am working on.I love finding this old information and reading about the pipes I work on. It lends some colour to the work of my refurbishing to be able to read about the design ideas and the inventors themselves as I work on the pipes. Armed with new information it was time to work on the pipe.

I decided to start on the bowl itself. I reamed the pipe with a PipNet pipe reamer to clean out the heavy cake. I cleaned up the remnants with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I sanded the bowl walls with a piece of dowel wrapped with 220 grit sandpaper. I scraped off the lava build up on the rim top with the edge of the Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. I took it back to bare briar. It looked quite good. The beveled inner edge also had build up and darkening.I scrubbed the exterior of the with undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush. I worked on the rustication and the smooth rim top. I rinsed it off with warm running water and dried it off with a cotton towel. It is definitely looking better. I worked over the rim darkening with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper. The smooth rim top was flat so it was an easy process to clean it up at the same time as the edge.I worked on the rim top and edges with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further remove the darkening on the briar. It is improving with each pad. I wiped the top down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I polished it with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads and wiped it down with a damp cloth after each pad. The rim top looked very good. I rubbed the bowl down with Before & After Restoration Balm. It is a paste/balm that works to deep clean the finish, enliven and protect the briar. I worked it into the briar with my finger tips to make sure that it covered every square inch of the pipe. I set it aside for 10 minutes to let it do its work. I buffed it with a cotton cloth. The briar really began to have a deep shine. The photos I took of the bowl at this point mark the progress in the restoration. I cleaned out the shank, mortise and the airway in both the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. The shank was very dirty. The airflow is great.I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I scrubbed the stem surface with Soft Scrub to remove the oxidation and the calcification. It looked much better. I “painted’ the surface of the stem with the flame of a lighter to try and lift the bite marks. It worked very well. I was able to remove the majority of the marks. I rebuilt the button edge and filled in some of the remaining tooth marks with black rubberized CA glue. I set the stem aside to let the glue cure. Once it cured I reshaped the button with a small flat file and sanded the stem surface with 220 grit sandpaper to blend in the repairs. I touched up the faint stamp on the stem with Antique Gold Rub’n Buff. I worked it into the stamp with a tooth pick and buffed it off with a soft cloth.I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped the stem down after each pad with an Obsidian Oil impregnated cloth to remove the sanding debris. It began to take on a shine.I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with some Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I polished it further with Before & After Stem polish – both Fine and Extra Fine and then wiped it down another time with the oil. I put the Gefapip Giant 4-SM Panel Billiard and the stem back together. I polished the bowl and stem with Blue Diamond to polish 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 original brown stains gave depth to the beautiful grain around the bowl and worked amazingly well with the polished vulcanite saddle stem. The grain around the bowl and shank and looks quite remarkable. I left a small bit of oxidation on the left side of the saddle as I did not want to damage the faint stamp that remained there. This is truly a beautiful Gefapip Giant Panel Billiard. The finished pipe is shown 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: 7/8 of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.94 ounces/56 grams. This pipe will be put in the box while I work on Rob’s other pipes in the 12 pipe lot. Once I finish them I will be mailing the lot back to him. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me. Cheers.

Cleaning and Restoring the sixth of a lot of 12 pipes – A Ropp 804 Bent Octagonal Billiard

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by Steve Laug

Back in January I received an email from Robert with a group 12 pipes that needed to be restored in various ways from cleanup to restemming. I chose to work on the second of the Cherrywood pipes next. It is a nice-looking Cherrywood Bent Octagonal Bowled Billiard. The bowl and shank had bark on the outside. The bowl has peeled striped around the octagon on every other flat side. The rim top and the base of the bowl were both smooth without bark. The bowl had been reamed at some time so there was no cake in it. The rim top had an overflow of lava on it and some darkening around the inner edge. The underside of the bowl was dirty but it was stamped ROPP [over] De Luxe [over] France. Underneath that what the shape number 804. The stem had no logo on it. It had light tooth marks and tooth chatter on the top and underside ahead of the button. I took some photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it.The relatively clean bowl looks quite good. There was some thick lava on the rim top and some lava build up on the inner edge of the bowl. It looked to be in good condition other than the lava and darkening. The vulcanite taper stem was dirty, lightly oxidized and has light tooth chatter and marks on both sides. I took photos of the bowl, rim top and the stem to show the condition of both.There was stamping on the heel of the bowl that was clear and readable. It read as noted above. I took a photo of the pipe with the stem removed to show the proportion of this pipe. It is a classic Ropp Cherrywood.I wanted to refresh my memory on the brand so I turned for a short, quick summary to Pipephil (http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-ropp.html). I have included the pertinent information from that site below:

Brand created by Eugène-Léon Ropp (1830 – 1907) and continued throughout 3 generations. “GBA Synergie” run by Bernard Amiel (†2008) bought back Ropp in 1988 and owned it until 1991. The company was taken over by Cuty-Fort Entreprises (Chacom, Vuillard, Jean Lacroix…) in 1994.

I also turned to Pipedia to see if there was any additional information that would be helpful (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Ropp). I quote the portion of the article on the Cherrywood pipes.

Eugène-Léon Ropp (1830 – 1907) had acquired a patent for a cherrywood pipe (wild cherry, lat.: Prunus avium) in 1869. In 1870 he established a workshop to manufacture such pipes in Büssingen (Bussang, Vosges mountains). Around 1893 the business moved into the former mill of Sicard (part of the community of Baume-les-Dames – Département Doubs, Upper Burgundy – from 1895 on)… Even though cherrywood pipes were the mainstay of Ropp until the company finally closed down in September 1991. The company was taken over by Cuty-Fort Entreprises (Chacom, Jeantet, Vuillard, Jean Lacroix…) in 1994.

The pipe thus was made in France sometime prior to the closure in 1991. It is made from wild cherry and was a specialty of Ropp. I have worked on quite a few over the years but I had forgotten all the dates and information. Now it was time to work on the pipe.

I turned to work on the pipe itself. The shank was loose in the bowl so I reglued it with all purpose white glue. I used a tooth pick to press it into the grooves around the junction and set it aside to cure. I worked over rim top and inner edge of the bowl. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the damage and darkening on the smooth rim top and inner edge of the bowl. It looked much better once the debris was removed. I sanded the walls of the bowl smooth with a piece of dowel wrapped with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. The walls smoothed out very well.I scrubbed the bowl exterior with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the debris and oils and tars in the cherry bark finish. I rinsed it with clean warm water and dried it off with a soft cotton cloth. I polished the smooth rim top, four panels on the sides and heel of the bowl with 1500-12000 grit micromesh sanding pads. It smoothed out the finish very well and removed much of the damage on the rim top, smooth panels and the scratching around the stamping on the heel. I cleaned out the mortise and airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I was able to remove the grime and oils in the shank and the airway in the stem.I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl and shank with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect the wood. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed it off 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. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend in the remnants of the tooth marks and chatter on the stem and to remove the residual light oxidation. I am happy with the way that it looked at this point.I polished the vulcanite with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This Ropp De Luxe Cherrywood 804 Octagonal Bent Billiard with a vulcanite taper stem has a cherrywood bark finish with a smooth rim top and bowl heel. The bark covered Cherrywood pipe is what makes Ropp pipes stand out. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel being careful to not buff the stamping. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Ropp De Luxe Cherrywood Octagonal Billiard is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 6 ¾ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¾ inches, Chamber diameter: 1 inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.36 ounces/66 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be sending it back to Robert once I finish the other 6 pipes he sent me to restore. I look forward to hearing what he thinks of this beauty. Thanks for your time.

Restoring a Beautiful Handmade Pipe by Pierre Morel

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by Kenneth Lieblich

Behold a fantastic old pipe by the French master, Pierre Morel. This is a beautifully made and modern-looking pipe. What would you call this shape? Perhaps a freehand volcano – sort of? The stem is a slightly bent saddle stem, while it is also curiously set apart from the shank of the stummel. I have a particular interest in French pipes, so I am delighted to be able to offer this one to you all for sale. The marks are clear enough. On the underside of the shank, it reads, Morel [over] Fait Main [over] St Claude [over] France. Of course, the phrase ‘fait main’ means ‘handmade’ in English. On the top of the stem is the single word Morel – alas, the top of the ‘M’ is slightly worn.Let’s learn a bit more about Pierre Morel. His article on Pipedia says the following:

Pierre Morel’s Handmade pipes are very high-quality pieces. Pierre Morel is an extraordinarily talented pipe-maker, who chooses highly fine briar to create handmade pipes with a straight wood grain. Buying a Pierre Morel pipe is a guarantee of an exceptional smoking experience. Each of Pierre Morel’s creations is unique and entirely made in Saint-Claude.

Pierre Morel is one of France’s most talented pipe makers. Based in Saint-Claude, the international capital city of pipe making, he is nowadays one of the only craftsmen who can make a pipe from start to finish. Unlike large brands, Pierre Morel makes all his pipes by hand.

Nothing compares to a Pierre Morel pipe: high quality raw materials, an extremely meticulous design and unmatched finishes… As a true passionate of the art, Pierre Morel often gives advice to other “new” French pipe makers such as Bruno Nuttens or Joseph Rimbaud (Rostiak).

Meanwhile, the real information I wanted to see was over at Pipephil:

Pierre Morel (Father and son).

Pierre Morel (1908 – 1979†) crafted pipes also stamped with brands like “PEHEM”, “PM”, “PEHEM MOREL” or “TOTEM”.

Pierre Morel (Son, born 1949) stamped his pipes “P MOREL jr” and “PIERRE MOREL” after his father passed. He also collaborated with Chacom for highgrade lines (“Grand Cru”, “Millenium”…) until he retired in 2009. His personal production continues.

However, best of all, there is an article on a French website which provides a superb interview with Morel (the son). If you have any fluency in French, I highly recommend reading it. Here is the link: https://www.fumeursdepipe.net/artmorel.htm. One day, I will do a proper translation of the article (as the Google translation is so-so), but the original version will have to suffice for now. I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling that this particular pipe is by the son – not the father.The pipe is in good shape. The stummel is lovely, but dirty. It has plenty of cake in the bowl and some lava and wear on the rim. Meanwhile, the stem has been well chomped. Again, dirty and well used. I used a disposable lighter and ‘painted’ the stem with its flame. The gentle heat of the flame can cause the dents in the vulcanite of the stem to expand back into shape. In this case, it worked fairly well.I used oil soap on a few cotton rounds and wiped the stem down to provide an initial cleaning of filth before moving on to the next steps. The primary cleaning comes next. I cleaned the inside of the stem with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was clean.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.Now that the stem is clean and dry, I set about fixing the marks and dents in the vulcanite. This is done by filling those divots with black cyanoacrylate adhesive, impregnated with carbon and rubber. I left this to cure and moved on.After this, I painted the logo on the stem with some nail polish. I restored the logo carefully and let it fully set before proceeding.The penultimate step for the stem is sanding. First, with my set of needle files, I reduce the bulk of the cyanoacrylate repairs. I want to remove the excess adhesive as near to the surface as possible, without cutting into the vulcanite. Following that, I use all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also apply pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.Now that the stem is (nearly) complete, I can move on to the stummel. The first step for me is to ream out the bowl – that is to say, remove all the cake inside the bowl. This accomplishes a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleans the bowl and provides a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake is removed, I can inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. I used a reamer and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed. Everything looked good inside the bowl.My next step was to remove the lava on the rim. For this, I took a piece of machine steel and gently scraped the lava away. The metal’s edge is sharp enough to remove what I need, but not so sharp that it damages the rim.Similar to the stem, I then cleaned the stummel with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. With a pipe this dirty, it took quite a while and much cotton to get clean.I then decided to ‘de-ghost’ the pipe – that is to say, exorcize the remaining filth from the briar. I filled the bowl and the shank with cotton balls, then saturated them with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let the stummel sit overnight. This caused any remaining oils, tars and smells to leach out into the cotton.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a toothbrush). This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the pipe clean. I used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth. For the final step, I took the pipe to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.All done! This Pierre Morel handmade freehand volcano looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘French’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅜ in. (137 mm); height 1⅞ in. (48 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (38 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (19 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1½ oz. (45 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Cleaning and Restoring the third of a lot of 12 pipes for a customer – a Ropp Cherrywood 921

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by Steve Laug

Back in January I received an email from Robert with a group 12 pipes that needed to be restored in various ways from cleanup to restemming. I chose to work on one of the Cherrywood pipes next. It is a nice looking Cherrywood Bent Poker. The bowl and shank had bark on the outside. The rim top and the base of the bowl were both smooth without bark. The bowl had been reamed at some time so there was no cake in it. The rim top had an overflow of lava on it and some darkening around the inner edge. The underside of the bowl was dirty but it was stamped ROPP [over] De Luxe [over] France. Underneath that what the shape number 921. The stem had tooth marks and tooth chatter on the top and underside ahead of the button. I took some photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. The relatively clean bowl looks quite good. There was some thick lava on the rim top and some lava build up on the inner edge of the bowl. It looked to be in good condition other than the lava and darkening. The vulcanite taper stem was dirty, lightly oxidized and has tooth chatter and marks on both sides. I took photos of the bowl, rim top and the stem to show the condition of both.There was stamping on the heel of the bowl that was clear and readable. It read as noted above. I also took a photo of the inlaid silver logo on the left side of the taper stem. I took a photo of the pipe with the stem removed to show the proportion of this pipe. It is a classic Ropp Cherrywood. I turned to work on the pipe itself. I worked over rim top and inner edge of the bowl. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the damage and darkening on the smooth rim top and inner edge of the bowl. It looked much better once the debris was removed. I sanded the walls of the bowl smooth with a piece of dowel wrapped with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. The walls smoothed out very well. I scrubbed the bowl exterior with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the debris and oils and tars in the cherry bark finish. I rinsed it with clean warm water and dried it off with a soft cotton cloth. I sanded the smooth rim top and heel of the bowl with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. It smoothed out the finish very well and removed much of the damage on the rim top and the scratching around the stamping on the shank.I cleaned out the mortise and airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I was able to remove the grime and oils in the shank and the airway in the stem.I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl and shank with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect the wood. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed it off 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. I scrubbed the surface of the stem with cotton pads and Soft Scrub. I was able to remove the debris on the stem and the oxidation on the surface. It looked much better.I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a Bic lighter to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift them all considerably. I filled in the two deep marks – one on each side of the stem just ahead of the button – with black rubberized CA glue. Once it cured, I sanded the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface. It looked significantly better at this point. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend in the remnants of the tooth marks and chatter on the stem and to remove the residual light oxidation. I am happy with the way that it looked at this point.I polished the vulcanite with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This Ropp De Luxe Cherrywood 921 Bent Poker with a vulcanite taper stem has a cherrywood bark finish with a smooth rim top and bowl heel. The bark covered Cherrywood pipe is what makes Ropp pipes stand out. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel being careful to not buff the stamping. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Ropp De Luxe Cherrywood Poker is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 2 inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 7/8 of a inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.66 ounces/46 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be sending it back to Robert once I finish the other 9 pipes he sent me to restore. I look forward to hearing what he thinks of this beauty. Thanks for your time.

Cleaning up the second of a lot of 12 pipes for a customer – a No Name Freehand Sitter

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by Steve Laug

Back in January I received an email from Robert with a group 12 pipes that needed to be restored in various ways from cleanup to restemming. The second of these I chose to work on was a smooth Freehand sitter. The bowl was almost a panel shape with flattened corners on the four sides. The shank was also panelled in the same manner. It was a pretty pipe and it was a big one. The rim top and the shank end were both plateau finish. The heel of the bowl and the shank end had been flattened to make the pipe a sitter. The plateau rim top and shank end were dirty and debris in the plateau. The bowl had been reamed and was smooth on the inside walls of the bowl. There were some tars and oils in the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem. The fancy turned, vulcanite stem was oxidized and dirty with light tooth marks and chatter in the top and underside of the stem ahead of the button. I took some photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. The relatively clean bowl looks quite good. There was some debris in the plateau rim top and some lava build up on the inner edge and the grooves of the plateau. It looked to be in good condition other than the debris and darkening. The fancy vulcanite saddle stem was dirty, lightly oxidized and has tooth chatter and marks on both sides. I took photos of the bowl, rim top and the stem to show the condition of both.There was not any identifying stamping or marks on the shank. I also took a photo of the pipe with the stem removed to show the proportion of this pipe. It is really a beauty. I turned to work on the pipe itself. I worked over the plateau rim top and shank end with a brass bristle wire brush to knock off the debris. It removed the debris and it looked much better. I scrubbed the bowl exterior with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the debris in the rustication and also remove the oils and tars in the finish. I rinsed it with clean warm water and dried it off with a soft cotton cloth. I used a folded piece of sandpaper to smooth out the damage and darkening on the smooth inner edge of the bowl. It looked much better once the debris was removed.I sanded the walls of the bowl smooth with a piece of dowel wrapped with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. The walls smoothed out very well.I cleaned out the mortise and airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I was able to remove the grime and oils in the shank and the airway in the stem.I used a black Sharpie pen to touch up the valleys and deep spots on the plateau rim top and shank end. It looks much better at this point.I polished the bowl and shank along with the high spots on the plateau with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. It smoothed out the finish very well and made the contrast between the ridges and valleys of the finish stand out well. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down with a damp cloth after each sanding pad. It is looking very good at this point in the process. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips and a horsehair shoe brush to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed it off 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. I scrubbed the surface of the stem with cotton pads and Soft Scrub. I was able to remove the debris on the stem and the oxidation on the surface. It looked much better.I sanded the tooth chatter and marks with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface. It looked significantly better at this point.I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend in the remnants of the tooth marks and chatter on the stem and to remove the residual light oxidation. I am happy with the way that it looked at this point.I polished the vulcanite with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This No Name Smooth Finish Plateau Freehand with a vulcanite fancy saddle stem has a beautiful, unique finish with great grain on the bowl and shank. The medium brown finish highlights the grain and the polished fancy turned stem adds to the mix. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel being careful to not buff the stamping. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished No Name Freehand is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 7 inches, Height: 2 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 2 inches x 2 inches long, Chamber diameter: 1 inch. The weight of the pipe is 3.88 ounces/109 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be sending it back to Robert once I finish the other 10 pipes he sent me to restore. I look forward to hearing what he thinks of this beauty. Thanks for your time.

Cleaning up the first of a lot of 12 pipes for a customer – a No Name Freehand Sitter

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by Steve Laug

Back in January, I received an email from Robert with a group 12 pipes that needed to be restored in various ways from cleanup to restemming. The first of these I chose to work on was a partially rusticated Freehand sitter. The front and the sides of the bowl were smooth part way back. The back half of the bowl and shank sides were rusticated with a unique looking rustication. The top of the shank and the underside were both smooth. The rim top and the shank end were both plateau finish. The bottom of the foot of the shank is etched with the date 11/17/79. The plateau rim top and shank end were dirty and debris in the plateau. The bowl had been reamed and was smooth on the inside walls of the bowl. There were some tars and oils in the mortise and the airway in the shank and the stem. The fancy turned, vulcanite stem was oxidized and dirty with light tooth marks and chatter in the top and underside of the stem ahead of the button. I took some photos of the pipe to show its condition before I started my work on it. The relatively clean bowl looks quite good. There was some debris in the plateau rim top and some lava build up on the inner edge and the grooves of the plateau. It looked to be in good condition other than the debris and darkening. The fancy vulcanite saddle stem was dirty, lightly oxidized and has tooth chatter and marks on both sides. I took photos of the bowl, rim top and the stem to show the condition of both.The stamping on the shank are not to be found on the shank. There is however, an etched 11/17/79 on the flat bottom of the foot as shown in the photos below. I tried to capture the detail in the photos below. I also took a photo of the pipe with the stem removed to show the proportion of this pipe. It is really a beauty. I turned to work on the pipe itself. I worked over the plateau rim top and shank end with a brass bristle wire brush to knock off the debris. It removed the debris and it looked much better.I scrubbed the bowl exterior with a tooth brush and undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the debris in the rustication and also remove the oils and tars in the finish. I rinsed it with clean warm water and dried it off with a soft cotton cloth. I used a folded piece of sandpaper to smooth out the damage and darkening on the smooth inner edge of the bowl. It looked much better once the debris was removed.I cleaned out the mortise and airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I was able to remove the grime and oils in the shank and the airway in the stem.I used a black Sharpie pen to touch up the valleys and deep spots on the plateau rim top and shank end. It looks much better at this point.I polished the smooth portions of the bowl and shank along with the high spots on the plateau with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. It smoothed out the finish very well and made the contrast between the ridges and valleys of the finish stand out well. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips and a horsehair shoe brush to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed it off 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. I scrubbed the surface of the stem with cotton pads and Soft Scrub. I was able to remove the debris on the stem and the oxidation on the surface. It looked much better.I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a Bic lighter to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift them all considerably. I filled in the two deep marks – one on each side of the stem just ahead of the button – with black rubberized CA glue. Once it cured, I sanded the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface. It looked significantly better at this point. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend in the repairs and remove the residual light oxidation on the stem surface. I am happy with the way that it looked at this point.I polished the vulcanite with micromesh sanding pads – 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each sanding pad. I used Before & After Pipe Polish – both Fine and Extra Fine to further polish the stem. This No Name Mixed Finish Plateau Freehand etched 11/17/79 with a vulcanite fancy saddle stem has a beautiful, unique finish with great grain on the smooth portions and rustication on the sides and shank. The medium brown finish highlights some great grain around the bowl and shank. It has a unique finish and the polished fancy turned stem adds to the mix. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel being careful to not buff the stamping. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished No Name Freehand is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 7 inches, Height: 2 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¾ inch x 2 inches long, Chamber diameter: 1 inch. The weight of the pipe is 2.57 ounces/72 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be sending it back to Robert once I finish the other 11 pipes he sent me to restore. I look forward to hearing what he thinks of this beauty. Thanks for your time.

Restoring a Dunhill Amber Root 4106 Pot

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by Steve Laug

The first pipe on the table since I returned from my long Asia trip for work is one that was sent to me by Jim for restoration. It is a nice-looking Dunhill Amber Root Pot. The stamping on the left side of the shank reads 4106 (the shape number), near the bowl shank junction. It is followed by some unique stamping that reads Alfred [over] The White Spot [over] dunhill’s. On the right side it is stamped Amber Root [over] Made in England15. The pipe was in decent condition, just well used and stunk of an aromatic, vanilla tobacco. The outside of the bowl and shank were dirty and dull with hand oils but the flash on the photos shows the nice grain. The bowl had been reamed recently and there was no cake in the bowl. The rim top had some darkening around the inner edge and on the top. The inner edge has some damage and is slightly out of round. The outer edge looked good. The vulcanite taper stem was oxidized and had some light tooth marks on the top and underside ahead of the button. The shank of the pipe was quite dirty with the oils and tars of the aromatic tobacco that had been smoked in it. I took photos of the pipe when I brought it to my work table and before I started the clean up. Try to imagine how the pipe smelled. Even your imagination cannot begin to capture the smells of the briar in your hand. The relatively clean bowl looks quite good. There are some nicks in the inner edge from zealous reaming that left it rough and damaged. The vulcanite, taper stem was dirty, lightly oxidized and has tooth chatter and marks on both sides. I took photos of the bowl, rim top and the stem to show the condition of both.The stamping on the sides of the shank are shown in the photos below. It looks very good with portions of it faint but readable. It reads as noted and explained above. I tried to capture the detail in the photos below. I also took a photo of the pipe with the stem removed to show the proportion of this pipe. It is really a beauty. I wanted to unpack the Dunhill stamping on the shank and work to understand each element of the stamp. I generally use the Pipephil site to gather as much initial information as possible (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/amber1.html). The stamping is interpreted as follows: The number 4106 is the shape number that unpacks as follows: the 4 is the bowl size, 1 is the normal identifier for a taper stem, 06 is the shape designation – a Pot. The Amber Root stamp refers to the finish. The superscript 15 following the D of England would give the date the pipe.Pipephil also has some helpful dating keys on the site that are basically flow charts that you can walk through to date your pipe (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/cledat-en1.html). I turned to Part 1 of the Dating Key and followed the chart. This pipe has a number 15 following the D in England. There was no patent number so that took me to the section on the chart below (column one) which instructed me that the pipe could be dated as being made “posterior to 1954”.I followed the link under “Your pipe is posterior to 1954. Narrow down your dating”. That took me to Page 2 of the dating key (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/cledat-en1a.html). The last column (suffix 00, 01, 02…) led me to the section with a 15 after the D in England. There was a directive for dating the pipe spelled out as follows: 2000 + suffix which gives the pipe a date of 2015. From that I knew that the pipe was made in 2015. I chose this column rather than the second column which would have dated it as 1975 because of the date that the Amber Root was released by Dunhill being 1995. I hope that the logic of the dating is clear. I then turned to Pipedia’s section on Dunhill pipes to get a bit of background on the Dunhill finishes (https://pipedia.org/wiki/Dunhill#Root_Briar). I quote:

Amber Root – Introduced in 1995. A warm yellow-orange stain, reminiscent of the original Root Briar finish. Cumberland stems were used, although recently, Amber Root pipes have appeared with black stems. This is also a limited production pipe that is found in mainly Company stores and Principle Pipe Dealers. Straight grained pipes are made available in this finish under the name Amber-flame and are graded from one to three flames.

Note: While the Amber Root finish existed in the past with Cumberland and black Vulcanite mouthpieces (now we use usually the black Vulcanite variety only)^[32].

I have also included a chart from the site spelling out the Standard Pipe Finishes and giving a timeline. You can see that the Amber Root Finish (a smooth polished medium stain) was introduced in 1995 so this is definitely dates this 15 year stamped pipe to 2015. I turned to work on the pipe itself. I cleaned out the mortise and airway in the shank and the stem with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I was able to remove a lot of the grime and oils in the shank but the stench of the strong aromatic still remained.To help remove the ghost in the bowl I stuffed it with cotton bolls and rolled a plug from cotton for the shank end. I filled the bowl with 99% Isopropyl alcohol and let it sit overnight to wick out the strong oils and tars from the bowl walls and the shank. In the morning when I checked it the cotton was heavily darkened with the oils. I removed them and set the bowl aside to airdry. I set the bowl aside to airdry after deghosting and turned to address the stem issues. I “painted” the surface of the stem with the flame of a Bic lighter to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift them all considerably. I filled in the two deep marks – one on each side of the stem just ahead of the button – with black rubberized CA glue. Once it cured, I used a small, flat needle file to recut the button edge and flatten the repair. I sanded the repairs with 220 grit sandpaper to blend them into the surface. It looked significantly better at this point. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads to further blend in the repairs and remove the residual light oxidation on the stem surface. I am happy with the way that it looked at this point.I polished the vulcanite 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 set the stem aside and went back to the bowl. I used some Before & After Briar Cleaner to remove the tars from the finish. I scrubbed the surface of the bowl with a tooth brush. I rinsed of the debris with warm water and dried it off with a soft cloth. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the rough inner edge of the bowl. I also sanded the scratches and the darkening of the rim top with the sandpaper. It did not take much and it looked much better.There was a dent on the right side of the bowl toward the heel. I used a damp cloth and a hot knife to steam the dent out as much as possible. I was able to lift it to a large degree but not completely with the steam. I polished the rim top and bowl with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads and wiping the bowl down with a damp cloth to remove the dust. The rim top and the bowl came out looking very good. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for 15 minutes and then buffed it off with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The photos show the bowl at this point in the restoration process. I rubbed the briar down with Before & After Restoration Balm. I worked it into the briar with my fingertips. The product works to clean, enliven and preserve the briar. I let it sit for 10 minutes then I buffed it with a cotton cloth to deepen the shine. The briar comes alive with the balm. This 2015 Dunhill Amber Root 4106 Pot with a vulcanite taper stem has a beautiful, unique Dunhill smooth finish with great grain. The medium orange brown finish highlights some great grain around the bowl and shank. It has a unique finish and the polished taper stem adds to the mix. I put the stem back on the bowl and buffed the pipe with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel being careful to not buff the stamping. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing it with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Dunhill Amber Root 4106 Pot is quite nice and feels great in the hand. Give the finished pipe a look in the photos below. The dimensions of the pipe are Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inch, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 1.55 ounces/44 grams. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over another beautiful pipe. I will be sending it back to Jim on the weekend. I look forward to hearing what he thinks of this beauty. Thanks for your time.

Giving Some Life Back to a Kirsten Companion K

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by Kenneth Lieblich

The latest restoration story belongs to a handsome Kirsten Companion ‘K’. Once again, this pipe is going to a young man from a local family who wanted some pipes restored. I’ve always been interested in Kirsten pipes – I’m not sure I always like them, but I always study them. The young fellow who acquired this pipe wanted something unusual and unlike the rest of his family – and he certainly got that! I quite like Steve’s description of Kirsten pipes:

Kirsten pipes have always been a bit of an enigma to me. The combination of briar and aluminum is unique. It is a pipe that is not really fish or fowl in terms of briar or metal. It is a pipe with an aluminum radiator with a bowl attached to it. The vulcanite stem is attached to an aluminum metal pin that extends the length of the radiator. On the end is a valve that controls the flow of air to bowl and is adjustable. This pipe has some markings. Interestingly, the name Kirsten is not one of them, but this is unquestionably a Kirsten pipe. On the left side of the aluminum body is the word, Companion. On the underside of the body are the words, Made in U.S.A. – next to that is the shape letter, K.Kirsten pipes have a long and interesting history. Naturally, Pipedia has a long article on this, but, in fact, that information comes from the fascinating Smoking Metal website. I encourage you to read the various articles they have on Kirstens.Let’s examine the pipe a bit. The aluminum is in decent shape – no major dents or scratches. There are merely micro-scratches, but no big deal. Similarly, the stem was in really nice shape. Only very minor tooth wear. Little oxidation and calcification. However, the briar bowl did have some issues. It had some cake in the bowl and was fairly dirty. The main problem was a significant burn on the rim. I’d have to take a closer look at that.My first step was to take the entire pipe apart. Here is a good photo of the various components of this Kirsten – plus the screwdriver I used to take the pipe apart.I decided to work on the briar bowl first on this occasion. The first step for the bowl is to ream it out – that is to say, remove all the cake inside. This accomplishes a couple of things. First (and most obviously), it cleans the bowl and provides a refurbished chamber for future smoking. Second, when the old cake is removed, I can inspect the interior walls of the bowl and determine if there is damage or not. I used a reamer, a pipe knife, and a piece of sandpaper taped to a wooden dowel. Collectively, these ensure that all the debris is removed.The damage to the rim is significant. In order to lessen the burns and nicks on the rim, I ‘topped’ the pipe – that is to say, I gently and evenly sanded the rim on a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. This effectively minimizes the damage, without altering the look of the pipe.Some of the burn remained on the rim, so I took some crystalized oxalic acid and dissolved it in warm water. I took some cotton swaps, dipped in the solution, and rubbed the burned spot vigorously. Some of the burn was removed, but, unfortunately, some will always remain as part of this pipe’s history.To tidy up the briar, I also wiped down the outside with some oil soap on cotton rounds (and a toothbrush). This does a good job of cleaning any latent dirt on the surface of the briar. The last step of the cleaning process is to scour the inside of the stummel with some soap and tube brushes. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work in getting the bowl clean.I took a solid wooden sphere, wrapped a piece of 220-grit sandpaper around it, and sanded the inner edge of the rim. This achieves two things: first, it removes some of the burn marks; and second (and more importantly), the circular shape and motion of the sphere gradually returns the edge to a perfect circle. I then used all nine micromesh pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) on the outside of the stummel to finish it off. This sanding minimizes flaws in the briar and provides a beautiful smoothness to the wood. I rubbed some Before & After Restoration Balm into the briar and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. The balm moisturizes the wood and gives a beautiful depth to the briar. I then buffed it with a microfibre cloth. On to the stem. I cleaned the inside with both pipe cleaners and cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. I scrubbed thoroughly to make sure the interior was clean.The goal of the next step is the removal (or minimization) of oxidation. Going to my sink, I used cream cleanser, cotton rounds, and a toothbrush, and scoured the stem to remove as much surface oxidation as possible. As the photos show, the result is a hideous brownish mess – but better off the stem than on it.Once the stem was reasonably clean, I soaked it overnight in some de-oxidation fluid. This solution works to draw oxidation in the stem to the surface. This is a major aid and an important step in ensuring a clean stem. The following day, I drew the stem out from its bath and scrubbed the lingering fluid with a toothbrush.I used all nine of the micromesh sanding pads (1,500 through 12,000 grit) to sand out flaws, even out the vulcanite, and provide gentle polishing of the finished surface. I also applied pipe-stem oil while using the last five micromesh pads. There was a wonderful, deep black shine to the stem when I was done.Next was the aluminum body of this old Kirsten. In order to loosen up some of the old filth, I soaked all the metal pieces in a vinegar solution. This was only mildly successful and I would need to do more.Just like other pipes, I cleaned the insides thoroughly with cotton swabs dipped in 99% lemon-infused isopropyl alcohol. This wasn’t enough – I also cleaned the inside of the aluminum with my cream cleanser and some tube brushes. That worked well! I then used my grey micromesh pads and polished the metal to a beautiful shine. Boy, it looked terrific after that.For the final step, I took the bowl to my bench buffer and carefully polished it – first with a white diamond compound, then with three coats of carnauba wax. This procedure makes the pipe look its best – the stummel sings and the stem glows.All done! This Kirsten Companion K looks fantastic again and is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner. It was great fun to work on. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 5⅓ in. (136 mm); height 1⅞ in. (48 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (39 mm); chamber diameter ⅞ in. (22 mm). The weight of the pipe is 1⅝ oz. (49 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.

Restoring a Republic Era Peterson’s Kapruf Sandblast Lovat 53

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by Steve Laug

Today is cold and snowy day in Vancouver. I know in comparison to where many of you live it is not cold but to us it is. I am preparing for a trip to Asia for work so this is likely the last pipe I will work on for a while. I have chosen a Peterson’s Lovat. It is a sandblast pipe that came to us from our contact in Copenhagen, Denmark on 04/11/2024. There was grime ground into the sandblast finish on the bowl sides. I love the way the contrast of the brown and black stains gave the blast a sense of depth. It was stamped on the flat underside of the shank and had the shape number 53 on the heel of the bowl followed by Made in the Republic of Ireland (three lines). To the right of that it is stamped Peterson’s [over] Kapruf. This pipe must have been a favourite of the pipe man who used it as it had been well smoked. There was a thick cake in the bowl and some lava overflowing onto the sandblast rim top. The inner edge of the bowl looked good. The stem is an original fishtail style but the slot is merely a single opening like an old style orific button. Strange but original! The stem was oxidized and there were light tooth marks and chatter on the top and underside ahead of the button on both sides. Jeff took photos of the pipe before his cleanup work. Jeff took photos of the rim top and stem to show the general condition of the pipe. The bowl is thickly caked and the rim top and edges look to be in good condition despite the lava overflow in the sandblast of the rim top. The photos of the stem show the oxidation and the light tooth marks on the top and underside near the button. Jeff took a photo of the bowl sides and heel to show the blast that was around this bowl. It is a great sandblast and the choice of stain adds depth to the appearance of the bowl. He took photos of the stamping on the underside of the shank. It is clear and readable and reads as noted above. I turned to “The Peterson Pipe” by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg to get some background on the Kapruf line. On page 306 it had the following information.

Kapruf and “Kapruf” (c.1922-87) Sandblast (hence the name, Kapp-rough) P-lip or fishtail mouthpiece, in catalogs from 1940-87. Early documented specimens stamped IRISH over FREE STATE, no Eire specimens documented. Mid-century specimens may be stamped LONDON MADE [over] ENGLAND or MADE IN ENGLAND forming a circle or MADE IN [over] IRELAND, all dating no later than 1970. Those of recent vintage stamped MADE IN THE [over] REPUBLIC [over] OF IRELAND.

I knew that I was working on a KAPRUF that was made between 1970-1987 as it is stamped MADE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND as noted above. 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 and alcohol to remove the tars and oils. He scrubbed the exterior of the pipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap and a tooth brush to remove the grime from the finish. He worked on the rim top lava and darkening 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 the stem surface. I wanted to show how well it had cleaned up. The rim top and the inner and outer edges look very good. I also took close up photos of the stem to show the light chatter and marks on the surface near the button.I took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank. You can see that it is stamped as noted above. It is faint but readable. I took the pipe apart and took a photo of the pipe. It is a good looking pipe and has an interesting sandblast on the bowl.I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the briar with my fingertips and a horse hair shoe brush 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 set the bowl aside and turned my attention to the stem. I “painted” the stem surface with the flame of a lighter to try and lift the marks. It did not do much. I repaired the tooth marks and deep scratches in the surface with black CA glue. Once they cured I used a small file to flatten them and then sanded them further with 220 grit sandpaper. I sanded the stem with 320-3500 grit sanding pads. I wiped it down after each sanding pad with an Obsidian Oil impregnated cloth. It really began to take on a shine.I paused the polishing to touch up the P stamp on the left side of the saddle stem with some acrylic fingernail polish. I worked it into the stamp with a toothpick and then scraped off the excess once it had dried.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 wiped the stem down with Obsidian Oil and set it aside to dry. I am always excited to finish working on a pipe. This Peterson’s Made in the Republic of Ireland Kapruf 53 Lovat is no exception. 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 hand buffed it with a microfibre cloth to deepen the shine. It is fun to see what the polished sandblast bowl looks like with the black vulcanite saddle stem. This Classic looking Peterson’s Kapruf Sandblast 53 Lovat feels great in my hand. It is light and well balanced. Have a look at it with the photos below. The dimensions are Length: 4 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 28 grams/.95 ounces. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store shortly in the Irish Pipe Makers section if you are interested in it. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me as I worked over this pipe. Thanks to each of you who are reading this blog.