Tag Archives: vulcanite

Restoring A Vintage Kriswill “Chief # 35” Pickaxe

Leave a reply

Blog by Paresh Deshpande

The next pipe selected for refurbishing is a commonly shaped pickaxe Danish pipe. I say common because through the 1960s and 70s, this shape and its variations was the most loved and common on many Kriswill and Stanwell pipes as well as with various artisan pipe carvers from Denmark.

This pipe has a smooth stummel with a natural finish (I guess) that has darkened over a period of time. For a pipe with a length of 5 ½ inches and bowl height of 2 inches and chamber depth of 1 ¾ inches, it’s pretty much ultra light weight, making it a perfect pipe to clench. The vulcanite stem is thin and delicate. The smooth stummel surface displays beautiful cross grains to the front and aft of the bowl while the sides boast of lovely bird’s eye grains. It would need a good TLC to bring these grains to the fore. Here are a few pictures of the pipe that Abha had taken before she did her part of initial cleaning of the pipe. The pipe is stamped on the left surface of the shank as “Kriswill” in script hand over “CHIEF” over “HANDMADE DENMARK”. The bottom of the shank, at the shank end, is stamped with the shape code “35”. The vulcanite stem bears the stamp “KRISWILL” in script hand over the left surface. Last year, I had worked on a unique Kriswill “GOLDEN CLIPPER” that had a stummel shaped like the chimney of early steam locomotive engines. Here is the link for the write up… Restoring a Kriswill “Golden Clipper” Freehand Chimney | rebornpipes. I am sure you will find it an interesting read.

I had researched the brand at that time and I went through the above write up and also through the material that was available on pipedia.org and pipephil.eu. There are three facts which I wish to highlight:-

Firstly, “Prior to 1970 the stampings are in script letters on the shank and on the mouthpiece. The star on the stem and block letters on the shank were introduced from that date on”

Secondly, the stem stamping changed to “stylized compass rose” prior to 1969 and not 1970 as evidenced from the Kriswill Pipe catalog pages of January 1969 (https://pipedia.org/images/5/5f/KriswillCatalog-Jan1969.pdf)

Thirdly, there is no mention of this shape code # 35 in the “CHIEF” line up in the 1969 and 1970 catalogs further implying that this shape code was discontinued after 1969,of course this is assuming that the complete catalog is made available at the above given link.

On pipedia.org, I came across an early catalog which does have a shape code # 35 pipe that is currently on my work table and is indicated with a red arrow. It’s a Nature finished pipe in brown color as indicated by the shape code.Thus from the above, the pipe that I am now working on definitely pre-dates to 1970s since the stamping is in script and the stem is sans the star and probably even prior to 1969.

With the provenance of the pipe satisfactorily established, I proceeded to carry out a visual inspection of the condition of the pipe in my hand. This helps me map the road to restoring the pipe by identifying the issues involved and identify methods/ options to address the same beforehand.

Initial Visual Inspection
The chamber is so filled with cake that I am unable to reach the bottom of the bowl with my little finger. The build-up of the cake is heavier on the bottom half of the bowl, but overall well maintained. The condition of the inner walls of the chamber can be commented upon only after the cake has been taken down to the bare briar. The rim top appears darkened and is covered with dust, lava and grime. The inner rim edge is uneven under the lava overflow and the exact condition will be ascertained once the rim top has been cleaned. The chamber odors are not very strong and should be completely eliminated once the cake has been removed and the shank has been thoroughly cleaned.The stummel surface appears dull and lackluster due to the accumulated dirt, dust and grime of years of usage and subsequent uncared for storage. One minor nick (encircled in yellow) and a scratch (indicated with green arrow) is seen over the front of the stummel surface. The mortise is clogged with oils and tars. This should be an easy clean up job. The vulcanite stem is heavily oxidized. The button has some bite marks on both surfaces and will need to be rebuilt and reshaped. There is minor tooth chatter in the bite zone on both the surfaces. The airway in the stem is blocked resulting in a restricted draw and will need to be cleaned. The tenon and the horizontal slot show accumulation of dried oils, tars and gunk on the inside as well as on the outside. This will have to be cleaned. The aluminum inner tube is covered in dried oils and tars. I shall clean it and keep it aside in my box with other inner tubes and stingers as I never use them with my pipes.Initial Cleaning By Abha…
The initial cleaning on this pipe was done by Abha, my wife (she has cleaned up around 40-50 pipes and these had reached me for further restoration). She reamed out the complete cake and further smoothed out the chamber walls with a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper. She further cleaned out the internals of the shank with pipe cleaners and alcohol and cotton buds. She followed the internal cleaning of the shank with external cleaning of the stummel using Murphy’s Oil soap and hard bristled tooth brush and dried it with paper napkins and cotton cloth.Next she cleaned out the internals of the stem air way and immersed it in “Before and After Deoxidizer” solution along with the stem of other pipes in line for restoration (the pipe that I am working on is indicated by yellow arrow). Once the stem had soaked overnight, she cleaned the stem under running warm water and scrubbed the raised oxidation from the stem surface using Scotch Brite pad. She further removed the oxidation by scrubbing the stem with 0000 grade steel wool and applied a little olive oil to rehydrate the stem. She had removed the inner tube from the tenon and cleaned it with cotton swabs, pipe cleaners and alcohol.Once The Pipe Is On My Work Table…
The initial cleaning by Abha, my wife, is thorough and while saving me time, it also provides a clear picture of all the issues that needs to be addressed during the restoration process. She also makes a note of all the issues that she observed during initial cleaning for me to address and includes this note with each pipe that she packs. It’s a big saving on the time factor and I am really thankful to her for indulging me.

This is how the pipe came to me after Abha had worked her magic. The stampings on this pipe, as detailed above, are crisp and easily readable.The rim top surface does have a few issues that have now come to the fore after cleaning. The inner edge has minor charring between 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock direction and is encircled in yellow. The chamber walls have numerous, disjointed and very minor heat fissures which would need to be addressed. These heat fissures are indicated with green arrows. The inner edge is uneven in the 6 o’clock direction (encircled in blue). It has been my experience that these heat lines/ fissures may also appear if the complete cake has not been reamed out and once the complete carbon cake is reamed out, these lines disappear. That is what I shall try first! Through the cleaned stummel surface, the beauty of this piece of briar can be appreciated further. The beautiful bird’s eye and cross grains over the stummel will be further highlighted once the stummel has been polished and rejuvenated. I shall deal with the small nick that is observed over the front of the bowl either by filling it or may even leave it be. This nick and the scratch should be addressed to a great extent after I sand the stummel surface followed by subsequent polishing pads. The mortise is nice and clean with no ghost smells.The stem has cleaned up nicely and the oxidation is completely eliminated. One deep tooth indentation (marked in pastel blue) is seen on both the upper and lower stem surface in the bite zone. I shall address this issue with a fill of activated charcoal and CA superglue. The horizontal slot and the tenon end are clean with a full and even draw.The Process…
The first issue that I addressed was that of the stem repairs. I flamed the surface of the stem with a lighter to raise the tooth indentations on the stem. The heat from the flame of the lighter causes the vulcanite to expand and regain its natural shape, reducing the marks. I wiped the stem surface clean with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol to remove all the dust and dirt from the surface. The tooth marks which were visible after the flaming and sanding were filled with a mix of activated charcoal and clear CA superglue and set aside to cure overnight.With the stem fills set aside for curing, I worked the rim top surface. To address the uneven and charring of the inner rim edge, I topped the rim surface on a 220 grit sand paper. Though it is recommended to have a wooden board with the 220 grit sand paper firmly fixed over it, I just keep the sand paper on a flat table top, holding it firmly with my left hand and rotating the rim top over it with my right hand. I have come to realize that this set up gives me lot more freedom of movement, better control and convenience of storage. I frequently checked the progress being made as I hate to lose briar estate any more than absolutely necessary. I am pretty happy with the inner rim edge and what little darkening and unevenness remains will be masked by creating a slight bevel to the edge. This is how the rim top appears at this point in restoration. Taking these pictures, I remembered to ream the chamber to address the issue of suspected heat fissures. Using my fabricated small knife, I scraped away all the carbon from the chamber walls and followed it by sanding the wall surface using a 220 grit sand paper to a smooth surface. The chamber appears to be solid with no issues to the chamber walls. Staying with the rim, the next issue that I addressed was with the rim edges, both inner and outer. With a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper pinched between my thumb and fore finger, I created a bevel on the inner edge. This addressed the issue of the uneven and out of round chamber and also reduced the darkened edge.Next, I sanded the entire stummel with a piece of 220 grit sand paper. This helps to remove the minor scratches, nicks and dings from the stummel surface. While I was working on the stummel, the stem fills had completely cured. With a flat head needle file, I worked on the filling till I had achieved a rough match with the surrounding surface and had sufficiently sharpened the button edges. I further sanded the fills with a piece of 220 grit sand paper to achieve a better match. Thereafter, I began the process of bringing a nice shine to the surface by sanding with 320, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 grit sandpapers. I applied a little EVO to the stem surface to hydrate it and set the stem aside for the oil to be absorbed in to the surface.To bring a deep shine to the stem, I went through the complete set of micromesh pads, wet sanding with 1500 to 12000 grit sandpapers. I wiped the stem with moist cloth after each pad. At the end of micromesh cycle, I polished the stem with “Before and After Fine & Extra Fine” paste. I also refreshed the stem stamping with a white correction pen. The finished stem is shown below. With the repair completed, I turned my attention back to the stummel. I wet sanded the stummel with 1500 to 12000 grit micromesh pads, wiping frequently with a moist cloth to check the progress. I really like the looks of the stummel at this point in restoration. The grains and the clean lines of this piece of briar is really appreciable. Next, I rubbed a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” deep in to the briar with my finger tips and let it rest for a few minutes. The balm almost immediately works its magic and the briar now has a nice vibrant appearance with the beautiful grain patterns displayed in their complete splendor. I further buffed it with a horse hair brush. The contrast of the dark browns of the Bird’s eye and cross grains with the natural finish of the rest of the stummel adds an interesting dimension to the appearance of the stummel which may be insufficiently described in words and be rather seen in person. I have now reached the homestretch in this restoration project. To complete the restoration, I mounted a cotton cloth buffing wheel on to my hand held rotary tool and polished the stummel and stem with Blue Diamond compound. This compound helps to remove the minor scratch marks that remain from the sanding. Next, I mounted another cotton buffing wheel that I have earmarked for carnauba wax and applied several coats of the wax. I finished the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to raise the shine further. The finished pipe looks amazingly beautiful and is ready to join my collection. I only wish it could share with me it’s story of the past years while I enjoy smoking my favorite Virginia blend in it or maybe an English blend or maybe just keep admiring it!! The finished pipe is as shown below. P.S. I had completed this pipe (and next 6 restorations) during the months of November and December of last year. The reason for the delayed write ups is because I have moved out to a new work place and my luggage, including pipe restoration equipment, materials and pipes, were transported from old station to new place of work. My family will be moving in with me now (after a separation of nearly five years) by next month end after winding up the household in Pune. I should be settling down in to my new routine by end of April and only then will I be able to undertake any new projects. So in the intervening period, I intend to complete all my pending write ups so that I am still in touch with all the esteemed readers, who I miss very much.

A note of thanks to all the readers who have joined me in this journey that has been such a pleasure! You and your loved ones are always in our prayers…Stay home…stay safe!!

Another Of My Inherited Pipes Restored…. A “Drury Lane # 484”

2 Replies

Blog by Paresh Deshpande

As I was winding up my stay at the old duty station, I came across a neatly packed zip-lock pouch that was stowed away in to the deepest part of the cupboard. In that pouch were three pipes; two Comoys and one Drury Lane # 484. I remembered that the Comoy’s had stingers that needed leather gaskets and one needed a top nut for the stinger. Steve had sent me the leather gaskets while a replacement for the stinger that required top nut, was in post that was delayed for more than a year due to the prevalent worldwide pandemic situation. I decided to work on the Drury Lane and the one Comoy’s that just needed the leather gasket to be replaced.

The Drury Lane pipe is stamped on the left of the shank as “DRURY LANE” in an arch over “LONDON”, all in block capital letters. The right side of the shank surface bears the shape number “484” towards the chamber end with the COM stamp “MADE IN ENGLAND” with “MADE” at the top, “IN” in the middle, and “ENGLAND” forming the bottom of the circle (Football shaped stamping). The high quality twin bore vulcanite saddle stem bears the stamping “BITE” over “PROOF”. All the stampings are crisp and easily readable save for the stem logo which has a faint and the worn out letter P in the word PROOF.The stampings on the pipe were categorical in pointing out that the pipe is an English made and the way Drury Lane is stamped in an arch helped me narrow down the connection to early production of either Barling’s or Comoy’s brands as both had an arched stamp. To be sure of my assumptions, I visited pipephil.eu which confirmed my assumption; this brand is indeed linked with Comoy’s. Here is the link: Dra-Duk — Pipes : Logos & Markings (pipephil.eu)

Next, I visited pipedia.org for detailed information on the brand Comoy’s in general and this line of pipes in particular. The information that is given on the website makes for an interesting read and should anyone be interested in referencing the brand, the link is given below. Comoy’s – Pipedia

Further down under on the same web page, under the sub head “SECONDs MADE BY COMOY’S” is the complete list of seconds and I reproduce the same for ease of reference. The pipe on my work table finds a mention here and is highlighted in red.

Seconds made by Comoy’s
Academy Award, Ace of spades, Ancestor, Astor, Ayres, Britannia, Carlyle, Charles Cross, Claridge, Coronet?, Cromwell, Damman?, Dorchester, Dunbar, Drury Lane, Emerson, Everyman, Festival of Britain, Golden Arrow, Grand Master, Gresham, Guildhall, Hamilton (according to Who Made That Pipe), Kingsway, Lion’s Head, Lord Clive, Lumberman, Hyde Park, Lloyds, Mc Gahey, Moorgate, Newcastle, Oxford, O’Gorman, Rosebery Extra, Royal Falcon, Royal Guard, Royal Lane, Scotland Yard, St James, Sunrise, Super Sports, Sussex, The Academy Award, The Golden Arrow, The Mansion House, The Exmoor Pipe, Throgmorton, Tinder Box Royal Coachman, Townhall, Trident, Trocadero, Westminster, Wilshire.

Next, I was keen to research and link the shape code with Comoy’s pipes and at the bottom of the page is the link to Comoy’s Shape Number Chart (Comoy’s Shape Number Chart – Pipedia)

Comoy’s pipes were given shape numbers in the 1909 catalogue and also names for each shape, but it would seem that these numbers were NOT stamped on the pipes until sometime in the 1920’s. The earliest known is from 1925. The shape numbers are all 3 digits until after the Cadogan acquisition of Comoy’s in 1979, when some shapes were introduced with 4 digit numbers. However, they may have been introduced earlier in 1976, 1977 or 1978. On pre- Cadogan pipes additional letters can be found after the three numbers:

  • M on Meerschaum lined pipes.
  • P on Panel shaped bowls. ( This may not always be the case as I have now seen a photograph of a non panel Shape 309 with a P)
  • C on some shapes with curved bits. This does not seem to be universal for all curved bits and it would appear to be mainly on Princes and Bulldogs.
  • F believed to indicate a “Fishtail” bit. Verified on an early 1930’s Virgin Briar with the shape number 206F and a fishtail bit exactly like the Dunhill F/T, that was not introduced until 1950.

(S)=saddle bit – A/M=army mount – sq=squat – sq.shank=square shank

S=small – M=medium – L=large – XL=extraordinare shape – LW=lightweight shape

Circa 1975 (Pre-Cadogan) Shape Charts, courtesy Dough Valitchka which have been uploaded, finds a mention of the exact shape code seen on the Drury Lane that I am working on and is indicated with a red arrow. It is a Large Billiard with saddle stem.Here is another link from the same page which takes the readers to an absolutely well researched page on Dating of Comoy’s;

Comoy’s Dating Guide – Pipedia
Though the pipe currently on my work table is a Comoy’s second, I have attempted to date this pipe based on the stampings, particularly the COM stamp and have reproduced the relevant portions which have helped me in dating this pipe.

Made in England
This is stamped in a circle with “MADE” at the top, “IN” in the middle, and “ENGLAND” forming the bottom of the circle. This can be seen on a Cecil as early as 1910 and on an Old Bruyere of 1921 and more frequent from the 1930s. It can also appear as “MADE” arched, “IN” below, and “ENGLAND” arched the other way. These stamps are in an oval rugby-ball shape rather than a circle round shape.Thus I can conclusively say that the DRURY LANE pipe on my work table is from the period 1910 to 1930s

Initial Visual Inspection
The pipe that is currently on my work table has a classic Billiard shape with thick walls. The stummel has rich medium brown stain and is covered in dirt and grime through which flame grains can be seen around the sides of the stummel and over the shank surface while Bird’s eye adorns the front, aft, rim top and the foot of the stummel. There is a well maintained layer of cake in the chamber with heavy lava overflow over the rim top surface. The inner rim edge has a nice bevel that is covered in lava overflow. The twin bore vulcanite saddle stem is heavily oxidized with minor damage to the bite zone on either surface. The buttons on both surfaces show bite marks. The following pictures will give readers an idea of the overall condition of the pipe as it sits on my work table. Overall, the thin layer of cake and excellent condition of the stem are pointers to the fact that the pipe seems to be well looked after. It should be an easy restoration project, unless some gremlins pop up during the process. Detailed Visual Inspection
A thin and even layer of cake is seen in the chamber. The rim top surface is covered in overflow of lava, dirt, dust and grime through which a number of dents and dings can be seen. The exact condition of the inner walls of the chamber and rim top surface will be known once the cake has been taken down to bare briar and the rim top crud has been scraped off completely. The outer rim is uneven with a couple of dents/ chipped surface in 2 ‘O’ clock and 6 ‘O’ clock directions (marked in yellow circle). Only once the stummel has been thoroughly cleaned that I can be sure of my initial appreciation. The beveled inner rim edge is covered in lava overflow, masking the real condition of the rim edge. The chamber odor is strong and should be addressed to some extent once the cake has been taken down to the bare briar and the shank internals have been thoroughly cleaned. The stummel feels solid to the touch and I do not foresee any major issues with the condition of the chamber walls. To be honest with you, this being a Comoy’s seconds pipe, I had expected to find a few fills and some non-descript grain on the stummel briar. However, I was surprised to note that there are only four very minute fills (encircled in yellow) in the stummel surface and the surface boasts of some beautiful cross grains around the sides and over the shank surface while beautiful packed Bird’s eye adorns the front, aft and foot of the stummel. The stummel surface is covered in dirt and grime giving the stummel a dull and dirty appearance. The stummel surface shows a few dents and dings. It does have a quality which is seen on vintage pipes, not to forget, this is nearly an 80 plus year old pipe, but difficult to explain in words. The mortise shows minor accumulation of old oils and tars which would need to be cleaned. The fills over the stummel surface is one issue that I am not sure about dealing with since I absolutely love the old dark brown color and the patina that has developed over time that needs to be preserved and also since these fills are too minor to be noticed. A nice polish with micromesh grit pads will bring a nice shine to the stummel and highlight the grains.The twin bore vulcanite saddle stem is heavily oxidized, but otherwise in a decent condition. The bite zone on either surface shows some minor tooth indentations with a small amount of calcification at the base of the button edge. The twin holed slot and tenon opening shows accumulation of dried oils and tars. All in all, the stem presents no major damage and should be an easy clean up.The Process
I started the restoration with cleaning of the stummel as I was keen to know the condition of the walls of the chamber. I worked on the stummel by first reaming the chamber with size 3 PipNet reamer head. With my fabricated knife, I further scraped the chamber walls to remove the remaining carbon deposits and also scraped out the lava overflow from the rim top surface. Once the cake was reamed back to the bare briar, I used a 150 grit sand paper followed by 220 grit sand paper to remove all the traces of remaining cake and also to smoothen out the inner walls of the chamber surface. Finally, to remove the residual carbon dust, I wiped the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol. Few very minor webs of heat lines can be seen along the heel and walls of the chamber. I am not sure if these are heat lines or remnants of old cake over the wall surface. With the same sharp knife, I gently scraped off the lava overflow from the rim top surface. The inner rim edge bevel has darkened, but I don’t think it is charred. Gently running a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper along the inner edge should suffice to clean up the bevel. The issue of dents and dings over the rim top surface will be addressed by topping it over a 220 grit sandpaper.Next, I cleaned out the internals of the shank and mortise. Using my dental tool, I scraped out all the dried oils, tars and gunk that had accumulated in the draught hole and on the walls of the mortise. I finished the cleaning by running a few pipe cleaners dipped in isopropyl alcohol through the mortise. I shall continue with further cleaning of the shank internals when I clean the external stummel surface.With the bowl internals clean, I moved to clean the exterior of the stummel. I used a hard bristled tooth brush and Murphy’s Oil Soap to scrub the stummel and rim top. I rinsed the stummel under running warm water with anti oil dish washing detergent till the stummel surface was clean and dried it using paper towels and soft cotton cloth. I simultaneously cleaned the shank internals with the detergent and hard bristled shank brush and set the stummel aside to dry out naturally. The stummel surface has cleaned up nicely and the beautiful grain patterns are now on full display.With the stummel internals and externals cleaned and spruced up, I turned to address the stem issues. I cleaned the internals of the stem using hard and normal bristled pipe cleaners and isopropyl alcohol. I addressed the deeper oxidation by sanding the entire stem with a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper. Once the oxidation was completely removed, I wiped the surface clean with Murphy’s oil soap on a cotton swab. I rubbed a little Extra Virgin Olive oil to hydrate the stem and kept it aside. The stem at this point in restoration is shown below. The deeper tooth indentations on either surface of the stem were filled with a mix of CA superglue and activated charcoal powder and set aside for the fill to cure.Now that the rim top surface is clean and free of the entire lava overflow, the extent of the darkening to the inner bevel and dents and dings over the rim top surface are fairly apparent. I addressed the darkened inner edge by running a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper pinched between my thumb and index finger along the beveled surface and polished the freshly cleaned inner rim edge bevel with a piece of 600 grit sandpaper. I am very happy with the way inner rim edge bevel appears at this stage in restoration.I addressed the dents and dings over the rim top surface by topping it over a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. I checked the progress frequently to ensure that the topping is just adequate. This also addressed the issue of damage to the outer rim edge at 2 o’clock and 6 o’clock directions.The stem repairs had hardened considerably and I decided to complete the stem refurbishing. Using a flat head needle file, I reshaped the button and followed it up by sanding the stem with a folded piece of 220 grit sand paper to achieve a rough match with the rest of the stem surface. I further dry sanded the stem with 400, 600 and 800 grit sand papers. This helps to fine tune the matching of the fill with the stem surface while removing the deep rooted oxidation from the stem surface. I followed it up by wet sanding with a piece of 1000 grit sand paper to completely rid the surface of the oxidation and bring out the shine in the vulcanite. Once I was satisfied that the fills had perfectly matched with the rest of the stem surface and oxidation has been eliminated, using micromesh pads, I completed the polishing cycle by wet sanding the surface with 1500 to 12000 grit pads. The stem looks great with the fills nicely matched with the rest of the surface. I rubbed a little quantity of Extra Virgin Olive oil into the stem surface.  I gave a final rub with “Before and After Extra Fine” stem polish compound from Mark to remove fine scratches from the stem surface. Then I rubbed a little quantity of Extra Virgin Olive oil in to the stem surface and set it aside to be absorbed by the vulcanite. The stem polished up nicely and appears as good as new. Turning my attention back to the stummel, I subjected the stummel to a complete cycle of micromesh polish, dry sanding with 1500 to 12000 grit pads. I paid greater attention to polish the rim top surface and the bevel created on the inner rim edge. I wiped the stummel with a moist cloth after every grit pad to remove the sanding dust left behind by the pads. This also helps in monitoring the progress being made and provides an opportunity to take early corrective action, if required. I am happy with the progress being made till now. The briar has taken on a nice deep shine with the original medium brown of the stummel and the darker brown stains to the grains contrasting beautifully. I really like the dark brown coloration and the patina that is seen over the stummel surface. Next, I rubbed a small quantity of “Before and After Restoration Balm” into the briar with my finger tips and worked it deep in to the surface and let it rest for a few minutes. The balm almost immediately works it’s magic and the briar now has a nice vibrant appearance with the beautiful cross and Bird’s eye grain patterns on full display. The contrast of the dark browns of the grain with the light brown hues of the rest of the stummel adds an interesting dimension to the appearance of the stummel. I further buffed it with a horse hair brush to further deepen the shine. To refresh the stem logo, I coated the stem logo with white correction ink and let it dry out completely. Once the ink had dried out, with a toothpick, I gently removed the excess ink from the surrounding surface. I am happy with the crisp stem stamp, even though the alphabet “P” is a bit worn out.To put the finishing touches, I mounted a cotton cloth buffing wheel on to my hand held rotary tool and polished the stummel and stem with Blue Diamond compound. This compound helps to remove the minor scratch marks that remain from the sanding. Next, I mounted another cotton buffing wheel that I have earmarked for carnauba wax and applied several coats of the wax. I mounted a clean cotton cloth buffing wheel and gave the entire pipe a once over buff. I finished the restoration by giving the entire pipe a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth to raise the shine further. The finished pipe with the aged patina to the briar looks amazingly beautiful and is now ready for its long second inning with me. P.S. I have attempted to preserve the aged patina which has developed over the stummel surface with the passage of time. I did accept the minor fills that were seen over the stummel surface and let them be as they had blended in perfectly with the rest of the stummel surface.

Even though this old vintage pipe is a seconds from the Comoy’s brand, it has the same high quality feel and geometry as one expects from the top of the line Comoy’s.

Praying for the health and safety of all the readers and their loved ones in these troubled times…

 

Pipe #1 of 7 – An Amazing Transformation of a Bruyere Extra Paneled Billiard

2 Replies

Blog by Dal Stanton

I love restoring pipes.  It reminds me of how life can be harsh resulting in broken people that need help and a second chance.  This sentiment is at the core of the collection of ‘broken and needy’ pipes in virtual ‘Help Me!’ baskets where what is required of would-be commissioners is the challenge to see the potential hidden under the grime and brokenness.  This is why the collection is called, ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” Only!’ benefiting the truly broken and needy – the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited.  Darren saw the potential, not just for one pipe but for 7.  In November he wrote:

Greetings from Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania, (and welcome back to the US)!  Thank you for your labor and love of pipes! It is with no small joy that I’ve tracked your blog posts on your various projects.  Recently, I was able to fully appreciate your handiwork in a pipe you restored for a close friend of mine in our local Cigar and Pipe club, Daniel XXXXXX.  Towards that end is the purpose of this mail.  From your many posts, I have a marginal appreciation for the time involved, and more significantly, the fact that there is a queue well-ahead of my inquiry. Admittedly unaware of your work queue, these pipes would be targeted for Christmas gifts – either 2021 or 2022.  At least three would be gifts for close friends, and others would be for my children to give to me. 😊

As Darren wrote above, Daniel, a fellow member of his Cigar and Pipe Club (See: FB Chester County Cigar Club – Holy Smokes), had commissioned a pipe (See:  Refreshing a Beldor Studio Mini Churchwarden Paneled Apple of Saint Claude) and through Daniel, Darren became aware of The Pipe Steward.  Here are the pipes Darren commissioned in the end:

A pretty impressive line-up of pipes!  The thing that stood out most to me about Darren’s selections was that they all were intended as gifts except for one.  I laughed when he revealed his true motives with fellow Club members.  He confided: The crowd I’m working to convert are mostly cigar guys, so a broader and deeper chamber helps them “feel” like they’re enjoying a long-smoke cigar 😊.   I found out later that the other recipient was to be his youngest daughter as an 18th birthday gift (continuing a tradition from her elder siblings).  This information about Darren warmed my ‘father’s’ heart.  I decided that the first of the 7 pipes that Darren commissioned would be the one destined for him – the Bruyere Extra Paneled Billiard, an attractive pipe.  Here are the pictures of the pipe that whispered to Darren: The nomenclature on the Paneled Billiard is stamped on the left side of the shank in old English script which is slightly curved, BRUYERE [over] EXTRA.I have little doubt about the country of origin of this pipe – France.  It was part of what I have called the French Lot of 50 which I acquired in August of 2018 from a seller in Paris when my wife and I were still living in Bulgaria.  This lot has been a gold mine of treasures.  The Beldor Studio Mini Churchwarden also came to me in this French lot.  The arrow marks the Paneled Billiard in the twisted embrace of so many orphaned pipes calling out to new stewards! 😊

Honestly, I am surprised this Paneled Billiard remained unclaimed as long as it did.  It is a beauty.  I’m hopeful that the restoration will be an easier one.  The chamber has almost no cake build up and the rim with only minor darkness from lighting practices.  The bowl has the normal grime needing to be cleaned but I see no fills in a nicely proportioned octagon which promises to showcase nicely the briar grain.  The stem shows some oxidation but almost no tooth chatter.  To begin the restoration of the Paneled Billiard, I start with cleaning the airway of the stem.  Using pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 99% the cleaning does not take long.Next, the Panel’s stem joins the other pipes that Darren commissioned in a soak of www.Briarville.com‘s ‘Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover.  This is a deoxidation product that I became aware of and am giving it a test run.  The stems in this batch will be a be a good test for the Oxidation Remover.  The directions describe the soak time from 2 to 24 hours as needed.  I’ll give the full 24-hour exposure.  With the stem soaking I turn to the Paneled bowl’s chamber.  The light carbon cake is dispatched easily with 2 blade heads from the Pipnet Reaming Kit and then the chamber walls are scraped with the Savinelli Fitsall Tool.  The job of clearing the chamber is completed with sanding using 240 grade paper wrapped around a Sharpie Pen.An inspection of the chamber after wiping with a cotton pad to remove the carbon dust shows healthy briar.  I move on.The next step is to clean the external briar surface.  Using undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap, the smooth briar surface is scrubbed with a cotton pad.From the worktable, the stummel is taken to the sink where shank brushes are used with hottish water and anti-oil liquid dishwashing soap to clean the internal mortise and airway.  After scrubbing and rinsing thoroughly, the stummel comes back to the worktable.To make sure the internals are clean, a few pipe cleaners and cotton buds wetted with isopropyl 99% confirm that the internals are clean. As is my usual practice, to clean further and to freshen the bowl for a new steward, I use a kosher salt and alcohol soak to draw latent oils and tars out of the internal briar walls.  A cotton ball is stretched and twisted and then guided down the mortise to the draft hole.  It serves the purpose of a ‘wick’ that draws out the tars and oils during the soaking process.The bowl is next filled with kosher salt and placed in the egg carton to keep it stable and to line up the top of the bowl with the top of the shank keeping them roughly level.  Kosher salt is used because it leaves no after taste.The bowl is then filled with isopropyl 99% with a large eye dropper until it surfaces over the salt.  After a few minutes, the alcohol is absorbed, and more alcohol is needed to top it off.  I then put the stummel aside for several hours as my wife and I head to Jensen Beach to enjoy a beautiful Florida day!Just to prove I was where I said I was – enjoying one of my favorites, a Savinelli Goliath with a beautiful Cumberland stem and shank ferrule.  This was the first pipe I restored for myself that had the specific purpose of going with me to the beach – then, on the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria (See: A Goliath Among Giants – Releasing a Savinelli Goliath 619EX Italy). Today, the Goliath was packed with my favorite aromatic, Lane BCA.

Several hours later, back from the beach, the salt and cotton wick show some soiling indicating the oils drawn out, but not a lot.  After the salt is tossed in the waste, the bowl is wiped with paper towel and I blow through the mortise to make sure all the salt crystals have been removed.Just to make sure all is clean and there is no residue left behind, one cotton bud and one pipe cleaner evidence the fact that this stummel is cleaner than a whistle.  I whiff of the chamber reveals no hint of ghosting and a refreshed bowl for a new steward.The stem has been soaking for 24 hours in the product, ‘Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover’ by www.Briarville.com and is time to see the results. After fishing the Paneled Billiard’s stem out of the bottle, a cotton pad wetted with alcohol is used to wipe off the oxidation that was raised during the soaking process.  The cotton pad is soiled a good bit which is good news. I run another pipe cleaner through the airway wetted with isopropyl 99% to clear away any of the Oxidation Remover liquid residue.The stem is then further conditioned using paraffin oil, a mineral oil.  I put the stem aside to absorb the oil.Another close look at the Paneled briar surface reveals beautiful, tightly woven grain patterns. An inspection of the surface does not reveal any fills needing attention.  The condition of the surface is so good that I bypass using sanding sponges which is my normal next step if the surface had significant cuts, dents, and areas needing to be cleaned up.  Instead, I go directly to the full regimen of 9 micromesh pads to fine sand the striking briar surface.  Starting first with wet sanding, pads 1500 to 2400 are used.  Following the wet sanding, dry sanding continues with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000.  I’m pleased with the way the briar grain emerges through the process.  The unique characteristic of Paneled shapes is that each panel gives a different ‘canvas’ view of the briar landscape.  The octagonal shape on this Billiard provides a lot to enjoy! I have had such good results from the process that I have developed to bring out briar grain so that it absolutely pops that I decide to apply to the Paneled Billiard.  I decide to apply a light brown dye to provide the contrasting.  The purpose of the dying is not to darken the bowl or to hide imperfections – which often is the need in a restoration project.  This pipe could continue as is to the final stages of polishing if I chose.  To apply dye at this point is to create more contrasting to bring out more strikingly the grain already present.  After all the components for dyeing have been assembled on the worktable, the first step after wiping the bowl with a cotton pad wetted with alcohol to make sure it’s clean, is to warm the stummel over the hot air gun.  I believe this is an important step as the heat opens the briar as the stummel heats.  This helps the briar to be more receptive to the dye that is applied.After the bowl is warmed, a folded pipe cleaner applies or paints Fiebing’s Light Brown Leather Dye to the stummel surface.  As an aniline dye, the base of the dye is alcohol.  The next step after a swath of the briar surface has been painted with dye, is to ‘flame’ the wet dye with the lit candle.  The result of this is that the alcohol in the dye immediately combusts when the wet dye meets the flame.  The combustion burns off the alcohol leaving the dye pigment behind for the briar to absorb.  Generally, what I have discovered is that the veins or the grain of the briar is softer wood and tends to absorb the dye more readily.  The harder wood between the veins is harder wood which does the opposite – does not absorb the dye pigment as readily.  This creates the dynamic that has resulted with striking briar grain.  After the entire bowl has been painted and flamed thoroughly, the stummel is set aside for several hours to rest.Turning back to the stem, I take a few customized pictures of the stem which usually enables one to see the residual oxidation left behind.  The pictures below don’t show much at all, though my eyes can see faint oxidation remaining in the bit area and the shank facing area.  The Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover has performed well it seems.  Even with the good performance of the removal of oxidation, the whole stem is sanded anyway to smooth the vulcanite and to remove miniscule tooth chatter.  To guard against ‘shouldering’ the shank facing, a plastic disk is used when the sanding is near the end of the stem.After sanding with 240 paper, next is wet sanding with 600 grade paper and then 0000 grade steel wool is applied.  Next is applying the finer sanding of micromesh pads.  Starting with wet sanding, pads 1500 to 2400 are used.  Following the wet sanding, dry sanding is next using pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000.  The vulcanite pops nicely after the full process is completed. The newly dyed stummel has been ‘resting’ overnight allowing the dye to ‘settle’.  This time seems to help the new dye to become more firmly absorbed into the briar and also helps guard against the new dye leeching onto the fingers after the pipe is put into service and heated for the first time.The next step is to ‘unwrap’ the newly dyed stummel which has a crust of ‘flamed’ light brown dye. A felt buffing wheel is mounted on the rotary tool and set at a slightly slower speed to guard against too much heat buildup.  Red Tripoli compound is then applied to the stummel and the unwrapping commences.I enjoy this part of the restoration process the most.  As the crust is removed by the felt wheel and compound, the grain is revealed showing how the dye was received by the grain.  The felt wheel collects a lot of the dye debris and is purged often during the process.  I rub it against the edge of the wooden chopping board that is used as a lap board during the use of the rotary tool.  Purging cleans the felt wheel and softens it.  I pause during the unwrapping to take a progress picture showing the crusted side compared to the unwrapped side.  The abrasion of the felt and coarse Tripoli compound helps to remove the globs of excess dye revealing the veins of the grain in crisp contrast.  This is my goal in applying a dye.Following the felt wheel, a cotton cloth wheel is mounted and the speed set to about 40% full power – faster than with the felt wheel.  Using the softer cotton cloth at a higher speed, Tripoli compound is used again to fine tune the contrast between the grains and to remove more excess crusted dye.  The cloth wheel also can reach into the more constrained area of the crook where the shank and bowl merge.  Next, the entire bowl is wiped with a cotton pad wetted with alcohol to remove more excess dye and to blend the newly dyed surface. Following this, the stem and stummel are rejoined.  Another cotton cloth wheel is mounted to the rotary tool and the less abrasive Blue Diamond compound is applied to the entire pipe.After application of the compound, a microfiber cloth is used to wipe/buff the pipe to remove the compound dust left behind.  I do this in preparation for applying the wax.One extra step is included to help prevent new dye from leeching onto the fingers of the new steward when the pipe is first put into service.  When the pipe is first put into service, and the bowl is heated, it can result in new dye leeching.  To prevent this, the bowl is heated with the hot air gun to emulate the inaugural heating up of the stummel.  After the stummel is heated, it is then wiped briskly with a cotton pad to remove the dye released by the heating.The coloring of the cotton pad shows little leeching continuing. This is good.The home stretch – next, another cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted to the rotary tool with the speed remaining the same at about 40% of full power.  Carnauba wax is then applied to the stem and stummel.  My general rule is ‘less is more’.  I’m careful not to load the surface with too much wax which will not dissolve and just be pushed around the stummel surface by the buffing wheel.  Using a rotary tool, one applications of wax is sufficient and then a few cycles over the stummel follow to make sure the wax is dissolved and absorbed into the briar surface.  After completing the wax application, the pipe is then given a hearty hand buffing with a microfiber towel to remove wax that hasn’t dissolved and to raise the shine.The transformation of this probable French Bruyere Paneled Billiard is amazing.  The application of fresh dye had the desired effect – to create a more vivid contrast with the briar grains.  Each of the 8 panels acts as a distinct part of the canvas showcasing bird’s eye, lateral flame grain and mesmerizing flourishes that hold the gaze.  The straight Billiard shape is the classic pipe with the octagonal Paneled bowl providing a touch of class.  This is the first of 7 pipes that Darren commissioned, and this Paneled Billiard Darren thought he would add to his collection.  He has the first opportunity to claim it from The Pipe Steward Store benefiting the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited.  I love starting off with the ‘before’ picture to show the transformation. Thanks for joining me! 

 

Resurrecting an interesting GBD  Square Shank Dura Mount 9488 Pot

Leave a reply

Blog by Steve Laug

I have quite a few of the pipes in this collection that we purchased from the older gentleman. He sent me the photos and I was amazed at what I saw. You have seen many of the pipes that he had. These included Dunhill, BBB, Orlik, Barclay Rex, a cased Ben Wade, an H. Simmons all briar, Hardcastles and some Meerschaums. There were also some assorted others that I will get to in the days ahead. It was a great collection.

Now it was time to work on some of the single pipes that he had. The next one of these is a interesting Pot that is stamped on the left side of the diamond shank and reads DURA [over] GBD in an oval [over] MOUNT. On the right side it is stamped LONDON, ENGLAND [over] 9488 (the shape number). The stamping is clear and readable. It is a nice looking Pot that has the kind of damage to the rim edges that I have come to expect in this lot. The Duramount fitting on the shank end is something I have not seen before. The vulcanite saddle stem does not have any stamping on either side. It is the top pipe in the above photo.

Jeff took some photos of the GBD Dura Mount 9488 Pot before he worked his magic in cleaning up the pipe. It is a an interesting pipe with a lot of potential and what appears to be some great grain under the grime and debris of the years.Jeff took photos of the bowl, rim top to show the thickness of the cake in the bowl and the thick lava on the rim top. The rim top and both inner and outer edges are so thickly covered that it is hard to know their condition. It appears that there is a large chip on the outer edge at the back of the bowl that will require a bit of attention. All of the issues will become clearer after the clean up. He took photos of the top and underside of the vulcanite stem showing the oxidation, calcification, tooth marks, chatter and wear on the stem and button. Jeff took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the condition of the briar. You can see the beautiful shape of the bowl and some interesting grain even through the dirt and debris of many years.   Jeff took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank to show the clarity and readability of the stamp. It reads as mentioned above. He also took a photo of the brass GBD logo on the stem. I turned to Pipephil’s site and to the general GBD listing for the GBD Dura Mount pipe and other than a picture of the pipe and the stamping on Pipedia there was not any significant information on the line. I turned to the section on Pipedia on GBD Model Information to see what I could find (https://pipedia.org/wiki/GBD_Model_Information). There was one short line that I quote below.

Dura Mount — Factory unknown: Metal stem/bit fitting?

I assume from the design of the pipe the note above on Metal Stem/Bit Fitting ? is referring to the aluminum shank extension and mortise that holds the tenon firmly in place. I would guess that it was designed to protect both the shank and the tenon by providing this “DURABLE” shank end.

This GBD DURA MOUNT 9488 Pot is an interesting looking pipe. Because the old gentleman that we bought the pipes from intimated that he purchased his pipes at the Manhattan Barclay-Rex store I would imagine that he bought this one from them as well. I was unable to pin down any information regarding the date this pipe was made but the fact that it is among the old timers I have been working on makes me think it is older as well.

Jeff carefully cleaned the pipe. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and then cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals of the shank, stem and shank extension with alcohol, pipe cleaners 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 lava on the rim top. The finish looks much better and has a deep richness in the colour that highlights the dimensions of the grain. The chip on the back of the rim top was clear and looked like a relatively easy repair. The edges looked good otherwise. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and scrubbed it with Soft Scrub to remove the remnants of oxidation. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver I was amazed that it looked so good. Here are some photos of what I saw. I took some close up photos of the rim top and the stem surface. The top and inner and outer edge of the rim showed damage. There was serious damage back outer edge of the bowl. The stem had tooth marks just ahead of the button and on the button surface. I took photos of the stamping on the sides of the shank. It is readable and clear.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts of the pipe. I started my work on the pipe by dealing with the damaged rim top and edges. I used a folded piece of 180 grit sandpaper to smooth out the nicks the inner edge of the bowl. I lightly sanded the rim top in preparation for the repair to the back outer edge. I stained the chipped area with a Maple stain pen to match the bowl and then built it up with clear CA glue. Once the glue cured I topped the bowl on a topping board with 220 grit sandpaper and sanded the outer edge with 220 at the same time. I took a photo of the rim top at this point in the process. I polished the briar and aluminum shank extension with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I stained the rim top with a Maple and a Cherry Stain pen to match the surrounding briar. Once it is buffed the match should be perfect.I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl and shank with my fingertips 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 surface of the stem on both sides to lift the tooth marks. I was able to lift most of them. I filled in what remained next to the button with clear CA glue. Once the repairs cured, I sanded them with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface of the stem and reshape the button. I started polishing the stem with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. 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 gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. With the bowl and the stem finished I put the beautiful GBD Dura Mount 9488 Pot back together and buffed it on the wheel using Blue Diamond to give it a shine. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the wheel. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The grain on this pipe really is a great looking. The dimensions of the pipe are – Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inch, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 1 of an inch. The weight of this large pipe is 1.34 ounces /39 grams. This GBD Dura Mount is another great find from this collection. It is much more beautiful in person than these photos can capture. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store soon. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. This is another pipe that has the possibility of transporting the pipe man or woman back to a slower paced time in history where you can enjoy a respite. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.

The Second of Two Algerian Briar French Made Pipes – a Bent Bulldog

Leave a reply

Blog by Steve Laug

I have quite a few of the pipes in this collection that we purchased from the older gentleman. He sent me the photos and I was amazed at what I saw. You have seen many of the pipes that he had. These included Dunhill, BBB, Orlik, Barclay Rex, a cased Ben Wade, an H. Simmons all briar, Hardcastles and some Meerschaums. There were also some assorted others that I will get to in the days ahead. It was a great collection.

Now it was time to work on some of the single pipes that he had. The next one of these is a beautifully grained Bulldog that is stamped on the top right side of the diamond shank. It reads ALGERIAN BRIAR [over] Made in France. The stamping is clear and readable. It is a nice looking Bent Bulldog. The vulcanite saddle stem does not have any stamping on either side. It is the top pipe in the above photo.

Jeff took some photos of the ALGERIAN BRIAR BULLDOG before he worked his magic in cleaning up the pipe. It is a an interesting pipe with a lot of potential and what appears to be some great grain under the grime and debris of the years.Jeff took photos of the bowl, rim top to show the thickness of the cake in the bowl and the thick lava on the rim top. The rim top and both inner and outer edges are so thickly covered that it is hard to know their condition. It appears that there are some nicks and chips on the outer edge that visible but not deep. All of the issues will become clearer after the clean up. He took photos of the top and underside of the vulcanite stem showing the oxidation, calcification, tooth marks, chatter and wear on the stem and button. Jeff took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the condition of the briar. You can see the beautiful shape of the bowl and some interesting grain even through the dirt and debris of many years.   Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the top left side of the shank to show the clarity and readability of the stamp. It reads as mentioned above.This Algerian Briar French Made Bulldog is a great looking pipe. Because the old gentleman that we bought the pipes from intimated that he purchased it at the Manhattan Barclay-Rex store I wonder if these were pipes made for them. I was unable to pin down any information regarding the date this pipe was made but the fact that it is among the old timers I have been working on makes me think it is older as well.

Jeff carefully cleaned the pipe. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and then cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals of the shank, stem and shank extension with alcohol, pipe cleaners 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 lava on the rim top. The finish looks much better and has a deep richness in the colour that highlights the dimensions of the grain. The rim top nicks in the briar on the top the inner edge was darkened. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and scrubbed it with Soft Scrub to remove the remnants of oxidation. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver I was amazed that it looked so good. Here are some photos of what I saw. I took some close up photos of the rim top and the stem surface. The top and edges of the rim looked good and there was some nicks and scratches on the top and outer edge. The inner edge had some darkening but looked good. The stem pitted and there was tooth chatter on the top an bottom of the stem ahead of the button and on the button surfaceI took a photo of the stamping on the top right side of the diamond shank. It is readable and clear.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts of the pipe. I started my work on the pipe by dealing with the damaged rim top and edges. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the nicks on the outer edge of the rim cap and blend them into the surface of the briar.I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit sanding pads. I wiped the bowl down after each pad with a damp cloth to remove the sanding debris. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl and shank with my fingertips 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. The surface was rough but there were not any tooth marks. I sanded it with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface of the stem and reshape the button. I started polishing the stem with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper.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 gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. As I sanded it I was not surprised to find flecks of metal in the rubber of this stem as well which helped in dating the pipe to the war years of the 30s and 40s. With the bowl and the stem finished I put the beautiful Algerian Briar Bent Bulldog back together and buffed it on the wheel using Blue Diamond to give it a shine. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the wheel. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It really is a great looking pipe with beautiful grain. The dimensions of the pipe are – Length: 5 inches, Height: 1 ½ inch, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ½ inches, Chamber diameter: 5/8 of an inch. The weight of this large pipe is 1.27 ounces /35 grams. This Algerian Briar Bulldog is another great find in this collection. It is much more beautiful in person than these photos can capture. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store soon. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. This is another pipe that has the possibility of transporting the pipe man or woman back to a slower paced time in history where you can enjoy a respite. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.

 

The First of Two Algerian Briar French Made Pipes – a 421 Canadian

Leave a reply

Blog by Steve Laug

I have quite a few of the pipes in this collection that we purchased from the older gentleman. He sent me the photos and I was amazed at what I saw. You have seen many of the pipes that he had. These included Dunhill, BBB, Orlik, Barclay Rex, a cased Ben Wade, an H. Simmons all briar, Hardcastles and some Meerschaums. There were also some assorted others that I will get to in the days ahead. It was a great collection.

Now it was time to work on some of the single pipes that he had. The next one of these is a beautifully grained Canadian that is stamped on the underside of the shank. It reads ALGERIAN BRIAR [over] Made in France [over] 421. The stamping is clear and readable. It is a nice looking Canadian. The short taper vulcanite stem does not have any stamping on either side. It is the lower pipe in the above photo.

Jeff took some photos of the ALGERIAN BRIAR 421 CANADIAN before he worked his magic in cleaning up the pipe. It is a an interesting pipe with a lot of potential and what appears to be some great grain under the grime and debris of the years.Jeff took photos of the bowl, rim top to show the thickness of the cake in the bowl and the thick lava on the rim top. The rim top and both inner and outer edges are so thickly covered that it is hard to know their condition. It appears that there are some nicks and chips on the outer edge that are quite deep. All of the issues will become clearer after the clean up. He took photos of the top and underside of the vulcanite stem showing the oxidation, calcification, tooth marks, chatter and wear on the stem and button. Jeff took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the condition of the briar. You can see the beautiful shape of the bowl and some interesting grain even through the dirt and debris of many years.   Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the underside of the shank to show the clarity and readability of the stamp. It reads as mentioned above.This Algerian Briar French Made Canadian is a great looking pipe. Because the old gentleman that we bought the pipes from intimated that he purchased it at the Manhattan Barclay-Rex store I wonder if these were pipes made for them. I was unable to pin down any information regarding the date this pipe was made but the fact that it is among the old timers I have been working on makes me think it is older as well.

Jeff carefully cleaned the pipe. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and then cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals of the shank, stem and shank extension with alcohol, pipe cleaners 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 lava on the rim top. The finish looks much better and has a deep richness in the colour that highlights the dimensions of the grain. The rim top was in rough condition with nicks and gouges on the top and on the inner and outer edges. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and scrubbed it with Soft Scrub to remove the remnants of oxidation. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver I was amazed that it looked so good. Here are some photos of what I saw. I took some close up photos of the rim top and the stem surface. The top and inner and outer edge of the rim were in rough condition. There was serious damage back outer edge of the bowl. The stem had deep tooth marks just ahead of the button and on the button surface. I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts of the pipe. I started my work on the pipe by dealing with the damaged rim top and edges. I worked on the inner edge cleaning up the bevel with 180 grit sandpaper. I rebuilt the damaged outer edge on the bowl on the back of the pipe with clear CA glue and briar dust. I topped the damaged rim top on a topping board with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the damage. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the roughness on the outer edge of the rim. Next I turned to the gouges in the sides of the bowl. I filled them in with clear CA glue and briar dust. Once the repairs cured I sanded them smooth with 180 and 220 grit sandpaper. I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the briar down after each grit with a damp cloth. The grain began to really stand out. Once it was finished I stained the rim top and edges with a combination of Cherry, Maple and Oak stain pens to blend the areas I had sanded into the rest of the bowl.  I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl and shank with my fingertips 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 lift the marks. Many lifted all the way but those that remained I filled in with clear CA glue. Once it cured I sanded it with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to blend them in the rest of the stem surface. I started polishing the stem with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. As I sanded it I was not surprised to find flecks of metal in the rubber which helped in dating the pipe to the war years of the 30s and 40s.  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 gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. With the bowl and the stem finished I put the beautiful Algerian Briar 421 Canadian back together and buffed it on the wheel using Blue Diamond to give it a shine. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the wheel. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It really has some great looking grain. The dimensions of the pipe are – Length: 5 ¾ inches, Height: 1 ½ inch, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 1/8 inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of this large pipe is 1.13 ounces /31 grams. This Algerian Briar Canadian is another great find in this collection. I try to use the same prop with the pipes I photograph to give a sense of size and proportion of the pipe. You can see from the dimensions given above this is a petite pipe that makes this small shell seem quite large. It is much more beautiful in person than these photos can capture. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store soon. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. This is another pipe that has the possibility of transporting the pipe man or woman back to a slower paced time in history where you can enjoy a respite. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.

 

Restoring a Mystery Lovat with very faint stamping

Leave a reply

Blog by Steve Laug

I have finished restoring all of the Barclay-Rex pipes in the collection of pipes that we purchased from the older gentleman. He sent me the photos and I was amazed at what I saw. You have seen many of the pipes that he had. These included Dunhill, BBB, Orlik, Barclay Rex, a cased Ben Wade, an H. Simmons all briar, Hardcastles and some Meerschaums. There were also some assorted others that I will get to in the days ahead. It was a great collection.

Now it was time to work on some of the single pipes that he had. The next one of these is a beautifully grained Lovat that very faint stamping on both sides of the shank. On the left side it is stamped very faintly and could read DUNHILL??? or maybe something else. But not for sure. The right side also has a shape number next to the shank/bowl junction that looks like 36/56/66 or something close to that. The stamping is faint but readable. It is a nice little Lovat with an older style stem that is stamped AA. That is a bit mystifying as it is hard to know if it is original. The stamp could be for an Alexander & Alexander pipe. The stamping on the shank is very faint and I am unable to identify it with any certainty. It is a mystery that will remain so while I work on it. I have drawn a red box around the pipe in the above photo to identify it for you.

Jeff took some photos of the Mystery Lovat before he worked his magic in cleaning up the pipe. It is a an interesting pipe with a lot of potential and what appears to be some great grain under the grime and debris of the years.Jeff took photos of the bowl, rim top to show the thickness of the cake in the bowl and the thick lava on the rim top. The rim top and both inner and outer edges are so thickly covered that it is hard to know their condition. But if there are issues it will become clearer after the clean up. He took photos of the top and underside of the vulcanite stem showing the oxidation, calcification, tooth marks, chatter and wear on the stem and button. Jeff took photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to show the condition of the briar. You can see the beautiful shape of the bowl and some interesting grain even through the dirt and debris of many years.Jeff took a photo of the stamping on the left side of the stem capture what was visible on the pipe. You can see the AA on the left side at the shank junction.Without any further verification of the faint stamping on the shank it was time to work on the pipe. The old gentleman that we bought the pipes from intimated that he purchased it at the Manhattan Barclay-Rex store. I was unable to pin down any information regarding the date this pipe was made but the shape of the stem made me think it was another old timer.  

Jeff carefully cleaned the pipe. He reamed it with a PipNet pipe reamer and then cleaned up the reaming with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife. He scrubbed out the internals of the shank, stem and shank extension with alcohol, pipe cleaners 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 lava on the rim top. The finish looks much better and has a deep richness in the colour that highlights the dimensions of the grain. The rim top was in rough condition with nicks and gouges on the top and on the inner and outer edges. He soaked the stem in Briarville’s Pipe Stem Deoxidizer and scrubbed it with Soft Scrub to remove the remnants of oxidation. When the pipe arrived here in Vancouver I was amazed that it looked so good. Here are some photos of what I saw. I took some close up photos of the rim top and the stem surface. The top and inner and outer edge of the rim were in rough condition. There was serious damage on the inner edge of the bowl. The stem had deep tooth marks just ahead of the button and on the button surface. I took a picture of the shank sides to try and capture the faint stamping but I could not get it to show up in the photos below.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the parts of the pipe. I started my work on the pipe by dealing with the damaged rim top and edges. I worked on the inner edge giving it a slight bevel with 180 grit sandpaper. I topped the damaged rim top on a topping board with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the damage. I used a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to work on the outer edge of the rim. Once it was finished I stained the rim top and edges with a Walnut stain pen to blend the areas into the rest of the bowl.  I polished the briar with micromesh sanding pads – dry sanding with 1500-12000 grit pads. I wiped the briar down after each grit with a damp cloth. The grain began to really stand out. I worked some Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl and shank with my fingertips 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 filled in the deep tooth marks with clear CA glue. Once it cured I sanded it with a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper to blend them in the rest of the stem surface. I started polishing the stem with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper. 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 gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil. With the bowl and the stem finished I put the beautiful Little Mystery Lovat back together and buffed it on the wheel using Blue Diamond to give it a shine. I gave the bowl and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the wheel. I buffed it with a clean buffing pad to raise the shine. I hand buffed it with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. It really is a great looking sandblast. The dimensions of the pipe are – Length: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inch, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of this large pipe is 1.13 ounces /32 grams. This Mystery Lovat is another great find in this collection. I try to use the same prop with the pipes I photograph to give a sense of size and proportion of the pipe. You can see from the dimensions given above this is a petite pipe that makes this small shell seem quite large. It is much more beautiful in person than these photos can capture. I will be putting it on the rebornpipes store soon. If you would like to add it to your collection let me know. This is another pipe that has the possibility of transporting the pipe man or woman back to a slower paced time in history where you can enjoy a respite. Thanks for walking through the restoration with me.

A Mobile Restoration in Florida of a Floridian Bennington Supreme Half Bent Billiard

1 Reply

Blog by Dal Stanton

After having enough snow in Golden, Colorado, my wife and I packed up and decided that continuing to wait out COVID would be more enjoyable in sunny Florida. Staying a few weeks visiting family in Port St. Lucie, would mean thawing temperatures and sunshine.  The next pipe on my mobile worktable is an attractive half bent Billiard that I acquired in December of 2017 on the auction block from a seller in Fort White, Florida.  Fort White is a small town in north-central Florida that was named for a fort that was built there in the 1830s back when Florida was still wild and unsettled except by very rugged, tough folk and entrepreneurs who could see the possibilities.  I was surprised to find that the nomenclature on the pipe also has its origins in Florida.  Here are pictures of the Bennington Supreme Half Bent Billiard. The left flank of the shank is stamped with an old English script, ‘Bennington’ [over] SUPREME.   The stem also has a ‘B’ logo stamping.Bill saw this attractive pipe in the For “Pipe Dreamers” Only collection and reached out to me.  It was great to hear that Bill is a friend of Lizzy’s brother, Paul.  Lizzy is a colleague we worked with in Bulgaria for many gratifying years.  Lizzy’s family served in Czech Republic for several years when she was younger, and these seeds of adventure continued to fruition with her work today in Bulgaria.  Her parents have returned to Czech after several years in the US and Lizzy’s brother also worked and studied in UK and recommended The Pipe Steward to Bill – the pipe world is a small world demonstrated again!  Bill wrote these words:

I’m new to pipes, but like smoking and have always wanted one.  I looked through the pipe dreamers section and found a few I like.  I guess as a novice pipe smoker, is there any info I need to know before choosing one?  I’m basically choosing based upon the look, not necessarily how easy a particular pipe might be to smoke or whatever other things there are to consider.  I’d love some help.

I responded to Bill describing my philosophy of pipe acquisition: the Harry Potter approach:

Here’s the truth, the best way to start cultivating a collection of pipes is to simply choose one!  I subscribe to the Harry Potter school of pipe choosing 😊.  Like magic wands, the steward doesn’t choose the pipe but the pipe chooses the steward.  You have listed two very similarly shaped pipes – both classic bent Billiards.  Billiards are the most widely smoked pipes and the difference between a bent and straight billiard is obviously the stem, but more than that, the mood the steward is in.  Each pipe has its own personality, and it takes time getting used to how they smoke and what they smoke best – types of tobacco.  But your selections are great starter pipes.  My choice would probably be the Bennington Supreme because of its provenance and it appears to be a higher quality pipe from a simple glance. 

Bill commissioned the Bennington and added that Bennington, Vermont, had a special place in his affections so the Bennington Supreme would be a good match – the pipe has already been whispering to Bill!  I have never worked on a ‘Bennington’ before and was unfamiliar with the name.  I was surprised when Bennington popped up very quickly in Pipedia.  The article about Bennington revealed that the pipe on the table was a shop pipe from a tobacconist based in Florida.  I discovered that pictures on Pipedia had come from the Bennington website which was full of the shop’s history and offerings that would please both pipe men and women as well as cigar aficionados.    I include the entire Pipedia Bennington article which is cool – authentic tobacconists that mix tobaccos and provide the setting to enjoy the aromas and fellowship are an endangered part of tobacco pipe culture.  The article reads:

Bennington Tobacconist is located in Sarasota and Boca Raton, Florida, and has sold several lines of pipes over the years made by fine companies, including the Bennington Royale, made by Savinelli, the Bennington Belfast, made by Peterson, and others. 

From the company website: William Bennington founded Bennington Tobacconist in 1965. With careful consideration, the location was determined. Saint Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida. (On the West Coast). Mr. Bennington had the foresight to institute custom hand mixed tobacco blends and hand rolled cigars. Being a family-operated tobacco shop; his three sons, Jack, Jim, and Garry grew up in the business (twenty years of experience). They learned the meaning of service, quality, and hard work.

 As the business grew, there was a need to expand the operation. A three-year search was conducted for the perfect location, which would represent the image and the market desired. The ultimate location was Boca Raton in Palm Beach County. (located on the east coast of Florida), since the city catered to an exclusively wealthy local and international clientele. An existing tobacco shop was obtained, which had been established for fifteen years in the heart of downtown Boca Raton. The shop was purchased in January 7,1980. This is where Jim Bennington became a notable presence not only in the community but in South Florida. Jim graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Industrial Systems Engineering. Although he did give engineering a chance, the prospect of working in the family business presented a much more interesting challenge. Today anyone can pick up a phone, fax or in an e-mail put in an order in from anywhere in the World. Bennington Tobacconist is continually growing at an average rate of 20% a year. Their constant awareness of projecting the Bennington name and the quality of the product lines they carry has directed them into servicing hotels, restaurants, and country clubs. Bennington Tobacconist has extended itself very successfully in this area. Two of many, prestigious hotels now serviced are the Boca Raton Resort &Club (in Boca Raton) and the Doral Golf Resort & Spa (in Miami). Traditionally, Jim Bennington has continued to honor the family philosophy that quality products should be represented in a proper image.

I found out reading through the Bennington website that the Boca Raton shop closed in 2015 apparently falling on hard times.  The website also had links to a Facebook presence and Instagram postings, but these seemed dated with no new postings that I could see after 2017.  Questions began to rise in my mind whether the Sarasota location mentioned was still in operation.  With the website working, I assume that it is.  Of most interest to me looking at the Bennington Supreme on my worktable was the statement at the beginning of the article.  It describes Bennington shop pipes having been manufactured by name companies such as Peterson and Savinelli.  It would be interesting to see if I could find out more information about the pipe on my table – Who manufactured it and when was it manufactured for Bennington Pipe & Tobacco?  With the contact information provided in the Pipedia article (but not on the website) I decide to send an email to Bennington to see what I can find out:

Greetings, I restore vintage pipes and a beautiful Bennington half bent Billiard has come to my worktable.  You can see the work I do at www.ThePipeSteward.com where pipes are commissioned that I have collected, and the full restoration process is recorded in a writeup that is then published online.  The sales benefit the Daughters of Bulgaria a good cause that you can read about at my site.  Part of my challenge when I restore a pipe is to try, as much as possible, the tell the story of the pipe which includes its provenance.  I have read the information on Pipedia about the Bennington story (Bennington – Pipedia) and I do want to make this known in my write up.  I have looked through your website and your Facebook presence to learn what I can.  I have attached a couple pictures of the pipe I’m working on.  I know that shop pipes are manufactured by other companies and my question is whether you may have an idea when you sold a Bennington Supreme and whether you might know who made it for you?  I enjoy doing this research and have reached out to other Tobacconist and pipe names in the US and in Europe and have been very pleased at the kind and helpful responses I have received.  I know that my questions are a shot in the dark but any information you can provide would be most appreciated.  Thanks so much!

Happy piping,  Dal Stanton

I’ll see if I get a response.  In the meantime, looking more closely at the Bennington on the worktable, I’m impressed with the quality of the pipe.  The grain of the bowl is asking to be released from under the tired, dull grime and dirt.  The chamber has light cake build up and the rim has light lava flow covering it.  The bowl looks like it should clean nicely.  I take a few additional pictures showing dents and scratches on the bowl and the rim edge.The stem’s surface is rough with almost no tooth chatter and light oxidation.  I begin the restoration of the Bennington Supreme with the cleaning of the stem.  The airway is cleaned with pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 99%.To address the minor oxidation I see in the stem, I continue the testing of a deoxidation product I discovered on a Facebook thread discussion.  The Briarville.com ‘Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover’ has performed well with the non-scientific testing I’ve done.  So far, oxidation has been removed for the most part and the Bennington half bent stem joins the previous testing subjects. I put the stem in the bottle of Oxidation Remover liquid for several hours.  The directions on the front label simply say to soak from 2 to 24 hours as needed. After the full 24-hour soak, the stem is removed from the liquid and first wiped with a dry cotton pad followed by a cotton pad wetted with alcohol.  The cotton pads remove a lot of the raised oxidation. The airway is also cleaned with a few pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 99%.  The oxidation seems to have been removed through the soaking process. Next, paraffin oil is applied to the stem to condition it and is set aside to absorb the oil.With the stem on the side, the cleaning is started on the Bennington stummel.  Starting with the light carbon cake buildup, the chamber is reamed with 2 of the 4 blade heads available in the Pipnet Reaming Kit.I started using the 3rd larger blade head, which initially fit the chamber opening, but tightened too much for comfort.  I do not want to create a ridge in the briar chamber wall nor break the blade!  After reaming the chamber, the Savinelli Fitsall Tool is used to scrape the walls and then the chamber is sanded using 240 paper wrapped around a Sharpie Pen. After wiping the bowl with a cotton pad, an inspection of the chamber shows healthy briar.  I move on.Next, the focus shifts to cleaning the external briar surface to address the lava on the rim and the grime on the bowl.  Undiluted Murphy’s Oil Soap is used with a cotton pad to scrub.  The cotton pad is joined by a brass bristled brush to address the rim.  Brass is used because it is less invasive to the briar during cleaning but gives a bit more muscle for stubborn grime on rims.The stummel is then taken to the sink and the cleaning continues with hottish water and shank brushes with anti-oil liquid dishwashing soap.  The internal mortise briar is scrubbed with the shank brushes.  After the stummel is thoroughly rinsed, it is brought back to the worktable.  The cleaning did a great job with the briar grain now being more distinct.Continuing with the internal cleaning, cotton buds and pipe cleaners wetted with isopropyl 99% are used. A small dental spoon is also used to scrape the mortise walls with little being excavated.  The internals are not uber grungy and the pipe cleaners and buds gradually surface not as soiled.  I stop the internal cleaning with the plan of continuing it later using a kosher salt and alcohol soak. After completing the main cleaning of the stummel, an inspection of the briar surface reveals a genuinely nice block of briar.  The lava was successfully cleaned off the rim revealing raw, worn briar.  Most of the old finish did not make it through the cleaning process.  There is a slight thinning of the aft quadrant of the rim.  The chamber is not in round with a few dents on the inner rim edge which create this.  I’ve marked up the next picture to show this.The next few pictures show the briar grain that has popped out after the cleaning.  I cannot see any fills and the potential of the grain being teased out even more is good.  The Bennington Supreme appears to be a high-quality piece of briar. The rim has a slight cant toward the chamber.  Before working on the stummel proper, I focus on the rim first by cutting a small smart bevel using 240 grade paper wedged with a hard backing of wood.  This is followed by the same with 600 grade paper.  The rounding of the chamber is improved, and the bevel freshens the inner rim lines.  A start picture is taken then the progressions. Before working on the briar surface, the Bennington Supreme nomenclature is covered with painter’s tape to protect it from the sanding.Next, to clean the surface of nicks and cuts and to remove older finish patches, sanding sponges are used. I use 4 sponges, starting first with the coarsest grade, then less course, medium grade then finishing with a light grade. After the sanding sponges, the full regimen of micromesh pads is applied.  Starting with wet sanding, pads 1500 to 2400 are used followed with dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000.  After the first six pads are used, the painter’s tape is removed from the shank protecting the Bennington nomenclature.  The final 3 pads help to blend the resulting ‘spot’ some.  Without doubt, the briar grain is exquisite and expressive.  The right side of the stummel has a spider web pattern and the right side has a loose pattern of bird’s eye. The heel and moving up the underside of the shank are tightly woven bird’s eye patterns.  The landscape has much to see.  A decision point has arrived, and it doesn’t take long to decide.  To protect the nomenclature by covering it with painter’s tape comes at a cost.  The picture above shows the dark, almost unseemly black spot now covering the nomenclature.  I tried mitigating the spot by wiping it with first, alcohol and then acetone to see if the old dark finish would be extracted.  The picture below shows the somewhat lessened spot, but it’s still an eyesore.  Even with the spot needing to be blended, I had already contemplated applying a darker dye to the briar surface.  The purpose of this is not so much to darken the stummel, but to darken the veins of the grain to give the grain more definition.  To do this I apply Fiebing’s Dark Brown Leather Dye to the stummel to create the contrast.  After assembling the necessary components on the mobile balcony worktable, the stummel is wiped with a cotton pad wet with alcohol to make sure it is clean.  Then the stummel is warmed using the hot air gun. Warming the stummel expands the briar allowing the grain to be more receptive to the dye.  Using a folded pipe cleaner, the dark brown dye is applied in sections to the stummel then immediately ‘flamed’ using a lit candle.  The aniline dye is alcohol based and when the dye combusts the dye hue is left behind in the briar.  The process of painting the dye and flaming it is methodically applied over the stummel and rim.  When completed, the stummel is set aside to ‘rest’ for several hours – in this case, overnight. After a few hours, the stummel can be handled with the hands and I multi-task through the night.  In addition to the newly applied dye resting, the internal cleaning is continued using kosher salt and alcohol soak.  A cotton ball is stretched and twisted to form a ‘wick’ that is guided down the mortise with the help of a stiff wire.  The wick helps to draw the oils and tars from the briar through the soak.After putting the wick down the mortise to the draft hole, kosher salt is used to fill the bowl.  Kosher salt is used because it leaves no aftertaste unlike regular iodized salt.  The stummel is placed in the egg carton for stability, leveling the rim and the end of shank. The bowl is filled with isopropyl 99% using a large eye dropper until it surfaces over the salt.After about 15 minutes, the alcohol is absorbed into the salt and cotton wick and more alcohol is added to top off.  The lights are switched off and the soak continues through the night. The next morning the soiling of the salt and cotton wick show the cleaning action going on through the night.  After the expended salt is tossed in the waste, the bowl is wiped with a paper towel to remove all the remaining salt crystals.  Blowing through the mortise also helps to dislodge crystals.To make sure all is clean and to clean any remaining residue, a single cotton bud and pipe cleaner wetted with isopropyl 99% reveals a clean and refreshed mortise awaiting a new steward.  I move on.The stummel is now clean and the newly applied dye has rested through the night.  The next step is to ‘unwrap’ the crusted shell left behind by the dying and firing process.  To do this, a felt buffing wheel is mounted on the rotary tool with the speed set a bit slower at about 30% full power.  Tripoli compound, a coarser abrasive compound, is applied with the felt wheel which creates more friction. The wheel is purged often with the edge of the chopping board that I use as a lap desk while using the rotary tool. Purging the felt wheel keeps the wheel from clogging up with the crusted dye and it softens the wheel. I pause during the beginning of the unwrapping process to show the progress and results.  In the picture below you can see what I call the 3 stages of unwrapping.  On the far right of the inverted bowl, is stage one – the flamed excess dye in its original state.  To the left of this is ‘stage 2’, the wood is dark from the dye that remains after ‘plowing’ or clearing off the initial crust of ‘phase 1’.  You can see grain through this dark finish at this stage but it’s not crisp.  When I first started restoring pipes and gaining experience at dying or staining briar, I thought that this ‘phase 2’ was the goal and therefore I left a lot of dye on the stummel which resulted in hiding the grain.  I discovered that ‘phase 1’ emerged when the felt wheel and Tripoli compound continued to remove what I didn’t understand earlier, was excess dye which look like thick areas on the surface.  The result of working further down to the veins of the grain is an unbelievable luminescence that grows as the contrasted veins (soft wood that absorbs the dye) contrasts with the lighter wood (the harder wood that resists the dye).After unwrapping most of the flamed crust, a smaller felt wheel is mounted on the rotary tool to reach the closed crook junction of the 1/2 bent shank and the bowl.  The picture shows the dark area remaining to be unwrapped unreached by the larger felt wheel.One last step using the coarser Tripoli compound.  Switching from a felt buffing wheel, a cotton cloth wheel is mounted on the rotary tool with the speed increased to about 40% full power.  Again, Tripoli is applied to the stummel with the softer buffing wheel which has the effect of fine tuning the crispness of the grain vein lines.After completing the Tripoli compound, the bowl is wiped down with a cotton pad wetted with alcohol.  This removed more excess dye as well as blend the dye on the stummel.  After three rounds of Tripoli compound, the amount of dye removed by the cotton pad is not a lot.  The entire process of unwrapping the stummel to point took me about 2 1/2 hours – it’s not a fast process!The stem has been waiting for attention.  The earlier soak in the Briarville Stem Oxidation Remover worked well.  There is almost no tooth chatter but a small bite mark on both the upper and lower button.  Simple sanding will address this. There are two cuts in the side of the bit that appear to have happened in a coffee can or something.  These will be mitigated using the heating method.The side of the bit is painted with the flame of a Bic lighter and as the vulcanite expands, it regains the original condition of the surface.  With the stem flipped with the two cuts on the bottom in the picture below, the heating almost erases the marks.Continuing now with the normal process of restoring the stem, the button is refreshed using a flat needle file – upper and lower.Sanding with 240 grade paper quickly dispatches the dents on the button lips and the remaining marks of the cuts on the side of the bit. Along with the bit, the sanding is expanded over the entire stem to smooth the roughness of the vulcanite and to erase any other scratches.  I plastic disk is used to protect the stem facing from sanding over the edge of the stem – shouldering the stem. Though the entire sanding process, care is given to avoiding the stamped ‘B’ stem logo.The sanding is continued by wet sanding with 600 grade paper and then applying 0000 grade steel wool. On a roll, the sanding continues with the full regimen of 9 micromesh pads starting with wet sanding with pads 1500 to 2400.  Following this, dry sanding with pads 3200 to 4000 and 6000 to 12000.  Between each set of 3 pads, Obsidian Oil is applied to condition the stem and to guard against oxidation.  I love the pop of newly sanded vulcanite! The stem has caught up with the stummel in the sanding process.  I attempt to reunite the stem and stummel to discover that the mortise fit was a bit too tight for the tenon.  This often happens when the briar has been cleaned and expands.This is easily addressed using 240 sanding paper.  I pinch the paper around the tenon and then rotate the stem in the grips of the sanding paper which creates the abrasion to help the fit.  It doesn’t take much help.  The tenon is snug but not overly tight.  I always turn the stem the same way mounting or dismounting the stem.With the stem and stummel rejoined, another cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted to the rotary tool with speed set at about 40% full power.  Blue Diamond compound is then applied to the entire pipe.  After applying Blue Diamond, the pipe is wiped/buffed with a microfiber cloth (I forgot my felt cloth in Colorado!) to remove the vestiges of compound dust that can crust on the surface.  I don’t want the compound dust mixing with the wax coming up.Before applying the wax, the Bennington ‘B’ stem logo needs refreshing.To do this, a small drop of white acrylic paint is applied and spread over the B.A cotton pad is this used to daub the wet paint to thin it and it dries quickly.The side of the pointed cotton bud is used to scrape off the excess paint with gentle strokes. The cotton pad finishes the job with a firm rubbing of the logo to clean the remaining excess paint.  It looks good!Another cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted to the rotary tool with the speed set at 40% full power.  Carnauba wax is then applied to the pipe.  Following this, the pipe is given a rigorous hand buffing using a microfiber cloth.  This raises the shine and disperses wax residue remaining on the surface.Wow!  The grain on this Bennington Supreme Half Bent Billiard came out beautifully and provides quite the showcase for the eyes!  Earlier I sent an email to the Bennington email address listed in Pipedia to find out if I could find more information about this Bennington Supreme.  I received no response.  I called the phone number given to see if they were still in operation.  Unfortunately, the phone rang but it was never picked up.  I’m wondering if Bennington’s in Sarasota had the same fate as the shop in Boca.  I’m pleased with the results of the Bennington Supreme.  A classic Half Bent Billiard will serve a new steward well.  As the commissioner, Bill has the first opportunity to claim the Bennington at The Pipe Steward Store benefiting the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited.  Sometimes I like to start the presentation pictures with a ‘Before’ picture to appreciate fully the transformation.  Thanks for joining me! ADDENDUM – I’m pleased to include this note which arrived after posting the write up. My gratitude and thanks to the Bennington Tobacconist in Sarasota:

Hello Dal, 

We would be happy to tell you as much as possible. All we have to give is: The Supreme pipe was one of our Private label pipes which was made for us by Weber Pipes. From 1966-1984. Greek Briar,  Moderately Priced. Discontinued after Weber Pipes went out of business.  Hope this helps.

Thank You,

Bennington Tobacconist

Breathing New Life into a Italian Made Sandblast Dublin/Zulu

Leave a reply

Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table came to me from the same friend who mailed me the Abdulla Billiard that I just restemmed (https://rebornpipes.com/2021/03/26/resurrecting-an-abdulla-dribaccy-shark-skin-chubby-billiard/). He included a letter in the box for me. Here is what he wrote about this next pipe that I am working on.

…If you’re able to squeeze in a small one, I would appreciate your attentions to the Dublin sandblast stamped “Genuine Sandblast/Imported Briar/Italy.” I picked it up at an estate sale in Florida long ago. It had no stem, but I had Mark Tinsky make one. On the left-hand side of the bowl, you’ll see a diagonal groove in the lower portion. That groove penetrates the bowl walls, as smoke would waft through it until a cake built up. If you can repair and refinish this, I will happily pay… Baker

I took photos of what the pipe looked like when it arrived here in Vancouver. It looked like a bit of a workhorse that obviously must have been a great smoker. The fact that Baker had a stem made for it spoke of that fact. To me it was a pipe that I would smoke in the yard or while working on something at the work table. No worries of damaging its “delicate and costly” beauty with this pipe. It could be knocked about, dropped and stuck back in ones mouth without worrying about it. There were a lot of putty fills around the left side of the bowl and the back of the rim and on both sides and top of the shank. The bowl was thinner on the left side than the right and shank top was a bit sway back like an old horse. The band was bigger in external diameter than the shank and the end had been capped inward and had ridges on both sides that did not let the stem seat against the shank properly. The bowl had a light cake in it that I needed to remove to see where the leakage came from. The stem had a lot of tooth chatter on both sides going under the Softee bit protector. This was going to be a fun challenge. I took photos of the rim top and bowl to give a clear picture of the condition of the bowl and rim but also to show what I meant by the thinner left side. The bowl is thinner in exactly the place with it is leaking smoke. It had a light cake in the bowl. He also took photos of the stem that was on the pipe. You can see that the shank and stem have different diameters. You can see the tooth chatter and marks on the stem surface on both sides running under the Softee bit. The stamping on the underside of the shank was clear and read as Baker noted in his letter. Though not much of a pedigree, there was still some charm to the pipe.  I took a photo of the bowl with the stem removed. The stem is well made.Now it was time to work on the pipe itself. I decided to remove the band on the shank and have a look to see if there were cracks or repairs there. It was loose and the way it was made did not allow the stem to seat properly against the shank end. It bugged  me so I decided to deal with that. I went through my band and found a nice Sterling Silver band that was the right size and shape that would work. I set that aside for a bit to deal with the crack that was leaking. Once it repaired and restained the bowl and shank I would glue on the new band.  I scraped out the fill in the crack on the lower left side of the bowl. I have marked the spot with a red arrow in the photo below. I filled it in with clear CA glue and pressed it into the crack.Now it was time to clean the bowl and shank. I reamed out the light cake with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife and took it back to bare briar. I could see a small flaw in the left side of the bowl toward the lower 1/3 that matched the one on the outside of the bowl. It has spidered a bit so that the flaw was visible. I cleaned out the shank and airway to the bowl with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the tars and oils.   I used a tooth pick to coat the shank end with all-purpose glue and pressed the band on the shank so that the Sterling Mark was on the top of the shank. Once the glue cured I took photos of the newly banded shank. (At this point I still needed to rusticated the repaired area on the left side of the bowl). I used a cylindrical burr on the Dremel to replicate the sandblast finish surrounding the repair on the side of the bowl. I also reworked the fills on the top edge of the bowl to lessen the white putty marks there a bit. I stained the bowl side and shank with a blend of Mahogany and Walnut stain pens to match the surrounding finish. The bowl is starting to look better. I cleaned out the airway and mortise with alcohol, cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. To be honest I was on a roll and almost forgot to do this step (which is why it is coming this late in the process).With the internals finished I turned to the small repair that needed to be done on the inside right wall of the bowl. I mixed a small batch of JB Weld and used my dental spatula to spread it over the small pit in the lower left wall of the bowl (shown in the second photo below). It matched the fill on the outside of the bowl. Because the flaw had spidered I covered the section of the wall with the mix. Once it cured I would sand it smooth with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel. I worked Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl sides and shank with my fingertips and a horsehair shoe brush to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for a little while and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The blasted finish came alive and the fills while visible look better than when I began.     I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I decided that I would remove the Softee Bit so I could remove the tooth chatter and marks. I sanded the stem surface with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the marks and started polishing the stem with 400 grit wet dry sandpaper.  I polished the stem with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit pads to polish it and bring out a shine in the rubber. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each pad. I polished it with Before & After Fine and Extra Fine polishes and gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil at the end. I was pleased with the look of the stem.     This Italian Made Sandblast Dublin/Zulu is a great looking pipe now that it has been restored, repaired and rebanded. This old work horse has a lot of life in it still and should smoke well and this time out the top of the bowl rather than the top and side! The sandblast around the bowl is quite nice and highlights the grain and works well with the polished Sterling band and vulcanite taper stem. 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 several coats of Conservator’s Wax and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Sandblast Dublin//Zulu 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: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 26 grams/ .95 ounces. Now that I have finished this pipe I can pack it and the Abdulla for Baker and send them back to him to enjoy! Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. As always there are many more pipes to come!

Resurrecting an Abdulla Dribaccy Shark Skin Chubby Billiard

2 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

The next pipe on the work table came to me from friend who picked it up because of the name and the description. He liked the look of the pipe and sent me an email to see what I thought of it. He included a link to the eBay sale so I could check it out myself.

Steve, I’m asking if you would take a look at this listing and tell me what you think, as it certainly needs stem work. https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Early-Vintage-ABDULLA-DRIBACCY-SHARK-SKIN-Briar-Pipe-London-Made-/193674187402?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

I’m a storyteller by profession (a business writer) and this one just has a great story to tell. I keep going back to it. And I’d be sorry to see it with a replacement stem. Is it salvageable? And is it something you’d be willing to do? Just let me know what you think. Any advice is appreciated.

(I think the asking price is high, but I think he’ll budge.)

Best regards, Baker

I clicked on the link and followed it to the listing. The seller described the pipe and its stamping as follows:

RARE Early Vintage ABDULLA DRIBACCY SHARK SKIN Briar Pipe. This early Shark Skin model is early vintage, my research while not conclusive would put it at 1940s or earlier and made in London. An old French ad in the photos suggests it is Shark Skin #2418. The pipe is in very good condition limited darkening of the rim or tar build up in the bowl. Stem has no visible chatter with rubber tip, see photo of tip with a minor chip of the vulcanite under the rubber tip. (I have included that old French Ad below).I went through all of the photos that were included in the listing on eBay and saved them. They tell the story of the current state of the pipe. It is a chubby billiard with a nice sandblast finish. As I looked it over it was clear to me that the stem was a replacement and a bit more oval than the shank. Whoever had replaced the stem had reduced the diameter of the shank and shouldered it down in size to match the stem. They had then rusticated the shank end coning to look better than a smooth finish. The stem itself was rustic to say the least with file marks on the top and underside that left it rough. There was a rubber Softee Bit on the end of the stem to cover up something that was not clear to me. As you scroll through the photos you can see the  poor shaping to the shank end that was done to fit a smaller stem.  The seller also included photos of the rim top and bowl to give a clear picture of the condition of the rim top and bowl. It was in very good condition with a light cake in the bowl. He also took photos of the stem that was on the pipe. You can see that the shank and stem have different diameters. You can also see the chip off the end of the stem in rubber Softee Bit. The seller included photos of the sides and heel of the bowl to give a picture of what the briar looked like. There is some nice grain showing through the sandblast around the sides. You can also see the way the shank has been sanded to meet the stem… it is quite obviously a poor fit. The stamping on the underside of the shank was also shown in the seller’s photos. It was clear and readable – ABDULLA [over] Dribaccy Pipe [over] Shank Skin.He also took a photo of the bowl with the stem removed. The stem has a very short filter tenon that has been cut down and shortened to fit. I sent Baker my assessment of the pipe. I let him know what I saw in terms of the bowl and the stem and my thoughts about it being a poorly fit replacement. I also told him about the way that I thought the stem was reshaped and tapered to match the stem diameter. I also mentioned what I thought about the button being broken off and the rubber Softee Bit covering the damaged stem. Baker thanked me and said he was reconsidering about the pipe. Not long after that I received another email from him that I have included below.

Hey Steve…

I received the Abdulla pipe today and have enclosed a few additional photos that may give you a closer look at the suspect areas. The bowl is in good shape but doesn’t show much of a cake. I’m wondering if the original stem wasn’t lost or broken. It’s a filter pipe, which I hadn’t realized but that doesn’t surprise me either.

Are you willing to tackle it? I don’t have a lot invested here. I’d just like to give it a rescue and spend some enjoyable time with it if I can.

Best regards, Baker I wrote back and told him I would take it on and see what I could do. Before it arrived I did a bit of research on the brand and have included that below.

I turned to Pipephil (http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-a1.html) to find if there as any information included on the brand. There was very little information listed. It states that it is a brand of the Abdulla & Co. Ltd. I have included a screen capture of the listing for the brand.I turned then to Pipedia (https://pipedia.org/wiki/British_Pipe_Brands_%26_Makers_A_-_D).   There was limited information there on the brand. It stated that it was “A brand of Abdulla & Co Ltd.”

I googled Abdulla & Company Ltd to see what I could find. There were several links that gave some interesting information. The first of these includes some information on the company. It seems to have existed from 1917-1927 when it was purchased by Godfrey Phillips which kept the company name. (http://www.cigarettespedia.com/index.php/ManufacturerAbdulla_&_Co._Ltd).

Abdulla & Company, Ltd. — The company was founded in London, England, in 1902, and were most famous for their eponymous cigarette brand, which they made in various blends (Egyptian, Virginian, and Turkish). In 1917, Abdulla moved their headquarters to 173 New Bond Street in Mayfair (formerly the location of the Fabergé shop, and currently home to Chanel), and opened a branch in the Netherlands in 1923.

Around 1927, Abdulla & Company was purchased by a larger competitor, Godfrey Phillips, which kept the company name and brands going. In 1968, Godfrey Phillips U.K. was purchased by Philip Morris International.

I also found a short listing from the UK National Archives stating that the brand was known as Cigarette Specialists and was at 173 New Bond Street in London, England. (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/ae36e330-54d9-4988-bd5a-ffc87ab77e20).

Abdulla & Co. Ltd. (cigarette-specialists; 173, New Bond St., London, W.1).

Reference:       PA/101/12/680

Title:   Abdulla & Co. Ltd. (cigarette-specialists; 173, New Bond St., London, W.1).

Date:   28th June, 1929

Finally I found an interesting photo of one of their cigarette boxes that say it is and always has been an Entirely British Firm (https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8102857/packet-of-ten-abdulla-cigarettes-cigarette-packet).

Now it was time to work on the pipe itself. The pipe arrived this week. It was quite clean on the outside but smelled strongly of English tobaccos (which I think smells good!). The bowl had a light cake in it and the fit of stem was even more obviously wrong when I examined it. The coned end of the shank was odd for this pipe. The stem was in rough condition with a lot of file marks on the flat sides and scratching around the sides. I am always suspicious of rubber Softee Bits as they tend to be a quick fix to a bigger problem underneath. Once I removed it I would have a better idea. I took photos of the pipe when I received it.  I took a close up of the bowl and rim top to give a picture of the condition and the light cake in the bowl. I also included photos of the stem that came with it for reference as I was planning on replacing it.    I took a photo of the stamping on the shank that also showed the sanded shank end.I removed the stem from the shank and took a photo of the short tenon and the poor cut that left it at an angle.I decided to address the coned shank end but applying a thin brass band that would square it up again and get rid of that damage. I went through my bands and had a perfect one that was brass and thin profile. I went through my stems for a stem that was chunky and tapered and would work with this pipe. I took a photo of the new parts.Now it was time to set the new band on the shank. I used a dental spatula to apply all purpose glue to the end of the shank and spread it around. I pressed the band in place and wiped off the excess glue. Once the glue cured I took photos of the banded shank to show the change. The coned end had disappeared and the line of the shank was now flat once again from the back of the bowl to the shank end.  Now it was time to clean the bowl and shank. I reamed out the light cake with a Savinelli Fitsall Pipe Knife and took it back to bare briar. I cleaned out the shank and airway to the bowl with pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and alcohol to remove the tars and oils.   With the internals finished I turned to the exterior of the bowl and shank. I worked Before & After Restoration Balm into the surface of the bowl sides and shank with my fingertips and a horsehair shoe brush to clean, enliven and protect the briar. I let the balm sit for a little while and then buffed with a cotton cloth to raise the shine. The grain came alive and the fills while visible look better than when I began.    I set the bowl aside and turned to work on the stem. I decided that before I started on the new stem I wanted to see what was hidden under the Softee Bit. I slipped it off the end of the stem and low and behold I found a broken off stem. No telling if the seller knew this or not but it was clearly not the original stem and definitely needed to be replaced.The news stem was definitely going to take a bit of work to get a smooth transition between the shank and the stem. The stem is significantly bigger in diameter than the shank (first picture below). I used a Dremel and sanding drum to start the process of removing the excess diameter of the stem. I also did a bit of step down on the tenon so it would fit the end of the mortise more smoothly (second and third photo below). It was getting there but there was still a lot of work to do to get the fit right! I used a file to further remove the excess diameter and to shape the stem for smooth flow down the length of the sides. It is too easy to get a great fit at the shank end and then have the stem balloon out on the length of the sides… I was aiming to avoid that. Once I had the transition smooth with the file I finished shaping it with 150 grit sandpaper. Once I had finished the pipe was looking very good. I sent Baker a message with photos asking about the bend in the stem suggesting that we leave it and he was fine with that.I took some photos of the pipe as it stood before I polished the stem. I liked what I saw and the fit was perfect. The transition was smooth and flawless. I polished the brass band on the shank end with micromesh sanding pads. I used 1500-2400 to remove the scratching in the brass. Once I buffed the pipe it would polish the band the rest of the way. At this point it is looking very good.  I moved on to polishing the stem with micromesh sanding pads. I dry sanded it with 1500-12000 grit pads to polish it and bring out a shine in the rubber. I wiped it down with Obsidian Oil after each pad. I polished it with Before & After Fine and Extra Fine polishes and gave it a final coat of Obsidian Oil at the end. I was pleased with the look of the stem.   This Abdulla British Made Drybaccy Shark Skin Billiard is a great looking pipe now that it has been restored, restemmed and banded. It really is a piece of pipe history of a little known brand that was quite well known in its day. The shark skin finish (sandblast) around the bowl is quite beautiful and highlights the grain and works well with the new polished hard rubber taper stem. 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 multiple coats of Conservator’s Wax and the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax on the buffing wheel and followed that by buffing the entire pipe with a clean buffing pad. I hand buffed the pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished Abdulla Billiard 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: 5 ½ inches, Height: 1 ¾ inches, Outside diameter of the bowl: 1 ¼ inches, Chamber diameter: ¾ of an inch. The weight of the pipe is 57 grams/ 2.01 ounces. I have one more pipe to restore for Baker and then will be sending them back to him to enjoy! Thanks for reading this blog and my reflections on the pipe while I worked on it. There are many more to come!