Darren has commissioned several pipes from the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection and has contributed a great deal to benefit the work that I support with the sale of restored pipes – the Daughters of Bulgaria. When Darren contacted me about doing some repair work on two pipes in his collection it was difficult to …
Continue reading A Gnarly Bone Tenon Repair for a Stately Smooth Meerschaum Billiard
There’s something about the Canadian shape, and all its cousins, that is profoundly appealing to my pipe man eye. If I were to guess why this is the case, I would say that the long shank lines draw the attention to the elegant simplicity of the Canadian. Even though the house name is absent from …
Continue reading Breathing New life into an Elegant French Algerian Briar Canadian
The next pipe on the worktable was also commissioned by Darren who found this pipe in the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection benefitting the Daughters of Bulgaria. I acquired this expressive pipe in September 2017 along with 65 five of his fellows in what I have called the Lot of 66. Over the years, many …
Continue reading Appreciating the Story of an Edward’s Algerian Briar Sculpted Square Panel
Pipe man Darren has commissioned several pipes from the ‘For “Pipe Dreamer” ONLY!’ collection benefitting the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. I appreciate Darren who appreciates vintage pipes and loves to see them restored as much as I do! Darren is from Pennsylvania and Daniel, …
Continue reading A Sears & Roebuck ‘Yorkshire Standard’ Sculpted Pot Comes Back to Life
I acquired the ‘French Lot of 50’ in August of 2018, from a seller in Paris. It has contained many treasures which are now in the possession of many pipe men and women who commissioned them from the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection benefitting the work of the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and …
Continue reading Uncovering the Vintage of a Paul Viou Half Bent Billiard of Saint Claude
I acquired this attractive Canadian in January of 2018 and was considering adding it to my own personal collection. The eBay seller in Fort Myers, Florida, described the Canadian as: “Fantastic Sasieni Family era produced The Kensington” and that it was believed to be a second of Sasieni. I liked the pipe a lot and …
Continue reading Unraveling the Origins of ‘The Kensington’ Made in London England 296B Canadian
After traveling to Bulgaria and Ukraine over the past month and a half (See: A Memorable Pipe Picking Adventure from Colorado to Bulgaria and Ukraine), I’m anxious to get back to the worktable again. This attractive pipe came into my possession in December 2018, when my son, Josiah, saw it in a lot of pipes …
Continue reading Giving New Life to an Alpha Sabre Fancy Pot
My wife and I had the opportunity to visit our former home and place of work in Bulgaria for several weeks in August and September. When we left Sofia last year and relocated to Golden, Colorado, it was amid the earlier COVID concerns, and our departure left many unspoken goodbyes to friends and colleagues. We …
Continue reading A Memorable Pipe Picking Adventure from Colorado to Bulgaria and Ukraine
The next pipe on the worktable I found on the online auction block in December of 2017. I was drawn to the pipe by its unique shape and deeply carved rustication which could almost pass for an ‘extreme’ blasted surface. As often is the case with online sellers, the pictures don’t always tell everything, and …
Nick is the elder brother of Ellie, who lived with us as an ‘adopted daughter’ while she studied at Sofia University completing her degree in Chinese Language and Culture. Their parents, CC and Svetly, good friends of ours, loved to go to flea markets and poke around to find treasures. I became the benefactor of …
The Pipe Steward 