The next pipe on the worktable got my attention when I saw it in January of 2018 on the online auction block from a seller in Hillsdale, Indiana. Even though the only clue to its provenance was the stamp, ‘Italy’, I liked the oval shank and that gentle, slight bend that lends itself to the …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for an Unbranded Italy Slightly Bent Oval Shank Billiard
The next pipe on the worktable came my way as a gift in March of 2019. Nicky is the eldest son of dear friends in Bulgaria, Svetly and CC, who I’ve written of before. He is also brother of El, who lived with my wife and me in Sofia, while she studied Chinese language and …
Continue reading New Life for a Spanish Everest Master ‘Bing’ Billiard
The next pipe on the worktable came to me in what I have called the St. Louis Lot of 26 which my son, Josiah, discovered in a local antique shop. He sent pictures to me in Bulgaria where we were still living, and I liked what I saw. Josiah had one caveat regarding the purchase: …
January of 2018 was when I saw this Mastercraft Bulldog on the eBay auction block. The Bulldog seemed to have good ‘bones’ from the seller’s pictures, but the straight saddle stem was a bit out of kilter mounted on a bent shank. The stem seemed to be begging to be bent to the proper orientation. …
Continue reading Reviving a Mastercraft Imported Briar Bulldog
In September of 2017, I landed on eBay the first large lot of pipes which helped to stock the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ online inventory where pipe men and women seek pipes that whisper their names and then commission them. The ‘Lot of 66’ pipes have contained many treasures that have already been restored and …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for a GBD Flame 1344 Poker Made in France
The next pipe on the table has some sentimental value to me. It came to me in July of 2018 as a gift from a dear friend in Bulgaria. Svetly actually gifted me 3 pipes on this occasion with the bones of one more. A ‘Nelson’ quarter bent Billiard, London England, a Churchwarden Bruyere Garantie, …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for a Savinelli Oscar Aged Briar 102 Billiard of Italy
The next pipe on the worktable is an attractive Chacom Relief. I am surprised it stayed in the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection as long as it did. I acquired the Chacom December of 2018 in what I have called the ‘St. Louis Lot of 26’ that my son, Josiah, helped me to land. Josiah …
Continue reading Fashioning a New Stem and Chamber Repair for a Chacom Relief Oval Shank Billiard
The next pipe on the worktable is an Edward’s Sculpted Briar Handmade which I acquired while on a pipe-picking mission at a local antique mall here in the Denver area. The Brass Armadillo is a pickers paradise and I enjoy trolling through the isles of ‘locked’ glass display cases where the good stuff is kept. …
Continue reading New life for a Striking Edward’s Handmade Algerian Briar
ADDENDUM: After publishing this write up, Doug Bisbee of DK Metal Pipes, who has a wealth of knowledge about Kirstens, reached out to me indicating that the ramrod was on this Kirsten was broken off and would gladly send me a replacement mouthpiece with ramrod. Thanks, Doug! After again returning from a trip to Krakow, …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for a 1st Generation Kirsten PATS & PATS PEND MADE IN USA – S
After serving in Krakow, Poland, for a number of months helping with the Ukraine Crisis, my wife and I recently returned to home-base in Golden, Colorado. It was an experience that will leave an indelible impression on us to have had the privilege of helping Ukrainians who had fled from their homes seeking places of …
Continue reading Renewing a Barling BB&S Challenger London England 5589 Billiard
The Pipe Steward 