This will be my last pipe restoration of 2025 and officially declared to be a ‘Pipe for Christmas’ because of the festive vibe it invites. The ruby red finish, the gold band and the black acrylic stem – all shout, ‘Merry Christmas!’ with promises of a bowlful of Christmas blend. My wife and I will …
Continue reading A Pipe for Christmas – An Yves of St. Claude Made in France 55
The next pipe on the worktable came to me in February 2019 in what I call the Lot of 68 from a seller in West Hartford, Connecticut. This lot has produced a trove of treasures for the For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY! online collection where pipemen and women commission pipes that whisper their names. The Rusticated …
Continue reading Renewing an Unbranded Seahorse Rusticated Volcano of Italy
I’m thankful for the Pipemen and women who wait patiently for their commissioned pipes to make their way to the worktable. After ‘officially’ retiring at the end of August, my wife and I continue to be as busy as ever. One of our most enjoyable avocations, which requires the patience of pipemen and women, is …
Continue reading New Life for a Rare, Early 1960s Kaywoodie ‘Tuckaway’ Standard 050B
The Sculpted Vineyard Meerschaum now on the table came to me recently when Corey from Orange, California, reached out to me concerning a box of pipes he discovered in the attic. The pipes had belonged to his father who passed away 10 years earlier. He did not know that his father had smoked pipes, but …
Continue reading Refreshing a Sculpted Vineyard Slightly Bent Meerschaum
Even as I begin this project, I’m not sure if this Big-Ben Crosley is going to come out on the other side ready to go again. It came to me in February 2019 as part of a Lot of 68 pipes from a seller in West Hartford, Connecticut. My final bid was sufficient and the …
The next pipe came to me as part of a Lot of 68 pipes in February 2019. The seller in West Hartford, Connecticut, had the Lot on the auction block and my bid won the day. There were 3 pipes of the same unbranded series with the COM Italy that stood out with their ‘Seahorse’ …
Continue reading Refreshing a ‘Seahorse’ Rusticated Dublin of Italy
The next pipe on the worktable came to me from a pipeman in nearby Lakewood, Colorado. I met him when I responded to a Facebook Marketplace ad for a Zero Gravity recliner. When I went to his house to eyeball the recliner, I pulled up to the driveway and saw a pipeman in his comfy …
Continue reading New Beginnings for a Preben Holm Ben Wade Deluxe Hand Made Denmark Freehand
The next pipe on the worktable was donated from a pipeman who wished to stay anonymous and who appreciates that pipes that I restore help others in unfortunate circumstances. My wife and I co-founded the Daughters of Bulgaria several years ago when we lived in Bulgaria and since then, now residing back in the US, …
Continue reading A Cracked Shank Repair Brings a Comeaux USA 3-00 Canadian Back to Life
After some time, I’m finally back to the worktable. The detour from the worktable came in the form of driving a 26’ U-Haul truck from Golden, Colorado, to Mission Viejo, California. My wife and I helped our daughter, and her family make the move to sunny Southern California where our son in law found a …
Continue reading Refreshing an Unbranded Italian Rusticated ‘Seahorse’ Finish Volcano
One of the things that I have had to learn is that I can’t keep them all. When I go on the hunt searching for pipes and then find a pipe of great value, I’m ever faced with the dilemma: ‘Should I keep this one for my personal collection?’ Most of the time, I would …
Continue reading A Striking Søren Hand-Carved Made in Denmark Freehand is Given New Life
The Pipe Steward 