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
After pressing through a boat load of flu of some variant, I’m happy to be back at the worktable. Other than getting well again, I always enjoy this time of the year for football season – both college and NFL. Since my team has gone on vacation back to Florida (Miami Dolphins) I’ve been pulling …
Continue reading Rescuing a Lowly Mastercraft Pot of Italy from Basket Pipe Oblivion
The next pipe came to me in August 2018 as part of what I have called the ‘French Lot of 50’. When my wife and I were still living in Bulgaria, I found a lot of 50 pipes for sale on French eBay from a seller in Paris. What attracted me to place a bid …
Continue reading Resuscitating a French-made ‘Pipe’ Dr. Geo DePosee Horn Stem Paneled Bulldog
The next pipe on the worktable is a stout straight Bulldog. It came to me in March 2016 from a seller in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. It worked out well because the seller had two other pipes which I had an interest in that were also ticking down on the eBay auction block. In the …
Continue reading Christmas Tree Bound: Renewing a Stout French Made Pickwick Arms Bulldog
The Medico now on the table came to me from a friend and fellow pipe man Dave Shain. ‘Shainy’ and I first met when we served together in Ukraine back in the 1990s/early 2000s. Shainy has become a well-known and respected contributor to the pipe community and is known through his website, https://thepipery.com where he …
Continue reading Resurrecting a Venerable Medico ‘F’ Frank Imported Briar Apple
I love the Season of Christmas when most of the world celebrates the fact that Christ was born. When I consider the shape of the world, and our prayers for the people of Ukraine, I am thankful for a reason to celebrate something that is good news. The next pipe on the worktable was commissioned …
With Christmas soon to come, I have received commissions from loved ones of very fortunate pipe men. This beautiful Nørdin Freehand was commissioned by Jocelyn who wrote to me with this request: We live in Butler PA, USA. My husband, Mark, is an avid pipe smoker. I would love to give him a unique, possibly …
Continue reading A Christmas Gift for a Blessed Husband: A Nørdin Made in Denmark Freehand
This pipe was a challenge – more to come later…. The pipe on the table today is a nice-looking Prince. It has the right stem orientation, and the apple shaped bowl is on the petite side. I saw this Mastercraft Custom Made Prince on the online auction block in March of 2016, from a seller …
Continue reading Resuscitating a Mastercraft Custom Made Italy Prince (aka: ‘Pandora’s Pipe’)
The next pipe on the table came to me in August of 2021 which I call the Lakewood Lot of 14. The Lakewood Lot came from a pipe man selling his collection because of health reasons. Ron had several pipes in his collection that I would consider higher shelf pipes – several were Freehands and …
Continue reading Bringing New Life to an Elegant Unbranded Freehand
The next pipe on the worktable was part of a Lot of 4 pipes that were on the online auction block from Giussago, Italy, in January of 2017. Three of the 4 pipes were similar in that they sported red, glossy shellac-like finishes. It seemed to point to the affinity of the former steward’s taste …
Continue reading Replacing a ‘Shellac-Candy Apple Finish’ for a Machiavelli Cambio Ball of Italy
The Pipe Steward 