Fashioning a Replacement Stem for a French Gentleman No. 1 Rusticated Horn Pocket

This unique pipe came to me in what I have called the French Lot of 50.  I acquired it from the French eBay auction block and it has yielded many great collectable pipes for stewards who commissioned them from the For “Pipe Dreamers” Only! collection.  The picture below shows the French eBay seller’s presentation – …

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Chatel 2

A Special Gift: A French Châtel Sculpted Edelweiss Horn Stem Billiard

The next pipe on the worktable came to me in August of 2018 from a seller in Paris, France.  He had posted a lot of 50 pipes on the French online auction block that got my attention.  The picture presenting the French Lot of 50 would make any pipe picking man salivate.  What stood out …

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Surprised by a French Made ‘Hetre’ Panel – Made of Beech Wood

First of all, I’m guessing that this interesting hexagonal Panel shape is French made.  I acquired it from a seller in Paris in August of 2018.  It came to me in what I have called the French Lot of 50, an acquisition that has produced several treasures for new stewards.  Most of the French Lot …

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Reviving a Kiko Countryman Genuine Block Meerschaum 7 Billiard of TANGANYIKA

The Kiko on the worktable came to me on a pipe picking expedition on December 27, 2019.  My wife and I were still living in Sofia, Bulgaria, where we had lived for 15 years.  In the center of the city is erected a majestic Orthodox church called Nevski Cathedral.  Just a small distance from Nevski …

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Overcoming a Cracked Bowl and Button Rebuild for a French GEFAPIP 2500 Rusticated Dublin

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: …

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A Fresh Start for a GBD Flame 1344 Poker Made in France

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 …

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Fashioning a New Stem and Chamber Repair for a Chacom Relief Oval Shank Billiard

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 …

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A Challenging Refinish of a Vuillard Concorde 3S of St. Claude Chubby Billiard

I acquired this French made Vuillard Concorde Chubby Billiard in January 2017 from a seller in Giussago, Italy.  It was part of an interesting lot of 4 pipes which caught my attention.  The other 3 pipes were a Denicotea De Luxe Regatta, a Chacom Radford's Seventy-Six, and a Machiavelli Cambio.  The final bid was sufficient, …

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New Life to a Mysterious French Made C.A.V of St. Claude Canadian

I’m finally able to do something productive after having a bout with the COVID virus.  Nasty stuff. The next pipe on the worktable is the second pipe that pipe man Mike commissioned from the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ online collection benefitting the Daughters of Bulgaria.  Mike fares from the great state of Tennessee and is …

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Uncovering the Origins of an Early 1900s French Aspir Fabrication L.M.B. Petite Billiard

It doesn’t surprise me that this unique, petite French Billiard came to me in a lot of pipes I purchased from a seller in Paris.  The French Lot of 50 was on the French eBay auction block in August of 2018 when my wife and I were still living in Sofia, Bulgaria.  A pipe man …

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