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 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 classic Gourd Calabash on the table came to me a few days before Christmas in 2018, when my wife and I were in the US from Bulgaria to celebrate the holidays with family. I was anxious to do some ‘pipe picking’ and so the family went on a ‘picking’ day together. One place we …
Continue reading Mending Shank Cracks to Revive a Gourd Calabash – Austria
The next pipe on the work table came out of the box with some obvious issues. The Chap Ecume had tape wrapped around the shank which is a sure sign of a crack or fracture of some sort. It came with the ‘French lot of 50’ I acquired from a seller in Paris, France, in …
Continue reading Rescuing a Chap Ecume of Saint-Claude: A Broken Shank and Meerschaum Lining Repair
The Savinelli Punto Oro on the table has special sentiment attached to it. It came from a friend and colleague in Bulgaria. Jacob is a husband and father and also a pipe man that knows his tobaccos and pipes. Whenever I have a question about trying a particular blend or brand, he’s the one I …
The Big-Ben Commodore came to me in January of 2017 from a seller in Connecticut. The Pear shape is unique, and I liked the oval shank with just a touch of bend for the stem. The bid was sufficient and the Big-Ben made its way to the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection benefiting the Daughters …
Continue reading A New Button After Amputation for a Big-Ben Commodore 413 A S Made in Holland
The Lovat now on the worktable came to me off the online auction block in January 2018, from a seller in Indiana. The pipe was bundled with 5 other pipes and overall, a good deal with new additions to the online collection, ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’, where pipe men and women here pipes whispering to …
Continue reading New Life for a WDC Milano Genuine Briar DeResino Processed 18 Lovat
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 – …
Continue reading Fashioning a Replacement Stem for a French Gentleman No. 1 Rusticated Horn Pocket
My wife and I love to travel. Ever since returning from living in Bulgaria for 15 years – and before that in Ukraine and Spain, our 30 years living in Europe has made it difficult to stay in one place for long. This introduction is to serve as the backdrop for the next pipe on …
Continue reading A Utah Camping Trip Restoration of an Unbranded Bent Dublin
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 …
Continue reading A Special Gift: A French Châtel Sculpted Edelweiss Horn Stem Billiard
The Pipe Steward 