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
It has been fun and a privilege to restore pipes commissioned by Justin which he chose as gifts for 3 good friend in his church home group and his father. All these pipes were ‘picked’ by me in August 2021 in the coastal city of Burgas during a visit to our former home in Bulgaria. …
The next pipe on the worktable is the second of 4 pipes commissioned by Justin who is a fellow follower of Jesus and lives in Alabama. These 4 pipes Justin commissioned are gifts for 3 good friends in his church home group. The other pipe is going to Justin’s father. I told the full story …
Continue reading The Second Gift of Four From Bulgaria: A Denicotea Absorba 2164 Bent Rhodesian
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 Blasted Cherrywood now on the worktable came to me from a generous pipeman who donated it along with 9 others to make a very attractive Lot of 10 – now waiting in “Help Me!” Basket 2 for pipemen and women to commission. This pipeman has commissioned several pipes and I’ve had the privilege of …
Continue reading Exploring the Interesting Heritage of a Drucquer & Sons of Berkeley Cherrywood
The Lot of 66, as I have called it, was probably my first large acquisition of pipes. I saw the Lot on eBay in September 2017. The by-line by the seller in Georgetown, Texas, was this: “Huge Lot of 66 Smoking Pipes, Pre-Owned, Pre-Smoked and Deeply Loved.” The final tag caught my attention. The seller …
Continue reading Reclaiming the legacy of a Comoy’s Made in London England P510 – D Billiard
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
I’m on a roll with a Lot of 7 pipes I found on a picking expedition in August 2021 when my wife and I were visiting our home of 15 years in Bulgaria. We returned to see friends and we decided to go to the Black Sea coast for some much-needed holiday. We found ourselves …
Continue reading New Life for a Classy Big-Ben Royal-Silver 445 Made in Holland
Well, after about a month of fighting off sickness and finally getting some antibiotics, I’m able to get back to the restoration of this Barok Pickaxe. Here we go! The next pipe on the worktable came to me in what I call the Lot of 68 that I acquired in February of 2019 from a …
Middle Earth Churchwardens are cool, and truth be known, I don’t think I’ll achieve either the Hobbit or Wizard standard when this project is completed, but I like to fashion Churchwardens out of the orphaned, tossed away bowls. A simple search in Google of ‘Pipes in Middle Earth’ produces many Tolkien worthy pipes and Lord …
Continue reading Fashioning a ‘Middle Earth’ Churchwarden from a Rusticated Orphaned Bowl
The Pipe Steward 