I have come to the age when days become numbered, and the vista of life past has become more distant than what lies ahead. The Bible in Proverbs says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness” (16:31). Well, by God’s grace, I now have gray hair, and …
The next pipe on the worktable is the first pipe that I am restoring from the Lot of 68 pipes that I acquired February 24, 2019. This Lot came from a seller in West Hartford, Connecticut, and what got my attention was not only the size of the Lot, but also the meticulous listing the …
Continue reading Reviving a 1971 Peterson’s Dublin Sterling Silver Meerschaum of Tanganyika
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
This Ser Jacopo Rusticated Bent Egg came into my possession in a totally serendipitous way in June of 2021. The world was still up in the Covid frenzy, and my wife and I were still transitioning from life in Bulgaria to setting up shop in Golden, Colorado. One of the necessities of life I was …
Continue reading A Five-Month Adventure restoring an Exquisite Ser Jacopo Spongia R2 of Italy
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 …
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
It’s fitting that the next pipe on the worktable is another well-known Italian pipe name, Savinelli. Pipe man Gary from North Carolina added this Italian to the Brebbia Portofino, which came out great. In the research drilling down to understand the origins of the Brebbia Portofino line, I discovered that this production line was an …
Continue reading Sprucing Up a Classy Savinelli Silver 111 KS Italy Billiard
Over the years, I have been both amazed and humbled by folks wanting to help the Daughters of Bulgaria through donating pipes to The Pipe Steward. In January of 2019, my wife and I were still living in Bulgaria and the mother of Bonnie, one of our interns helping us in Sofia, brought pipes with …
Continue reading An Amazing transformation of a 1946/47 Design by Curtis Pat. Pend. Metal
The next pipe on the worktable is an elegant Prince shape commissioned by pipe man, Mike, who has commissioned other pipes as well benefiting the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Mike is the founder and administrator of the FB group, Brothers by Briar, and currently …
Continue reading A New Beginning for an Elegant Orlik Royal Sovereign Made in England 188 Prince
The Pipe Steward 