Addressing Chamber Heating Problems with a Ben Wade Made in London England 23 Dublin

I describe this next pipe on the worktable as a Dublin shape.  The bowl is slightly canted and has nice lines. It has beautiful vertical grain and that is the main draw-factor of this pipe.  This is the second pipe that pipe man Bill from Pennsylvania has commissioned.  The first was a Tribune Rusticated Dublin …

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A Striking Søren Hand-Carved Made in Denmark Freehand is Given New Life

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 …

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A Fresh Start for an Unbranded Briar Calabash Made in London England

One of the things that was on my ‘genuine’ Bucket List was to take my wife back to Mexico.  Beth grew up in Mexico where her parents were missionaries in the state of Guererro where the city of Acapulco is located.  During her years there her family lived in Acapulco, but more years were spent …

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Reviving a 1971 Peterson’s Dublin Sterling Silver Meerschaum of Tanganyika

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 …

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A Surprising Bee’s Wax Result for a Kiko Countryman Genuine Block Meerschaum of Tanganyika

The next pipe on the worktable has some sentimental value for me.  I remember well seeing a trove of pipes sitting on the vendor’s table in the shadow of Nevski Cathedral in the center of Sofia, Bulgaria.  It was December 27, 2019, and two of my five children were visiting from the US with one …

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Rescuing a Lowly Mastercraft Pot of Italy from Basket Pipe Oblivion

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 …

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Refreshing a Striking W.Ø. Larsen HANDMADE Selected Grain 15 Made in Denmark

The W.Ø. Larsen HANDMADE came to me in August 2021 in what I call the Lakewood Lot of 14.  I met Ron in the Denver suburb of Lakewood when I went to his house to purchase a Zero Gravity reclining lawn chair.  When I pulled up to his house, he was sitting in the driveway …

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A Five-Month Adventure restoring an Exquisite Ser Jacopo Spongia R2 of Italy

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 …

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Resuscitating a French-made ‘Pipe’ Dr. Geo DePosee Horn Stem Paneled Bulldog

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 …

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Christmas Tree Bound: Renewing a Stout French Made Pickwick Arms 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 …

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