The next pipe on the worktable came to me in November 2021 when my wife and I were on a road trip. As we were cruising through Des Moines, Iowa on I-70, we saw the sign for the Brass Armadillo – a huge antique mall. We decided to stop and see what treasures we could …
Continue reading New Life for a Barontini Lite 22 Italy Bent Dublin
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
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 table is a workhorse Billiard without doubt. It was found along with a few other treasures November 2021 at The Antique Market in Michigan City, Indiana. We were traveling from Colorado to my son’s home in Dearborn, Michigan for Thanksgiving celebrations. My wife and I always like to explore the …
The next pipe on the worktable is the second of three pipes that N.R. has commissioned. The first pipe was a Lillehammer GL Super Extra 61 Made in Norway which came out beautifully (New Life for a Classic Lillehammer GL Super Extra 61 Made in Norway – The Pipe Steward).The Savinelli Capri Root Briar that got …
Continue reading A New Start for a Savinelli Capri Root Briar 310 Italy Cherrywood
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 …
Continue reading Christmas Tree Bound: Renewing a Stout French Made Pickwick Arms Bulldog
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 …
This Republic era Kildare came to me in one of my first larger acquisitions in September of 2017 when I landed a lot of 66 pipes on the auction block. The ‘Lot of 66’ came from an NGO in Texas called ‘The Caring Place’ – an organization that takes donations and resells to help the …
Continue reading A Rim Rebuild Resuscitating a Republic Era Peterson’s “Kildare” 86 Apple
The next pipe on the worktable is unbranded, but I’m 99% sure it is French made. It came to me in August of 2018 from Paris, and I have called this acquisition the French Lot of 50. I have only a few of this French lot left as the majority have found homes with new …
Continue reading Overcoming a Severely Charred Rim for an Unbranded Horn Stem Bulldog
The next pipe on the worktable got my attention when I saw it in January of 2018 on the online auction block from a seller in Hillsdale, Indiana. Even though the only clue to its provenance was the stamp, ‘Italy’, I liked the oval shank and that gentle, slight bend that lends itself to the …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for an Unbranded Italy Slightly Bent Oval Shank Billiard
The Pipe Steward 