The next pipe on the worktable came to me in what I have called the St. Louis Lot of 26 which my son, Josiah, discovered in a local antique shop. He sent pictures to me in Bulgaria where we were still living, and I liked what I saw. Josiah had one caveat regarding the purchase: …
January of 2018 was when I saw this Mastercraft Bulldog on the eBay auction block. The Bulldog seemed to have good ‘bones’ from the seller’s pictures, but the straight saddle stem was a bit out of kilter mounted on a bent shank. The stem seemed to be begging to be bent to the proper orientation. …
Continue reading Reviving a Mastercraft Imported Briar Bulldog
In September of 2017, I landed on eBay the first large lot of pipes which helped to stock the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ online inventory where pipe men and women seek pipes that whisper their names and then commission them. The ‘Lot of 66’ pipes have contained many treasures that have already been restored and …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for a GBD Flame 1344 Poker Made in France
The next pipe on the worktable is an attractive Chacom Relief. I am surprised it stayed in the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection as long as it did. I acquired the Chacom December of 2018 in what I have called the ‘St. Louis Lot of 26’ that my son, Josiah, helped me to land. Josiah …
Continue reading Fashioning a New Stem and Chamber Repair for a Chacom Relief Oval Shank Billiard
It doesn’t surprise me that this unique, petite French Billiard came to me in a lot of pipes I purchased from a seller in Paris. The French Lot of 50 was on the French eBay auction block in August of 2018 when my wife and I were still living in Sofia, Bulgaria. A pipe man …
The next pipe on the worktable came to me in 2018 when my son, Josiah, contacted me from an antique shop in St. Louis, where he lived and was studying. He found a box of pipes with a price on it, and he texted me in Bulgaria, where we were then, with a question whether …
Continue reading New Life to a French Chapuis-Comoy Sunrise 729 Acrylic Bent Stem Dublin Sitter
The next pipe on the worktable is a what has the feel of a French made pipe, but is simply marked, ‘Bruyere Garantie’. I found this pipe in the summer of 2017 at one of my favorite places and it brings back fun memories. This second hand, antique shop is on the main walking street …
Continue reading Giving Fresh Life to a Classy Bruyere Garantie Horn Stem Billiard
This ‘mobile restoration’ begins on Mother’s Day as my wife and I embark on a trip from Golden, Colorado, to Minnesota to visit family – mainly to see my wife’s father who now lives in an assisted living facility. When we returned to the US from Bulgaria last year, amid all the world pandemic concerns …
The iconic ‘Poker’ is a fun shape that always seems to evoke images of why it became known as the ‘Poker’ – engaged in a game of cards or some other worthy board game with friends around a table and joined by one’s trusted and ‘lucky’ pipe ‘parked’ next to the glass holding one’s preferred adult beverage and packed with the familiar, comfortable aroma of one’s favorite blend. THIS is the Poker capturing a picture of the ‘Fellowship of the Briar’ that unites many and diverse men and women around a shared passion. Bill Burney’s great description of the Poker shape is worth repeating here from Pipedia:
The next pipe on the worktable is an attractive, Lorenzo Eleganza – another pipe that Daren has commissioned from the For “Pipe Dreamers” Only! collection which benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Darren is an active member in his Pennsylvania based pipe and cigar club (See: FB Chester County Cigar Club – Holy Smokes) and reached out to me after he discovered a fellow member acquired a pipe restored by me. The Lorenzo that caught Darren’s eye was acquired with the help of my son, Josiah, who connected me with a lot of 26 pipes at an antique store located in St. Louis, where he and his wife reside. It was a great addition to the Dreamers collection and many of these have already found new homes with happy stewards. The Lorenzo Elegeanza is marked.
The Pipe Steward 