My wife and I love to travel. Ever since returning from living in Bulgaria for 15 years – and before that in Ukraine and Spain, our 30 years living in Europe has made it difficult to stay in one place for long. This introduction is to serve as the backdrop for the next pipe on …
Continue reading A Utah Camping Trip Restoration of an Unbranded Bent Dublin
The next pipe on the worktable came to me in August of 2018 from a seller in Paris, France. He had posted a lot of 50 pipes on the French online auction block that got my attention. The picture presenting the French Lot of 50 would make any pipe picking man salivate. What stood out …
Continue reading A Special Gift: A French Châtel Sculpted Edelweiss Horn Stem Billiard
The next pipe on the worktable is another interesting pipe that came from what I have called the Lot of 66. These pipes became part of the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ online collection back in September of 2017. The huge lot came from a charitable organization in Texas that has thrift stores where they take …
Continue reading Repairing 14 Fills to Revive this 70s/Pre-70s Savinelli 4015 Slim Dublin
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
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
After a 1 month and 9-day road trip covering 1400 miles I’m finally back at the worktable. My wife and I visited several churches, family and friends in our trek that went east from Colorado. We pulled our Forest River R-pod and camped along the way. In addition to our visits, we were able to …
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 came to me in what I have named the St. Louis Lot of 26 in December of 2018. My son Josiah was instrumental in finding this Lot in a local antique shop in St. Louis where he was living and studying at Covenant Theological Seminary. We were still living …
Continue reading Rescuing a Dr. Grabow Regal Ajustomatic Pat. 2461905 Dublin
First of all, I’m guessing that this interesting hexagonal Panel shape is French made. I acquired it from a seller in Paris in August of 2018. It came to me in what I have called the French Lot of 50, an acquisition that has produced several treasures for new stewards. Most of the French Lot …
Continue reading Surprised by a French Made ‘Hetre’ Panel – Made of Beech Wood
The Kiko on the worktable came to me on a pipe picking expedition on December 27, 2019. My wife and I were still living in Sofia, Bulgaria, where we had lived for 15 years. In the center of the city is erected a majestic Orthodox church called Nevski Cathedral. Just a small distance from Nevski …
Continue reading Reviving a Kiko Countryman Genuine Block Meerschaum 7 Billiard of TANGANYIKA
The Pipe Steward 