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
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
This Kiko came to me in January 2018 on an online auction block from a seller in Hillsdale, Indiana. I was attracted to it not only because it was a Kiko, but mainly because it was in desperate shape. The leather had potential and hope extended to what I assumed was an intact Meerschaum lining …
The next pipe on the worktable is an Amphora X-Tra of Holland which came to me via the online auction block in December of 2017, from a seller in Fort Meyers, Florida. The bid was sufficient for the day and the Amphora Poker made its way to the For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY! online collection. Gary …
Continue reading Restoring a Gubbels Amphora 815 X-tra of Holland Poker
With Christmas soon to come, I have received commissions from loved ones of very fortunate pipe men. This beautiful Nørdin Freehand was commissioned by Jocelyn who wrote to me with this request: We live in Butler PA, USA. My husband, Mark, is an avid pipe smoker. I would love to give him a unique, possibly …
Continue reading A Christmas Gift for a Blessed Husband: A Nørdin Made in Denmark Freehand
I’m glad to be back at the worktable after a hiatus where my wife and I traveled from Colorado to the eastern side of the US. We traveled for 2 months putting 7546 miles on the car while pulling our small travel trailer. The primary purpose of our journey was to visit churches which have …
Continue reading Bringing a KBB 1940s-1955 Yello-Bole Filter Brush Panel back to life
The next pipe on the worktable was part of a Lot of 4 pipes that were on the online auction block from Giussago, Italy, in January of 2017. Three of the 4 pipes were similar in that they sported red, glossy shellac-like finishes. It seemed to point to the affinity of the former steward’s taste …
Continue reading Replacing a ‘Shellac-Candy Apple Finish’ for a Machiavelli Cambio Ball of Italy
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
The Big-Ben Commodore came to me in January of 2017 from a seller in Connecticut. The Pear shape is unique, and I liked the oval shank with just a touch of bend for the stem. The bid was sufficient and the Big-Ben made its way to the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection benefiting the Daughters …
Continue reading A New Button After Amputation for a Big-Ben Commodore 413 A S Made in Holland
The Lovat now on the worktable came to me off the online auction block in January 2018, from a seller in Indiana. The pipe was bundled with 5 other pipes and overall, a good deal with new additions to the online collection, ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’, where pipe men and women here pipes whispering to …
Continue reading New Life for a WDC Milano Genuine Briar DeResino Processed 18 Lovat
The Pipe Steward 