Sprucing Up a Classy Savinelli Silver 111 KS Italy Billiard

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 …

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Reviving a Kiko Countryman Genuine Block Meerschaum 7 Billiard of TANGANYIKA

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 …

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Rusticated Meerschaum Lined Billiard Italy

A Surprise Discovery of a Meerschaum Lining for a Sculpted Billiard of Italy

The next pipe is another treasure from the prized St. Louis Lot of 26 which has produced several pipes that have made their way to the collections of new stewards.  The pipe on the worktable is marked with an arrow.I have shared the story several times as these pipes have come to the worktable.  In …

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Bringing Life to a Whitehall Gulf Stream Imported Briar Sculpted Dublin

The next pipe on the worktable came from the US auction block in January of 2018, from a seller in Warsaw, New York.  I was attracted to this pipe because of the distinctive sculpted rustication.  The canted Dublin bowl and slight taper of the stem was also attractive to me.  The final bid favored me, …

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A New Beginning for an Elegant Orlik Royal Sovereign Made in England 188 Prince

The next pipe on the worktable is an elegant Prince shape commissioned by pipe man, Mike, who has commissioned other pipes as well benefiting the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited.  Mike is the founder and administrator of the FB group, Brothers by Briar, and currently …

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A Fresh Start for an Unbranded Italy Slightly Bent Oval Shank Billiard

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 …

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Overcoming a Cracked Bowl and Button Rebuild for a French GEFAPIP 2500 Rusticated Dublin

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: …

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A Fresh Start for a GBD Flame 1344 Poker Made in France

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 …

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A Fresh Start for a Savinelli Oscar Aged Briar 102 Billiard of Italy

The next pipe on the table has some sentimental value to me.  It came to me in July of 2018 as a gift from a dear friend in Bulgaria.  Svetly actually gifted me 3 pipes on this occasion with the bones of one more.  A ‘Nelson’ quarter bent Billiard, London England, a Churchwarden Bruyere Garantie, …

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