Restoring a Gubbels Amphora 815 X-tra of Holland Poker

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 …

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Bringing a KBB 1940s-1955 Yello-Bole Filter Brush Panel back to life

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 …

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Rescuing a Chap Ecume of Saint-Claude: A Broken Shank and Meerschaum Lining Repair

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 …

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New Life for a WDC Milano Genuine Briar DeResino Processed 18 Lovat

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 …

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Chatel 2

A Special Gift: A French Châtel Sculpted Edelweiss Horn Stem Billiard

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 …

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A Rim Rebuild Resuscitating a Republic Era Peterson’s “Kildare” 86 Apple

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 …

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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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Surprised by a French Made ‘Hetre’ Panel – Made of Beech Wood

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 …

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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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An Unbelievable Transformation of a 1937-’55 KBB Yello-Bole Cured With Real Honey Apple

The KBB Yello-Bole Apple now on the worktable brings with it a bucket full of nostalgia for me.  It was November 7, 2016, and my wife and I were in the States from Bulgaria for the wedding of our youngest daughter, Johanna, in Nashville, Tennessee.  The wedding was the day before and we were heading …

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