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 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 …
Continue reading A Surprise Discovery of a Meerschaum Lining for a Sculpted Billiard of Italy
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, …
Continue reading Bringing Life to a Whitehall Gulf Stream Imported Briar Sculpted Dublin
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 …
The next pipe on the worktable is unbranded, but I’m 99% sure it is French made. It came to me in August of 2018 from Paris, and I have called this acquisition the French Lot of 50. I have only a few of this French lot left as the majority have found homes with new …
Continue reading Overcoming a Severely Charred Rim for an Unbranded Horn Stem Bulldog
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 …
Continue reading A New Beginning for an Elegant Orlik Royal Sovereign Made in England 188 Prince
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 …
Continue reading A Fresh Start for an Unbranded Italy Slightly Bent Oval Shank Billiard
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