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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Repairing 14 Fills to Revive this 70s/Pre-70s Savinelli 4015 Slim Dublin

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 …

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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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Overcoming a Severely Charred Rim for an Unbranded Horn Stem Bulldog

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 …

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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 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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Fashioning a New Stem and Chamber Repair for a Chacom Relief Oval Shank Billiard

The next pipe on the worktable is an attractive Chacom Relief.  I am surprised it stayed in the ‘For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY!’ collection as long as it did.  I acquired the Chacom December of 2018 in what I have called the ‘St. Louis Lot of 26’ that my son, Josiah, helped me to land.  Josiah …

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A Stem Replacement and Fresh Start for a McMillan Sports Made in England 60S Billiard

In January of 2018 I saw this fist-filling saddle stem Billiard on the online auction block from a seller in Hillsdale, Indiana.  The obscured grain had great potential, but the stem needed a good bit of help.  I put out a bid and brought this stout Billiard home to Bulgaria where we lived at the …

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Uncovering the Origins of an Early 1900s French Aspir Fabrication L.M.B. Petite Billiard

It doesn’t surprise me that this unique, petite French Billiard came to me in a lot of pipes I purchased from a seller in Paris.  The French Lot of 50 was on the French eBay auction block in August of 2018 when my wife and I were still living in Sofia, Bulgaria.  A pipe man …

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