Thanks @Corey562 and @KA9FFJ. The only downside to the pipe is the brass makes it a bit heavy and I tend to be a clencher. We'll see how it works out. I'm going to give it a little more time to dry out before I smoke it. Salt & alcohol plus a coffee grounds treatment put a lot of moisture in the bowl.
@KA9FFJ I know what you mean by orphaned Stummel, My Meerschaum Churchwarden is one of them. It has the Peterson style 'P' on the side, It's turned out a Great Smoker.
Ok, well I'm going to see what I have to work with on these 2 Middletons. HEAVY useage extreme caking... Not to mention the shape of the 2 stems! Going to be a real challenge... Edges of the rims look pretty beat up too. Might have to do a little reshaping... We'll see...
Preliminary sanding and cleaning left me with a billiard full of pits and fills... I also tried sanding down the rim where he rapped the bowl. I knew I wasn't going to be able to sand it down enough to take it out..
Decided to rusticate it to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I wasn't going to be able to match those pits and fills ( I really could, but not worth all the time) . So here's the Middleton billiard. I'm hoping the Middleton apple will not require any rustication like this one...
Coming Soon to a blog near you! PappyJoe and the Royal Danish 991R. (I have discovered that this is a Ukulele shaped pipe designed for Stanwell by Sixteen Iversson.
This is the pipe one of my sister's purchased at a junktique shop for me in a small Texas town. I won't bore you with all of the photos now, but a couple of before shots and then a couple of shots in the current shape.
Bringing an Estate Pipe back to it's original condition is much more gratifying than simply purchasing a brand new pipe. Play along with me and scroll back at all the pictures in this topic and give me a history of the person or people who may have been the previous owner of these pipes judging by the 'before' restoration pictures.
Well, here's the next refurb I'll be attempting from the estate sale find I made last week. It's a Medico Jet Stream. Pretty crusty around the rim, but not really in too bad a shape...
You're too kind @Kmhartle I'm planning on a total makeover on this pipe after initial cleanings. It will be a lot of work with no guarantees, but hey, I'm retired
You guys are incredible! @KA9FFJ and @Corey562 you guys are the real deal. I’ve carved a pre-drilled pipe from a hobby block but this is next level stuff. If I wanted to try my hand at this, what would I be looking at for entry cost for the tools and materials? Any good articles or videos you could point me to to learn some more? Keep bringing these great pieces back to life!
@ChaplainCorey the tools are fairly inexpensive for beginig just files and sand paper. No if you want to go alittle more a get a lathe a french wheel and belt sander the cost can run pretty high but all you really need is a drill or drillpress and some files. There are a good many videos most will give you a good insight on what it takes. Brother thank you for your compliments.
@ChaplainCorey I agree with @Corey562 . All I do is take pipes that most people would throw away and try to bring them back to life. Corey is the Master Craftsman/Artisan. I have no major investment in my "tools". But again, MAKING pipes is not my forte. My area is restorations, rustication when necessary, and alterations (redesigning pipes). As Corey said, lots of videos out there to help answer most of your questions. Trial and error, and experience will go a long way as you advance...
Comments
PappyJoe and the Royal Danish 991R. (I have discovered that this is a Ukulele shaped pipe designed for Stanwell by Sixteen Iversson.
This is the pipe one of my sister's purchased at a junktique shop for me in a small Texas town. I won't bore you with all of the photos now, but a couple of before shots and then a couple of shots in the current shape.
I'm planning on a total makeover on this pipe after initial cleanings. It will be a lot of work with no guarantees, but hey, I'm retired
If I wanted to try my hand at this, what would I be looking at for entry cost for the tools and materials? Any good articles or videos you could point me to to learn some more?
Keep bringing these great pieces back to life!