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Pipe refinishing

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  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    Next, light sanded the stummel after I hand sanded the stem to get a good look.
    Polished, buffed, etc.
    Here's the final:

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    Acquired this Certified PUREX LHS Caboose in pretty bad shape.
    What to do, what to do?

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    Had to totally reshape the top to get past the huge and deep gouges, so I roughed in a balanced shape:

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    After hand-sanding the top, I realized I wasn't going to be able to get the original deep- groove patterns out.

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    So I decided to develop a pattern to counter that situation:

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    edited March 20
    I then did a tan stain, wax and buff.
    In the meantime, I eliminated most of the oxidation from the stem, cleaned the inside ( including the stinger), then made my mix and patched the broken area.
    Waiting for it to dry before filing/shaping, etc.
    I'll show you the final when completed, but here's where I am now:

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    edited March 20
    Didn't spend as much time as I probably should have on this one, but at least it's another pipe saved from the trash can. Here's the final:
    By the way, if what I read is correct, this Certified PUREX is dated in the 40s & 50s...

  • @KA9FFJ
    Cool pipe.  I thought it looked pretty good with the smooth top.  Looks good with the rustication too.
    I have it’s smooth sibling somewhere around here🙂
  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    @RockyMountainBriar
    Why does that not surprise me that you have one similar in your collection...
    🙄😏
  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    Here's an odd looking whatever it is:

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    It's an ugly looking spud. But even homely, no grain/no character pipes deserve to live.
    So I fitted a stem for it, and we'll, short story shorter, here's the final:

  • @KA9FFJ
    What are you going to do with it?
  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    @PappyJoe
    Probably wind up selling it at the pipe show next year.
    I won't be asking much since it has a few minor rough spots that couldn't be smoothed out without a lot of extra work that, I'm ashamed to admit, I didn't feel like giving on this pipe.
    Don't get me wrong, it's still a good sturdy pipe...

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    Well I have this little WILLARD that was beaten half to death so I thought, why not go ahead and complete the job! So I lit into it with a rusticating tool.
    The stem wasn't bad and cleaned up pretty good.
    Anyway, here's the little guy now:

  • @KA9FFJ
    Reckonize this pipe?

  • KA9FFJKA9FFJ Master
    It may not be the best looking pipe in the world, but it's certainly a hefty one.
    Tell your son if he had to, I think he could knock somebody out with that spud!🙂
    Hope he gets many years of good service out of it...

  • @KA9FFJ
    Speaking of pipe refinishing...

    You never know what you are going to find in small town "antique" shops/malls.

    Drove to Ponchatoula, La. yesterday with one of my daughters, a grand-daughter and a friend of theirs. The first place we visited was a bust for pipes - only five corn cobs that still had tobacco in the bowls. 

    The second store we went into had a basket hold about 15 pipes or pipe bowls sitting on a counter. I had to stop and at least look.

    The majority of the pipes were all Savinelli Capri Root Briars and they were all priced at $40 each. There were a few of them that were just the bowls but didn't have stems. The bowls of the ones I handled were actually in pretty decent condition and looked like they would clean up easy. The problem with the ones with stems was the condition of the stems. The best stems looked like a dog chewed on it. The rest of the stems looked like they were given to a badger as a chew toy. 


    I didn't buy any for two reasons. 1. Restoring stems that had been chewed through is beyond my capabilities. 2. I am at the point that I don't really want a pipe without the proper stamping on the stem.

    The lady running the shop and I had a nice talk about the pipes. She said she had "looked up" replacement stems and thought new stems would only cost $10 to $20 dollars. I explained fit and finish to her and how you could buy cheap stems, there would be no guarantee that what you bought would fit. I even showed her how the stems were not interchangeable on pipes by the same maker. I told her, in my opinion, that $40 each was actually a good price for what they were.

    I still may go back and buy one or two.
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