Well @Corey562 it beat him throwing it away. I would never try to sell it because I couldn't guaranty the crack fill will hold, but it's a great pipe for around the house, and the price was right...
@Kmhartle You're right. I do get a lot of satisfaction bringing a pipe back to life or saving it from certain death... The best part is it's turned out to be a great smoker. It does tend to gurgle now and then, but I think it's because the airhole is located a little too high inside the bowl. I'm going to use a honey and ash mix to build up the bottom and, once it sets up, I'll give it another go. I've done this with 2 or 3 other pipes with success, so I'll keep my fingers crossed...
@KA9FFJ I agree with you about the satisfaction of bringing a pipe back to life. This was one of my dad's pipes that had been in storage for decades. While I didn't have to put as much time and effort into this one as your project, it still turned out OK. I do smoke it on occasion but it holds a lot of sentimental value to me.
@Kmhartle Looks like you put some work in on the stem. It looks in pretty good shape. Since it was your Dads, I don't know if I would do anything to the stummel. Still has the worn places from use and I don't think I would want to erase those. Only if you want, try cigarette ash on the metal part of the shank. .not pipe or cigar... Cigarette ash. It can put some life back into it without harming the stummel. Just rub it with your fingers or Scott towel. Great looking pipe. I love those military mounts...
@Woodsman I make my own. Add just a touch of black dye and mix in the superglue thoroughly with a toothpick... Warning - it doesn't take much! Just enough to change to black. If you add too much, it will weaken the glue and take longer to set up, if at all...
@KA9FFJ This is the $18 Savinelli you asked to see pics of. Originally, I was going to sand it down to get rid of dents and dings, but as I was cleaning it up, I decided I'd keep it for myself. I don't mind the dings and dents. Here are the before and after......
Thanks @Corey562 It cleaned up pretty well. I'll let the bowl dry for a day or two before I fire it up. I gave it a salt and alcohol treatment and followed that up with a coffee ground treatment.
@Kmhartle Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! Nice job. There's just something about bringing those old classic pipes back to life. Especially when it's a fine made pipe like a Savinelli. Thanks for sharing...
Thanks @KA9FFJ. There really is a lot of satisfaction in restoring old, neglected pipes. My biggest issue is parting with them. I'll give you credit for selling the pipes you restore. I just don't have it in me.
Well @Kmhartle There are some I hold on to, and the ones I do put up for sale, I do reluctantly. It really comes down to logistics. After 70+ pipes, I don't have the room. Besides, my wife starts giving me the "stink eye" when she walks by and sees all my pipes...
@KA9FFJ With my ever growing pipe collection and my expanding tobacco cellar, I am VERY familiar with the stink eye! I'm sure I'll have to part ways with a few in due time. I'm just not looking forward to it.
Finally got my mini-churchwarden finished. You can look back a couple of pages (page 8) to see this pipe before it was refurbished and refinished. I gave this pipe along with a stem to a guy at the pipe show to create a shank extension that would allow the stem a proper fit. I don't have a way to turn one or I would have made it myself. He did a nice job and Here's the final project...
@Kmhartle Believe it or not, I haven't taken it for a spin yet. Just got it back today. I'll be trying it real soon...
FYI - It has a 5.5 in. stem, and that stummel is so light weight it almost feels like balsa! That chunk of briar should smoke real good. Keeping my fingers crossed...
@Woodsman Yea it's a pretty sturdy old pipe. It has a good sized bowl that provided me with over 2 hours of smoking pleasure. The bowl is 2 in. deep with a 7/8" diameter...
@Woodsman Yea, I know what your talking about. I RARELY have time for a 2 hour smoke. Consequently, I usually pull one of my small 30 to 45 min. bowls. But this stummel was in a box of estate pipes with no stem and I just had to try to make something useful out of it. All in all, I have very little invested in the project (except my time), and that always helps to make a project a "winner"...
A few months back I won a Thompson pipe on eBay for $8. It had never been smoked and after a short break in period, it has become one of the best smokers in my rotation. I decided to look for another Thompson and thought this one might be a diamond in the rough. It cleaned up pretty well and I'll fire it up tomorrow. Here's a before and a couple of after pics.
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@Kmhartle Believe it or not, I haven't taken it for a spin yet. Just got it back today. I'll be trying it real soon...
FYI - It has a 5.5 in. stem, and that stummel is so light weight it almost feels like balsa! That chunk of briar should smoke real good. Keeping my fingers crossed...