I have to say that finding a good guy or true craftsman to work on the sort of ancient meerschaum pipes I like to smoke is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. I have been messaged on several occasions by forum members asking my where to go for this type of work. My response has been that if you find a good one please let me know as I will give him all the work he could ever handle. Luckily while exchanging PM's with xrundog on the forum he suggested I give Ric a call at Briarville in Tennessee. I gave Ric a call and found him to be very friendly and incredibly knowledgable about the sub section of the antique market that I inhabit, namely meerschaum 'cutty' pipes. Satisfied I had by luck stumbled across the 'one' I had been looking for I sent him three pipes, one an elderly meerschaum 'cutty' with a butchered stem in a case, my day to day smoke everywhere 'cutty' in a case and a 'cutty' that was missing its stem I had picked up on Oi Vay for $25.00 and the results were beyond my wildest expectations as shown in pictures below.
I think the results speak for themselves and I heartily endorse this guy as a f*cking genius so give him all your meerschaum business since he is the best.
I think the results speak for themselves and I heartily endorse this guy as a f*cking genius so give him all your meerschaum business since he is the best.