just picked up my first project

[mole]

I have a tendency to be a really hands-on type of guy ad I figure the quickest way to learn if you're going to enjoy something is to dive right in. I grabbed this one in the hopes that it's restorable ONLY because of the ding in the side (see second pic). I know my way around a set of jewelers files and am all too familiar with cramped fingers from stepping sandpaper from a fairly coarse grit through 2000 grit for a fine polish before buffing. Hard wood is hard wood any way you look at it and the closer it is to polished before your first coat of finisher the happier I know I'll be. I've read most of the articles on a couple different sites about refinishing pipes as a whole and I think I have a pretty good handle on it. I'm really looking forward to getting the grain to show again and from the posts I've seen on this forum I'm sure that if I have any questions someone with some knowledge (and I've noticed there are a few of you) will pipe up. Well, enough of my blabbing on.. here she is....

 

[unclearthur]

Try steaming that dent before you sand. You may be able to raise most of it with a couple tries. I stick a damp dish towel over the dents and apply a hot iron .

 

[mowens]

Nice pipe mole.
If you are successful in restoring that ding please do share how you did it. I have a pipe that got a nasty scratch/ding in it from a move. It's been bothering me for a while but I've been to scared to fix it in fear of ruining it any further due to my lack of skills with woodworking. Best of luck on the pipe, I'm sure it will turn out well.

 

[mole]

To be honest, I have a very close friend that builds custom pool cues for a living. He showed me a trick many, many moons ago, for raising dings.
1 wet cotton ball

1 soldering iron

a LOT of patience and a light touch
I'll be able to tell if it can be raised as soon as I get a good look at the pipe. If it's a ding I should be able to raise it. If it's a gouge then it'll have to be worked out with files and paper. I'll update as soon as I know.

 

[unclearthur]

I have used that trick in woodworking for over 40 years. As long as the fibers aren't broken it works a treat!

 

[collin]

Looks like fun! Nice looking pipe too!

From another old woodworker; these guys are right, steam may very well swell the ding back out. Matching the stain might be a slight trick, but can be done.
Have fun!

 

[bowhatchie]

Good luck! I have used steam as Uncle said on gun stocks many times... Have not tried the cotton ball soldering iron.. but I think I will give it a try.

 

[mole]

Tommy, about matching the stain, I'm not really aiming at a 'repair' per se. I'm more looking to strip the whole thing down to bare wood. I want to see what the grain truly looks like and go from there.
The patina that is existing on the pipe at current is nice but I paid a whole $5 for this one so it isn't going to really break my heart if I have to do a little more 'customizing' to get it to look nice.

 

[mole]

Ok, so it's not a ding OR a dent. It's a fill spot that the seller had no clue about. Not a big deal to me... Eventually I'll dig out the fill and find a better color match for it. So far though, after a bath in 90 proof it sure is a nice smoker. Will have to post a picture of the hallmark on the band, as I can't seem to find it in any online manufacturers' list.

 

[pstlpkr]

That's a Marlow huh?

Cool thing about sterling hallmarks... you can date the pipe to within one year.

It's my understanding that stamps are changed in May of each year, allowing for each artisan to have ample time to update the stamps. So the age could be almost a year later than indicated.

(Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

[mole]

So, here's the hallmarks and I looked pretty much everywhere online last night (spent hours looking) and could find zero.
Anyone have any ideas of age?