This last weekend I attended an auction at a local antique store/auction house, intent on winning some pipes. The auction was the estate of a retired Navy captain who served in WW2, the Korean War and Vietnam, so there were many diverse items up for auction. There were three different lots of pipes and tobacciana, and I was hoping for a clean sweep. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
The first lot which included a pipe rack and a couple well-colored meerschaums went for more than I had budgeted. The second lot which included a couple empty Barking Dog Mixture tins, a mostly-full Flying Dutchman tin and 3 unsmoked, unmarked meerschaums (I think they were carve-your-own kits) also went for more than I wanted to spend.
I didn't come here and create a post only to mourn opportunities lost, so without further ado... I won the 3rd lot of pipes! For $10!! Here they are arranged on my dining room table:
From top-to-bottom, alternating left and right, the markings are as follows:
1. PERKINS STRAIGHT GRAIN IMPORTED BRIAR
2. LONGCHAMP FRANCE
3. IRISH SECONDS MADE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
4. MARXMAN IMPORTED BRIAR ROYAL
5. OLDE CLASSIC CORSICAN BRIAR ITALY
6. BUECHERS MISSOURI PIPES
7. EHRLIC (The "H" is missing; the "C" is right on the edge of the shank, so maybe a previous repair shortened the shank.)
It's a hodge-podge collection- a few have extremely loose stems, one has a broken stem and cracked shank, one has a cracked bowl and they are all extremely dirty. I think these were the captain's at-sea pipes because they were all coated in a grime that I've seen on other items exposed to salt air.
And so begins my pipe restoration adventures. I've scoured this forum and read rebornpipes.com top-to-bottom so I think I know most of what I need, it's just a matter of acquiring the tools (reamer, micromesh sanding pads, etc.) and putting it into action. As I undertake each restoration I will attempt to record my progress, so additional posts in the Pipe Repair & Maintenance section will be forthcoming.
Thanks for reading and Happy Smoking!
The first lot which included a pipe rack and a couple well-colored meerschaums went for more than I had budgeted. The second lot which included a couple empty Barking Dog Mixture tins, a mostly-full Flying Dutchman tin and 3 unsmoked, unmarked meerschaums (I think they were carve-your-own kits) also went for more than I wanted to spend.
I didn't come here and create a post only to mourn opportunities lost, so without further ado... I won the 3rd lot of pipes! For $10!! Here they are arranged on my dining room table:
From top-to-bottom, alternating left and right, the markings are as follows:
1. PERKINS STRAIGHT GRAIN IMPORTED BRIAR
2. LONGCHAMP FRANCE
3. IRISH SECONDS MADE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
4. MARXMAN IMPORTED BRIAR ROYAL
5. OLDE CLASSIC CORSICAN BRIAR ITALY
6. BUECHERS MISSOURI PIPES
7. EHRLIC (The "H" is missing; the "C" is right on the edge of the shank, so maybe a previous repair shortened the shank.)
It's a hodge-podge collection- a few have extremely loose stems, one has a broken stem and cracked shank, one has a cracked bowl and they are all extremely dirty. I think these were the captain's at-sea pipes because they were all coated in a grime that I've seen on other items exposed to salt air.
And so begins my pipe restoration adventures. I've scoured this forum and read rebornpipes.com top-to-bottom so I think I know most of what I need, it's just a matter of acquiring the tools (reamer, micromesh sanding pads, etc.) and putting it into action. As I undertake each restoration I will attempt to record my progress, so additional posts in the Pipe Repair & Maintenance section will be forthcoming.
Thanks for reading and Happy Smoking!