There are only a handful of people in this world that would appreciate this project I just completed. Thought I would share in the general pipe smoking section here because it is more of a general theme of love for the pipe smoking culture and the things we do to enhance our experience.
I have had this old 1970's (possibly early 80's) S.T. Ligne 2 brass lighter with a pipe angled burner for a very long time. I got it for $75 a few years ago but it never worked. The ping sound was fortunately brilliant, so I just kept it with my accessories and played with it off and on. But I wanted it to function! So I researched repair techniques, made the appropriate phone calls, watched many YouTube videos, and acquired the necessary parts and tools from over seas (had to wait almost 3 months for the tools to arrive from China). I made the plunge and spent half a day meticulously completing a total overhaul. To my delight, it turned out beautifully and the lighter is born again like a phoenix from the ashes. She is lovely! The angled burner for pipe smoking is very rare and I am happy to have one in my collection. Total price, including the lighter and parts/tools was about $150. But the experience ... Priceless!