Seeking advice - Found Dunhill Patent '48 briar with repl.stem

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jpbrewer

Lurker
Nov 26, 2018
6
0
While skulking around a local flea market (which I will never name just in case this ever happens again), I ran across a Dunhill Patent briar from (if I'm reading it right) 1948. I bought it for ten bucks.
10 bucks.
The stem has no dot, or bump, or sign of either ever being there, so I assume it is a replacement, but 10 bucks.
I would love to get advice on how best to treat this pipe. I've called Schulte's after reading about where to have a Dunhill properly repaired (probably found him here), and I am waiting to hear back.
Should I pay to have a new stem fashioned that is as "official" as it can be? Should I try to buy a matching stem? What would you do?
I haven't decided if I want to keep it and smoke it, or sell it. I'm very happy smoking my Boswells, so I'm leaning toward selling, because from what I've read, these particular Dunhills are absurdly valuable on the estate market. I could buy 3 more B's...

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,067
Carmel Valley, CA
Photos would be invaluable.
Once your photos are on a photo hosting site (such as Imgur.com; Postimage; Dropbox, etc. Photobucket), or on virtually any site, including this site's album such as eBay, Amazon, you-name-it, select the full sized image, then Control-click (Mac) or Right-click (Windows) on the image itself, then choose "copy image location" or similar words. Now paste that URL (the full web address, which should end in .jpg or .png) into the IMG box in the reply window of the thread you're posting to.
The site's album is also a good choice for displaying photos, and the same method works for obtaining the image's URL for copying into the IMG box.
There are other good illustrations and steps on how to post photos in the "Latest Discussions" box,

LINK to that thread

 

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
Pictures? Schulte's, I had them do a Dunhill stem for me on a 1963 pipe, I was happy with it. The thing is, it's still a replacement stem. One thing about Schulte's, tell them NOT TO BUFF the pipe, with Dunhills, the markings are important. The markings on this pipe were already faint, and being buffed didn't help.
english-blasts-014.jpg


english-blasts-011.jpg

I ended up wishing I had not sold this pipe...
:)

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
That was more than just buffing, dmcmtk, it was ground/leveled (wood was lost).
The button is also wrong.
:crying:
.
english-blasts-014.jpg


 

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
That was more than just buffing, dmcmtk, it was ground/leveled (wood was lost).
The button is also wrong.
So there is an honest review of a Schulte done stem, by someone who would know. He's made a few stems himself. :)

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
I don't think that some of the Old School repair guys ever truly "got" how important details are to New School collectors. Before anyone ever took the time to figure out how to avoid shank grinding & etc.---and collectors showed they were willing to pay to have someone do it that way---causing stummel damage to effect stem replacement was simply "how it was done."
The definition of what's best has changed, in other words.
And then, as always, the entire subject only applies to collectables, not low(er) cost pipes intended simply as tobacco access devices.
I'm mentioning this because the OP's #59 is a fairly sweet find, and it would be a shame if it got treated roughly after all this time. Especially inadvertently.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
I've met Howard and been in his shop in Vero Beach FL. He's a real throwback pipe man with pipes in his family's history for generations.

I agree with George's assessment. Old school guys were concerned primarily with function when they did repairs. The easiest path to 'operational' was often the 'best'.

I say; clean it and smoke it. If you decide you want to sell it, you can still get your money back for the stummel alone, and it is unlikely that the white dot will improve performance.
Old School for instance: although Mr. Shulte provided me with an 'authorized Dunhil replacement stem' he still took material from my old Shell briar to make the tenon fit the mortise. I would think that George would leave the wood intact, if possible.

It would take much more time and patience to make the tenon fit the mortise, I think?

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
It would take much more time and patience to make the tenon fit the mortise, I think?
Yes. Also additional tools and methods. Also the mindset for the work. The most common reaction I get after showing aspiring repair guys what's involved---a number of whom have been experienced & established pipe makers---is, "Not no, but HELL no... No offense, But I'm gonna take a pass on that bit of craziness, thank you very much!"
It's why I started posting all that YouTube stuff. After years of shop visits that just left people shaking their heads, I figured it was the only way "collector level" repair info would survive.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'm not a Dunhill guy, with so many excellent pipes available at more sensible prices, new and used. Having discovered one at a corn cob price, I'd have a worthy replacement stem made and the pipe professionally restored, with the buffing warning duly respected. Then it's an ink-blot test about how you relate to Dunhills. I believe I'd keep a ten-dollar Dunhill restored for about $100, and count my blessings. But if you can flip it as a war chest for pipes you prefer, and if a replacement stem still demands a hefty price, it's your call, for sure. A ten-dollar Dunhill sounds like a punchline...but it's great luck.

 
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