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1920s Era Dunhill -to clean and sell or just sell

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finnian3

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 12, 2015
158
239
Illinois
All,

Looking for a bit of advice. I have acquired a 1920s era Dunhill and am fully planning on selling it. The question is, should I clean it and risk damaging it or sell it as is. The pipe is fairly good condition for being close to 90 years old.
Thoughts?

 
danielplainview

danielplainview

Lifer
Mar 30, 2014
2,853
78
wv
Collectors would rather have an unrestored pipe than a damaged clean pipe. I advise you to have a professional restore it, or sell it as is.

 
dmcmtk

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
A Dunhill of that era, in good condition has significant value. Sell it as is, or have it cleaned by an experienced PROFESSIONAL.

 
sablebrush52

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,741
45,256
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Pictures would help. If you don't know what you're doing when performing a restoration you can significantly devalue the pipe. You will be much better off, whether you keep it or sell it, having an expert do the work.

 
georged

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,525
14,154
An expertly restored pipe---especially a century-old one---will sell for significantly more than one left "in the rough." Primarily because it has been vetted for things like chamber wall soundness under the cake (burns, pressure splits, etc.), shank cracks, stem bite zone cracks & perforations, and so forth during the restoration process. Such problems are difficult to impossible to see without having a thoroughly clean pipe in hand.
The "eye candy" aspect of a sparkly pipe doesn't hurt its curb appeal, either.
A badly restored pipe, though, will have its value diminished a LOT. The deep pockets BritWood collectors have little interest in pipes with flattened buttons, blitzed nomenclature, buffer-bleached edges, and so forth, no matter how rare the specimen. Condition always comes first.
EDIT: Sorry for the echo chamber, Sable and Dmcmtk, I started typing before you posted.

 
buroak

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
You have already received great advice, so I will just add that a great restoration really is not that expensive, especially considering the pipe in question. An investment of $40 paid to a professional restorer may net you hefty dividends when you sell the pipe.

 
gregprince

gregprince

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 29, 2014
276
0
I have seen too many great old Dunhills destroyed by individuals passing themselves off as "professional" pipe restorers. Let a real professional do it. As everyone else has said, go with a pro, and a reputable one. If unsure who to go to check back here for recommendations.

 
ssjones

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,404
11,284
Maryland
postimg.cc
A badly restored pipe, though, will have its value diminished a LOT. The deep pockets BritWood collectors have little interest in pipes with flattened buttons, blitzed nomenclature, buffer-bleached edges, and so forth, no matter how rare the specimen. Condition always comes first.
Click to expand...
Yep. Even the skin-flint, cheapsake, Brit Wood fans feel this way!

 
vespertillio

vespertillio

Can't Leave
Jul 9, 2012
326
0
Not to hijack the thread some but I too have a 20's (I think) Dunhill that I would like to get restored. Who are some restorers that you gentlemen would recommend? I would like to see this beauty come back to life. :)

 
lonestar

lonestar

Lifer
Mar 22, 2011
2,854
161
Edgewood Texas
What everyone else has said, except I'll take it one step further. PM George Dibos (georged who posted above). He is the painstaking, exacting, obsessive dude for the job.

 
buroak

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
Yep. Even the skin-flint, cheapsake, Brit Wood fans feel this way!
Click to expand...
This thread has dredged up some horrible, depressing memories of bad restorations I have seen. These memories have been haunting me since last night. Please, please, please send this pipe to a professional. I feel pretty good about my abilities to clean up a pipe, but for very old, valuable pipes that need more than just a basic cleaning I seek the services of a professional.
vespertillio and finnian3, I have had excellent results come back from Mike Myers at Walker Pipe Repair. His conservative approach to restoration is just what is needed for an early Dunhill. I should add that Walker Pipe Repair is the only shop to which I have sent pipes. That said, I have never felt the need to see what work I could get out of any other shop - Mike's work has been that good.

 
F

finnian3

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 12, 2015
158
239
Illinois
I'll post some pictures tonight. In my own humble opinion, on a scale from 1-10 this pipe is a 6, maybe a 7. Nomenclature is ok, in fact I would say that is its only apparent flaw (to a newbie that is).
You can clearly see:
Dunhill

London
and on the other side:

Innertube

along with other stampings
Pictures soon to follow.

 
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