A Pair Of Rhodesian Brothers (Pics)

captainsousie · Sep 22, 2013

Here are a pair of Rhodesians that I have been dying to get to and finally got time for. They are a Haymarket and a Nu-Old. That doesn't sound like much until you know that the Haymarket was either a Loewe second from the Haymarket era or a first quality that was stamped for distribution on the American market. Also, the Nu-Old is a Civic that was distributed in the US by Wally Frank. So really, these are 2 of the same pipe from 2 different Brit eras. They were pretty gnarly but sound so I managed to work some magic without harming the original finish. I still have a bit of work left on the stems but they're pretty well done.
Without further ado...

Can't wait to smoke them. Next up, an unmarked billiard with a Les Wood silver spigot...it's probably and Astley's. :P

pipeherman · Sep 22, 2013

Great work, they look like great pipes. I hope they smoke well and long : puffy

:

peckinpahhombre · Sep 22, 2013

They look stunning. The only thing that scares the hell out of me personally with respect to old pipes like this is whether I would be relegated to polishing away oxidation on the stem each week for all eternity, lol. I have a couple of old comoys that turn green when I look at them.

captainsousie · Sep 22, 2013

Yep, they were oxidizing as I was cleaning them. Bought a tube of Brebbia polish so we'll see if that helps. The oxidation is probably going to be the main drawback with these guys. And thanks for the kind words.

pruss · Sep 22, 2013

Nice dogs Cap'n. Lookin' good!
I'm enjoying learing how the vulcanite used by different manufacturers holds (or doesn't) a shine. I've been particularly impressed by the way older Brigham pipes hold their luster. I also do a fairly long oxy soak, which I think lifts a lot of the nastiness out of the stems. Do you do a soak in oxy or bleach prior to steel wool/magic eraser/micromesh?
-- Pat

captainsousie · Sep 22, 2013

Thank you sir. I just start with 1000 grit wet sandpaper to take off the grime/oxidation, and then work my way up the micromesh grits for polishing. As long as I do that and then oil them, they tend to do ok for a while. I also leave a bit of oxidation around the face since I don't want to risk rounding it too badly...thanks to Al for that tip.

dragonslayer · Sep 22, 2013

Awesome pair Captain. I love that bowl shape and size. The perfect bottle neck on the stem towards the bit is very nice.
Roth is a big fan of German ebonite and Cumberland, but a little cleaning on the stems would be enough for me. He's a man who knows what he likes and makes it happen.
Leaving a little oxidation adds realism to the pipe IMO. It's not like their acrylic.
Nice find Captain!
Craig

rmason · Sep 22, 2013

Nice pipes, hope they smoke as good as they look.

~Ron

pruss · Sep 22, 2013

I also leave a bit of oxidation around the face since I don't want to risk rounding it too badly...thanks to Al for that tip.

Roger that. I do the same, for all the same reasons.
-- Pat

papipeguy · Sep 22, 2013

I like them. I'll take the old rubber stems over anything today. The shapes are timeless and I don't doubt that they will smoke great. I may be in the minority but a bit of oxidation does not bother me as long as the smoking quality is there.

captainsousie · Sep 22, 2013

If I really love them and they become everyday smokers, I may choose to have new bits made depending on how much maintenance they take. That said, the stem on the Haymarket is fantastically comfortable so it would be hard to duplicate or improve.

ssjones · Sep 23, 2013

Wow, what a great find. The Nu-Old really reminds me of the my Comoys 498 (or 283). That shape is basically the only straight pipe that I find appealing.

Congrats on that fine pair!

oldredbeard · Sep 23, 2013

What a sweet pair, I really like how sturdy the shanks look.

cigrmaster · Sep 23, 2013

Great looking rhody's. I hope you enjoy how they smoke.

yazamitaz · Sep 23, 2013

Great looking pipes Capt. As a disciple of Pruss when it comes to refurb, I have to second the overight Oxy soak. It removes a lot of the oxidation and the 000 steel wool or micromesh followed up by some magic eraser is....well....MAGIC.
I hope they smoke well for you
Dan

docwatson · Sep 24, 2013

Sure they may have a fill or two that will turn off some collectors, but you may end up with some real great smokers in those two pipes. And they didn't cost a fortune to acquire. Let us know if they end up in your rotation.

A Pair Of Rhodesian Brothers (Pics)

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