Can This Old BBB Be Saved? pic heavy

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seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
I recently acquired this pipe from an Ebay auction in Germany. The description was sparse, the photos were blurry, but I took a chance on it anyway. Accidentally bid more than intended; here 2.50 is 2,500.00 in USA. The comma and period are reversed. Anyhow 20 bucks later it has arrived.

Inspection reveals that it may be very old. If I am reading the hallmark correctly this pipe dates from 1899! That wasn't something I expected. That said it has some problems and I don't know if or how I can get it up to usable condition.

First I'll post some photos so that you can determine if I've correctly identified the pipe.

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seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
This pipe has clearly not just sat around for 119 years. It was used and appears to have been used rather hard. Note how the rim is thinner toward the bottom of the photo (the port side of the pipe). Perhaps it had a left-handed owner or at least someone who lit the pipe on the left side.
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seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Oops got to go! I'll be back with some more photos. I'd be interested if I have properly identified this pipe as an 1899 BBB Own Make. I'll also like to know if the stem is original and can post more photos of that too. If this can be restored I'll be looking for advice on that as well. Can I polish the silver without compromising the hallmarks? Thanks for any and all input. I'll be back later.

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
I cleaned some of the lava off the rim. Unfortunately it looks like someone chiseled hard cake off and took some wood with it. I wiped off the vulcanite mouthpiece with saliva and it immediately turned brown from oxidation. The mouthpiece has a very small hole at the bit. The mortise had some old paper lining it. I cleaned it and the paper came out but now the tenon is loose.

So I am open to sage words of wisdom. I like the idea of smoking a 119 year old pipe. I'd like it to look nice too, if possible. Can I use pipe mud to reconstruct some of the chiseled out parts? Can I polish the silver without ruining the hallmarks?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and apologies for the flurry of photos and questions about this particular pipe.

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dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
Savable, yes absolutely. The rim actually is in very good condition. Cleaning the Sterling without damaging the halmarks, I would use a Cape Cod Cloth (usually available at a good hardware store),
https://www.capecodpolish.com/collections/all
followed by a final polish with a Sunshine Cloth,
http://sunshinepolishingcloth.com/
If you are going to clean the pipe yourself, just be careful. The stem, your goung to want some magic eraser, 600, 1200, 2000 wet dry paper and some sanding sticks, and some micromesh polishing cloths (these can also be used in the higher grits 4000-12000 to give a good polish to the stummel).
The stem has what is called an orific bit, which was what was typically used at the time period until the mid 1920's by various makers.

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Thanks dmcmtk! Not sure I'll be able to find those products in Germany but perhaps there is something similar. I have micromesh pads but I am afraid to do any damage to such an old pipe. Yes it was cheap but the age of it gives me pause. My intention is to use it so perhaps I need to get over the trepidation.

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
Yep, that's an oldie. Looks to be in decent shape, actually. The rim could use some work, but that's cosmetic, really. And the mortise looks sound. I think the stem is a replacement, but it's a good one and probably over 100 years old, too.
By the way, it's an "Own Make," which was top of the line for BBB. These were pipes made in London, whereas other BBBs typically had bowls that were made in France and finished in London.

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Thanks for the information pitchfork. I couldn't wait and smoked the pipe today. It smokes wonderfully.
I smoked this next to a pond in the woods while out for a walk with the dogs. Very nice to quietly smoke, admire the autumn leaves floating on the water, and contemplate the history of the pipe I was using.
I used a bit of ash and saliva to spruce up the silver and that has worked pretty well.

 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
You got quite a bargain, Seldom. The pipe looks to be in quite good shape for its age. Getting the lava off the rim can be a bit of work, but with patience you can do it. I've had pretty decent luck with using damp coffee grounds for that. I put a dampened and folded paper towel in a small flat-bottomed bowl that's shallow enough so that the pipe's entire rim can touch the bottom of the bowl at the same time. Then I put a modest amount of used coffee grounds on top of the paper towel. Then I gently scrub the rim with the coffee grounds. The idea behind the bowl and the paper towel is to help hold the grounds in place, which makes the scrubbing more effective and less messy. The combination of dampness and soft abrasiveness of the coffee will soften the lava and scrub it away. I'm sure there are other effective methods as well.

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Thanks fellas. As it turns out this pipe didn't really need saving. It is totally functional the way it is. Of course a bit of restoration will help bring it back into even better shape. Just handling it and smoking it a bit seems to have made it shine. I get the feeling it hadn't been smoked in a very long time. There was some very old paper sort of holding the mouthpiece in place and other indications that it had sat for a long time. I contacted the seller who, although a nice lady, doesn't have any information on the history of the pipe.

 
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