I've never done a restoration on an estate before and after looking at numerous threads on the forum displaying all the good work done by amateurs and pros alike I couldn't help but try my hand at bringing a well used pipe back to life. This is the 3109 Chestnut Canadian that I scored at the NASPC show in Columbus. I thought it would be the perfect candidate.
Here's the after shots. Not to bad for my first try I think. The pipe surely could be enjoyed the way it was with the blackened and crushed rim but now I think it looks much better. The pipe had been properly reamed with just a thin cake remaining and with no wood exposed. So that just left me to give the shank a quick once over with some 151 on a bristle cleaner and I let it dry before completing the staining and wax buffing.
I've not smoked the pipe yet but the size 3 Canadian is my favorite shape right now and knowing my other Canadian Dunnies I expect this one to not let me down. Now I get it. I used to wonder why guys put all that effort into cleaning up old pipes. It's cool to clear away the layers of grime and fix the battle scars as well as possible and then catch a glimpse of the pipe as it might have looked in its younger days.
