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Identifying estate pipes; and repairing a broken shank

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lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Hey all,
New guy here (I just posted up my intro) so bear with me if I sound like an idiot....
First question: is there any way to ID estate pipes that have had all their markings worn away? I have about 10 I inherited from my dad and most have no or just a very few visible letters or numbers. Is there a way to tell by shape or some other characteristics? I'm happy to post photos if that'll help.
Second question: one of the pipes is a Savinelli with a lucite stem and silver band. It's broken clean through at the shank - a jagged break through the wood, just next to the band (in fact the band partly coves it). Would wood glue work to repair it?
Thanks!

 
lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Okay, I'll take a bunch and post them later - thanks! I'm guessing a profile shot of each one would be most useful, in absence of any markings?

 

lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Okay, I'll do this in stages. A little background: my dad was born in 1923. I'm not sure when he started smoking, but fairly young. he quit in the mid-80s, I think. My guess is that these pipes will mostly be 1940s-60. Any info at all about these would be appreciated (brand, model, date, assessment of quality, etc.). So here goes, from least identifiable to most:
1. rustic, IMPORT LONDON ENGLAND on the bottom


2. rustic, “Made in London England” on the bottom


More later.....

 
pruss

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
First, those are both sandblasted pipes, and they are both well done, although I prefer the blast and grain alignment on pipe 1 vs pipe 2.nseriously,mince pipes I bet they smoke like champs once they are cleaned up.
Second, it's likely that someone here will be able to point you in the right direction.
Third, if I had to guess I'd say that they were both seconds, meaning not the premium line out of a specific brand's factory. Pipe 2 is a pot shape, and that "Made in London" over "England" reminds me of Parker..
For more we'll have to wait for someone wiser than I.
-- Pat

 
dmcmtk

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
On the second pipe, no other markings on the wood to the left of Made In London England, faded perhaps? Nothing on the stems/mouthpieces?

 
lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Nope, no other markings at all. Might they be Comoys? I ask because in the course of photographing the others I think most of them are. Seems to have been my dad's brand.
I'll get to those soon, but for now here's the meerschaum, which has no markings at all as far as I can tell. I can say it would date to sometime between 1958 when my parents married, and 1971 when they divorced (it was an anniversary present). Lots of tiny scratches all over the bowl, unfortunately.




 
jguss

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,478
6,454
Is there an experienced photographer here who could say if a special type of image would pick up latent nomenclature?

 
lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
I did try with and without flash, and uploaded the ones that came out best. I'll play around with it some more. The meerschaum pictures are pretty poor, now that I look at them again. I also tried rubbing with flour to see if anything appeared, the way archaeologists do on worn reliefs. That helped in a couple of images.

 
jguss

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,478
6,454
Very cool, Jesse. And about as thorough and precise as you'd expect the Bureau to be.
I was really thinking about xrays, which are sometimes used to capture latent images under paintings. A bit expensive for pipes, of course, but I'm curious if it would work.
Of course if money is a concern you could always try the side of a pencil's lead and some tracing paper. Just like what used with quarters or leaves when we were kids.

 
misterlowercase

misterlowercase

Lifer
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Neat thread.
I'd guess an Orlik 2nd for example #1 due to the stamping, the shank rustication, and mostly that telltale stem, likely late 50's thru 60's era.
Example #2 - IAWP - I agree with Pat that it's most likely from the Parker factory.
I like x-rays,

but I'm controlled by gamma rays...

:mrgreen:
:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc8zdLQuZp0
:
Of course if money is a concern you could always try the side of a pencil's lead and some tracing paper. Just like what used with quarters or leaves when we were kids.
Click to expand...
... :) that reminds me of the vispoet David-Baptiste Chirot who does "rubbings" in the street to make visual poetry, I've actually done this on pipes too, I contemplated making an archive of my pipe's nomenclature rubbings, especially the ones that I may sell and lose, but the proper pencil is difficult to find, big wide art-store pencils are good to experiment with as they come in all the different hardnesses...

http://www.logolalia.com/minimalistconcretepoetry/archives/cat_chirot_davidbaptiste.html
The hallowed name of Comoy's will get alotta people excited,

so good on you for researching what you got and taking pictures, and honoring your father's memory --- an old briar root pipe can become nearly a sacred object in the life of one whom loves them, a very intimate thing, and a residual energy is usually left behind too...
...good luck with it all,

you found the right place to inquire here!

:puffy:

 
lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Thanks, @misterlowercase - great post. That's exactly how I feel about these pipes. My main early memories of my dad were of him with a pipe - as much a part of him as his nose or beard!
I'm glad I found this place. After just a few days I can tell there are a lot friendly, smart people here.
Couldn't get anything more revealed with pencil rubbings. Were brand names sometimes left off seconds? No ideas on the meerschaum?
Here are a couple of more, with slightly better IDs.
4. Letters Su-- just visible on one side, and it looks like 125 on the other. I'm thinking it might be a Comoy’s Sunrise?



5. "JOHN’S" on one side, looks like "silver" underneath. Band that says “Sterling London.” I think it's from John's Pipe Shop Los Angeles, which would make sense because my dad lived there from the 40s until the early 60s. One with the silver band was listed on Italian ebay in a lot (no pics) and said it was made by Comoy’s. A different model from this one restored by @kf4bsb http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/restoration-of-a-johns-pipe-shop-silve-mount-pic-heavy but font looks the same.


More later....!

 
lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Here's the broken Savinelli. Is it possible to glue it back together, and if so with what, regular wood glue? Or do I need a professional restorer?:
6. Lowercase cursive De Luxe? 519 KS ITALY on the other side







 
dmcmtk

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
It looks like somebody already had a go with glue. Yes, Savinelli de luxe Milano, not an uncommon or "high end" line. The best solution, perhaps, would be for a professional to cut it flush and re-drill the mortise, and fit a new stem if the old one won't work, which can be done.

 
lazar

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
8. The Guildhall, LONDON PIPE. The number on the other side ends with 9, maybe –

49? Comoy's?




 
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