I was in Daytona Beach last summer without a pipe, figuring I wouldn't miss it. I was wrong, so I stopped in a local tobacco shop and picked up a $30 basket pipe. It was dark maroon with some kind of lacquer, and the grain was pretty much invisible. The bottom and rim were rusticated. "Albanian briar" and "Rubino" were stamped on the shank. I haven't been able to find another like it online.
The pipe smoked well, but I eventually decided I didn't like the way it looked. I sanded it and re-stained it a couple times for the hell of it, but that didn't do the trick. I decided to reshape it, briar and stem, into something that reflected my tastes a little better, The below pic is the beginning of the reshape process:
Here are the pics after I finished. I didn't do a perfect stain job, but I like the new look and it shows off some nice grain patterns that were hidden under the factory finish. Removing the lacquer (?) and giving it a nice coat of carnauba gives it a comfortable, warm feeling in the hand. It almost has a vintage look and feel to it, in my brain anyway.
The pipe smoked well, but I eventually decided I didn't like the way it looked. I sanded it and re-stained it a couple times for the hell of it, but that didn't do the trick. I decided to reshape it, briar and stem, into something that reflected my tastes a little better, The below pic is the beginning of the reshape process:
Here are the pics after I finished. I didn't do a perfect stain job, but I like the new look and it shows off some nice grain patterns that were hidden under the factory finish. Removing the lacquer (?) and giving it a nice coat of carnauba gives it a comfortable, warm feeling in the hand. It almost has a vintage look and feel to it, in my brain anyway.
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