1926 Dunhill Shape #10 (extremely rare) -- Restore & Re-Stem

[georged]

Interesting pipe & interesting project.

The specimen might be unique. It's apparently Dunhill's shape "X" (Roman numeral 10) that actually got stamped with a "10"... and the only place you're ever likely to see one of those is in the 1928 Dunhill catalog. Rare as hen's teeth.

The project was interesting because though the original stem was intact it was no longer rubber (so to speak). It had transformed into a 3-D block of oxidation for all practical purposes.. Perfect as a pattern, but unsalvageable because "getting down to black" would have shrunken it absurdly.

.

 

[shanez]

Absolutely beautiful! Nice work!

 

[lightmybriar]

That’s a real beauty! I had one very much like it. I am hypothesizing that the 10 may be the inner tube size designation. My pipe like that did not have a shape stamped on it, like many Dunhills from that particular era. Beautiful work, George.

Also, it looks like the white spot on the original stem underwent the famed “heated needle” test from the “Is it ivory or is it not?” experiment a few years ago ?

 

[lightmybriar]

Is that pipe on the smaller side, George? The one of mine I am referring to is the one pictured on the right, second from the top. I sold it because it was too small for my liking.

 

[mingc]

Very nicely shaped pipe and lovely stem work as always, georged. It's too bad that that shape is not more common.

 

[georged]

lightmybriar said:

I am hypothesizing that the 10 may be the inner tube size designation. My pipe like that did not have a shape stamped on it, like many Dunhills from that particular era.

Also, it looks like the white spot on the original stem underwent the famed “heated needle” test from the “Is it ivory or is it not?” experiment a few years ago

.

I think you solved the mystery LMB. The "X" thing is probably just coincidence.

Here it is next to a 1956 shape #56 from my rack that's a dimensional match in every way except shank diameter (but in the 1920s all Dunhill bents had more delicate-looking shanks.)

No hot needle test in this case. Years ago the dot-hole was filled with paint, some of which crumbled out.

 

[lightmybriar]

lightmybriar said:

I am hypothesizing that the 10 may be the inner tube size designation. My pipe like that did not have a shape stamped on it, like many Dunhills from that particular era.

Also, it looks like the white spot on the original stem underwent the famed “heated needle” test from the “Is it ivory or is it not?” experiment a few years ago

.

I think you solved the mystery LMB. The "X" thing is probably just coincidence.

Here it is next to a 1956 shape #56 from my rack that's a dimensional match in every way except shank diameter (but in the 1920s all Dunhill's bents had more delicate-looking shanks.)

No hot needle test in this case. Years ago the dot-hole was filled with paint, some of which crumbled out.


View attachment 24145

Beautiful! I have a 1952 Tanshell 56 that looks just like that one!

Always glad to see more of your collection!

 

[elessar]

So in my excitement to look at the restoration pictures I neglected to read the 2nd paragraph of your post. I thought what kind of voodoo black magic has he used to get that level of oxidation out without reducing the stem to a pencil shaft!?!

Now after reading the 2nd paragraph I am wondering what kind of voodoo black magic has he used to make such a carbon copy replica of the original !?!

Excellent work!

 

[verporchting]

Absolutely stunning pictures.

George, your work is mind boggling on these beautiful pipes. Respect!

 

[sablebrush52]

Dammit George,

Can't you do a proper restoration? Your stem is MUCH nicer than the original.

 

[jguss]

Beautiful George. And yet another to-die-for pipe.

You may recall helping me out last year with a bit blockage on my own Dunhill 10, a 1925 with a diamond shank.

 

[georged]

And yet another to-die-for pipe.

Indeed.

He who consumes vast quantities of B. taurus skeletal muscle came across a remarkably good batch of early Shells in rough condition, and is intent on bringing them back to new.

They're all like this, in other words.

More to come.

 

[didimauw]

Nice work as always!

Is that pipe yours or a friend/customers?

 

[georged]

Is that pipe yours or a friend/customers?

Sadly, not mine.

It belongs to He who consumes vast quantities of B. taurus skeletal muscle #33

 

[alaskanpiper]

That stem looks straight up identical. Nice work.

 

[didimauw]

Sadly, not mine.

It belongs to He who consumes vast quantities of B. taurus skeletal muscle #33

Ok not yours, I get that part.

But you just made me Google b. Taurus skeletal muscle #33 .....

And I'm so confused now. I have no idea who the pipe belongs to....But learned a lot about the mass of certain skeletal muscles along the way!

 

[cshubhra]

Good job!

 

[georged]

 

[craiginthecorn]

What separates a good restoration from a fantastic one is the details. I love that you duplicated the hidden chamfers not only inside the tenon, which is more obvious, but also at the shoulder of the tenon. Outstanding!

 

[georged]

What separates a good restoration from a fantastic one is the details. I love that you duplicated the hidden chamfers not only inside the tenon, which is more obvious, but also at the shoulder of the tenon. Outstanding!

My marching orders for this batch of old Dunhills was "museum grade" duplication, and the sort of details you refer to are definitely what make-or-break the final result. They're also where the devil resides. It turns out that the "fingerprints" left by specific factory machines on Old Stuff in general is what's most difficult to replicate later on.

A friend of mine collects old British cars. The serious guys in that crowd---the concours level competitors---routinely hire a team of experts to certify that the parts are original. You pay them to put your car in a garage, close the door, and inspect it in secret looking for tell-tales that only they know. (If their methods weren't kept secret the counterfeiters would know where to step up their game... there's big money in rare old cars.)

Anyway, one of the tell-tales might be something like the radius of the swirl pattern left by the grinder on the faceplate of a certain part. A pattern left by a machine in Aston Martin's factory that had a non-standard something-or-other because it was built in Spain.

Etcetera and so on. Crazy-obscure stuff like that.

The point is what wasn't merely routine to produce by a line worker at the time but incidental becomes a full-blown project for someone years later to replicate who doesn't have the original non-standard grinding machine.

Pipes are far less complicated than cars to be sure, the the principle is exactly the same.

And that's where the fun is for guys like me. Figuring out how to do stuff is as much a kick as actually doing it.

BTW it dawned on me last night that maybe he doesn't eat beef at all, but likes martinis.