Worth Saving or No?

[Scrapyard Ape]

Gifted to me by a co worker who knew I enjoy piping. What I want to know is if this is worth restoring. I would have to pay someone else to do the work since I have all the restoration skills of a dead catfish. It's got some dings & scratches, and the bowl interior is frightful looking.

I'd like to get it back to smokable condition if possible. Should i have it restored or no?

 

[The Benedictine]

Oh that's....... horrific.

 

[Scrapyard Ape]

Oh that's....... horrific.

Yeah, my fingers and thumb ARE horrific.... but what about the pipe?

 

[The Benedictine]

Yeah, my fingers and thumb ARE horrific.... but what about the pipe?

I wouldn't bother with it.

 

[Sigmund]

To me it looks like something to improve your skills. If you trash it there is no great loss. I wouldn’t spend significant money to have someone else do it.

 

[BingBong]

Wait... all my pipes look like that..

 

[Pypkė]

Why not just clean the pipe very well and start smoking with it today? If it's a good smoker, fix it up.

 

[xrundog]

There are people who collect and love Medicos. They on the low side valuewise.
That is a pretty easy clean up.

 

[SmokingInTheWind]

I would not put any money into it, but as others have said, clean it and smoke it. If it smokes well you could buff up the mouth piece and leave the rest as is.

 

[FLDRD]

It only looks dirty to me, "smokeable" would only require cleaning in my world.

 

[sablebrush52]

Some tapered bristle pipe cleaners, some fluffy pipe cleaners, some regular pipe cleaners, a bottle of 99% alcohol a set of reamers, preferably Pipnet if you can find them, spit and a rag for the rim, and about a couple of hours of scrubbing, and you're done. Don't worry about the exterior, you don't smoke exteriors.

 

[ssjones]

Easy to restore to smokable condition, but essentially worthless. (so don't pay anyone to do this)

 

[Dshift]

Unless it has some sentimental value, I wouldn’t bother

 

[Scrapyard Ape]

Ok. I'll get to cleaning it and see if I can keep out of the "Donate to Kids Building a Snowman" bin.

 

[Olkofri]

A used pipe!! RUN!!!!

 

[Sig]

Just use a pocket knife to ream it out. You know you did good when you see wood. Use a bit of 0000 steel wool or 3000 grit sandpaper on the stem. Douche it good with some pipe cleaners and booze......Bob's your uncle!!
It looks like a very serviceable pipe. Ive never had a bad Medico.....ive only got 2.....but neither is bad!

And use sandpaper of increasing grit on the outside. Then rub some olive oil all over it and rub it with a rag. I've done less with good results. Zero money spent.

 

[anotherbob]

I would clean it. I think it's a nice pipe but not so nice to worry about messing up. Perfect for practicing. And that's clearly a pipe that was used regularly and cared for but not babied. That says someone felt it was worth smoking. And it's in my opinion a solidly handsome pipe in a fully plain kind of way. Basically a great pipe for situations where you might lose or break a pipe. Mowing, fishing, hiking, fighting ogres, or arguing with the wife or children.

 

[Tn Steve]

What they said. Clean, ream polish, smoke. I got a couple nice Medicos, this year was like 15 bucks each on ebay, but they smoke great .

 

[paulfg]

A used pipe!! RUN!!!!

nothing wrong with used pipes,I cant buy any pre62 Barlings Make or pre republic Petes at my local tobacconist's brand new .But with a bit of searching I could find them as estate pipes

 

[Pypkė]

Ok. I'll get to cleaning it and see if I can keep out of the "Donate to Kids Building a Snowman" bin.

I smoke a corncob that we used for the snowman when we were kids.