Duke Street Irregulars, May I Have Your Assistance Please?

[rdavid]

Thanks for the link Ash. That answered all my questions about the two different versions on the Vernon.

 

[doctorbob]

I have a '44 Bruyere that has a Dunhill rubber stem, so a wartime pipe could come with rubber, either originally or as a post-war replacement.

 

[rdavid]

Hey Don. If that was in fact a modified Vernon, you should be able to unscrew the remaining stub from the shank correct? Might be further evidence that it was indeed a Vernon at one time.
Not sure if I would want to risk it though. That pipe is gorgeous and wouldn't want to mess anything up...

 

[donjgiles]

Panhandler,

you should be able to unscrew the remaining stub from the shank

I bought the pipe under the assumption that it had a stuck innertube. I very gently worked some alcohol around the tube and cleaned the shank with pipe cleaners and alcohol. That tube seems to be permanently attached and I did not want to go any further until I found out what I am dealing with.

Strange indeed.
Don

 

[rdavid]

I wonder if you can look far enough into the stem to see if there is a groove there that the tangs snapped into?
Or maybe take a piece of wire with a small bend in the end and gently "feel" the inside of the stem for that groove. Just a thought.

 

[donjgiles]

Panhandler,
Just now I cleaned the inside of the stem with pipe cleaners and alcohol so I could get a clear look inside the stem from both sides. I used a flashlight and a loupe and guess what I saw? No notches, but....
The lip that runs around the entrance to my stem, is another piece of metal tube! So there are 2 metal tubes one sticking out of the shank, and one inside the stem to form the bond between shank and stem. The connection feels very robust and the action of putting on the stem is very smooth.
It just keeps getting more odd.

 

[ashdigger]

Don, that is definitely not a Dunhill innovation.

 

[Chasing Embers]

This sounds like a broken shank repair.

 

[doctorbob]

Ashdigger is correct, that is some weird repair. I could not wrap my head around a Vernon tenon without tangs keeping a pipe together.

 

[donjgiles]

Maybe, but I see no indication of breakage/repair. It seems to me, it would have been easier to just shove a tenon in the stem and call it good. I don't know. Thank you for all your help and ideas!