Dunhill 1950's - need help

[smokertruck]

i have my uncle's 1950's Dunhill - it was not smoked for 50 years - it has no flavor at all - mac baran burley london blend has no flavor - blb tastes great in my boswells.
has anyone used "walker briar works" to rejuvenate a flavorless pipe ?? -

the draw is awesomely open.

the stem was very oxidized so i soaked it in 99% isopropyl alcohol & eliminated the oxidation but obviously it is now a flat colorless stem.

the inside is very clean but i guess sitting around for 50 years killed the pipe. not sure under what conditions it sat maybe even in the sun with my brother not a smoker -
any chance of rejuvenating it ?? always worth a try but anyone rejuvenated a flavorless pipe ??
thanks howard - toronto canada

 

[dmcmtk]

I would say yes, send it to Walker's for a total cleaning, restoration, and get the ozone treatment.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd suggest smoking it for a month before deciding the pipe is at fault.

 

[buroak]

Could you post photos of the pipe? I am especially curious about the status of the stem.
As for the flavorless problem, how did you clean the briar?

 

[ssjones]

Isopropyl alcohol or similar is used to treat the bowl (usually with salt or cotton balls).
I don't think it would do anything but discolor a stem.
There are plenty of much older pipes here that have been restored. Walker is a good choice. Our own forum member George Dibos does even better work (I don't believe he does ozone treatment) and knows how to properly restore a pipe of that vintage/provenance. There has to be a shop in Canada as well.

 

[pruss]

Howard, is this the Dunhill that I cleaned up for you, or a different one? If it's the one I cleaned up for you then the stem had an oxy soak, and internal clean out with bristle and soft cleaners. The mortise, shank and bowl were cleaned with salt & alcohol, numerous bristle and soft cleaners, and finally alcohol retorts (after the bowl was reamed). Finally the exterior was rejuvenated with light buffing and a new layer of carnauba.
I know we've chatted about the, "Dunhill that gives no flavour," in the past, and I have to say I am still confused as to how this is possible. I've never experienced a pipe that absorbs the aromatic and flavour elements of pipe smoke. I've smoked pipes that impart flavour; which is usually something that we try to avoid. I've smoked pipes that changed flavours (dirty and gummy mortises being the number one culprit here). But I have never smoked a pipe that pulled out flavours from pipe smoke.
If the pipe truly is absorbing/removing flavour from the pipe smoke I don't know if an ozone treatment will solve the problem. As I understand it, Ozone essentially oxidizes the sources of odour and removes them. This would suggest that there are aromatic/flavour elements coming from your pipe that you want removed... I don't think that's the case is it?
-- Pat
PS - I don't know of any repair shops in Canada that are doing ozone treatments. Mike Myers is the only guy I know who's doing that these days.

 

[smokertruck]

PRUSS - howard here - no - its not the pipe you did all that work on it gives me some flavor but my issue with it is the large diameter bowl i am not good at keeping it lit so i over-draw on each puff which i am sure messes my ability to taste to some degree -
this 50's pipe is my uncle's pipe he gave me back in the early 60's the bowl is about a 3 but longer narrower more like a rhodesian bowl shape which i have no problem drawing just either it was too long idle under who know what conditions or i have not yet found the tobacco for it specifically.

just received some carter hall from 4noggins - will try it - also some esoterica dorchester on the way will try it.
hope to be in oshawa end of month with some esoterica dorchester for the guys - its not quite an aromatic so they wont banish me to the corner for too long.
REGARDS

 

[pruss]

Heya pal...
Two thoughts. One, use that Carter Hall to build up a nice cake layer and see if that helps. Two, consider trying a different packing method if you're having trouble keeping the bowl lit. Try packing in thirds, and perhaps a little tighter than you do currently. Bonus thought... Are you drying your tobacco out at all before loading a bowl? That might also aid you I keeping the bowl aflame.
Good luck!
Pat