Frustrating Estate Pipe Acquisitions
- Thread starter PaulTheScandinavian
- Start date
Personally, I prefer to buy an unrestored pipe and clean it up myself. It's enjoyable, and I can trust the source. Of the dozens of estate pipes I've bought over the years, only two, both from the same seller, proved to be actually completely immaculate.
I have no expectations, given the amount of work it can take to put a pipe in neutral territory. For the money vs effort involved, there's not much benefit to the seller, except on the odd occasion. On eBay it's all about the looks, so if a pipe looks good it will fetch the same amount even if the internals are less than pristine.
Actual restoration involves more than just cosmetics.
I can clean up a pipe just fine:
That doesn't make me a restorer.
I have no expectations, given the amount of work it can take to put a pipe in neutral territory. For the money vs effort involved, there's not much benefit to the seller, except on the odd occasion. On eBay it's all about the looks, so if a pipe looks good it will fetch the same amount even if the internals are less than pristine.
Actual restoration involves more than just cosmetics.
I can clean up a pipe just fine:
That doesn't make me a restorer.
No, but you have the skill and resources to restore pipes when you feel like it. Some of the guys who call themselves 'restorers' on ebay have neither. And that's unfortunate for people who would love to smoke an old, perhaps historical, pipe, and don't have the skills or tools, and don't want to go that route. They have the same concerns the OP has. I think it sucks that ebay is the wild west when it comes to such things.
Only ever bought one estate on Etsy (seller in the UK). It was one of these Meerschaum Pipes from Tanzania (Kiko?). Not only was it not cleaned: the bowl was still 1/4 full with old tobacco gunk. The process to try to get it cleaned up was not something I would take up as a hobby.. plus it remains forever ghosted with some strange perfumed smell... Let's just say I will not buy any more pre-owned pipes.
Your experience illustrates the problem perfectly. Guys like @sablebrush52 could tell you how to get that pipe ready, but it's not something you feel like learning.
But you are safe with SmokingPipes - just have some Everclear or Isopropyl alcohol and some pipe cleaners ready, as you should anyway.
Honestly, I don’t need or expect it cleaned. My estates, and I have many, are sent off to Rich at Briarville. He cleans, sanitizes, opens up the draws to the correct specs, repairs the rim damages, stem damage, and other dings all for a small bit of change. I consider the $36 he charges just a part of the price of the pipe. When it comes back to me, the pipe looks brand new and is absolutely ready to smoke. Plus, he stands by his work. If I am not satisfied, he makes any changes free of charge. He also is good at restoring the lettering on stems where branding is a part of the look. What takes him less than an hour would take me many hours, cleaning fluids and supplies. All I need to do when the pipe comes back to me is smoke it and keep it cleaned and polished.