Great-Grandfathers Pipe Collection (Antique)?

[butsiethesungo]

Greetings,
Recently, my grandfather passed away and as I was going through his belongings I noticed a pipe set. My grandfather was always a cigar smoker/chewer, not a pipe man. However, his father, my great-grandfather was a pipe smoker. I believe this was his pipe collection (what is left of it). I was surprised that when I opened it, there was actual tobacco still inside the box. My great-grandfather died in Hurricane Audrey (June 1957); therefore, the pipes (and tobacco) predated the hurricane.
Should I try and restore these pipes? If so, where do I begin? I know nothing about restoring pipes. Furthermore, do I even want to smoke them? I'm thinking of keeping them as a nice collectors item because of the sentimental value. Any thoughts on this item would be greatly appreciated.
(I don't know if these pictures will post correctly, but I'm going to try)


Pipe box (closed)


Pipe box (opened)--you can see the humidifier tablet to keep the tobacco moist


Imported Briar--Greenwich Hougf Antique


Imported Briar--Medico Medalist


Imported Briar--Yellowbole "Checker" (cracked on the shank)
On the "Checker" (last photo), the shank has been glued due to several cracks (probably from being too hot). It also has tape on the stem!!
Thanks for taking the time to help,
-Jeremy

 

[jeepnewbie]

If it was me I'd restore them, however that is entirely up to you. Restoring them would still give a great look even if you don't smoke them. However some times a restore can go wrong and ruin a pipe if done in correctly. Those look like they would be fairly easy minus the cracked stem one. If the bowls have a bit of cake built up you can ream it down a bit. After reaming use a bit of 91% alcohol with either a cotton ball or salt in side the bowl to clean out any ghosting (if you plan on smoking them, if not skip this step). Use pipe cleaners and alcohol to run through the airway until they come out clean (you may use a bunch of these). You can use a retort also to clean the airway. As far as the outside they look really good, stems could use a bit of stem oil, and a good wipe down with a pipe cloth they would look great. The yello-hole stem would most likely need to be replaced, glue can work depending on the damage.

 

[dottiewarden]

My condolences on your loss.
Very cool to have your great-grandaddy's pipe stash, though. As a pipe smoker I would definitely smoke them, but that only you can decide.
Unfortunately the tobacco wasn't properly stored, so I doubt the smoke will be representative of what it was back in the day.
Take good care of your family heirloom.

 

[uberam3rica]

If it were me I'd get them restored and smoke them, but it's up to you.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Same, a treasure at the least.
Going forward, that type of "humidor" for pipe tobacco is useless. Great looking but can't maintain moisture unless you fuss with it daily.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Sorry for your loss. I would keep the pipes and the stand with humidor. However, I'd store tobacco in a jar that would fit inside the box. For their age, their beautiful pipes. I especially liked the Medico Medalist. You should enjoy them, by either smoking them, or finding a special place to view them, in his honor. Would look nice on a mantle, I think.

 

[carver]

I agree, don't sell them. Keep them. Smoke them or display them. They look good and it's a piece of family history. Sorry for your loss.

 

[tonywiebe33]

Damn what a lucky find! Those pipes look amazing. Enjoy the pipes!

 

[shaintiques]

That is a really cool Yellow Bole checkered. I would consider getting that re-stemmed. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mso489]

In this situation, since you would be totally new to restoration, I'd have it done by a professional. I don't think these pipes are rare items; you'd be doing this to maintain these family heirlooms. I would certainly smoke them if you are inclined to do so, to keep the tradition. As a second matter, if you'd like to take up pipe restoration, buy some old pipes and use them as projects. But I wouldn't wait to have these family pipes restored because, in that case, it might not get done; life intercedes. It's worth some money to have these in prime shape. Start by getting these restored, and decide about further efforts at restoration as a hobby later.

 

[butsiethesungo]

I want to thank everyone for your condolences and kind words I really appreciate it. I am definitely proud to have found them and to keep them in our family. Even though these pipes may not be monetarily valuable, the sentimental value is unquestionable. As mso489 mentioned, I am new to pipes and know nothing about restoration. I plan to contact the local tobacconist to see how much it would costs to restore them and restem them. Couple of questions:
1. How much should it costs to have all 3 pipes restored? (I don't want to get ripped off)

2. How do I know what size stem to get?
Hey Coyote, since you have some humidors like this one, any idea the age? I wish I had more information on it to know how old it truly is

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd send restorations to one of the fine gents on this board.
The humidor- does it have any stampings, name, city on it? Is it soft wood?

 

[ssjones]

Sorry for your loss.
It's difficult to date those items - they could be from the 50's thru 70's.

 

[butsiethesungo]

JPM,
I will have to check the humidor for markings when I get back home from work. Once I do, I will post what I find.
SSJones,
Yeah, you make a good point. Hopefully, there are some identifiable markers on the box. I'll keep you posted.