How to Restore Vintage Pipes?

[Newbiepiper]

First please post photos of each pipe, 3-4 each.

Hi Jp,

I didn't get a chance to take individual photos since I had to do a double shift today but these are the pipes I have.

 

[Newbiepiper]

These are photos I had saved on my phone by the way.

 

[Newbiepiper]

Have not read the above posts...

If you're buying a pipe that is in half-way decent shape, and you just want to smoke it, then you don't need many tools.

Buy one of these reamer tools. It will be useful for most pipes that are caked.

Scotte Stainless Steel Reamer Tool 6 Blade Tobacco Pipe Carbon Scraper Amazon.com - https://a.co/d/dfX7vxj

Most of the other work can be done with judicious use of mineral oil (for outside the pipe), alcohol (for inside the pipe), t-shirt fabric and pipe cleaners.

If there are cracks, or serious blemishes in the pipe, or it smells bad, you may need help beyond what I can advise.

I use a few different people to restore pipes. Briarville is always a good option though.

Thank you for the link! I just ordered that reamer. Man, everyone on here us really helpful. Again Thank You!

 

[Newbiepiper]

There are tons of ways to clean up an old pipe, depending on its condition. I would highly recommend looking at reborn pipes, or just following @ssjones around for a day

Thanks for the tip! I'll do some research and see who he is. Thanks for the help

 

[Newbiepiper]

if you ever pick up a large batch of pipes becuase there is one or two you really like it is a convienient and safe way to hone your skills. Its not rocket science but like everything else, there is a learning curve. I enjoyed learning on pipes I didnt care about. Im not at all an expert but I can care for my pipes, clean the insdes and outsides of estates and when called for strip them down to bare wood, restain and refinish. Its a fun process.

That's what I figured I would start with the ones I don't really like, and see how I do or if I run into any issues before moving on to the ones I really like... thanks for the info!

 

[Newbiepiper]

Great Thanks for that tip also. I think I like the cotton ball with the alcohol too. Again thx for sharing all of the info! I'll post some pictures tomorrow and see which one you think I should start with again thank you and have a good night!

Thanks for the info yesterday. I see a few other people also replied and have been super helpful! Thanks again for all the info. These are some of the pipes I have.

 

[Coreios]

Awesome thank you so much for the info. Going to do some research and learning and hopefully begin this weekend! Thanks again!

Those pipes are in a great shape. At least on the outside.

 

[Sobrbiker]

That's what I figured I would start with the ones I don't really like, and see how I do or if I run into any issues before moving on to the ones I really like... thanks for the info!

Good plan there. The first pipe I worked on (I got my start pre-inheriting my father’s pipes that hard been sitting in his garage for 40ish years) was a wonderful Stanwell that I screwed the pooch on.
There’s tons of no out there to be had. I prefer to read than sit through videos, so I recommend rebornpipes as well-dozens of pictorials of technique, processes, and rich with research on the pipes and producers of.

Welcome, and have fun!

 

[Sobrbiker]

Oh, and if you like videos then find @georged’s posts and hit on his videos. Truly a master craftsman of restoration.

 

[Sigmund]

Take it easy with the reamer. Ive seen a number of pipes damaged by overzealous use. I typically use a sharp pocket knife and slowly remove. Im being stuborn and not buying a reamer becuase i have one somewhere and I cant find it.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Remember that sometimes doing less is better. It’s very easy to get overzealous and remove stamps or logos from stems or shanks. I’ve also seen the seamless transition from stem to shank ruined by people that sanded the stem with the pipe unassembled and ended up rounding the edge of the stem.

 

[Mike N]

Hi all!
Let me begin by apologizing if this question has been asked already but, I came across a few pipes my grandfather used when he was alive. Now I want to restore them. Can someone give me any ideas on how to begin this project or point me in the right direction. Trust me I'm not one of those guys that is good with my hands but I want to be and I figured this would be a great start and with the expertise of the people on here I should be in good hands. So if anyone can point or.advise me in the right direction I would very grateful.
Thanks
Lando

I’ve learned more from Bare Pipe on YouTube than any other source. He is detailed in his restoration explanation.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Why not choose one pipe, take good photos including the nomenclature, and work on it- i.e., one pipe at a time. You may get the best results and most learning from that approach.
Fee free to start a new thread for each pipe.