I fixed the draw on my two Brighams Chinook and Mountaineer

[shikano53]

I have two Brighams that have had draw problems since I bought them new a few months ago. I came across this thread today and after reading it decided to have a look at mine.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/first-brigham#post-512156
Both air holes were drilled incorrectly. The draw on both pipes was so bad they would hardly pull any air at all when I tried to suck on the stem. They smoked terrible.
I got my little narrow beam flashlight and started looking. I realized that the top end of the tenon that seats the rock maple filter, that is the top plastic or ebonite part of the tenon was totally blocking the mis-drilled air holes.
If you look at the picture you will see what I mean.
I trimmed the tenon and the Rock Maple Filters. After trimming the tenon I de-burred it using an RCBS de-burring tool but a knife will work just as well.

To re-set the metal cap on the filter so it will seat correctly in the tenon, carefully heat up the trimmed end of the tenon, and gently insert the chuck end of a 3/16" drill bit and hold it there for a short time to allow the plastic to deform and splay out, in order to fit the metal filter cap. If you look at your Brigham pipe and remove the filter, you will notice that the tenon top end is cased out to a depth of the bottom ring on the filter metal cap. Sort of like using a carbide expansion die on a 9mm casing to prep it for seating the bullet.
You don't have to do this step if you don't want to. Just snip the filter with or without the filter cap and it will work perfect.

This completely fixed the draw problem by unblocking the air hole.

It now draws as good as my Savinellis or my cobs with or without the filter.

I also re-drilled the air hole in the Chinook because it was the worse.

They both smoke awesome now!

I hope this might help someone who is having the same issue in their Brigham.

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

 

[billypm]

Looks like a weird problem, but a good fix. Well done.

 

[fnord]

Chris:
I admire your "I can fix it" attitude and applaud the way you did it. But I'd have been one unhappy s.o.b. having paid for a couple of factory mades that smoked like hell because they were so poorly engineered.
I'm no expert on Brighams, but I do have a pair of vintage, Made in Canada, two button burners that are great smokers and you're the third person I've run across who had similar problems.
Today, I believe all Brighams are currently made on the Continent and I'll guess that's where yours were produced.
So, buy an estate Brigham some day and do a contrast and compare. Then, go buy a burner from Philip Trypis or Julius Vesz. (Those cats made their bones working for Brigham and then ratcheted up their skill sets several levels.) I promise you won't be disappointed and their dead man "estate" pipes - if you can get past that stigma - will be good money well spent.
Fnord

 

[shikano53]

Thank you. I hope to get an estate Brigham one of these days.

 

[fnord]

Look hard, pal. Those Trypis and Vesz burners are out there.
You just have to be lucky once.
Fnord

 

[pruss]

This isn't the first complaint that I've heard about the Brigham pipes being turned out in Italy these days. In fact, I have had three conversations with folks from the pipe club who have had EXACTLY the same experience as the OP. As I understand it, the Chinook and Acadian lines are being produced in France, and all of the remaining Brigham pipes are being turned out in Italy.
I only have one Brigham pipe in my collection (shame on me, I know, but I'd rather pass them on to folks like fnord when I find them, 'cause he's a good egg and he loves 'em), and it is one of the newer Chinook pipes. I've had no problem with draw, fitment, or airflow with this pipe. I have a number of friends who have Chinook and Acadian pipes, and they have had similar experience to mine. Which would suggest that this may be an issue with the pipes being turned out in Italy.
Estate Brigham aren't that hard to find on eBay. There are usually some pretty good deals out there. Look for the "Made in Canada" stamping on the stummel to identify a vintage pipe made in Toronto, also look for the tenon to be made from aluminum. These are telltale signs of vintage pipes.
Estate and New Old Stock Trypis pipes have also been fairly easy to come by over the last few years. I've had email exchanges with Philip Trypis' granddaughter and am trying to source some more NOS pipes. I'll keep you guys posted if I come by some new inventory. It should be noted that Trypis pipe stems/shanks do not have the Brigham Pipe Filter system, and are standard mortise/tenon fittings.
As for Vesz pipes, they are also available with some regularity via eBay, but tend to go for prices which are close to their new price and are significantly more expensive (even as estates) than Brigham or Trypis pipes. He is still making and selling pipes in his shop in the basement of the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
-- Pat

 

[shikano53]

Thanks Pat,

Mine are both made in Italy and were purchased off the shelf from the local B&M within two weeks.

Maybe there was something wrong with that batch. I have no idea.

Whatever the reason they smoke great now. I don't use filters any longer in any of my pipes.

Just my choice.
P.S. If you get any estate or Canadian made Brighams in stock please PM me.
Kind regards

Chris

And Fnord thank you once again for your kind comments.

 

[fnord]

Chris:
I was a budget pipe smoker for years and still am.
I studied vintage briar, learned who made high quality production burners, bought a ton of their seconds and exploited the seconds market through the Bay. I also got lucky with some estate buys, started trading and got luckier still getting to know some wonderful pipe smoking mentors/rabbis who either gifted burners to me or sold them at a vastly reduced rate.
I've been blessed, man, and it doesn't get any better than that.
Fnord