I Need Help With This Comoy's.....Please

[dmcmtk]

Seadog, I have great respect for Ken's opinions. But with this pipe, I'm just not seeing it. What I am seeing is micro scratches all over the place, and a rather dull, almost satin finish (now again that could be the pictures), but one thing Comoy's was known for, was the finishes of their pipes. If you are going to sell it, best of luck...

 

[ssjones]

I chose to only restain pipes that are either ruined beyond any collector value or have no real significance. I have only four stain colors (Med Brown is one). That really limits what can be done. Guys like George D I think have close to, or perhaps more than, 100 stain colors (he told me once, I forget the exact number). That allows them to restore the finish to a factory color, or at least very close. I can't pull that off.

 

[sablebrush52]

When a pipe is heavily restored, as in restained, etc, the collector value is diminished. Simple as that. Ken knows this as well. Different manufacturers had their own methods for staining, giving their pipes a distinctive color or color effect through multiple contrast staining as with the Blue Riband. Once the history of an old pipe has been obliterated a lot of its interest and value goes as well. Serious collectors avoid botoxed pipes. We want the genuine article in the best possible condition and THAT'S what we are willing to pay for.
That said, a lot of people just want a pretty pipe and are neither knowledgeable about, nor care, about what its original makers intended. That's an unpleasant fact for those of us who have a love for old pipes and their history. We are a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction.
Based on the above thread, clearly you can't teach a seadog new thinking.
BTW, I'm looking at these pipes on a professional grade color calibrated monitor and they all look pretty damned red-orange. It probably doesn't help that they've been stuck against a yellow ground, reflected light from which would throw off the color. Or maybe they're just pretty damned orange red.

 

[pruss]

Your pipes look orange/red.
I also see scratches in the surface of the pipe, and a satin finish. Nomenclature has also taken a hit. Grain contrast has been lost in the refurb.
Keep doing whatever you want, that's your prerogative. But when you ask for assistance, and are sarcastic and dismissive when someone asks you questions or poses an opinion you don't like maybe you need to re-evaluate if you want to have a dialogue at all.
Shiny Pipes has proven that there is a market for folks who do what you do to pipes. Please, go compete with them.
-- Pat

 

[sablebrush52]

Shiny Pipes has proven that there is a market for folks who do what you do to pipes. Please, go compete with them.

:worship:

 

[davet]

So any help would be greatly appreciated.

A short time later...

So at this point I WILL TOTALLY DISREGARD what you said and continue to do what I do.

So there you go :roll:

 

[ashdigger]

Pat, with your Shiny Pipes reference, you win the Internet today.

 

[mso489]

On Forums, you won't always learn what you'd like to learn, but if you read and consider, you can usually learn something.

 

[rhoadsie]

Based on the thread responses, here you go...

 

[jensen]

My Comoys specimen Straight Grain shape 28 bought new in the early 70ties looks

quite different in colour and finish than the one above.

 

[kenbarnes]

Seadog:I personally would never strip and sand an old collectable pipe unless the customer brought it to us as a special request because he did not like the finish etc. I remember only one occasion when a collector managed to locate Barry Jones (after he left Charatan) and asked him to strip a Charatan Supreme in order to remove a large dent in the bowl. The collector knew that Barry could mix up the exact spirit stain that was used at Charatans. We both told the customer that we would not normally strip a pipe of its finish and if we were to go ahead with this it would be at the customer's risk. Barry explained that even sanding this Supreme with fine sandpaper could bring up a flaw in the pipe and Barry would not want to take responsibility for this. The customer agreed to take the risk and luckily Barry was able to remove the deep dent, whilst keeping the shape intact and finish this pipe to its original colour.

This stripped Comoy, in my opinion, has devalued the pipe greatly to the true collector. I agree that some people do want the pipe looking like "new", but not the true collecting purist.

This orange finish (and yes, I call it an orange finish)was not used, as far as I am aware, in the earlier days of pipe-making.

I suppose that if a pipe like a Comoys Blue Riband which possibly had a stripped-off black background stain (which was initially applied and burnt in)and then possibly oil applied to the bowl, allowed to dry and then cleaned off with spirit/pure alcohol and then polished with fatty grey Carnauba wax, could, depending on that piece of briar, give a slightly orangey-type finish. However, it always depends on how the briar 'takes' the stain or applications.

With help and guidance from people who use this Forum, I am learning so much and I want to remain 'forever teachable'.

 

[georged]

Sorry to be late to the party. Just now saw this thread.
Seadog, you'll have no problem selling that pipe as a tobacco access device.
Serious Britwood collectors won't touch it as a collectable, though. The re-finish is ham-fisted and obvious (besides being a poor color choice), and the chamber looks to be significantly over-reamed and/or sanded. I'm also guessing that you wiped the pipe with some sort of oil before taking the pics, to try to cover the many multi-directional scratches on the stem as well as the bowl, and to create an "artificial gleam" of sorts. All in all, on the restoration scale, a 1.5 out of 10.
As someone else suggested, putting it on Ebay with no minimum is your best option to sell it anytime soon. If re-listing it downward for the next six months is your idea of fun, though, start wherever you like.

 

[pepesdad1]

And there you have it.
Sweet looking Comoy, though.

 

[mso489]

Any pipe might be collectible to someone who happens to have such a collection. Certainly this fine Comoy could have been sold to a collector in its original condition. However, I think it's fair to just spiff up pipes that are aged and worn, to brighten them up as tobacco delivery systems as mentioned in the earlier post. People taking the trouble to restore or refurbish pipes should be aware of what they are doing and make good choices, for their own sakes financially and as crafts people. Nothing wrong with brightening up a worn pipe, but be aware of what you are doing. And of course, as a buyer, be aware of what you are buying.

 

[dmcmtk]

All I can say, and I'M NOT trying to beat up on the OP, is this thread, and the comments within, should be read as a cautionary tale. For comparison, these are two before pictures of the pipe.

 

[simong]

As someone who's favourite pipes are comoys, & who's spent a lot of money getting my collection of both older & cadogan made comoys. I wouldn't want that pipe even if it was a gift.

An absolute abortion of a 'simple clean up job'. Such a shame, luckily there's plenty more out there for us comoy fans to spend our 2-300$ on!

 

[mayfair70]

I prefer the original to the "refurb" in this case, for reasons already stated. Too bad, it was a lovely pipe.

 

[davet]

My wife and I have bought several pieces of antique furniture at very low prices because someone had refinished them. It's a shame some of them were beautiful before being stripped and refinishing attempted. That is what I get here from comparing the before and after pics :crying:
P.S I went finer than 400 grit when I painted my lawn tractor.....

 

[peteguy]

The satisfaction/happiness and sorrow/anguish of the rebornpipes readers.

 

[tschiraldi]

I would have bought the "Before" pipe for $200.