Is this the thickest cake in history??

[darthvader]

G'day,

New here but have enjoyed many others posts in the past. Thought i might share my latest acquisition off Ebay. An old Pat Dunhill (pretty sure its a 37' from under the grime) in the most deplorable condition supposedly from the estate of Howard Spring - Author in the 30-60's. I paid 22 clams for this and another (in similar poor condition). I'm a sucker for projects and these two pipes are real doosies. I'll post a few more pic's as i proceed.
Check out the cake on this baby! I could barely fit a match down to the bottom. The airway was still clear though. Fancy a quick 10 second smoke? (Sorry if the photos doesnt come up. I'm still learning this photobucket thing)
Still trying to get photos up.

 

[darthvader]

 

[darthvader]

 

[georged]

It's more common than you'd think. Scary, huh? :lol:
Be sure to post pics of the finished project.

 

[darthvader]

The other pipe. I've already reamed this one and picked away the old gunk from the top.




Photo's are taken on an iphone so they are what they are.

 

[darthvader]

JB Wood weld for the rim to keep as original as possible. No topping for this one. It darkens after a few smoke and blends right in. I mix 1/3rd briar dust into the wood weld.





I've used this method a few times and it comes out really well and is very strong. I'll keep the band on for posterity's sake.

 

[danielplainview]

Welcome aboard. That was some pretty heavy duty cake. I've had a few that were previously owned by the cake boss himself. Reamer? What's a reamer?

 

[darthvader]

Thanks Dave!

Wow, some people really love their cake. Thats a sweet restoration you've done on that pipe. I dont tend to go to crazy on the finer details as i intend to use these as eveyday smokers.
The crack that necessitated the band. Looks like it's spread.

 

[huntertrw]

darthvader and dave:
The former owners of those pipes could have had nuclear fission going on in their bowls, but would have never noticed due to the thickness of their cakes!

 

[menuhin]

I am always curious about what these super thick-cake pipe-smokers smoke their pipes to such a shape, including how frequent they smoked and what kind of tobacco they smoked in those pipes.

Wouldn't they feel annoyed by how little tobacco they could fit in those pipes? Or that they actually did that on purpose? Or they were all nuclear scientists.

:puffpipe:

 

[mcitinner1]

One member here said he has a guy who brings him pipes to restore, and that the guy says he smokes his pipes till they're "done". "Done" means he can't fit tobacco in them anymore. To do that to a pipe just seems nuts to me, that the person doesn't understand what should be done properly.

 

[markus]

Whoa Darth! That is some serious cake! how the hell could that even be smoked to even get it to that point? that's crazy! You got some serious work ahead of you my friend. I would be very interested to see those when you get done with them,, good luck!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A lot of the old folks here used to smoke them till they caked up and then tossed the pipe. So, I imagine that these probably end up on the estate market. Some guys just view pipes differently. There are still guys like this. One blend, on pipe guys. I see more people like this come and go from the B&M that I hang out in than I ever see of the rotation of pipes and blends type guys.

 

[markus]

How would you even be able to poke enough tobacco down that little cake shrouded hole to have or enjoy more than a 5 minute smoke? It just amazes me. My grandfather used to smoke old Dr. Grabows and he beat them up pretty good, but I never saw any of them with cake like that. To each his own I guess...

 

[darthvader]

Cake out, salt and alcohol bath in and it appears pretty good inside. With careful calculations i have deduced that the chamber can now hold 42 times more tobacco than previously, ha!





I've always rather fancied myself a prince!

 

[mso489]

The after photos look terrific. Let this be a reminder to us all not to smoke like an ash hole.

 

[darthvader]

Ok, this is about as far as i'll get for now. They are full sanitised and structurally sound but the stems still need a fair bit of work and the briar could do with a good scrub. I'm going to smoke them 10-20 times first and make them earn there keep. Already smoked them both once and they both have a very easy draw and smoke fantastically as is common of these older dunhills. The salt/alcohol bath worked very well as there was very little "old" taste.

 

[darthvader]

The pat on the prince is 417574 which went from 1935 to 1942. It appeasr to have a Z after the D in England. Is this an ugly 2 (meaning 1942) or is it an underlined 7 (meaning 1937)?? And no wize cracks about it being the mark of Zoro!

Note the slight double stamping of the "Dunhill Shell". I hope the apprentice got a good hard clip behind the ear for that one.

 

[okiescout]

Darth, years ago, I worked for an old gentleman who did not own a pipe that was not in the same condition.

 

[aldecaker]

I really love that Lee-Enfield pipe rest. And here I thought my Decatur stands were nice!