L J Peretti Freehand Lovat, Sort Of... Why Do I Buy This Stuff?

[agnosticpipe]

I don't know why I feel the need from time to time to spend time and energy restoring really beat up pipes. I guess I just feel sorry for the little buggers, and want to give them another chance. Funds have been rather tight lately, but I felt the need to mess with something. So here it was, waiting for me I guess.
I didn't have a Peretti pipe, and for some reason this little lovat spoke to me. It was really hammered, literally, and looked almost like a freehand shaped bowl. I figured for only $4 I could give it some needed love. I can't figure how someone could beat this pipe to death, but keep it relatively clean. All I did with it was give it a salt and alcohol treatment, and scrub it inside and out. The bowl didn't seem to need any reaming, and even the shank and stem cleaned up pretty quickly. I decided to leave the top of the bowl alone for the most part, just cleaned it up, wire brushed it, and gave it a light sanding. Didn't stain anything, just polished and waxed it. Figured the little guy should show its scars proudly. Gonna give it a spin this afternoon.

 

[foolwiththefez]

What a beautiful restoration. I think you made the right choice leaving the rim the way it is. It gives the pipe quite a lot of character.

 

[gloucesterman]

Orley, I have that same pipe. Bought it about 40 years ago. Great little smoker. Enjoy.

 

[agnosticpipe]

gloucesterman: Yes indeed this is a great smoking little pipe, in spite of its shortcomings. It has a very open draw and loaded with a little latakia flake, smoked down to just a little dottle, no gurgles or excess moisture. I have no idea how old it is, could be 5 months or 50 years for all I know, just can't figure what happened to the top of the bowl.

Hey, I have seen Dunhills that have a high section to the front of the bowl that cost a pretty penny. Yeah, I know, it's not even close.... :roll:

 

[gloucesterman]

Old Mr. Peretti was a very down to earth sort of guy. His cases were full of high end pipes but much of his "house" pipe lines were of the no frills type but they were all as a rule great smokers. Until the kids were grown and gone my collection was made up of one "basket" pipe and six Peretti's. I thought I was living large with a pipe for each day of the week.

 

[disinformatique]

O boi, who buggered the bowl that bad? !!