My Restorations From Today (Pic Heavy)

[captainsousie]

The great thing about this season for me is that I get a lot more time to clean up the estates I get during the year. I have a large backlog of estates that I want to restore and today I took a pretty big bite out of the remainder. I know the rims aren't finished on them but I do that as I smoke them as it tends to loosen the crud.
First up, a GBD Grotesque that some of you may remember from a post of mine several months back. It didn't take a lot so I was able to get it into shiny shape in no time. It got a retorting, a stem clean and polish and a gentle polish on the outside and top with a wet rag.

Next up, a Barling's make from 1962 that was cleaned up inside and just needed the rim cleaned a bit and a lot of stem polishing. Not a perfect job but not bad either. Also in the pic is an Estella I picked up a week ago. That got an internal cleaning and ream but I still need to do a bit of work on the outside.

Last up today is a hyphenated Custom-Bilt that is rough on the outside and chipped in several places. I haven't decided whether to refinish it or just leave it beat-up because it "adds character". It got a ream, clean, retorting and a stem polishing.

I also started the retorting on a push-tenon Kaywoodie from Pre-1936 (and I believe possibly pre-1929). Pics to come on that one.

 

[ghost]

Great job!
As a fan of Custombilt/Custom-Bilt, I say leave it beat up. It adds to the CB experience IMO. ::

 

[captainsousie]

Thanks guys. The chips are cosmetic and if I re-stained it you would never know they were there. Not too sure if I'm worried about it (I'm really not).

 

[ghost]

Yeah, go for it. They're so homely, but so good...

 

[igloo]

They cleaned up nice . Strip and re stain that custombilt then you can show it off .

 

[ejames]

I really like that GBD!

 

[fnord]

Me too, Ed. It's a beauty. But my upper lip also started sweating when I saw that Estella.
Looking good, Cap.
Fnord

 

[ssjones]

Nice job on all, I really like that Grotesque.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Very nice restoration work there.

 

[snagstangl]

Nice restorations, I was bidding on that estella also, it looks great. I have a pile of custombilts, and I have to say that looks rough even for them, it needs restaining and it will be good to go. I just love the rustication on the early ones.

 

[jah76]

Great job on those restos Captain. You put some life back in those pipes.

 

[durham270]

Captain, really nice work! Thanks bunches for sharing.

 

[allan]

Captain
Admiral work!

 

[quincy]

Very nice!

 

[gwtwdbss]

Great Job Dave. I have a pre-Transition Barling's Make EXEXEL with a saddle stem similar to the one you cleaned up. I love the way it smokes and the stem is very comfortable. It is one of my larger pipes but it weighs in somewhere around 35-38g. Barling sure made some fine pipes back in the day.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

good looking bunch of pipes Nice work