My Saint Patrick's Day Pipe

[cwarmouth]

I'd love to have a green Peterson St. Patrick's Day pipe but it is not in my budget right now, so I decided to take a crack at making a replica. Wasn't sure that I wanted to potentially sacrifice a Peterson in case it didn't come out well, so I elected to make a Dr. Graow Omega Saint Pat's Day pipe. I started with a decent estate pipe off eBay which I got for $6. I stripped it down to bare briar, then dyed it black, sanded it with 1000 grit paper, then applied 3 coats of green dye, sanding between coats with successively finer paper up to 2500. Applied and buffed carnauba with finer and finer compounds and wheels.
The before pics are from the eBay listing. I didn't take pics during the restoration.

 

[cwarmouth]

 

[unkleyoda]

Very cool, nice job.

 

[mikethompson]

That looks really nice, and St. Patrick's Day pipes aren't my thing. Very nice work!

 

[ashdigger]

Very nice. I grabbed a Peterson 2018 St. Patrick's Day Shape 999, but dang if you're isn't pretty.
BTW, an Omega was my fist "real" pipe. Great smokers.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Nice work, always have an Omega around here, great little pipes.

 

[johnsteam86]

That's as smooth as a bowling ball. Very Nice and for only $6 to.

 

[mso489]

Great! Irish as can be. I'm having my St. Pat's Day bowl of Erin Go Braugh in a Pete Around-the-World bent bulldog dedicated to Ireland with an Irish cross on the band. Your adaptation reminds me of when Peterson Dracula pipes were introduced. I like them, the contrasting ebony briar and red stem, but I found the Dracula theme a little over the top ... just my taste. So I shopped around and got a similar contrasting pipe, the BC Caprice bent billiard 1304, with black briar and raspberry stem, that suits me to a T.

 

[Civil War]

Nice!

 

[jpmcwjr]

A+

 

[username]

Very nice pipe.

 

[saltedplug]

Infant green pies attractive but haven't as yet pulled the trigger.

Fantastic paint job, I'd say!

 

[cwarmouth]

Thanks guys for the nice compliments! My wife included some tobacciana among her St.Patrick's Day decorations. Nice when the wife approves!

 

[cortezattic]

Beautiful restoration! Looks like lots of fine sanding is the trick to a nice wax finish.

 

[cwarmouth]

Looks like lots of fine sanding is the trick to a nice wax finish.

I should have mentioned that I also added the wax in successive coats. I don't really know the proper way to do a wax finish. Never had anyone show me and I haven't really looked into it. I just made up my own method using resources I have on hand. I also don't have a bench grinder, which is what I gather most people use. I used a pneumatic die grinder with various polishing wheels and polishes. I applied wax with a pad, then started the buffing process starting with automotive paint rubbing compound, then polishing compound, then more wax, then more rubbing and polishing compound (new pads each time), and continued doing that three or four times. For the final polishing I used successive grades of jewelry polish on fresh pads on the die grinder.

 

[oldtoby]

Well done. :clap:

 

[addamsruspipe]

That is a beautifully done pipe. :clap:

 

[jeffro]

I think you did a great restoration on this one,cwarmouth! And I am sure you will appreciate this pipe way more than a peterson because you created this one, and a fantastic shade of green to boot!

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Never could have been reaching the same level, very nice.

 

[midwestpipesmoker70]

Wow, that is beautifully done! Looks like a perfect St. Patrick's Day Pipe.