Questions Re/Recent WDC Purchase (PICS)

[agnosticpipe]

I just bought a pipe holder and 4 pipes at an antique store, and am really happy with the pipes, but in cleaning up a WDC pipe that looked rather old, and had been smoked a lot, I noticed a couple of things I'd never seen before.

First, I've never seen a button on a stem like this one. When I first looked I thought it was some sort of p-lip, but it wasn't. Never seen one quite like this, and was wondering if anyone else has. Is it an older style?

Second, while getting rid of the oxidation, I noticed a lot of shiny little sparkles in the vulcanite. It appears to be metal bits of some sort. I'm not using steel wool or any thing that could have caused it, and I've never encountered this before. A few of them are larger and I tried to show them in the photos, but it's rather hard to do. There are even a couple near the button that you might notice despite all the dust specks the flash picked up. Any ideas what this stuff might be, and how it got to be in the vulcanite?
Here's the pipe in question.

Metal bits in stem.

Odd button with a couple of more metal bits.

 

[dmcmtk]

The button is called an orifice bit, used in the early part of the last century up until the thirties? Others will have more information. Was the stem a push tenon or screw fitment? What are the markings on the pipe? I have nothing on the composition of the stem.

 

[eaglerico]

For the P-lip style stem, it isn't uncommon. You can still get them today on an after market stem. Lots of old Willards have them as well as the older Grabow Omegas. No clue on the flakes. You sure its vulcanite and not lucite / acrylic? If it is vulcanite, maybe it was placed in a hot container for a while with the metal flakes and they joined. My only guess.

 

[tbradsim1]

I have been talking with Larry Roush and invited him to take a look at our site . Here's what he said about the pipe.
That is not a p-lip. That is a very old pipe, just a guess but could be from the 1920's. They use to make buttons like that, very common on meerschaums also. The flakes are just contamination in the vulcanite.

Hope this helps and that when Larry has time he can visit us.

 

[pitchfork]

They're not very popular today, but I actually like the orific bits, especially like that one -- all rounded on the end. Very comfortable and sturdy at the same time. The flakes have to be some kind of impurity/crap in the rubber.
That's a particularly nice looking WDC, by the way.

 

[tbradsim1]

Look up William Demuth on pipedia for more info, says the Pipe Man Larry Roush , he gave me the link but I don't know how to post a link. Sorry.

 

[ejames]

That is not a p-lip. That is a very old pipe, just a guess but could be from the 1920's. They use to make buttons like that, very common on meerschaums also. The flakes are just contamination in the vulcanite.

I agree with both of those statements. I have seen many stems with little metal flakes like that.
According to a member over the DGCF,who is a retired president of Sparta pipes,certain stem suppliers were known to add fillers to their rubber (vulcanite) in order to stretch a batch.
You should take a look around on the Kaywoodie forum. There is a lot of info there on WDC and a lot of pics of cool old WDC pipes.

http://kaywoodie.myfreeforum.org/about191.html

 

[agnosticpipe]

Thanks everyone for the info! I still don't what to think about this pipe. It has a regular push tenon, no metal tube or stinger, and what I find most troubling is that the WDC logo is nowhere to be found anywhere on the briar. The only thing stamped on the briar is "Italian Briar". The WDC logo is only on the metal band along with the word "Electosilver", which I take to mean silver plated. I kind of figured that the metal flakes in the vulcanite just meant that it was either old or of low quality. I still haven't smoked it, but I think tomorrow I'll put some good old Virginia flake in it and try it out.

Pipes are really so interesting to me, and there always seems to be something to be learned!

 

[pylorns]

I really like finding good WDC pipes, that's a good looking one too.

 

[numbersix]

Congrats agnosticpipe and nice detective work Bradley. WDC pipes are classics and it sounds like you found a good one. I have to admit tho, the "Italian Briar" does seem a little unuusal on a WDC (then again, I am no authority or expert on the brand).