Restoration - Well worth the effort

[yachtexplorer]

I picked up this little 1963 Dunhill 54 group 2 bent billiard shell on ebay a few weeks ago. The rim was crusty and cruddy, the stem was totally oxidized and dark olive green, and it did not smell very good in the bowl. Ebay Listing With Photos
After a reaming and cleaning of the shank and a day of alcohol and salt then hour of TLC and elbow grease it cleaned up nicely and the rancid stink was gone.
It is a fine little smoker, perfect for those times when you don't have much time. I took it to Vegas where it was a great little tobacco sampler pipe to try some of the new offerings.
I really enjoy bringing fine old neglected pipes back to life.

 

[iowamike]

Dang it looks new, nice job.

 

[markw4mms]

Nice restoration job! :clap:

 

[pstlpkr]

I like the sandblasting.

It really reveals some interesting grain.
Very nice acquisition and restoration.

 

[olderthandirt]

Cleaned up well

 

[macnutz]

Dat's loverly

 

[bootlegbonvivant]

Nice job, indeed. I'm not a person who has bought into all the hype of a Dunhill, but that's a good looking pipe.

 

[spyder71]

:worship: :clap:

 

[mp31guitar]

Nice dunhill. I have never owned one. Do you know what group size it is? I still dont understand group sizes.

 

[yachtexplorer]

It is a group size 2 which means quite small in capacity. They go 1-5 then ODA. This is a petite pipe weighing only 24 grams, almost a toy pipe.
I don't buy into the Dunhill mystique either by the way. I have only gotten into picking up a few of them in the last two years. They are a decent machine made pipe with a consistent, classical shape repertoire.
The older ones (pre 1965 or so) had some decent hand-work on the stems and buttons. While their standards for wood were darned good (any fills or pits they were sold under another name like Parker), they've had a casual disregard for orienting a pipe well with the grain. They are no holy grail of pipes, just a good pipe for the money if you buy carefully and are willing to do some clean up. I mean this one cost me $81 shipping included.
They do seem to have consistently very good, occasionally even excellent smoking qualities. Given the large number of aficionados, they also hold their value better than most. Another cool thing about them is that almost all of them have distinct nomenclature indicating the year they were made. That makes it possible to have one made the year you were born.