Resurrected Pipe - 'Warranted Genuine French Briar'

[greeneyes]

Approximately one year ago my wife and I were browsing antiques in a nearby town. I often come across pipes without stems and weigh the "cost-benefit" of having said pipe properly re-stemmed. I came across this beautiful stummel in its case and although I didn't have a provision for its proper restoration I couldn't help myself and bought it for $20. In fact I have more of these projects then I'd like to admit, or even remember, but that's another matter.

I prefer old pipes and for someone with many pipes I can say that I have very very few new pipes. My preference is toward old pipes, pipes with a history (or a mystery) that find me or vice-versa. I like to breathe new life into them and try to restore them to their former glory, to the extent that I am able.

Well, I just wanted to share this one with all of you folks. This glorious resuscitation is thanks to my friend Dave Soucy, the President of the Great Northern Pipe Club, who goes by the online moniker 'OldSchoolSmoke' (which I can't find here on this forum, except in a mention of another gentleman's restoration in 2016).

The stem calls to mind a horn stem with its fleshy color. My guess from the markings is that it's an old pipe from the CPF group, some of which were similarly advertised and stamped "French Briar" and many of which didn't have the CPR (WDC or KBB) logo. The band came with it and I suppose it represents an old repair as it covers the stamp. I'd like to think this pipe will last another hundred years and who knows if perhaps one of your grandsons won't find it somewhere.

 

[sablebrush52]

That's a beautiful old pipe! The band looks to be quite old, from the styling of it. Are you sure it's a repair band and not an aftermarket adornment?

 

[rmpeeps]

Classy “resuscitation”.
Well done to all involved.

 

[greeneyes]

That's a beautiful old pipe! The band looks to be quite old, from the styling of it. Are you sure it's a repair band and not an aftermarket adornment?

It could very well be. In fact it's quite likely to be since the tenon is of the screw-in type (for which I have to give, again, immense credit to Dave Soucy; it is dead true to the degree).

Breaks and repairs are more common to later push tenons I suppose. Whatever happened to this pipe was likely a cracked amber stem, much later that the embellishment ferrule, I tend to believe that en embellishment like that wouldn't be factory-direct; based on an old druggist's catalog from 1906 I have here, which has the WCD/CPF offerings of the time, "French Briar" are featured but the ferrules never obscure the stampings and they're always typical of the florid CPF sort.

 

[greeneyes]

That's a beautiful old pipe!

And thank you! I count myself lucky to have a skilled craftsman and artist like Dave as a friend. I'll be sure to pass along the compliments at next pipe club.

 

[wordheavy]

That is a very handsome pipe. You should be very proud of it, I'm sure you are.

 

[greeneyes]

That is a very handsome pipe. You should be very proud of it, I'm sure you are.

Well with such a sturdy modern stem I can use it without apprehension. If I could I'd have alternate modern stems for all my amber-stemmed pipes. I'd love that actually so I could smoke them with a little less apprehension that I'd drop them!