Judging from the pipes that show up on eBay, the heyday for these pipes appears to have ranged, roughly, from around 1908 thru 1912, though they were around long before and continue to this day.
Yeah, it's bad. Not sure if it will ever get restored, given that I've got several that smoke nicely. It's kind of strange how many ~100+ year old pipes were smoked to this sort of condition, but then never made it to a trash can.Wow! That one on the left is insane! A few more years and it would've sealed up.
I’ve only seen them with a cap, or a meerschaum bowl that covered the entire top. Never seen one that left the unfinished gourd top open.If there are pin holes around the top of the rim, then it had a silver cap. If there are none, then it did not.
These pipes were definitely sold with a meerschaum lining and no silver band or cap - I've seen the advertisements and catalog pages for them.
Just check for the pinholes.
Of course there are.I don`t think that there are different grades of gourd.
Yes of course.Of course there are.
Organic, hand-raised gourds grown under shade cloth and hand dusted daily with a badgers hair brush And dried on the vine.
Dunhill and the carriage trade demand nothing but the absolute best
Yeah, i've seen them in old catalogues. I had a quick look on Google and I couldn't find anything but i've definitely seen them advertised with a meerschaum lining and no silver cap.If there are pin holes around the top of the rim, then it had a silver cap. If there are none, then it did not.
These pipes were definitely sold with a meerschaum lining and no silver band or cap - I've seen the advertisements and catalog pages for them.
Just check for the pinholes.
This is mine, 1908 British unknown manufacture. It seems the bowl is fixed, not an insert. I never considered what hoopla might be involved with cleaning this. Are you saying that the non-tobacco side of the bowl will get filthy and is a pain to clean? If So, any tips for dealing with that?
I love this thing and would like to keep it optimum. Also is it too delicate to scrape away the cake on the tobacco side? Would I be better off swabbing it with a 50% alcohol solution instead?
Thanks, but wouldn’t soaking it in booze break down the gourd? This sounds scary. It’s just a vegetable…wouldn’t this expedite its decay? Or is this how everyone does it? And how strong abv are you using? Thanks!The nature of these gadget pipes is the inside of the gourd below the bowl insert is hollow.
They are cool smokers because the principle is like a thermal mug you carry in your car, the insides are hollow.
Pipe cleaners (which are much later than when these were made anyway) can keep the airways open but gunk and goos and tars condense on the inside of the hollow gourd.
Some of the old ones colored oxblood red like Algerian briar as a result of tars soaking through the gourd.
View attachment 281065
But mine has to have been coated on the outside with the best grade of spar varnish that existed in 1910. It hasn’t colored or checked or aged on the outside at all, and hopefully the same is on the inside.
View attachment 281066
The only way to clean the hollow insides of this type is to pour booze or other cleaning liquids inside and let them sit and then repeat.
Mine took about a week before vodka came out clear.
Reaming the insert is as easy as reaming out any bowl chamber, and mine was flat on top so I could sand it down with steel wool.
Thanks, but wouldn’t soaking it in booze break down the gourd? This sounds scary. It’s just a vegetable…wouldn’t this expedite its decay? Or is this how everyone does it? And how strong abv are you using? Thanks!
Being that I don’t know how it’s finished I think i’ll not risk the alcohol soak. ThanksThat’s why I suppose they put excellent spar varnish inside the gourd, or at least mine hasn’t discolored or checked or aged any at all in 114 years. It looks spanking brand new.
Raising the pipe gourds used to be a cottage industry in South Africa. Maybe it still is.
Here’s a facinsting article from reborn pipes on restoring a 1907 Calabash.
McLardy Gourd Calabash Pipe – rebornpipes
Posts about McLardy Gourd Calabash Pipe written by rebornpipesrebornpipes.com
I've been digging around and haven't been able to find the old set of catalog pages I saved off of ebay. I had around 50 pages from various catalogs a guy was parting out, from ~1910-15. Hopefully I did not lose them on an older computer. Maybe some of the pages are still on ebay?I’ve only seen them with a cap, or a meerschaum bowl that covered the entire top. Never seen one that left the unfinished gourd top open.
I would love to see a catalog illustration for something like this. Meerschaum lined briars are another thing altogether.
Last night I finally got the meer bowl out of my 'AB' Andreas Bauer calabash. There was very little odor before cleaning. But when I got the bowl out, it was seriously nasty underneath and STUNK. Basically, I do the 'soak and repeat' method that @Briar Lee suggests, quitting when it stops stinking. But this new 'smell under the bowl' finding makes me wonder how much I'm accomplishing.This is mine, 1908 British unknown manufacture. It seems the bowl is fixed, not an insert. I never considered what hoopla might be involved with cleaning this. Are you saying that the non-tobacco side of the bowl will get filthy and is a pain to clean? If So, any tips for dealing with that?
I love this thing and would like to keep it optimum. Also is it too delicate to scrape away the cake on the tobacco side? Would I be better off swabbing it with a 50% alcohol solution instead?
Last night I finally got the meer bowl out of my 'AB' Andreas Bauer calabash. There was very little odor before cleaning. But when I got the bowl out, it was seriously nasty underneath and STUNK. Basically, I do the 'soak and repeat' method that @Briar Lee suggests, quitting when it stops stinking.
Thanks, but wouldn’t soaking it in booze break down the gourd? This sounds scary. It’s just a vegetable…wouldn’t this expedite its decay? Or is this how everyone does it? And how strong abv are you using? Thanks!
Just think years of foul tobacco “juice”, ash and bits of tobacco dropping through the hole.
A bit of a chook run
I cram in a few cotton balls and fill with alcohol.
Leave for a day and repeat until the cotton balls come out clean
I use an eau de vie (clear, unsugared peach brandy) @ 60 proof
No harm done to the gourd that I can see
Leaves a lovely residual odour that dissipates after 1 smoke
That cleaned up wellJust finished cleaning up the meer insert. I like the 'brandy' idea for cleaning the gourd!
Sorry, please excuse the use of Aussie slangJust think years of foul tobacco “juice”, ash and bits of tobacco dropping through the hole.
A bit of a chook run
I know this.. I know.That cleaned up well
You will notice a huge difference
Happy
Sorry, please excuse the use of Aussie slang
Chook = chicken
Chook run = chicken coop
That cleaned up well
You will notice a huge difference
Happy
Sorry, please excuse the use of Aussie slang
Chook = chicken
Chook run = chicken coop