Smokemaster Restoration, Kinda…

[crawdad]

A ways back I bought a crappy looking Smokemaster (Grabow) at an antique shop. I should have left it alone but for $4 I thought why the hell not.

This is my first attempt at pipe restoration. I figured if all my efforts went to shit I’m just out $4 bucks. So this project turned out something like this…





it was a learning experience for sure. I made a few mistakes and more could have been done. First down, ready for another.

 

[ph151]

That's an amazing transformation. Well done!

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

Nice restore!

 

[scloyd]

You're first? Incredible...well done.

 

[weezell]

? ? ...

 

[didimauw]

Nice work for your first time! I love restoring pipes. I even take on the cracked or broken ones. I however hate the thought of smoking a pipe that someone else spent years drooling over and inside of. So I have all these great plans, but then when the pipe is done, I still don't want to smoke it.

 

[OzPiper]

You done good

???

 

[captpat]

Lookin good.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Oh, that's pretty.?

 

[FurCoat]

Good job. Glad to see an old Grabow get a new lease on life.

 

[Sir Yak]

Looks good!

 

[peteguy]

Nice work for your first time! I love restoring pipes. I even take on the cracked or broken ones. I however hate the thought of smoking a pipe that someone else spent years drooling over and inside of. So I have all these great plans, but then when the pipe is done, I still don't want to smoke it.

Everclear is good stuff for drool.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

A ways back I bought a crappy looking Smokemaster (Grabow) at an antique shop. I should have left it alone but for $4 I thought why the hell not.View attachment 141963

This is my first attempt at pipe restoration. I figured if all my efforts went to shit I’m just out $4 bucks. So this project turned out something like this…



View attachment 141964

it was a learning experience for sure. I made a few mistakes and more could have been done. First down, ready for another.

Overall, a beautiful transformation, a night and day difference.

If I may offer a single constructive criticism, and I suspect you're already aware since you mentioned making mistakes; it's a shame the edges of the shank and stem got rounded (perhaps, during buffing?) The fit of the join, and the straight line going across from the shank to the stem are much tighter and cleaner in the unrestored version. It seems like they might've been sanded and buffed separately to experience the loss of material at the join. There's a little rounded valley where there wasn't before.

Impressive first effort, though. I look forward to seeing more!

 

[crawdad]

Overall, a beautiful transformation, a night and day difference.

If I may offer a single constructive criticism, and I suspect you're already aware since you mentioned making mistakes; it's a shame the edges of the shank and stem got rounded (perhaps, during buffing?) The fit of the join, and the straight line going across from the shank to the stem are much tighter and cleaner in the unrestored version. It seems like they might've been sanded and buffed separately to experience the loss of material at the join. There's a little rounded valley where there wasn't before.

Impressive first effort, though. I look forward to seeing more!

You’re right on the money. And you can see the outline around the diamond where I didn’t sand it as I was afraid of buffing it away. There was damage to the briar along the twin grooves at the top on the opposite side. The pipe came that way so really it was used try the things I had only read about without the guilt of screwing up. I was pleased with the staining as I sanded the stummel to bare wood before staining and finish sanding with micro mesh pads.