There's a Hole in my Pipe, Dear Liza!

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Stevie K

Lurker
Mar 6, 2024
3
2
Well, fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it!

Hi everyone, new member here. Can anyone tell me if this hole is fixable, how it can be fixed and if it's worth fixing?
The pipe is a On the pipe is written the following...
Brebbia Pura
On the collar is written...
1995 Harmony
Jubilee 1997 Brebbia
925.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide
20240205_211559.jpg20240204_194346.jpg20240204_194501.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dec 3, 2021
5,458
46,919
Pennsylvania & New York
It’s a shame that hole is there. A one star Pura grade Brebbia is in the upper tier of production. The hole devalues the pipe immensely with regard to condition and monetary worth as a collectible. You may be able to patch it and make it smokable. It depends on if you wish to keep it and smoke it. In this condition, its appeal to a collector would likely be diminished significantly. I collect Brebbia pipes and this would be pass for me in this shape or if repaired. If you think you might just enjoy smoking it, you’ll need to decide what you’re looking to invest to fix it.

I wonder if someone tried to widen the airway and drilled too far.
 

mortonbriar

Lifer
Oct 25, 2013
2,795
6,100
New Zealand
I think you could epoxy a bit of wood back in there, and then clean up any mess on the inside by running the right size drill bit back through the stummel. The hole is not actually in the bowl section right? just in the shank of the stummel?

You have nothing to lose attempting to fix it, even pressing a wad of chewing gum in there might be better than nothing!
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,743
36,382
72
Sydney, Australia
I have seen similar repairs on Rebornpipes
It involves drilling out the hole and patching with a briar plug
How handy are you ?
And do you have a beater pipe that can be used to “donate” a plug ?

You could “plug” that hole with a mixture of epoxy and briar dust
Then pipe mud the inside of the chamber
I’m not sure how permanent that fix will be.

Just bear in mind it will always look repaired, as matching the stain is nigh impossible unless you are @georged or @RustiePyles CPG

Me ?
Unless it has sentimental value, I’d throw it away.
Or keep it for repairs eg harvesting briar dust
 
Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,838
42
Mission, Ks
I have seen similar repairs on Rebornpipes
It involves drilling out the hole and patching with a briar plug
How handy are you ?
And do you have a beater pipe that can be used to “donate” a plug ?

You could “plug” that hole with a mixture of epoxy and briar dust
Then pipe mud the inside of the chamber
I’m not sure how permanent that fix will be.

Just bear in mind it will always look repaired, as matching the stain is nigh impossible unless you are @georged or @RustiePyles CPG

Me ?
Unless it has sentimental value, I’d throw it away.
Or keep it for repairs eg harvesting briar dust
You would essentially have to strip the entire pipe and restain it. And even then the repair would not be invisible. To plug it you would have to drill a hole as big as the overall area of damage and ream the hole tapered, then put a tapered briar plug called a "dutchman" in and carve it down to the shape of the pipe. To make it invisible you would have to either sandblast or rusticate the pipe and stain it a very dark color.
 
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Jun 15, 2013
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
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Humansville Missouri
I wish I knew the backstory behind that.

Was it hard to draw or was he trying to make good enough better?.:)

Were it mine I’d search my little box of brass wood screws. I’d file one down a bit, and maybe use Super Glue for a gasket,,,,not so much to plug the airway.