WDC Milano resto

[gambit88]

Here is a WDC Milano I just finished up. I believe this one is a Hesson guard. Its stamped Hess followed by a patent number. It also appears to say Granny Briar. I found the patent year to be 1930 so I assume the pipe was made in the 30s or 40s.

I did the normal ream and salt/alcohol treatment. I soaked the stem in oxiclean and to my surprise it didn't have much oxidation. The stem had some deep tooth dents that I was able to get mostly out with some heat and sand paper.
Before pictures. Note how the rim is rounded off. The previous owner probably used a table as a knocker.


I topped the bowl to get it nice and flat again and touched up the rim with a stain pen.

The stinger was all covered in gunk. I sanded it down with some 500 grit and buffed it with brown tripoli.

Last I buffed the stem with brown tripoli, assembled the pipe, and waxed with caranuba.
Here's how it ended up

 

[owen]

Great work

 

[papipeguy]

You did a beautiful job on that.

 

[gambit88]

Thanks guys! This pipe had a really thick stem so I could sand away without worrying too much.

 

[bonehed]

Nice job... I just got a Milano rusticated opera pipe - a great lil smoker so far! Hope yours is the same!

 

[scrooge]

Nice!

 

[lifeon2]

Milano Hesson Guard Grainy Briar

 

[gloucesterman]

Nicely done. It's always rewarding to give and old smoker new life. Restoring a pipe seems to forge a connection you never really get with a new one. I love a new pipe but the ones I've restored are more like old friends. Enjoy.

 

[gambit88]

@lifeon2 thanks! Stamping is kind of faint and hard to read.
@gloucesterman I agree. I've only got two new pipes. All the rest are pipes I've restored.

 

[danielplainview]

It's looking good now. Nice work.

 

[agnosticpipe]

I like what you did with this pipe. Nice resto, and a good looking pipe.

I recently restored an old WDC apple shape, with almost non existent nomenclature, and had an odd push tenon with a weird little stinger. I have found it to be a great smoking pipe, and like you, I love to bring these old little gems back to life.

 

[gambit88]

I got it in just the right light. What i thought was a patent number was actually a date. This one has a patent date of december 1925. There was a different hesson guard that was patented in 1932. This is now the oldest pipe in my collection.

 

[kyrob]

Very nice clean up!