Working on This Wellington

[tuold]

This is my project for today. I removed the damaged lacquer finish, sanded, buffed and re-stained, buffed, waxed and buffed again. Same ol' tune.
The stem has been a real pain. You can see I still have some work to do on it. I've never got one so badly oxidized before. I'll hit it some more on my next day off, but I did want to fire it up for a test smoke.
This is my last Jumbo Wellington....really....unless I can get one with a wind cap. I really needed that today.

 

[danielplainview]

Nice work. Any idea when these were made? From what I've found, WDC pipes are pretty old. I have a giant Wellington similar to yours. Smooth without carvings. I have a short vid of it on my YouTube channel if you would like to see it. A WDC Milano billiard as well.

 

[gmwolford]

Those "fancy" stems can be a real pain! I have been wanting one go these for a while and you're not helping me hold off on the PAD! LOL

 

[igloo]

I know from the ones I have found in my travels you put a lot of work into cleaning that one up . :worship: :worship:

 

[erichbaumer]

If I remember correctly, Wellington stopped producing in the 50's or 60's, so that's as recent as their pipes can be. They're definitely one of the best deals on ebay- classic, good smokers, and cheap.

 

[tuold]

I'll have to do some more research when I get home from work tonight, but it looks like "Wellingtons" are still being made. Pipes and Cigars has some made by Roma and they are bargain pipes. Pipedia says S.M. Frank offered Wellingtons into the mid 80's.
Mine is pretty worn, so I'd guess it's from the '70s. I don't think it had ever been cleaned before being put in a junk drawer for thirty years or so. It was scuffed up pretty badly.
I just saw one on newly listed one ebay for $95.00! Good luck with that! Be patient, Greg. I paid $14.00 for mine and I thought that was at the high end

 

[erichbaumer]

$95 must be some rare version or something...

The current P&C "Wellingtons" are, I believe, licensed remakes made in Italy. I think WDC stopped making them before the 70's, but I could be wrong. Didn't know about S.M. Frank.

 

[hawke]

Very fine looking pipe. Super pipe to try the Peterson System before investing in the real thing. I have one with a cracked bowl, medium sized WDC. Smokes fine but that unsightly crack arggg. Dont know how to fix it. Anyway great work there Tuold!

 

[tuold]

Hawke, I cracked the bowl of my first one by reaming it a little to enthusiastically. All I did to fix it was leak in some Superglue and clamp it for 24 hours. Then sand and re-stain. I can still tell it was damaged, but like yours it smokes just fine.