Pipe Restoration

I’d never given much thought to pipe restoration.  I have a bunch of pipes in my rotation so they don’t get overly used on a day to day basis.  Nothing that would require more than a pipe cleaner run through after each smoke and a semiannual cleaning with a little grain alcohol to keep it clean and dry.  I’m not a clencher so tooth marks are not a problem and I don’t let the wood dry out by frequent application of Briar Pipe Wipe. However, recent circumstances made me consider professional help.

I was high bidder on an old Castello Sea Rock SC 84. I took a chance on the pipe because it was an old one but I would be less than truthful if I said I was not disappointed when I opened the box. The pipe had been smoked hard, put up wet and ignored badly. The cake was oppressive, the smell of the bowl foul, the briar in poor condition and the teeth marks on the stem looked like a series of moguls. While I got it at a medium to low price, the condition in which I received it made it useless to me.

I sent the pipe off to Scott at PipeRestore last week.  I received the pipe back today and all I can say is WOW! The pipe itself looks like new and the stem is almost perfect. Stain matching was great.  I can hardly imagine this pipe looking much better new from the factory. Today I opened a new tin of Solani Aged Burley Flakes  as I reserve my old 84s (SC, pre SC and some large K ones) for burley blends.  The pipe and tobacco were a great match.

I have a large group of 84s and this one now is fit to be in the collection. Thanks to Scott for his work.  He saved what I thought was going to be wasted money and turned it into a regular rotation pipe.  I highly recommend him to you, should you need pipe restoration work.

Happy smoking!

A Good Cause

As most of you may have gathered, I have a preference for a single shaped pipe from a single maker.  In fact, I haven’t purchased a pipe that was not a hawkbill and even more I haven’t bought one that wasn’t a Castello in over 10 years.  Also, I haven’t had the urge to buy any other pipe.  I am perfectly happy with what I smoke.  I ascribe to the ‘smoke what you like and like what you smoke’ tenet. 

However, I heard a about a ’cause’ at the recent CPCC show.  John Seiler and Bill Kotyk were sitting with us at a table in the ‘fest tent’.  Bill told me he had five pipes left from the work of Steve Weiner.  As many of you know, Steve died unexpectedly in 2002 and left a family behind.  Bill had taken many of the unsold pipes and was selling them for Bonnie, Steve’s widow and sending her ALL the money.  He was making nothing and taking nothing for expenses.  He said there had been no movement on the remaining five pipes over the last several shows he attended.  I found this quite compelling and towards Saturday afternoon, I went by his table to see what was there.   Of course, there were no hawkbills but I felt the need to do something for them.  Having been widowed myself in 2001, I felt my heart strings tugging at me and I bought a nice bent bulldog style pipe. It’s a nice piece of wood and very well made.  Bill told me to make out the check to Bonnie but I paid in cash so he’ll take care of it. 

There are four pipes left that need to go to a good home and it’s for a good cause.  If you are interested, contact Bill Kotyk or John Seiler.  If you don’t know how to get in touch with them, contact me and I’ll get you in touch with one of them.  I’m sure you can work something out with them on one of the remaining four pipes.   I sure hope we can sell those last four pipes and help a family too. 

Happy smoking.

CPCC 2008

It’s Monday morning and I’m back from Chicago.  Mike and I left Chicago on Sunday morning at 0500 Central time.  We arrived in Gadsden about 1645 and I made it to Eufaula about 2030 Central. It was a long day but worth every mile of the trip.

The show was full of surprises starting from our check in when we were greeted with the news that not only was the resort area non-smoking, recent news from the local health department required the mega-center (where the show is actually held) to be non-smoking as well.  This moved almost all smoking activity to the ‘fest tent’.  After the initial shock, we decided to unpack, have a short one and see how these arrangements were going to work.  We met some friends in the ‘fest tent’ and the show started in earnest for us.  Inside the tent were all the amenities one could expect:  comfortable temperature, food, beverages and they even installed a hard floor with outdoor carpet.  It was really first class.  My only suggestion for improvement would be to serve coffee in the mornings there but it was available for purchase in other areas and many brought some into the tent for a morning smoke.  Mike and I spent the entire evening in the tent and ended our Thursday there.  In my estimation, this was a first class operation, well thought out and executed.

Friday (golf day) started out fairly nice with no rain and warm temperatures (for Chicago that is).  However, the radar was a  harbinger of things to come.  My group was the first to start at 0800 and by about the 7th tee, it began to sprinkle, by the 9th tee it began to rain and by the 11th tee, I was soaked to the bone and on the 12th tee, lightning required us to vacate the course.  After an extensive rain delay, we finished our round.  My golf certainly went downhill after the delay and we finished our round at plus 1.  Not great but we had a good time (rain notwithstanding).  While I was a drowning rat, my cohort in crime, Mike McCain was in the Pre-Show.  For those who do not know, we both collect Castello Hawkbill pipes shape #84.  Well, he runs into an old friend of ours, Mike Penix (sure are a lot of Mikes in the world!) and amazingly, he has one for sale.  McCain picks it up.  It’s a nice GG sized smooth pipe and a deal is struck.  Interestingly, this pipe used to be mine and went to him in a deal a long time ago.  So a great find early on at the show.  After I dried out a bit, we go back to the Pre-Show and I take a look around.  I picked up  several tins of the new/old Squadron Leader in the limited edition green label tins.  I like the regular production Squadron Leader and hope this one turns out to be as good.  Later that day, we get word that Chuck Rio has an 84 sale that used to be McCain’s pipe and  he has first shot at the pipe should he want it.  The anticipation grows as we wait till that evening to get to see the pipe. Sure enough, the deal is struck and we have two large GG pipes from 1998 that are back in our possession.  After some bartering and discussing, my old pipe is now mine again and his old pipe is his again. A win/win for us.  As I say, they all come home sooner or later! (Mike Penix, if you are reading this, you still have a nice red OA that could come home if it wanted to. ;-)  ) Mike also saw a couple other 84s on a table for sale but nothing that we needed to acquire.   Friday ended just as Thursday ended with us in the ‘fest tent’ smoking and enjoying the time with our friends.

Now I don’t know about you but I’m always up early on show day!  Maybe it’s from the days where I displayed my pipes or just the excitement a child experiences on Christmas morning, but either way, I’m always up early on show day.  This one was no exception as I woke up about 0600, four hours before we could get in the show.  After I managed to drag Mike out of the bed, we had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and moved out briskly to the ‘fest tent’.  Again, it was the gathering place for friends to smoke and exchange word about early victories while we waited for the door to open.  At 1000, the doors opened and there were long lines waiting to get in. Having already scored a victory with our prodigal son 84s come home, we decided to wait about 20 or 30 minutes before going in, trying to evade the long lines.  We were successful, and were able to pay our entry fees and walk right in.  We decided to split up, one starting on the left side and one on the right side, scout the tables and then meet somewhere in the middle.  Although there were lots of beautiful pieces to see, alas, there were no interesting 84s for us.  I was disappointed with the Castello 84 selection.  Even the Castello distributor had no 84s with him this year.  Usually, Marco brings quite a few as he did last year.  I guess they just are not in production right now.  Through out the day, we would alternate between the ‘fest tent’ and the mega-center, actually spending more time in the tent than we did in the show.  One of the big events of Saturday is the silent auction where folks donate items to be auctioned off and the show benefits from the proceeds.  I bid on a couple items but was outbid.  The silent auction closed about 1530.  We spent some time in the ‘fest tent’, retired to our room for a short break,  had supper and returned to the  tent for the remainder of  the evening.  Again, the room was filled with smoke, laughter and good friends.  Having to get up early and head home on Sunday, I called it a night relatively early.

Sunday morning came too quickly for me and after 900 or so miles on the road, I arrived home safely.  We had a goodly amount of time to think about this show and how things turned out.  I believe I had more fun at this show than I can remember in recent years.  I credit this to the ‘fest tent’ where we had to congregate.  Maybe it was one of those unintended consequences but either way, having a single large meeting area, where we could meet and smoke really turned out to be a great venue.  Not smoking in the show area was not good.  However for someone not chained to a table, it was manageable.  I can’t speak for those who had to stay with their displays.  For me, attending the show was well worth the trip even with the issues surrounding the IL laws.  Congratulations to the CPCC show staff and all concerned at Pheasant Run for a super time.  I am already planning on next year’s trip.

Here are some pictures from the show.  I hope you enjoy them. Happy smoking.

 

 

 

My Chicago Wish List

It’s Thursday and in just short of a week, I head out for Rainbow City, AL. I’ll remain over night there and Mike McCain and I will head out for Chicago on that Thursday. As the show draws nearer, more and more, I spend my idle time thinking of the show and what surprises it may bring. Of course, if all I did was drive to Chicago and back with McCain and see a few buddies it would be worth the trip but still, in the back of my mind, I’m excited about the hunt for the perfect… pipe, accessory, or tobacco.

Then I start to create my Christmas….errr Chicago wish list. A really fine tamper is first on my list. I’ve used some nicely made and very functional tampers crafted in brass by Glenn Bethel but recently I read or re-read Fred Hanna’s article “The Hidden Benefits of the Expensive Pipe Tamper”. It has inspired me. So I am on the look out for a really nice tamper. I was going for two at the show but I was so lucky to see a really neat Castello Tamper on Ebay and picked it up. This is a very stylish and functional silver and briar tamper that they offered quite a few years ago. I snoozed and thought I had lost but lo and behold, I got lucky. so I am already way ahead on my tamper search. A really nice ivory one would be neat too. I’ve seen some on line but none that excite me. Maybe I’ll get lucky at the show.

Next on the list is some good tobacco. I’ve already got a big order in with PCCA and will get that sometime in early May. But I’m still going to try and get some of my other favorites at good show prices such as Samuel Gawith’s Squadron Leader. Also, I’ve got a friend who can’t make it to the show so I’m on a mission to score as many good tobacco samples as is humanly possible. As many vendors will let you have a free bowl of tobacco, I considered buying one of those huge Castello pipes Bob Hamlin has on Ebay. I can just see their eyes if I showed up with one of those and emptied half a tin in that monster. So good tobacco is on my list.

Finally, I come to pipes. Having such a focused collection, I am never optimistic about finding my pipes at a show. But when I do, it’s usually amazing. Last year it was the new FLAME pipe. A few years before I got a Castello 84 sitter. I don’t know what possibly could show up but I’m always surprised. Sometimes Castello has a new one and I get lucky. Sometimes I find one on a table but more often than not, someone will come out of nowhere and say, ‘hey, are you interested in this pipe?’ and then I’m in trouble. Yeah, hopefully I’ll get a big surprise this year.

I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.. accessories, tobacco and pipes. But you know the truth, if I don’t buy a single thing, just seeing my friends makes this trip all worth while. We’ll miss you this year Bob!

Preparing for a Pipe Show

It’s about two weeks till we set out for the Chicago Pipe Show. Again this year, I have the pleasure of traveling with Mike McCain. We enjoy the trip so much, it’s almost as much fun as the show itself. This year, we’ll arrive on Thursday evening, enjoy the festivities on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and strike out for Alabama early Monday morning. But this is not about the trip itself, this is about preparing for a pipe show.

When I first started attending pipe shows in 1997, it was easy. Grab my wallet, keys, a change of clothes and out the door. My first show was NYC in the late summer of 1997. I only had a few pipes at the time and almost no good tobacco.  It was easy deciding what to take and what to smoke.  I was fortunate enough to travel to the show with Mark Tinsky, John Hayes and Paul Bonacquisti. I spent my entire fund allocation for that show in the first 30 minutes. I met Bob Hamlin and learned of the Internet pipe community. I was overwhelmed to say the least. What an introduction to the pipe show world!

As my collection grew, I decided to start displaying my pipes inspired by the efforts of Mike McCain. I remember my first display. I had 13 Castello 84s and arranged them in a wagon wheel display. I had the good fortune to be next to Mike McCain’s display and of course he won the show award that year. I certainly learned a lot from him. He coached and taught me every thing I needed to know about displays, themes, and information. Key issues for displaying pipes.

In preparation for displaying pipes then, I’d spend weeks getting ready. First I would do a major cleaning on each pipe, carefully removing any buildups on the pipes surface, a good clean reaming and complete sanitizing inside with 190 proof grain alcohol. When the pipes were squeaky clean, I’d give them a good polishing with an old briar pipe wipe cloth I still have to this day (and still use). Early on I had to decide how to display the pipes. I didn’t have enough that I had to decide which pipes to display just yet. I would sketch the design, decide which pipes went where and then clear off the kitchen table and do a practice setup. When satisfied, I adjusted the sketch and carefully packed the pipes for the trip. As the collection matured I changed my basic layout. By then, I had started using spread sheets to detail where each and every pipe and accessory would go on the table. The same attention to detail on cleaning was maintained but now I had to decide which 45ish pipes would go on the table. This was harder than deciding how to display them. I had to get pipes from all periods of production, all sizes, all colored stems, all finishes, all the special pieces, and so forth. I had to pack the seven day sets, Castello tobacco tins and tampers, and all the stands. It was quite an experience doing so. Additionally, I had to update the information paper on Castello pipes to keep up with changes and new lines. One such change was the addition of the FLAME finish.

  After displaying for many years, I started to sustain significant damage to my collection. On one trip, the airlines decided to break the top off an antique seven day set case. Another trip casualty was a major ding in the case that came with my seven day set. The damage and cost has caused me to scale back my displaying efforts. I may do so again but I’m taking a few years off.

Now, preparing for a show is much less intense than when showing pipes but a lot more goes into it than when I first started. Even more challenging than showing is selecting the right pipes and tobaccos for the weekend. Being limited to about 10 or so pipes for a weekend really challenges you to pick them from 75ish pipes. Some are must picks (the big FLAME, the EPOCA, the early 50s pipe) but many are hard to choose from so many nice pipes. I must have burley pipes. I must have Orient 996 pipes. I must have a general English blend pipe or two. The more I think about it, the more the number may be 15 pipes. Then I have to move up to my big case. And I thought this preparation would be easier. I still have to clean my pipes as before. The decision to cut pipes from the trip is harder than before because I take even fewer. Before it was the display that dictated the rotation, now it’s the pipe tobacco. As I consider the entire process, this may be even more difficult than my pipe display period.

Wow, only two weeks left before the show and I have so much to do! Now where did I put that grain alcohol! Happy smoking.

The Day after the Pilgrimage

  As I mentioned before, this past weekend was our town’s biggest single event of the year.  It’s known as The Pilgrimage and this year the dates were 4-6 April.  The festival has various exhibits.  This year, there was an art show, a display of restored old tractors, vintage Thunderbirds, and last but not least corvettes.  To add to the festivities, local civic organizations were grilling pork loins for lunch.  An excellent meal followed up by a nice cup of Blue Bell ice cream.  But the stars of the show are the beautiful homes and gardens.  The first full weekend in April is the target date for the event and is based on expected peak show of the town’s beautiful Southern gardens.  I will say that I believe the peak was earlier last week, about Tuesday or Wednesday but the show was still spectacular on Friday. Unfortunately, it rained cats and dogs on Saturday (we got 4.75 inches) and this caused a significant decrease in visitors for what is usually our biggest day, as well as beating down some of the shrubs.  At any rate, the flowering shrubs and trees did their best to make this a wonderful weekend for tourists and residents alike.  So, with no further introduction, here are pictures of the stars of the show.

                 

Thoughts on a Pipe Rotation

Today I was reading Sparks’ thoughts on rotating pipes on The My Pipes Community website.  This got me to thinking about how I’ve done it in the past, and what I’m going to do now for the future.   I never smoke a pipe two times in a row and probably never twice in one week.  At one time, I was an any tobacco in any pipe type of person.  Then I went 180 degrees and only smoked one tobacco in one pipe.  Somewhere along the way, I’ve gone to smoking categories of tobacco in a single pipe.  So I have English/Balkan/Scottish/Oriental pipes.  I have Burley Flake pipes and Virginia/Perique pipes.  But I’m not sure that’s where I need or want to be.  

Just this week I took down all my pipes to shoot pictures for the collection page recently published.  Today, I face the daunting task of putting everything back in its place.  This provides me the opportunity to reorganize them in any way that suits me, so Sparks’ post  was timely for me.

Here’s how I plan to assign my pipes.  I have several tobaccos that are my staples.   Those are Solani Aged Burley Flakes, Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, Pipe Collector’s Club of America Orient 996,  World Tobac #341 and Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader.  I am going to dedicate at between seven and fourteen pipes to each one of these tobaccos.  Those are my regular, almost always have a tin of one of them open, tobaccos.   This pattern is well suited for one pipe, one tobacco.  But I also smoke a variety of other tobaccos on a once in a year type rotation. For instance,  I really like JJ Fox’s Banker’s Mixture and have quite a few tins of it.  But I only open a tin about once a year.   I smoke the occasional Virginia Perique blend but infrequently.  Again this is not suited for a one pipe, one tobacco assignment but begs for a genre or category designation.  So to answer that demand, I’m going to establish 7-14 pipes as an English/Balkan/Scottish/Oriental category, a few pipes as a Virginia Perique  category and a few as a heavy latakia category. 

How to do this organization without confusion presents some challenges.  Some are easy to accomplish.  I have an 8 pipe rack from The United States Military Academy that I will use for my Solani Aged Burley Flake dedicated pipes.  I have a seven-day set that will become my World Tobac 341 pipes.  I have another seven-day set box (no pipes came with this chest) that I will fill with pipes dedicated to Dunhill Early Morning Pipe  When we lived in suburban Atlanta, GA, I acquired a display case for the majority of my pipes.  I plan to dedicate a shelf in that case for PCCA Orient 996 and another shelf for Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader.  Other shelves will be pipes for my English/Balkan/Scottish/Oriental category blends and finally, I have a few older SC version tan pipes that I will use for my occasional venture into the Virginia Perique flake category. 

Some might be uncomfortable with this level of organization but I find it quite comfortable.  My background as an attack helicopter aviator leads me to checklist solutions of problems.  Will this organization make my smoking experience more enjoyable or not?  I don’t know for sure but it can’t hurt.  Happy Smoking. 

My collection posted

Today I’ve posted a virtual pipe show display of my Castello 84 collection. Follow the link in the navigation bar to see those pictures. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoy smoking them. Unlike some collectors who have pristine, unsmoked works of art, I consider myself, first and foremost a pipe smoker. Do I collect pipes? I’m sure that could be said of me, however, the true pleasure in these great pieces of work is derived by filling one of them up with my favorite tobacco and setting a fire stick to it. Then and only then do I get the MOST from my pipes. Happy smoking.

The Pilgrimage

I live in a small town in South East Alabama. Eufaula to be precise. This is the week of the town’s annual festival entitled ‘The Pilgrimage’. It is an all consuming event for the town with many of our old Victorian homes opened to the public. Although there are only a few of the many homes on display, it requires the work of many to get these homes ready to show, man them during the open house, and to accomplish the many other tasks required to get them ready to show. In addition to the open house event, there are antique sales, craft fairs, art displays, and many other interesting events. Many of the streets in our historic district will be closed. One of the key attractions this time of the year are the Spring flowers. You can see a sampling in the picture of our home. If you are looking for something fun to do the first weekend in May, come and visit Eufaula, AL. It’s a great little town.