The Dirty Dozen

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

LL

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
2,084
Reaction score
1
(This is a copy of a post I just made to SF, since there are a number of BoB'ers who don't go there and I frequent both boards.)

I rarely post cleaned up pipes, but this batch seemed like an interesting story.

First, they were acquired as a set, and the taste of the original collector was exceptional. Both the shape choice and specimen choice are outstanding.

Second, they were by a considerable margin the dirtiest pipes I've ever worked on. In excellent condition under the grunge---no dents, burns, cracks, chewed stems, etc.---but they'd been smoked heavily for 40-50 years and literally never cleaned. All had 100% lava coverage of the rim, cement-hard cake closing the bowl to the diameter of a pencil, stem and shank you could barely see light through, and a 100% closed tenon/mortise gap (meaning completely filled with varnish/tar).

Then, once the lava was off I saw something rarely encountered in the PipeWorld---acid etching. On every pipe, the color layer was gone. In fact, there was no longer a clear boundary between the lava and the wood, one just merged into the other. Ditto the airway. It had started to erode outward and was textured like the surface of the moon. It had to be re-cut to achieve smoothness.

In short, the "satisfaction index" of getting this set in shape was the highest I've experienced in recent memory, so I thought I'd share. From a something that required a mask and rubber gloves to handle in the beginning, to a set I would dearly love to own myself.

2n1cro8.jpg


zl9rus.jpg


2hofrjn.jpg


bdsehe.jpg


2vujvgp.jpg
 
Gorgeous! Can you post a "Before" pic? :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
 
Outstanding job
Wish you had taken some before pic
but they look stunning now.
 
I second the before pics...

Its kinda like someone pointing out an elegant woman and saying, "You shoulda seen her before the diet, the manners class, and the surgery."

No context to ohhhh and awwww over...
 
That's great work and no doubt a lot of satisfaction for you, LL.

The reward level on your job site must be high...
 
Gorgeous as always. If I remember right George doesn't often take before pictures so we might be out of luck...
 
jhuggett":4f2ojuz2 said:
If I remember right George doesn't often take before pictures so we might be out of luck...
Pretty much. I'm always too eager to get started, then find myself saying, "Next time I will!" But rarely do... :lol: It's like diet or exercise resolutions.

Here is the closest I have. The set as it arrived (but no close ups or where the rim or chamber can be seen); and a shot I sent to the owner after reaming and de-lava-ing to show the acid erosion.

The only way to see cake-closed bowls is to put something like a cigarette in them, anyway, because matte black is (effectively) impossible to photograph.

k97h3.jpg


iz4ait.jpg
 
Very nice LL! Looks like someone happended on an instant collection enhanced by your magic.
 
Outstanding! :cheers: Hard to believe they're the same pipes. And glad someone put the time and energy (and a few $s) into resurrecting what are apparently fine pipes. It would have been a shame to let them "die".

Natch
 
Such a nice job you did,had to be satisfying after you finished.

Winslow :sunny:
 
I'd like to get my hands on that chubby billiard (a LB?). Nice looking set of pipes, but that one stands out.
 
,,you must be endowed with patience,,, great job
 
Outstanding job! What a fantastic collection of pipes, simply phenomenal!

Lou
 
The before and after are incredible. Fabulous work restoring those! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
 

Latest posts

Top