I’m on a roll with a Lot of 7 pipes I found on a picking expedition in August 2021 when my wife and I were visiting our home of 15 years in Bulgaria. We returned to see friends and we decided to go to the Black Sea coast for some much-needed holiday. We found ourselves on the main walking street in the city of Burgas where I have a favorite place that always seemed to offer up vintage pipes. It doesn’t happen often, but I just completed a pipe from the same Burgas Lot of 7 – a miracle resurrection of a Lorenzo Spitfire Goliath Oom Paul that pipeman Justin commissioned. It came out came out beautifully (Quite the Find in Burgas, Bulgaria: Resurrecting A Lorenzo Spitfire Goliath Oom Paul ).
In the post link above, I described the experience of poking around in the antique shop where I found the Oom Paul and the Big Ben that’s next on the worktable. I love to rummage through dusty shelves and old boxes!
Here is the final Burgas Lot of 7 with the Big-Ben on the top right along with the other Burgas treasures.
Pipeman Gary is from Four Oaks, North Carolina, and he never ceases to amaze me. He has commissioned many pipes from the Pipe Steward since 2021. The first pipe I restored for him made it to the worktable in September of 2022. It was a very handsome GBD Flame 1344 Poker. Since that was the first restoration for Gary, I had made it a point, as I do with every new steward of pipes I restore, to find out something about them. I asked Gary how he had heard about The Pipe Steward and a little about himself. This is what he wrote in 2021:
You asked how I heard about The Pipe Steward. I saw a post on Facebook in the Old Codgers Smoking Pipe of you and your friend Mel that looks like it was posted 
September 16. You and he were having a pipe together in Vladimirska Park in Kiev, Ukraine. You had a wee bit of Hobbit Weed in your bowl. In that post the link to The Pipe Steward was listed. I followed the link and spent about an hour clicking on this pipe then that pipe. I enjoyed looking at all the pipes you have listed. I have your page bookmarked and visit your page about once a week to see if there is something new. I can sitfor hours just looking at pipes and looking at tobacco blends.
I smoked a pipe when I was younger when I was in my 20’s but then I put them aside until about March of last year when on a whim I ordered a pipe and some Captain Black Cherry tobacco. After that the bug bit me again and it has been quite the journey since. I have several briar pipes (several Grabows) and a good collection of corn cob pipes. I thought the corn cob pipe was a novelty but the more I smoked one and the more I read about them the more I enjoyed them. I like collecting the Dr. Grabow’s because they were widely popular during the time I was growing up, which was the 60’s and they are made right here in North Carolina.
I am 63 years old. I do smoke one of them every now and then, but I just like having them in the rack on display. I do receive a little bit of grief from my wife about my pipe and tobacco collections but for the most part she tolerates it and lets me play on. I am still a full-time worker, and I work for one of the largest electric utility companies in the US. I have been with them now for 36 years. I hope to retire in about 4-5 more years and live the rest of my days here on our farm.
Gary’s last words I appreciated when I read them then and still do today:
I am very pleased that I will be getting some truly amazing looking pipes but also will be is a small way helping out the Daughters of Bulgaria. I look forward to hearing fromyou again and looking at your amazing talent of restoring pipes. Until then my friend be well and keep piping.
The picture above was taken in September 2021 with my friend and colleague, Mel, when my wife and I were on a ‘planning visit’ to return to live in Kyiv, Ukraine, and to help with the churches in Kyiv where we had lived for several years in the 90s and 2000s. During that trip, we made the decision to return to Kyiv to live arriving in February 2022. That fateful month unfolded revealing the evil of a dictator who executed a full-scale invasion of a peaceful, freedom loving people. We were not able to return to Kyiv because of this unleashed, unprovoked violence, but we have continued to pray for our dear friends, brothers and sisters, who serve in those churches even today.
Gary’s plan has been to cherry pick the For “Pipe Dreamers” ONLY! online Help Me! Baskets to add to his collection as he nears retirement. I appreciate his support of the Daughters of Bulgaria (now called, Spring of Hope) a ministry helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. Here is the Big-Ben from Burgas, Bulgaria.
The nomenclature is crisp and clear on the left shank flank: BIG-BEN [over] Royal-Silver.
On the right side of the shank is stamped the shape number: 445 [over] MADE IN HOLLAND, the COM.
The stem has a fairly healthy stem logo: B.
I’ve researched the Big-Ben name previously and the first Big-Ben I worked on I did a deep dive to understand as much as I could about this Holland-based pipe production. That previous ‘deep dive’ I repeat here to refresh my appreciation for the Gubbels name that produced this pipe. Big-Ben is produced by the Elbert Gubbels & Sons Company also known as the Royal Dutch Pipe Factory which has also produced Hilson, Amphora, Humbry, IRC, Roermond, Royal Dutch, Thompson, and Porsche Design (See: Pipephil). The Pipedia article dedicated to describing the Gubbels earlier history beginning in 1870 does a good job:
With the help of his family the father of Elbert Gubbels Sr. started a retail shop for tobacco pipes and other smoker’s equipment in 1870.
In 1924 Elbert Gubbels Sr., now father / grandfather of the present owners, transformed it into a wholesale trade business. The company grew steadily and imported pipes from various countries as there were no factories producing briar pipes in the Netherlands. The most important suppliers came from France and England.
When German troops occupied the Netherlands in May of 1940, a period of almost five years began in which the Gubbels family could hardly operate their business at all. During this year of forced rest Elbert Gubbels had a notion of becoming independent of foreign suppliers and he drew up plans to start his own production of tobacco pipes after World War II.
Immediately succeeding the war, it was very difficult to obtain good pipes for the import of foreign pipes was limited and so the time was right to go for something new. In 1946 he launched pipe production at Godsweerdersingel No. 20 in Roermond with a couple of new machines and some workers, a couple of them being foreign specialists and considered himself to commence. Yet the cramped accommodations and the needy equipment of the workshop showed the limits all too soon. It was obvious that the workshop was inadequate, and Mr. Gubbels invested in another building covering an area of 900m² that also offered a sufficient warehouse. Now production could be increased going hand in hand with developing new models and improving the quality of the pipes being produced.
The production grew steadily but it showed now that an “international” brand name was required for further expansion on international markets – obviously no one cared too much for pipes made in the Netherlands. Feeling that the time involved to get a new brand established was too lengthy, Mr. Gubbels bought a small trade company in Amsterdam which owned all the rights to the brand Big Ben and was already well established in other countries selling pipes among other goods. A real happenstance – Gubbels products could be marketed now in all European countries, the USA, Canada, and many other countries, and nowadays they can be found in almost every country world-wide.
The Pipedia accounting above brings us to the 1950s with the acquisition of the Big Ben name. In my research I discovered several good sources describing the history of Gubbels and Big Ben from differing perspectives. The current Gubbels website has an excellent history written by the current president (pictured above) Elbert Gubbels Jr. His accounting adds more details with the family connections and early stories which undoubtedly were passed down generation by generation. The period photos provided also add that historical ‘magic’ that reinforces the bonds conveyed. Here is an excerpt from the early history from Elbert Gubbels Jr. (History):
In the store established in 1872, Johannes Henricus Gubbels sold newspapers, walking sticks, umbrellas, toys and smoking supplies, among other things. Through the window he looked at the beautiful inner city of Roermond, a city with history and where the Roer flows into the Maas. The narrowest part of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany: Limburg! A little further on, 30km west of Roermond is Bree, where Jean Knödgen (a German) started the production of “clay pipes” in 1846.
Johannes Gubbels ran the store for a long time together with his wife, Dijmphna Hubertina. After her death (1896) Johannes remarried with Anna Maria Plum in 1899. She gave him 2 children and after the death of Johannes Henricus she opened 2 more stores under the name Widow Gubbels-Plum. In 1924 her 2 children, Antonia and Elbert Gubbels opened a wholesale smoker’s supply business. Elbert was barely 20 years old when he and his Chrysler, the third car in Roermond, visited customers in a radius of 12 kilometers around Roermond.
Another perspective I discovered was from Arno van Goor, with the moniker, the ‘Dutch Pipe Smoker’ and a contributor in PipesMagazine.com forums. I discovered on RebornPipes, that Steve had posted an article written by Robert Boughton where he compiled more Gubbels history from Arno van Goor (See: A Concise History of the Gubbels Pipe Business from Arno van Goor, the Dutch Pipe Smoker) which I found fascinating to read. Here is how Robert summarized Arno’s closer and personal contribution in Robert’s introduction to Steve:
Steve, here is the Arno van Goor blog that describes so well the evolution of the great Dutch pipe family business known today as E. Gubbels B.V. in the Netherlands. Arno van Goor’s sources are friends of his who know the Gubbels family and business, members of the Gubbels family itself, including Elbert Jr., as well as employees. The information in the following blog, therefore, is culled from direct interviews and other contacts. There is also the fact that Arno is Dutch and therefore closer to the action, as it were! He was gracious enough to provide permission to re-publish the fascinating living history in this forum, although at first I thought it would be excerpts from another, longer blog that had the same basic info. I have been careful to copy and paste the material as close as possible to the format set out by Arno in the original on his website, The Dutch Pipesmoker, at https://dutchpipesmoker.wordpress.com/. However, most of the hyperlinks have been removed, and also the photos below were consistently wrapped in the original text paragraphs alternating from the left to right sides. Perhaps you can fix that! I want to take this opportunity to express my extreme gratitude to Arno for his invaluable wellspring of data on the Gubbels family and business. It gives the most illuminating picture I have found.
I encourage everyone interested in Gubbels and Big Ben pipes to go over to RebornPipes.com and read Robert’s compilation of Arno van Goor’s contribution – it is a good read!
In my general research, I picked up on at least three key junctions in the Gubbels family and business history that stood out to me. The first of these was in the 1950s alluded to above in the Pipedia article – Gubbels acquired the Big Ben name. I was curious to see what Arno would have to say about this period – would he add more as the ‘Dutch Pipe Smoker’? In Robert’s compilation this is what I found:
Gubbels had no brand name yet; he just had the name “EGRO” which stood for “Elbert Gubbels Roermond”. The number of machines, personnel, working space and quality of product were increased, which resulted in a higher output. That made it necessary to expand the market experience and the wholesale network were no longer sufficient. A brand name was needed in order to increase sales, especially abroad. At that time another Dutch company, “De Rijk & Zonen” from Amsterdam, was doing badly. It was not a large company and to be honest, not so interesting. But it did sell British-made pipes with a sought-after, glamorous brand name well-known in many countries: Big Ben. So, in 1956 Gubbels bought the whole De Rijk company. As a result, exports soared in Europe, the USA, Canada, and many other countries.
One of the questions I asked when I first became aware of ‘Big-Ben’ pipes was where in ENGLAND were they manufactured 😊? The surprise was mine when I discovered that Big-Ben pipes had a Dutch COM! Arno contributes information that the Big-Ben name was originally from the defunct company which had produced pipes in London even though the company was based in Amsterdam. Since the brand was already known and marketed, good business sense drove the 1956 acquisition by Gubbels Sr., who needed greater market share to develop the company.
Another key ‘junction’ in the Gubbels’ history was the acquisition of the Hilson brand. Here Arno describes this acquisition which transpired in the 70/80s:
At the end of the 1970’s there were only two pipe factories left in the Benelux countries, those of Gubbels and Hillen. Two different but also complementary 
enterprises. Gubbels sold well in America with their Big Ben pipes while Hilson was a popular pipe-brand on the German market. However, both companies produced high-quality workmanship. So, in 1980 Gubbels bought Hillen, who sadly was experiencing serious financial difficulties. It was decided that all machines, material, and experts were to be moved to the Gubbels factory.
At first the two brands had some difficulty in co-existing. For example, some Big Ben pipes of that period could be confused with Hilsons and vice versa. All in that period of adjustment was positive, characterized by a high output. However, something was changing in the world of pipes and the market crisis meant that quite a few things had to be reconsidered. It was not enough to increase quality in order to compensate for the drop in quantity. Greater investments had to match high-performance products. In 1989 Alfons (Fons) junior (technical production and design) and Elbert junior (sales) took over from their father Alfons senior and uncle Jos and the family tradition was carried on.
I’ve worked on Hilson pipes, and they are unique – usually with Meerschaum lined synthetic bowls. My impression of Hilson was that the line attempted to be on the ‘edge’ and appealed to a newer generation of pipe smokers.
The final ‘junction’ that stands out to me was the financial difficulties of Gubbels in 2012 and again in 2018 and perhaps also in 2020. There is no doubt that the economic, cultural, and political realities of the world have shaped and reshaped the pipe industry over the years going back to the 1800s. More recent history is no exception when it comes to the pipe industry. Gubbels has faced and manages to weather the storms as they have come. Continuing the story written by Elbert Gubbels Jr. from the Gubbels website, frustration yet with determination can be detected in his words (History):
In 2012 Gubbels was forced by the Rabobank to request bankruptcy because an account manager was of the opinion that in 10 years’ time nobody smokes anymore. This statement by the person in question came during the opening of our new premises in Herten. We had just paid for the complete removal as well as for the new corporate identity – all within the financial resources available. We were very proud and were about to present our new corporate identity at the Frankfurt fair (February 2012). The Rabobank thought differently and demanded accelerated repayment and unreasonable securities). A battle we unfortunately could not win … and with that we stumbled at the finish line. We were upset and hurt and no matter what, we wanted to continue our mission. With our own funds and help from suppliers we were able to make a new start WITHOUT a bank. In September 2012 we were able to present our new corporate identity at the international trade fair in Dortmund.
Following this challenge, the company restructured and began manufacturing other accessory items such as pipe cleaners. Elbert Gubbels Jr. described the ‘lay of the land’ in this way:
International laws and regulations that make it almost impossible to legally offer smoking products inside and outside Europe made us decide to close the wholesale business in smoking accessories and to concentrate exclusively on pipes and the production of pipe cleaners.
The next financial crisis I discovered not from the History on the Gubbels website, but from a July 11, 2019 thread in PipesMagazine Forums started by the Dutch Pipe Smoker (arno665), Arno van Goor. He wrote:
Sadly E. Gubbels in Herten, the Royal Factory of tobaccopipes (i.e. Big Ben), is bankrupt. The artisanal production branch of the family company is no more after 149 years. The trading house, Gubbels Trade and BV Gubbels Pipecleaners, on the other hand, continue to exist.
With the production of fully handmade briar wooden tobacco pipes finally stopped, Elbert and Alfons Gubbels say goodbye to a piece of company DNA and cultural heritage. But also, from six involved employees.
“I had hoped to be able to maintain production,” says Elbert Gubbels in an explanation. “But the anti-smoking lobby and the government’s policy of discouragement are terrible. Fewer smokers, fewer stores. While pipe smoking is a certain lifestyle that requires good communication.”
Gubbels wants to keep a part of its history visible but is removing the expensive machine for the Big Ben pipes from the company. “We have a solid stock and cannot keep on stacking. We will first sell it and then have the new pipes made in Italy. Where the briar also comes from. Then we give it a final touch in Herten. This is how we maintain our global market. On a small scale, with around ten, eleven employees, we hope to be able to continue for a very long time.”
Several bloggers contributed to the lament, but I was drawn especially to forum lifer, mso489’s comment which seemed to be prophetic and summarizes the realities that are faced even today:
The tightening tobacco laws and regs will close out more and more businesses and inhibit start-ups. Not a good bet for a business, though a few bold souls launch them. The pipe and pipe tobacco market will live on under the wing of the biggest companies and longstanding companies (I think) but the number of brands of pipes and blends is sure to narrow. My guess is it will all hit a plateau and be neglected as other concerns take over public and public health attention. For those sitting on a ton of leaf, this really doesn’t matter. For people with spare cellars, you might squirrel away some tubs and tall jars. Anyone with twenty or more serviceable pipes, you’re set for life on that score.
When thread contributors started pointing out conflicting information that came out in a news article printed about Gubbels’ difficulties, the author of the thread, Anro, reached out to Elbert Gubbels to see if the issues could be clarified. This is what he wrote:
I just talked to Elbert Gubbels, the owner of Gubbels/Big Ben. The story in De Limburger is not entirely correct, to the chagrin of Elbert. They are NOT bankrupt 
but had to downsize considerably. They had so much stock, which did not sell fast enough, that it threatened the future of the company. So sadly, they had to fire several employees. In the coming months no pipes are produced and the remaining stock is (hopefully) sold. After that the cheaper pipe-lines are made in Italy and finished in The Netherlands. The more expensive high grade pipe-lines will still be fully made in The Netherlands.
Two things strike me about this, Elbert Gubbels is an accessible guy! His passion for his company’s heritage, present and future, comes through very clearly. At the end of the Pipedia Gubbels article is an external link to The Pipes Magazine Radio – Episode 106 interview of Elbert Gubbels Jr. by Brian Levine (See: LINK). The interview was done in September of 2014. I listened in its entirety and can recommend others to do so as well. The sentiment of the interview and my sense of the history of the Holland based pipe company is summarized in Elbert’s last paragraphs of the History on the Gubbels website:
I have experienced beautiful and turbulent years as an entrepreneur together with my family and I do not know if I would have handled things differently, probably with the knowledge of today. But I never regret anything! Things go the way they go and I have learned a lot … but most of all had to learn my lessons. No matter what you do and who you are … there is always a low point somewhere. The great thing is that when you are at a low point there is also a way up … to a new high.
I remain a firm believer in our product. In contrast to other varieties of smoking, the pipe, in our view, fits best in the time in which we now live: a fast moving (virtual) world with (virtual) friends: God for all of us … but each and every one for himself! The ritual of packing and lighting your pipe, a moment to yourself, of peace and mindfulness. In addition, a pipe is a sustainable product in which you burn the tobacco that you have selected. With proper maintenance, a pipe can last for years and even be passed on (with careful use and care) to the next generation.
The second thing that strikes me after reading Arno van Goor’s statement above is how interesting and diverse the pipe community is. I enjoyed reading through Arno’s blog site (https://dutchpipesmoker.com) and discovered that he took a sabbatical from posting on his blog in May of 2022. This post was called, ‘The Last Post’, where he describes personal issues preventing him from blogging. I read through this ‘final’ blog with interest because after reading so much about and from him in the research of this Big-Ben Commodore, I’ve grown in my appreciation for him and his unique contributions to the pipe community. As I read his ‘final’ blog, I was both surprised AND pumped that he gave a ‘final’ nod to the Gubbels company with these words in 2022:
One of the last things I want to tell you is that Dutch pipe maker Gubbels is doing fine. They made the last annual Dutch Pipesmokers Forum pipe and besides being a beauty (see the first picture), it smokes excellent! I picked it up myself at the new 
factory. After the bankruptcy of several parts of their company they pulled through and found a new, better and cheaper location. Gone is the big machine that could produce many pipes per day. Gone are the contracts with pipe-selling sites like Al Pascia. They couldn’t make pipes for the prices they wanted any more. What is left is an enormous stock of vintage raw unfinished pipes, a true treasure.
Elbert (Gubbels) doesn’t have to worry about money anymore, because now he gets his income from making pipe-cleaners for all kinds of markets. In fact, he even can’t keep up with demand, which is a good sign. So he can think of and create new pipes peacefully with the help of some employees. Soon there will be a CNC machine, so they are no longer dependent on old stock. Visitors are very welcome to visit the new factory, walk around and smoke a pipe in the beautiful lounge while enjoying a glass of whisky or wine. Perhaps in the future you can even create your own pipe there!
I’ve searched high and low to find specific information about the Royal Silver production line but could find nothing. In searching on Google, I did find other Royal Silver pipes of different shapes listed on various ‘for sale’ forums, but no information regarding production dating, etc. Here are a few nice looking Big-Ben Royal Silver examples:
With a renewed appreciation for the Big Ben name and the pipe on the table, it’s time to take a closer look at the Royal Silver 445. The stem is heavily oxidated with the olive-green hue covering the entire stem.
The bit, upper and lower, has deep oxidation with scratches. I do not see biting issues.
The stem has a 9mm filter cavity which has collected a lot of gunk. A small dental spoon helps to excavate the tar and oils.
Next, the airway is cleaned using pipe cleaners and cotton buds in the filter cavity.
Addressing the deep oxidation, the stem is put into a soak of Briarville.com Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover. The soak will go through the night.
With the stem soaking, looking next at the stummel reveals moderate cake in the chamber which will be cleaned out. The rim has a stylish thinness to it with a slight sharp bevel on the inner ring. The rim has a thick lava crust which needs cleaning. There are also small dings on the stem edge.
The grain on this bowl has possibilities, but there is small pitting over the surface. The pitting is especially aggressive on the right side of the bowl shown in the second picture below. The pitting appears to be imperfections in the briar itself and not from an injury.
The heel also has some scratching and a small pit.
The Royal Silver name of this line would suggest that the shank cap is silver. It has no grade stamping that I can find which would be a sure indication of silver. Another test is magnetism. Silver is not magnetic. I used a magnet on the cap, and it moved slightly but compared to other obviously magnetic materials, like a small nail, the nail clung to the magnet. What this means is that the cap is most likely silver plated probably on nickel – the magnet ticking on the nickel slightly. It should clean up nicely. A little tug on the cap and it slipped off making cleaning a bit easier. The cap will be remounted later with CA glue.
To start the cleaning process on the stummel, the chamber is reamed with 2 of the 4 blades available from the Pipnet Reaming Kit.
The reaming is followed with scraping the chamber using the Savinelli Fitsall Tool which does a great job at getting down to the floor and cleaning the more difficult angles.
Finally, the chamber is sanded using 220 grit paper wrapped around a dowel rod.
The full arsenal of tools is shown in the first photo with the pile of carbon that has been removed.
After wiping the stummel with a cotton pad, a quick inspection of the chamber reveals no heating issues.
Continuing with the stummel cleaning, the external surface is cleaned using undiluted Murphy Oil Soap using a cotton pad to scrub. There’s a good bit of grime coming off the briar.
A soft brass brush goes to work on the rim to remove the lava. The brass adds a bit of muscle to the cleaning without damaging the briar.
The rim is also carefully scraped using the edge of the Savinelli Fitsall Tool.
The stummel is then taken to the utility sink and using warm water and anti-oil liquid dishwashing soap (my choice, Dawn), the internals are scrubbed using shank brushes.
After the scrubbing the stummel is thoroughly rinsed with the warm water and brought back to the worktable.
The internal cleaning continues using cotton buds and pipe cleaners moistened with isopropyl 99%. A small dental spoon is also used to scrape the mortise walls to excavate tars and oils. It doesn’t take long to know that this Big Ben is going to be a dirty job. The dental spoon scoops the crud out of the mortise. With this 3/4 bent shank, the drilling started first with the larger drill diameter of the mortise itself. Then, angling toward the floor of the chamber, the second airway drilling is made. As a result, the mortise becomes a reservoir of moisture trapped from going down the airway. This is good for the smoking experience, but if the pipe isn’t cleaned regularly, the result is what I’m seeing now – lots of crud….
The pipe cleaners and the cotton buds are relentlessly soiled. To help excavate the tar and oil out of the airway, drill bits are used. First, a smaller diameter than the airway is used to get what I can.
The next bit is a larger diameter and is the size of the airway itself. It fits snugly and it is difficult to rotate the bit by hand. To address this, the end of the bit is clamped in the table vise then the stummel is rotated. This allows the gradual excavation of the airway.
After withdrawing from the airway, the photo below shows the crud in the troughs of the bit. This helps to shorten the cleaning time a good bit, though the cleaning time seemed to go on and on!
It took many, many buds and cleaners and 3 cotton pads to come to a place where the buds and cleaners are coming out lighter. Later, the internal cleaning will continue by giving the internals an alcohol and kosher salt soak.
The general cleaning is done for now and I take a look at the stummel. The rim has been cleaned up so that now one can see the damage to it. The edges are scratched and the dark stain from burning are there. Both the inner and outer edges of the rim are nicked and rough.
The stummel, as observed earlier, has several pits that need to be addressed.
To restore the stummel, I start from the top and work my way down. The rim has worn down over the years and with what appears to be a lot of use. This Big Ben was well loved. The rim is narrow but I detect that there are remnants of a bevel on the inside of the rim with a very narrow flat outer rim surface.
The plan is to give the rim a very soft topping initially using the finer 320 grit paper and bypassing the coarser 220 paper. With 320 paper on the chopping board, the stummel is inverted on the paper and rotated for a number of cycles.
The topping erases the nicks on the outer edge and re-establishes nice lines.
The 320 is followed by topping with 600 grit paper. This brings out the grain nicely.
To address the dark, inner rim edge, a sharp bevel is created by pressing a strip of 320 grit paper between the inner rim edge and a wooden orb. With the paper pinched as shown in the picture below, the orb is rotated around the inner rim.
The same is done with 600 grit paper. You can see the sanding patterns left on the darker paper.
I like what I see. The rim looks great.
Next, to address the pits – I counted 11 in all, each pit is cleaned using a sharp dental probe. All the old fill material is removed.
The stummel is cleaned with alcohol in preparation for the patches.
Scotch tape is placed on the plastic surface to help with clean up later. Briar Putty is made by mixing CA glue with briar dust by pulling the briar dust into the glue until is thickens to the viscosity of molasses.
The toothpick is then used to spot drop some briar putty into each pit. To quicken the curing process the patches are sprayed with an accelerator.
Before continuing to work on the stummel, the cleaning of the internals continues by using an alcohol and kosher salt soak. Kosher salt is used because it does not leave an aftertaste as regular iodized tabled salt. The soak helps to further clean the internals and to refresh the briar. The first step is to pull and twist a cotton ball to act as a wick which is inserted down the mortise and airway through the draft hole.
The stiff wire helps to guide the cotton down the airway until it surfaces through the draft hole.
The stummel is then filled with kosher salt and situated in an egg carton to stabilize the stummel and to position it so that the rim and end of the shank are level. Next, the bowl is filled with isopropyl 99% alcohol using a large eye dropper until it surfaces over the salt.
After about 10 minutes, the alcohol has been absorbed into the salt and cotton and the isopropyl 99% is topped off once again. The stummel is set aside to allow the soak to do its thing through the night.
The stem has been soaking in Briarville’s ‘Pipe Stem Oxidation Remover’ for several hours. After fishing it out, a pipe cleaner moistened with isopropyl 99% is used to clear away the fluid in the airway. The picture below shows the raised oxidation very clearly.
A cotton cloth is used to rub the surface of the stem rigorously to wipe away the raised oxidation. It takes some elbow grease and time to rub as much off as possible.
The soak in Briarville Oxidation Remover did a great job, but the angle of the photo below shows some residual oxidation holding on. The vulcanite surface is also rough.
To address the oxidation and to smooth the surface by removing any small scratches or tooth chatter which is negligible, the entire stem is sanded with 220 grit paper – careful to avoid the B stem logo.
After the 220 grit paper, 320 grit paper is used on the entire stem.
Next, the stem is wet sanded with 600 grit sanding paper, and this is followed by applying 0000 grade steel wool.
The stem is shaping up nicely. Next, the full set of 9 micromesh pads are applied. Between each pad, Obsidian Oil is applied to the stem to guard against oxidation and to give the next pad more traction. The first set of pads are 1500 to 2400, then 3200 to 4000 and finally pads 6000 to 12000.
The alcohol and kosher salt soak lasted through the night and the next morning the salt and cotton wick show signs of soiling which is good.
Acotton bud and pipe cleaner moistened with isopropyl 99% confirm that the internals are good to go. I do a quick whiff test and the bowl smells fresh.
The patches are fully cured, and the flat needle file goes to work to file the patch mounds flush with the surface.
The following pictures show more of the process of filing the patch mounds with this configuration of 3 pits with one patch mound over all three.
The end result looks good. It’s important to remove all the excess patch material. If some of the hardened glue is missed it will show up later during the polishing process as a shiney spot. All the remaining patch material should be in the filled pit alone.
Following the filing, the patches are further sanded with 220 paper to remove more excess patch material and to begin the blending process. In the first picture, care is given to avoid sanding the Big Ben stamp.
The 220 paper is followed by 600 paper. One picture is illustrative of all. The lighter sanded spots have darkened blending better the briar surface.
The sanding continues on the entire stummel using 4 sanding sponges – coarse, medium, light and fine. The sponges further blend the patch spots but also clean up small scratches over the surface.
The sanding continues, transitioning to polishing with micromesh pads. Between each pad the stummel is wiped down with a wet cloth to remove briar dust and to improve the traction of the following pad. First, pads 1500, 1800, and 2400 are used.
Next, pads 3200, 3600, and 4000 are used.
Finally, pads 6000, 8000, and 12000 finish the job. The natural brair hue darkens through the micromesh process.
To continue the polishing, the fine abrasive Blue Diamond compound is applied to both the stem and the stummel. A dedicated cotton buffing wheel is mounted on the rotary tool with the speed at about 40% full power.
During the application of the conpound, a lot of dust is created which clings to the surface. A felt cloth is used to wipe this to make sure the surface is clean for the application of wax later.
The stem has a mini project which needs to be addressed. The stem logo ‘B’ needs to be refreshed. The upper part of the B is thin and may not hold fresh paint.
Using white acrylic paint, a drop is placed on the logo and spread with a toothpick to cover the logo fully.
A cotton pad is used to daub the wet paint to remove the excess and to help quicken the drying process.
Once the paint is dry, using the side edge of a toothpick, it scrapes over the logo and removes excess paint but leaving paint in the troughs of the logo. It looks good – not pristine, but good.
Back to the stummel – Mark Hoover’s ‘Before & After” Restoration Balm does a great job bringing out the natural hues of the briar. Some Balm is placed on the finger and then is worked into the briar. The stummel is then set aside for 10 to 15 minutes allowing the Balm to be absorbed.
After the time has elapsed, a dedicated microfiber cloth is used to wipe off the excess Balm and to buff up the shine.
The silver-plated shank cap was removed earlier on. It’s time to shine it up and remount it onto the shank.
I enjoy using a silver cream first to see how well it does in restoring the shine. The cream is applied per directions and rinsed off.
The cap is then buffed with the cloth provided. The results are just ok. The silver has shined up some, but you can see a lot of marks on the surface.
Applying Green compound next takes the process to the next level. I love to see the comparison. A dedicated buffing wheel for metals is mounted on the rotary tool and the compound is applied with the speed at about 40% full power.
It’s difficult to capture the reflective shine I can see with the naked eye. The picture below shows the restored surface on the top with the silver cream shine below. The compound, a fine abrasive, not only shines the silver but it also removes the small scratches in the metal.
After applying the Green compound, the cap is buffed with a microfiber cloth. My, oh my. Not bad.
To remount the shank cap, regular CA glue is used. Using a toothpick, CA is lightly spread on the inside sides of the cap. Using too much CA runs the risk of it squeezing out onto the briar surface when the cap is mounted.
With the CA spread evenly around the inner wall, the cap is mounted and pressed down on the table to securely seat it. Wow, what a transformation.
Home stretch – the stem and stummel are reunited and another dedicated cotton cloth buffing wheel is mounted at 40% full power. Carnauba wax is applied to both the stem and stummel avoiding the silver cap. After applying the wax, the pipe is given a rigorous hand buffing to remove excess wax and to raise the shine.
This Big-Ben Royal Silver of Holland has been transformed. The grain is very expressive and the silver cap with the military bit makes for a very classy pipe. It has a good feel in the palm and promises much fellowship with one’s favorite blend packed in the bowl. The dimensions are Length: 5 1/16 inches, Height: 1 1/4 inches, Rim width: 1 inch, Chamber width: 13/16 inches, Chamber depth: 1 1/2 inches. Gary has commissioned this Big-Ben and has the first opportunity to claim him from The Pipe Steward Store. A portion of the proceeds of pipes restored help benefit the Daughters of Bulgaria, now called, Spring of Hope. A ‘before’ picture reminds us of how far we’ve come. Thanks for joining me!
