Aquestion to the professionals

[piepenhoeker]

Hi Everyone !
I have some presmoked and some unsmoked estate pipes and started to refurbish them for selling.
Some of them have an unkomfortable fat bit and some have aditionally such a tight slot that you can hardly get a cleaner in it.
While working on them I asked myself:
Shall I flatten the bits and open the slots?
Will a potential buyer honor my work - or will he say:
It is not the original!

What is your opinion?

Thanks in advance,
Rolf

[ArtGuy]

Hi Rolf, good to hear from you. As long as they are not special collectable items I say why not? For every one person who does not buy the pipe because of the alterations there will be another who will.

I would not do it if it is a collectable or artisan pipe with the orginal stem. However, a factory made pipe that has no special value other than a smoker, I have no problems with that.

[KurtHuhn]

I agree with John. If it's not an artisan pipe, I see no reason not to modify the bit. I modify all the "factory" pipes I get for better smoking or comfort. All except Karl Erik pipes, for some reason they always seem to be very comfortable.

[Nick]

I'm gonna buck the trend here and say no, don't mess with them. Every minute you spend on refurbishing them is money that needs to be made back. If you could charge a higher price because of the work you put into the bits, then maybe. But otherise, clean them up and sell them.

[ArtGuy]

Oh sure, Nick, go and be all practical with us while the rest of us dwell on the philisophical

[LexKY_Pipe]

I kinda agree with Nick. In the words of that great American philosopher: "Git 'er done!"

[Tano]

Here Here!

If a pipe is worthy of restoration, then restore it. Someone will be worthy of ownership. Furthermore if an artisan failed at his craft and the pipe is unsmokeble then that pipe, in my opinion, is not a true collectable.

[piepenhoeker]

Have here a first number of 40 pipes:
http://www.werbegemeinschaft-cuxhaven.de/collection.htm

Now tell me what a collectable is and what not ???
The president of the Vancouver Pipe Club is a big Stanwell collector for example.
There are rich high grade collectors - there are poor mid grade collectors.

The unsmoked "Gasparini" has a small but thick and IMHO uncomfortable bit - shall I modify the bit and advertise with "Piepenhoeker´s bits" ?

[Nick]

Those are all fine looking pipes. I'd just clean them up. Perhaps you ought to offer to slim down the bit on request? That way you only spend the time on those pipes where people will appriciate it. Make it a service for not only pipe you sell, but pipes people may have bought elsewhere. Charge a nominal fee for pipes bought else where and make it free for pipe bought from you.

[piepenhoeker]

I thought about it, Nick.
But as you all know - shit happens.
Worked on a Kaywoodie today and when I came to the bit with my steelwool a crack appeared which I could not see earlier because of all the slubber:


What shall I tell a customer when I damage a stem while flattening the bit ?
Once the work is done I know that I can offer the pipe.

Where can I get a original replacement stem with the Kaywoodie emblem on it ?

[StephenDownie]

Now tell me what a collectable is and what not ???
The president of the Vancouver Pipe Club is a big Stanwell collector for example.

Hey Rolf,

Good seeing you here. Bas Would probably dissolve into a puddle of tears if you started modifying a higher end Stanwell. Let me know if you do, I want to break the news to him myself.

[piepenhoeker]

LOL, Steven, you can send Bas these pictures:





The centered pipe I have in a 3-days-auction on ebay.
The "P" lip bit on the "Vauen" I will alter into a standard bit.