pipemakersforum.com

I recently received the following letter:





Not unusual in tone---repairing pipes is what I do, after all---but some of the particulars seemed a bit off. So, I thought I would enlist the PF HiveMind to help me out.

Here is a closer shot of the photo that accompanied the letter. Nice pipe, right?





But this is what was actually in the box:






It looks OK at first glance, right? The nomenclature is spot on, too:





But check the other details a bit more closely. The dot, for example, doesn't feel quite right. Too large, maybe? I've never seen a sterling silver band that was quite that color or design, either:




And the bowl has some sort of side-draw (flavor-enhancing?) ventilation system I've never seen before.





The button and slot work also seems slightly un-Dunhill-like:





And finally, there's some type of insect larva tobacco chamber floor-elevation-device that I also assume is for flavor enhancement, but I've never seen used by Dunhill.




I looked for quite a while trying to grasp what it was that made me feel uneasy about this job, and then suddenly noticed that the pipe in the letter's accompanying photo didn't have a white dot. Which is when I decided to post all this and ask for your help.

Do you think it is possible that someone is trying to take advantage of me, here? Hoping that I will try to make the pipe that was sent look like the one in the photo, maybe, and if I can't will sue me or something? (I do have a new Chris Asteriou billiard that's almost exactly the same size I could just send the guy and SAY it's his pipe, I suppose.)

And then there's that missing dot business. Could it be lost in a reflection somehow?

I simply don't know what to do.

Any and all help appreciated.

Come on....what's the problem? All it needs a little cleanup and a quick buff and you are done!

Clearly they think you are a magician!

Well you could always say it will cost an insane amount of money and source a pipe off ebay and send it to him instead...

I'm still trying to figure out who's pipe it is in the picture he sent.

Yup. Just charge him a crazy amount and send him a Dr. Grabow with grain painted on.

I think someone stole my first pipe!

Can you make out what the stamp was under the Dunhill letters?
Just curious.
Rodney

Cut out the pipe in the picture (be careful to follow the lines). Then get some elmers glue ( nontoxic of course) and carefully glue the picture on to the pipe. As far as the white dot on the stem goes, I would just get a rag with some warm soapy water and gently wash it off... its probably just bird shit.

Kiel

Nothing wrong with that, slap it up on ebay with all the others:

"Vintage Dunhill Pipe, very lightly used and well cared for, comes from a pet and smoke free home"

George, be sure to say "Artisan"

I think I saw some pipes that looked like that at a local antique store for like $120. Because they cost so much, they were obviously valuable, which means they were probably authentic Dunhills. Factoring in the uncanny similarity to the specimen you posted, I'd say what you have is totally legit. Draw some grain on it with a Sharpee, dip it a couple times in some varnish, and send it out the door.

duct tape the outside of the bowl. draw on some fancy birds eye grain. you do have a stem stretcher, right?

Thanks gents, for my laugh of the day!

Let me know when to expect it back in the mail! I have full confidence in your skills, and I'm very excited to get it back in original form!!!

Until you pointed out it was supposed to be the dot, I thought it was bird shit.

-Pat

70's era dunhill. just needs a quick buff. if you cant do it george, send it to the briar lab and we will take it from there. i would like to examine it closer anyway. Maybe i can emulate that button design, given enough time and the right steak knife.

RiverWader wrote:Until you pointed out it was supposed to be the dot, I thought it was bird shit.

-Pat

I still think it's 50/50

Since several people here in KC thought the entire situation might be some sort of deception, I turned loose a number of long-time CIA, FBI, and NSA friends to discover who sent the package.

I am sorry to report that there indeed appears to be a possibility some shenanigans were involved.

The DNA testing used on the packing materials and pipe itself did not lead to any known wealthy pipe collector, you see (for who else could own such a magnificent specimen?), but to a mysterious man in Pennsylvania by the name of Mr. C. Lark Secularpound.

Needless to say, that is very disturbing. Does anyone here know this man?

The investigation is ongoing. I'll keep you updated with developments as they occur.

You sure it wasn't a whole family of two thousand secular pounds?

hmm. it certainly has a familiar ring to it. almost as if some of the words were replaced with synonyms...
True story. At my last job there was a "female" that looked suspiciously like a male. it was the subject of conversation for a few weeks. Her last name was stansberry. how odd is it that she was 6'2 with a deep voice and hairy man hands, and her last name just happened to be stansberry, which coincides with Mr. Secularpound. Stan's berry. Adam's apple. it was either very clever on "her" part, or very unfortunate.