NebraskaPeteGeek

Tag: new old stock

A Marxman Jumbo Dublin Restoration

February 5th, 2024

Written and Photographed by

John M. Young

Okay, I know what you are thinking:

1) “John, didn’t you suffer enough with that last Marxman Dublin?” And,

2) “Hey, you changed the color of your photo background.”

Well, first of all, I’m glad we are on a first name basis now. Secondly, yes I was remembering the Marxman Dublin from Hades restoration the other day while smoking it. That is a great smoking pipe. I now know why it had been so heavily used – because it is awesome. I didn’t have to deal with miniature La Brea Tar Pits within this one, it was unfired. Yeah, you read that correctly. A 1947’ish unfired Marxman Jumbo. And further, yes, I am trying a black background. I am not sure if I prefer it over the blue but that blue would change shades between photos occasionally.

Oh, so now you are thinking, “This guy is a hack! Claiming to restore a pipe that hasn’t even been used. What a kind of deceitful shenanigans is he up to? Next he’ll be running for office.” Dang, calm down there, buddy. I did stuff to it. Restorer stuff, even. I guess you are just going to have to read about my creative process or, flip through the photos and get to the good stuff at the end. Wink.

If you have read a few of my blogs you know that I am a Marxman lover. If you are a newer reader, thank you for stopping by and by the way, I am a Marxman pipe lover. Since I started blogging at the end of October 2022, I have done 4 Marxman pipes. Crazy as that sounds, I actually have many more Petersons than Marxmans. Why the preponderance of Marxmans? I can afford them. Have you seen the prices they are asking for Peterson pipes these days? Thanks alot, Mark Irwin for writing an incredible book, The Peterson Pipe – The Story of Kapp & Peterson (Irwin, Mark and Malmberg, Gary. 2018. Canada, Briar Books Press.) and making people want to collect Peterson pipes (feel free to read this with a sarcastic tone) By the way, Mark knows that little of what I say is serious and I will be giving him a heads-up before I publish this.

I suppose some history of Marman is in order. Feel free to read my prior Marxman blogs (Marxman; Regular Apple, Super Briar, Quarter Bent Big Boy Rhodesian and Marxman Dublin) as they contain histories and commentary as well. Here is a quick review of Marxman pipes from pipedia.org:

“Marxman (Marxman Pipe Company) was created by Robert (Bob) L. Marx in 1934, when he was 29, and after he had worked for the William Demuth Company. His pipes were not outstanding because of the quality of their wood (probably Algerian), but Bob started making unique sculpted pieces, which brought the brand fame in the World of Hollywood cinema. Actors like Zachery Scott, Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, Joel McRae, and Ronald Reagan were some of the faces that appeared on the bowls.

Bob knew how to innovate and took full advantage of marketing and press advertising in order to sell the brand–one of his slogans being “Relax with a Marxman”.

(Marxman – Pipedia)

The Marxman Jumbo that is the subject of this blog is an example of a Jumbo. Here is a 1946 advertisement discussing the qualities of a Jumbo.

(https://pipedia.org/wiki/File:MarxmanBM15.jpg)

This pipe does not have a size stamp though, judging from other Marxmans in my collection it is a smaller pipe. It also is stamped IMPORTED BRIAR indicating that it was not made in France but rather at the New York factory using Algerian briar. I would judge this pipe was made prior to the Mastercraft purchase of Marxman in 1953 as it does not have a foreign maker. Again referring to pipedia.org,

“Bob also produced other brands, such as the “Bench Made”. The company lasted until 1953, the year in which it merged with Mastercraft, then the USA’s biggest pipe importer. Marxman Pipes Inc., was located at 27 West 24th St. New York 10, NY.” (Marxman – Pipedia)

Below are photos of the Marxman Jumbo prior to me doing any work to it.

On to the restoration, and yes, I do consider it a restoration as the pipe is being restored to a condition more similar to how it looked as it left the New York factory (probably a great deal better, in all honesty). Due to the pipe never having been smoked my task of cleaning it was very easy. There was no need to ream the tobacco chamber. Actually there were still chuck marks visible within the chamber. I did clean the airway within the shank using cotton swabs dipped in 95% ethyl alcohol.

I am not sure what the dark colored stuff on the cotton swab was, perhaps a stain or just sanding dust residue? THe stem was even less eventful. I used bristle pipe cleaners dipped in the alcohol. I should say I used one bristle and one non-bristle as I could not get a bristle pipe cleaner through the button.

Next, I took the stummel to the sink for a scrub with Murphy’s Oil Soap. It still had dirt and dust from 70+ years accumulation on it.

See, I did do something to it. The stummel was scrubbed with Murphy’s, undiluted, and a medium stiff toothbrush. After scrubbing the stummel was rinsed with warm water and dried with a cotton dish towel. I returned to the workbench and wiped the exterior of the stummel with a make-up pad dipped in 95% ethyl alcohol. This pad did show some color after the wiping indicating that the pad and alcohol removed something from the stummel.

I am still not sure if the material removed was a light coating of shellac or some residual stain.

I did notice a large sand pit or as I called it when labeling photos a “Weird hole” on the side of the stummel. Although it looked imposing it was only about 1 mm deep and did not appear to be anything more than a surface flaw. A surface flaw that I was not content to leave alone.

The treatment that I chose for this weird hole was to fill it with briar dust then apply a drop of thin cyanoacrylate (CA, super glue) to the briar dust. I thought that the CA would penetrate into the dust and fuse it all together and to the surrounding briar. Good plan, eh?

I assembled the tools I thought I’d need for this hole filling. A cotton swab, fly tying bodkin, small snuff spoon, briar dust and thin CA.

I used a small snuff spoon to place a scoop of briar dust on top of the hole. I then pressed the briar dust into the hole using the back side of the spoon. I also used a fly tying bodkin to force the dust into the hole making sure it had penetrated and filled the opening.I then used a cotton swab to dust the area around the briar dust filled hole.

I thought that a pipette would be the best way to apply the CA to the briar dust.

I placed a small drop on the dust and it soaked in with a little extra pooling on top of the fill. I used the cotton swab to quickly absorb the pooled CA. I was fast enough that the CA did not bond the cotton to the briar. Better lucky than good, any day. Below is the photo of the CA once dry.

I didn’t like where I slightly overfilled the hole so I used the 400 grit sanding sponge to roughen up the carved area. I did not worry about the high spots around the carving as I knew I’d be sanding and micro-meshing the stummel. Below you can see a better photo of the roughened-up fill. The hole was gone.

Next I sanded the stummel with the 600-3500 sanding sponges. Between each sponge I wiped the sponge off on the denim work surface and wiped the stummel with a make-up pad moistened with 95% ethyl alcohol.when finished with the series of sponges the stummel looked like this. I was careful to sand around the stamp. I did not tape over the stamp to protect them.

The shank was then taped with painters tape to protect the stampings.

I sanded the stem with the 600 and 1000 sanding sponges. I wanted to make sure there was no deeper oxidation so, I scrubbed the stem with Soft Scrub on a make-up removal pad. This pad became discolored with oxidized rubberAfter a thorough scrubbing, I did not see any further browning of oxidation. I continued through the sanding sponge series 1000-3500. Between each sponge I would dip my finger tip into mineral oil and rub that onto the stem then wipe the excess away with a paper towel.

Following the sanding sponges I removed the painters tape and proceeded to micro-mesh both the stem and the stummel together. The stummel was wiped with an alcohol wetted make-up pad between pads while the stummel received a drop of Obsidian Oil, rubbed in and a paper towel wipe.

All that remained was to use the buffer to apply a couple of coats of carnauba wax to the smooth surfaces of the stummel and the stem.

This Marxman was a breeze to restore compared to the previous gold band Dublin. Never having been smoked certainly does make a restorer’s job easier. I think the high gloss black stem sets off the briar grain of the smooth areas while retaining the traditional carved appearance of a Marxman pipe. Algerian briar is not renowned for having great grain. This pipe does show a number of small birds eyes on either smooth side. I think the most remarkable aspect of this pipe is the fact that it is 70 plus years old and had never been used for the purpose that it was made. I admit to being torn between wanting to give it some tobacco or leaving it unsmoked for its next companion. I hope that something here was found useful or entertaining. If you like this sort of thing, please click the like and subscribe buttons. Thank you very much for reading the ramblings of an old pipe lover.

Below you will find some photos of the Marxman Jumbo Dublin. Let me know in the comments if you like or dislike the black background.
A new old stock (NOS) Weber “Windpruf” Restoration

December 7th, 2023
Written and photographed by John M. Young

Here we have another pipe from the curiosities rack. This is a pipe that I received years ago and didn’t do anything with since it was unsmoked. Well winter is nearly upon us and it seems like a good time to revisit some of these old pipes and breathe a bit of life into them. I do not recall when this pipe arrived nor from where. I can tell you that a certain granddaughter can use this pipe to raise a certain grandfather’s blood pressure quickly with her ability to take things apart. Given her saying, “Grandpa, I think I broke it” didn’t help. Let the record show that the metal wind-cap slides on and off easily.

You can see that the finish is darkened with age, the stem is oxidized and the metal has developed a patina yet the springs still function like new.

Who the heck is this Weber guy? Carl Weber according to pipedia.org:

“Carl B. Weber was a German from Bavaria. Aged 21 he emigrated to the USA in 1911. In 1938 he established Weber Briars Inc. in Jersey City, New Jersey. Later renamed in Weber Pipe Co..

The firm grew to be one of the giants of American pipe industry focusing itself in the middle price and quality zone. Trademark: “Weber” in an oval. Beside that Weber – especially in the years after 1950 – was a most important supplier for private label pipes that went to an immense number of pipe shops. Alone in New York, exactly the same pipes were found at Wilke’s, Barclay Rex, Trinity East, Joe Strano’s Northampton Tobacconist in Ridgewood, Queens, Don-Lou in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn… Nearly all pipes for Wilke were unstained and many models, for example the “Wilke Danish Bent”, could hardly deny originating of Weber.

Weber Pipe Co. owned and manufactured Jobey pipes – when mainly sold in the USA by the Tinder Box from 1970’s – 80’s. In addition Jobey / Weber bought Danish freehands from Karl Erik (Ottendahl). These pipes were offered as Jobey Dansk. Ottendahl discontinued exports to the United States in 1987 and in the very same year – obviously only as a ghost brand – Jobey was transferred to Saint-Claude, France to be manufactured by Butz-Choquin.” (Weber Pipe Co. – Pipedia)

In other words he was the epitome of the American dream. A true immigrant success story like so many in the history of our hobby. Unfortunately, he has slipped into the mists of history without much acknowledgement. A most poignant observation was written in a Smokers Forum of Pipesmagazine.com by a frjacob:

“I like Carl Weber Scoop pipes — the carved ones. I’ve seen short bios of him & his company online https://pipedia.org/wiki/Weber_Pipe_Co., but I’d really like to know more about him. Like, when did he/his company stop making pipes, and when did he die, for example; and pretty much anything else about him. He and his company were very prominent from the 40’s into the early 60’s. He also wrote two of the best pipe books ever written. I’ve never heard him mentioned at pipe shows or, unfortunately so far as I can discover, featured in the sorely lamented Pipe & Tobaccos magazine.” (Carl B. Weber – Pipe Maker :: Pipe Talk :: Pipe Smokers Forums of PipesMagazine.com)

There ore no responses to frjacobs. and all it says and the bottom is: ” Not open for further replies.” The two books mentioned are most likely Carl Weber’s
1. Weber’s Guide To Pipes And Pipe Smoking (ISBN-10 1438288514)
2. Carl Weber’s The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking (ISBN: B0013OOJQ8)
I have a 1962 paperback copy of the first book and can attest to the easy writing style and informative nature of Weber’s work. It is a lovely little book that you feel you must have a pipe in hand while reading. Topics include the history of smoking to selecting a pipe.

Regarding the provenance of the of this “Windpruf” pipe, sitting on the workbench, I can say next to nothing. It is a Weber pipe dating from 1938-1980s. I could find no Weber shape chart nor history. There are several Weber print ads which are fun to look and do have dates of “1940’s” and “1947” associated with them (Weber Pipe Co. – Pipedia). I will end this history with a quote from Weber himself, “A pipe to be smoked outdoors should be fitted with a cap. The cap will prevent flying ashes from starting small fires and keep the wind from burning the tobacco so rapidly as to cause a cracked bowl. Pipe caps come in various sizes, to fit any size bowl.” (p. 56)*. A generalized Weber quote for a generalized Weber pipe.

*Weber, Carl. Weber’s Guide To Pipes And Pipe Smoking. New York, Cornerstone Library, 1962.

My goals with this pipe were to remove the original finish (clearcoat) to emphasize what looked like pretty grain underneath, revitalize the vulcanite and polish the metalwork while retaining the patina. That sounds like a grand way to spend a winter afternoon. Far better than picking up the leaves that finally fell from the Red Oak tree out back.

This old girl didn’t need a trip to the sink and an introduction to Mr. Murphy. Instead I started by wiping the left side with a make-up removal pad dipped in 95% ethyl alcohol. If the finish is shellac, the ethyl will dissolve it in short order. The pad took off something but not very much.

Hmm, not shellac I guess.

I tried the same thing with acetone on the right side. This pad came back with more material removed but there was still finish left behind.

I tried the acetone on the bottom. Bright red finish and stain. Apparently, at the factory they sprayed the pipes and the finish dripped to the bottom surface and deposited a thicker coating there. Oh well, so much for removing the finish without sandpaper.

I first taped over the stampings with painters tape. Then I got a piece of 400 sandpaper and my small foam block and started sanding the stummel. The

sandpaper worked through the finish quickly. The flat surfaces of the pipe made this easier than I had thought it would be. The only problem was that the

finish clogged the sandpaper quickly and required me to clean the sandpaper frequently. This was done by dipping a toothbrush into alcohol and scrubbing the surface of the sandpaper then wiping the paper on a rag. The following photos show the sandpaper and foam block with the stummel.

At this point I thought I had better address the stem. The oxidation was fairly well developed. The entire stem appeared uniformly brown. I rubbed each side with

0000 steel wool to remove the outermost layer of oxidation. I could not get the stinger to come free of the stem so, I inserted a pipe cleaner into the stinger and placed the stem into the Deoxidizing solution. I figured that about an hour in the solution would be enough.

I returned to the stummel and started working the surface with the micro-mesh pads. I began with a wetted 1500 micro-mesh pad. I followed the micro-mesh pad with a wipe with an alcohol moistened make-up removal pad. I then went to ta wetted 1800 micro-mesh pad and repeated the alcohol wipe when finished with it. I continued with the pads in order to the 4000

micro-mesh pad. Here I removed the painters tape. I figured that the 6000, 8000 and 12000 micro-mesh pads would not remove enough material to affect the stampings and may blend the fresh briar with the old finish. The remaining micro-mesh pads were each used with an alcohol wipe between each. The stummel was then coated with a liberal coating of Before and After Restoration Balm and allowed to set while I worked on the stem.

I removed the stem from the Deoxidation Solution and allowed the excess to drip back into the jar. I then energetically rubbed the stem with a coarse shop rag. The rag absorbed the remaining solution and rubbed off some of the oxidized vulcanite. The stem looked like there was still some oxidation browning present. I used make-up pads and Soft Scrub to remove the remaining oxidation. The pads showed that there was indeed oxidation.

After the Soft Scrub I returned the stem to the workbench and gave the exterior a coating of mineral oil. It now looked nice and black. I ran two pipe cleaners through the stem, from the stinger end, through the stem to remove and deoxidation solution. I then dipped a clean pipe cleaner in the mineral oil and oiled the airway. The stem was ready for the micro-mesh pads. They were used in sequence from 1500-1800 wet, then 2400-12000 dry. In between each pad I would rub a drop of Obsidian Oil onto the stem and wipe the excess oil with a make-up pad.

After the stem was completed I wiped the excess balm from the stummel and reunited the two pieces. I was very glad that I decided to remove the finish here are before and after photos of the right side of the stummel and the

bottom. The grain is far too pretty to keep hidden under that coating of old finish.

I took the brass wind-cap to the buffer. I used a very light touch just allowing the loose fuzz of the buffing wheel to touch the brass. I did not actually allow the felt proper to come in contact with the brass. I lightly brushed the surfaces to clean and polish them. The corners were used the same way to reach the inside hinged areas. I was able to preserve the patina while still polishing the surfaces.

The wind-cap was slid back into position. I applied a thin coat of Johnson’s Paste Wax to the wooden rails on which the brass wind-cap slides. I then gave the entire pipe was given several coats of carnauba wax. This proved more difficult than a rounded pipe. I would get one side buffed and there would be a bit of non-buffed wax deposited on the adjacent surface. Buffing that surface would do the same thing to the next side, Eventually everything was evened out and made pretty.

Overall this restoration turned out very nicely. It was enjoyable not to have a bowl to ream, nor a dirty airway to clean. The new finish really shows off the grain of the briar. The stem polished up beautifully as well. I would like to say that this pipe is ready to return to duty but the poor thing never got any use, much less duty. Either way, she is clean, shiny and ready to be smoked. I hope you found this useful in your own restorations or entertaining. I thank you for reading the ramblings of an old pipe lover. Oh yeah, If you did like this please click the like and subscribe below.

Here are the photos of the finished Weber “Windpruf”. Ready to report to duty.