My Great Grandfathers pipe.

[Simon G]

Here's a few photos of my most important pipe. Important, because it's been handed down to the eldest son of each generation, of which I'm the fourth. Thanks to seeing other people's restorations, finally got round to cleaning up & making my great grandads old meershaum smokable again. I've no idea of when he bought it exactly, but I think it was shortly after the First World War. Although he was one of the lucky ones to make it back from the Great War, he had a rough time of it, in Gallipoli & France. So I'm guessing he probably got it on his return home, shortly after. The pipe itself, didn't need that much done to it. The stem was completely seized up, left that in the fridge for a couple of days & that fixed that. The hardest part was cleaning the airway from the bottom of the bowl to the shank. Although it's a gourd meershaum, the bowl isn't removable as others are. So, a lot of time was spent with bits of wire, fishing line & pipe cleaners. An overall clean up & I think it looks alright. At some point in the future, I'll get a new stem made. The original stem was replaced by my late grandad anyway & this one is chipped.
A nice 'faux' brown Amber one would suit, I think.

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All ready for another hundred years!

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[Brooklin Bill]

Grand old meer Simon. That pipe would have attracted a degree of respect back in the day, especially with the silver crown. Most of those big old meers likely had an amber stem. I have my grandad's meerschaum pipe which was restored as best it could be. So I know and feel the same ancestral descent. I have never smoked it as I'm of two minds over "the right thing to do."

Do you get any scent of the type of tobacco he used in it?

[Simon G]

Although I don't know when he bought it, I do know where he got it from. Fred Wrights tobacconist used to be on the high st. In Cheltenham, just round the corner from where his house was. Known locally as the 'Scotsman', due to the large wooden figure outside the shop. The tobacconist has long since gone, but the Scotsman is still going. Albeit in the local museum.

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[Simon G]

Do you get any scent of the type of tobacco he used in it?

There's all sorts of smells eminating from that bowl, Bill. Lol. It's had everything smoked in it. He only smoked St. Julien, but my grandad smoked Exmoor Hunt until they stopped making it, then St. Bruno. Finally my old man only ever smoked condor, thankfully he only smoked this pipe a couple of times. The last time he smoked it, he told me it made him sick. I said a three hour smoke of condor would make anyone sick! Lol.( it's a BIG bowl).

[dmcmtk]

Simon, cool pipe, and a great story!

[Simon G]

I have my grandad's meerschaum pipe which was restored as best it could be. So I know and feel the same ancestral descent. I have never smoked it as I'm of two minds over "the right thing to do."

If your grandad was anything like my grandad, he'd tell you in no uncertain terms to smoke it! Any of the 'old school' generation would say the 'right thing to do' to a pipe is smoke it. Go on bill! I'm going to smoke presbytarian in mine for its first 'new' smoke, what you going to smoke in yours?

[Brooklin Bill]

Oh dear, the challenge is on ...........I'm thinking about it.

[Simon G]

Oh dear, the challenge is on ...........I'm thinking about it.

Good show! I'd recommend something on the milder side, due the size of the bowls & duration of the smoke.

[Briar№8]

Beautiful one, Simon!

Let us know how is it smoking, later. Hope , we dont want to wait 3 hrs!

[Dunstan Hillwell]

Good heavens, Simon. I have a complete soft spot for Calabashes; that one is a beauty and you've done a splendid restoring job on it.
And to think that it belonged to your Great-grandfather. A great tradition handing it down to the eldest son in the next generation.
My biggest pipe wish is to own a Calabash with a silver cup, which I believe is the original.
I bid on a couple on ebay, but I still don't own one.