Cracked Bowl now what?

[WaRevo]

Ok so I have an Hand Made Londonaire De Luxe 128. Thought i would give it a good ream. this pipe mostly been smoking PA so I haven't cared much about keeping it reamed. Looking over the pipe I don't see anything suspect and had I known what I would get to I would have taken starting pictures. Anyway, there was a nice cake in the bowl and the cake was even no odd spots or any signs of damage. So I started reaming out the bowl with my Senior Reamer and after a couple of minutes of turning I pull it out to dump out the cake that has been scraped off so far. I look and I see what looks like a crack?? look at the outside of the bowl and I don't see anything and so I think no big deal it is just a crack in the cake and keep reaming out the bowl. I can clearly see now there is a Crack and it does go all the way through. So I like the pipe. It is a product of Thomas Christiano. I know it isn't to old because he didn't start making pipes until the early 80's However I like the pipe and wonder if there is a Meer lining that could be ordered? I know back in the 30's to the 50's there was some pipes out there that was sold with the pipe, and 2 remove able Meerschaum bowls. You could let one rest while smoking on.... Besides trying to make my own Plaster Of Paris bowl liner is there any other options? Guess it could just be a Rack Pipe if nothing else. It has been well used.

James

 

[derfatdutchman]

It may be fatal, you could try pipe mud. My advice is to contact a few pipe repair places and see what they say.

 

[WaRevo]

Yes I was thinking the same thing. (Fatal) I have enough other pipes that it won't set me back any. I just like that it is a larger bowl straight pipe. Maybe I can use this as an excuse to get a Poker I don't have any yet. I will just make a Rack for pipes that shall be looked at not smoked... Now i just have to pick another one of my pipes for PA. I smoke about 3 bowls of PA a day.

Thank you
James

 

[javajunkie]

so, if that is just a go-to PA pipe for you, why not just smoke it? PA is easy to get along with, hard to flare up, and cakes a pipe easily. it may cake over, and be easily forgotten about. or it may rupture, and you have to retire it. but if it is just a performer with a special place in your heart, why not try and make it a light duty pipe?

 

[JustTroItIn]

If you really want to repair it I found this interesting article on the net. This guy used superglue and briar dust on the outside and JB Weld on the inside.

http://rebornpipes.com/2013/04/18/can-a-cracked-bowl-be-repaired-taking-a-lesson-from-gan-barbers-work/'

It does look like an awful lot of work, but if you enjoy doing this kind of stuff it wouldn't be bad restoration practice either.

 

[derfatdutchman]

I read the article, while I see no problem with using briar dust and super glue on the exterior. Using JB Weld inside the bowl is beyond what I would be comfortable with.

 

[WaRevo]

so, if that is just a go-to PA pipe for you, why not just smoke it? PA is easy to get along with, hard to flare up, and cakes a pipe easily. it may cake over, and be easily forgotten about. or it may rupture, and you have to retire it. but if it is just a performer with a special place in your heart, why not try and make it a light duty pipe?

Thank you for the advice. I was going to try and smoke it again a couple of times to see if I could get it to cake even as before. I do know that I checked the pipe for leaks and it does. While holding my thumb over the bowl and blowing back into the bit, It has a large amount of air flow from the crack. I have thought maybe take some cigar ash and some water and make a paste, Fill the crack on the inside as even and thin as I can, let it dry. Then carefully try and smoke a cake into the pipe. If it works all is good if not then oh well. I thought maybe get a couple of times a week use out of it, would be better then non...

Thank you for all the info. It isn't like it is really that great of a pipe. But you know there are somethings that a person at times grows accustom to. This pipe and PA is one of them things for me. Sorry can't really explain it. But I smoke PA to break in a pipe and no issues. However last night I smoked some PA out of 2 other pipes. Both smokes I was disappointed. (I am not trying to smoke them to break them in but to enjoy the time like I could with the Londonaire, both pipes just couldn't do it) Again trying to explain what is in my head or on my tongue. Isn't easy LOL....

Smoking on. Thanks all.

James

 

[javajunkie]

ugly coffee mug, standard-ass coffee, nothing special, but it IS special because it is part of your routine, and it makes your morning complete. this pipe is your ugly coffee mug. i get that. that's why i recommended you just give it a shot. nothing to lose at this point, really. but i do wish you good luck with it, man.

and, FWIW, i would be REALLY leery of any foreign matter actually IN the bowl myself. just me.

 

[WaRevo]

ugly coffee mug, standard-ass coffee, nothing special, but it IS special because it is part of your routine, and it makes your morning complete. this pipe is your ugly coffee mug. i get that. that's why i recommended you just give it a shot. nothing to lose at this point, really. but i do wish you good luck with it, man.

and, FWIW, i would be REALLY leery of any foreign matter actually IN the bowl myself. just me.

Understand and agree. One of the reasons I was thinking of using Cigar ash and water (Paste) made from cigar I smoked and water that has been Distilled. I guess my thought is to make it so the paste will plug the crack enough to let me smoke the pipe and may get a even cake built. I am almost afraid that if I don't do something to plug the crack it will cake around the crack.....

Thank you
James

 

[WaRevo]

Well ok, don't mind me. You see. I from time to time don't have a clue what the heck I have in pipes.....

First off lOL found a Peterson 608S (Dang I keep saying I don't own a Peterson)

Secondly in my collection of Pipes I have a perfect replacement (Ok not perfect) however it is thought to be the maker of the Londonaire brand. This is a CALABRESI Imported Briar This pipe is a little shorter and the bowl is deeper. This one is the main brand of the 2 pipes created by Thomas Christiano. I like the Londonaire in the looks better but this one seems to smoke about the same. I am still going to fix the other and see if smoking it a couple of times a week and use this one the other times seems to work. YAaaa. feeling better and this pipe is starting to grow on me more

One of the problems with having a few to many pipes is you forget at times what you have... I was just going through the pipes looking for a smoker for the PA. Just happened to be this Pipes turn when I looked at the name I was wait a minute. This is the Main brand of Londonaire..... (Thought to be anyway) I think this pipe needs a new look. Only problem is I don't want to change the marks on the pipe. First 2 letters were already poorly applied and the C on the Stem is almost gone as well.. To make this a little less of a Pain in the image department I used the make a Gif from my iPhone photobucket app to make an animated pic to show 4 pictures in the one. Sorry if quality isn't the best....

James

 

[cgraunke]

Four pictures would be better. Can't really get a look at anything before it changes again...

 

[WaRevo]

Four pictures would be better. Can't really get a look at anything before it changes again...

Thank you for the advice I am little new to what is good and isn't.

Picture of some fills

Picture of the missing first couple of letters in the name and C on the stem almost gone

Better picture of the Name and grain