Splicing a Broken Shank on a 1960’s Era Brigham 384 Bent Brandy

Just about the worst thing that can happen to a pipe smoker is damage to a favourite pipe. We wince at the smallest handling marks, dread rim dents and try our darnedest to keep our Vulcanite stems from oxidizing. So I can understand a panic reaction when something really dreadful happens to a favourite pipe. Take this 1960’s-era Brigham 384 Bent Brandy, for example, which had evidently been repaired in a hurry, probably by the same piper that witnessed the beheading of this pipe when the shank snapped off the bowl. Unfortunately, the piper’s initial, and likely quite panicked, response led to further complications.

The pipe was sent to me by a DadsPipes reader from New York State in the hopes that it could be made usable again. He had purchased as an estate pipe, but could not separate stem from stummel to give the pipe a proper cleaning. I…