Opened up my Calabash

[Briar Spirit]

I was amazingly gifted this wonderful Mahogany Calabash a while back by a very dear friend but from the first time I smoked it I found it had a dreadful draw on it and the tobacco chamber in the Meer' top was so shallow and narrow it could hold very little tobacco.

I have thought on it many times but just never had the gumption to try fixing it, today I took the plunge, I couldn't easily send it off to be opened up and leaving it as it was I couldn't smoke it, so what would I lose by trying was my thinking.

First thing was to widen and deepen the Meer' bowl so I set to it after wetting the chamber with a reamer, one of these actually:

Next I needed to lower the draught hole in the Mahogany chamber as the insert blocked the draught hole, after that I straightened the stem then drilled it out, the stem had been drilled from both ends and there was a ledge in its midsection, then I needed to open up the screw in tenon.

It all went exceedingly well, annoyingly I don't have a camera just now so I cannot take photo's to show you guys, this is the pipe I worked on:

Okay so it's not one of those posh Gourd pipes but I can assure you it now smokes superbly, I have just finished a delightful bowl of C&D Bayou Morning in it and WOW, what a super pipe and it was a whole new taste experience for me with this tobacco too, aces all around right here.

I'll post pictures of the work I did when I have a camera.

 

[pepesdad1]

Looking forward to the pictures. Bet it smokes great now.

 

[Brewdude]

Sounds like a real challenging job mate. Glad you were able to suss it out in the end.

Looking forward to the pics.


Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

Glad you were able to rescue that one she's right pretty! As soon as I locate the charging cord I'll get that camera off to you brother.

Jim

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Bet it smokes like a charm Kirk. Very cool looking pipe, btw.

 

[Briar Spirit]

Looking forward to the pictures.  Bet it smokes great now.

It does smoke exceedingly well now Walt, sorry about the lack of photo's, my camera got squished when the 'old' old shed got trashed in the storm, I'll get on it as soon as I can Buddy.

 

[Briar Spirit]

Sounds like a real challenging job mate. Glad you were able to suss it out in the end.

Looking forward to the pics.


Cheers,

RR

It was actually a lot easier than I feared it might be, it was not simple as you will imagine working with a Meer' insert, absolutely fraught with potential for disaster. I have yet to make the opening of the Mahogany chamber 'look' pretty, it's a bit raggedy in there just now but I ran out of time yesterday, work was done well enough for me to enjoy the first proper smoke in this beauty.

 

[Briar Spirit]

Glad you were able to rescue that one she's right pretty! As soon as I locate the charging cord I'll get that camera off to you brother.

Jim

Hiya Jim, thank you Buddy, I have a bit more work to do on her today, hopefully I will get the time to run off out to the shed, I want to darken the wood and smooth out the opening inside the main chamber.

It just dawned on me Jim, is the cord you need to locate a mains power lead, if it is a mains lead Buddy it wont work over here chap, our mains is a different voltage to you guys in the states. Not having a camera is a bummer my friend and your offer is exceedingly generous but if it is a US mains lead then it would be best kept with you my friend, I'd leap at the chance to have a camera all the sooner and am not trying to be rude in any way. Just would be crazy and rude of me to accept your very kind gift if I would not in fact be able to make use of it.

 

[Briar Spirit]

Bet it smokes like a charm Kirk. Very cool looking pipe, btw.

Thank you kindly Chris, it does now smoke very very well, couldn't be happier with it.