Refurbing a gourd calabash?

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Puff Daddy

Puff Daddy

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Saw an old gourd calabash that interested me but it would need to be refurbished and I wonder, given the nature of gourds, if this is as reasonable as having a briar pipe refurbished? I know that a replacement meerschaum cup can easily be put in for a bowl and that a new stem can be made, although given the length and bend of these it may be a bit of work, but what about the gourd itself? Briar can be purged with various techniques leaving the internal wood 'As New', but can a gourd be as easily brought back to neutral?

George?
 
If the outside of the gourd has damage it can't really be refinished, because it has layers. Cut through the "skin" and there will always be a color difference. Try to sand it out, and you just end up with a bigger area of the same different color. Stained gourds look horrible categorically, as do decoratively carved ones unless the carver is VERY good.

Purifying the inside is no problem, though. A variation of the process I use on briars works great. The gourd "tissue" is like an ultrafine-grained, dried out kitchen sponge. Pull the gook from the cells and you're ready to go.
 
If either of you two guys don't get the calabash, I have on that I'd be willing to let go of; either sale or trade. I've had it a while, but rarely smoke it. I had the bowl (meer) and cork replaced about 2 years ago
 
Might be a good reason for us to get together for a smoke Bill! :D
 
Hey Bronx, where'd you get the bowl replaced? I have a calabash my brother gifted me about 25 years ago and the meer bowl cracked last year.
 
Ron
I had the bowlreplaced at jh lowe www.jhlowe.com under pipe repairs. It's a little pricey, around $50 if I remember correctly.
 
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