9BC

PSAsGlen Whelan wrote earlier this week to say that the PPN pipes have left Dublin. They should be ready for us to purchase week after next. I’ll send every one his or her code as soon as I receive the go-ahead from SPC and SPEu. The Zippo commemorative was mailed out yesterday. If you ordered one, you should have received a shipping confirmation in your email. If you don’t find it (and check your spam folder), drop me a line so I can confirm it for you.   This morning I'm so pleased to have a DIY restoration by the Nebraska Pete Geek himself, John M. Young.  Like Charles Lemon and Steve Laug, John is a frequent flyer on the internet, logging several posts a month of useful and entertaining restorations. What most appeals to me--besides his sense of humor--is that he takes everything one step at a time, providing ample visuals and clear instruction. Just as important, much of what he shows us can be achieved by nearly anyone with a table and a few bucks to spare. However, what is particularly compelling to me about this post from John--which he actually brought to my attention before it's appearance on his site--is that it shows one of my Holy Grail Petes, a rustic Dunmore System 79 (yes, the 309 shape) with the first-version "Pebble Grain" finish and dark contrast stain seen in the 1977-1978 Peterson-Glass catalog. I've never seen one of these in the wild and never thought I would.   A Peterson Dunmore System 79 Rustic Restoration by John M. Young CPG, the Nebraska Pete Geek There are a few searches that I run on eBay frequently and Peterson Dunmore pipes are one of them.  When I first saw this rusticated rascal I thought about my budget and decided to give it a go.  The recent prices for estate pipes have been volatile to say the least.  I've watched auctions increase in price significantly over the past several years, sometimes going for far more than what I think something is worth and other times nowhere near the item’s value, in my mind.  This one would have been a hard pass 3 years ago but with inflation it fell within acceptable limits.  Besides, it was gorgeous.  The auction was won and after a Midwest adventure from Deerfield, Illinois to the wilds of southeast Nebraska it was home.  The pipe came with what I thought was the original box and ephemera.  At least that what they looked like in the eBay listing: The box looked correct in style for the early 1970s.  Upon examination I saw the following: Well, this sure as heck is not a 313 and it certainly is not smooth.  I messaged the seller explaining my disappointment.  They sounded sincere in their explanation that the pipe arrived to them in this box and that they did not intend to mislead.  I call this a learning moment for myself  and was reminded to avoid getting caught up in…