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Happy Holidays!!! This week will be my final round of auctions in 2024, what a year!!! Auctions will resume 1/5 ending 1/12. First and foremost, I want to deeply and sincerely thank all of you for checking out my shop week after week and supporting me as not only patrons but friends. I can't put into words how much it means to me and my family and I've said it a ton of times to many of you but the pleasure is truly all mine! I greatly enjoy being able to offer fine pipes week in and week out and see the joy it brings so many. Being that it's the holidays and it's "retail" time, for my final auctions of the year I decided to offer nothing but unsmoked pipes! There is something for everyone and whether you're treating a fellow pipe smoker to something special as a gift or for yourself, I hope you win an amazing pipe that catches your eye! So, for whatever it's worth, thank you a MILLION for your continued patronage and here's to an even bigger and better 2025! All the best to you and yours during this holiday season. Cheers! -Todd aka Deadmanspipes Minoru Nagata is a true artist and one of Japan's premier pipe carvers with his production boutique and sought after the world over. His briar is exceptional, his engineering precise and one of a kind designs aesthetically head-turning! A nice change of pace from the pedestrian, his functional works of art smoke like a dream and are pipes one can appreciate whilst smoking for their profoundly organic style and employment of what the Japanese call "Wabi Sabi" in that imperfection and lack of symmetry IS perfection! If you've been following my auctions you've undoubtedly noticed I recently acquired a handful of some of Nagata's finest pipes collected by a gentleman who was friends with Nagata years ago and was privy to his newest and finest pipes before they would hit market. He amassed a stunning collection, all unsmoked in a wide variety of amazing shapes! This is another absolutely remarkable piece in the bunch, a Pickaxe/Acorn and while it shows some Danish influence it somehow is profoundly Japanese. The tall bowl is strikingly formed with thick walls and a craggy plateau rim with smooth interior leading to a healthy sized chamber with unique center drilling proprietary to Nagata that promises a cool and dry smoke. As the bowl tapers we find a sharp point at the heel while just above a crisp transition to a flared out slightly bent shank with amazing Wenge exotic wood accent piece that is a high end hardwood from Africa and very scare adding a classy touch and holds the original white acrylic fishtail stem (hard to see in the lightbox!) with flared out bit for an effortless draw. Finish appears natural while the grain shows lovely 360 degree straight and flame! Awaiting its maiden voyage and comes complete with original knitted sock and COA, a phenomenal piece from Nagata for the utmost discerning collector! Nomenclature: (Nagata Japanese Characters) Dimensions (approximate): 5 5/8" Long, 2 7/8" Tall, 18mm Chamber Width, 1 3/8" Chamber Depth Condition: Unsmoked! Weight: 32g Filter: None **I buy individual pipes or entire collections, please reach out for details! Be sure to check out my other fine and rare pipes at auction. Follow me as a seller to be updated first on my fresh listings! I aim to offer the best selection of pipes covering all makes and grades, truly something for every smoker and collector! All of my pipes I personally restore, sanitize, and ready them to smoke upon arrival at your doorstep! I take the utmost care in my restoration methods to ensure the pipe is as close to its original state as possible and never compromise. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy bringing them back to life! Shipping: Domestic is $10 via USPS Priority. International: If you are registered with the Global Shipping Program, the cost for pipes under $500 in value is $10 to ship to eBay's shipping center and then the customs fees/tariffs are calculated there and up to the buyer if they are charged up front or on the back end once processed. Due to an almost 25% increase for Express and Priority Shipping, I am switching back to First Class for $25 moving forward to all international destinations. Express or Priority is available upon request, as is insurance. Any lost parcels will be refunded upon insurance payout. Restoration Methods: I have been restoring pipes for 16 years and have taken bits and pieces from many guys whom I consider the best there ever was in the business and built upon it with my own experience and tricks of the trade. Each pipe is first cleaned by removing all cake, making the chamber smooth and round again if necessary, removing all gunk in the shank and stem with alcohol, then exterior cleaning and polishing of the stummel and stem with no oxidation left but at the same time leaving the vulcanite or acrylic and any logos intact. My restorations end with the pipe looking like new and being completely free from previous signs of use. I do not use salt/alcohol treatments in my bowls but rather if the pipe smells of prior tobacco I will put it in my ozone chamber to make neutral. Lastly, many guys ask me "how are your pipes so shiny!!??" I lightly use the fluffy edge of my white diamond buffing wheel to clean and restore stummels which removes all grime and oils while restoring the original factory luster. I then hand buff and finish with a flannel wheel with high quality carnauba applying multiple coats as they do at the factory as well. This results in the pipe looking as new and will keep it's finish with a simple terry cloth hand buffing at home. Enjoy! -Deadmanspipes