Okay, so I haven't smoked my pipes in a long time, and I bought 20 tins of pipe fodder on cigarbid.com. I got all my stuff out from where ever it was last packed away. I have and Esteli rusticated billiard, a meerschaum I bought on line from a guy in Turkey, and Aldo Velani briar Sherlock Holmes style pipe. The stems on the first two are now very loose.

1) What can I do to tighten them up so I can use them again?

2) I have a collection of used pipes I inherited from my grandpa, is there a service anyone can recommend for having them revitalized and fixed up? Loose stems, needing a general cleaning, and an evaluation to let me know what is worth saving and what should be left as is because it's used up?

Ill try to get some pics up when I get home from work tonight.

@RobertL had a good thread on restoring pipes. I think its archived now but he might have some good info for you.

@Searcherfortruth

First thing to try to tighten pipe stems is to swab the inside of the shank with a q-tip dipped in VERY hot water.  Swab it, let it set overnight and try the stem, it may require a couple of treatments but it should tighten up.  If not, it’s a little trickier to fix.  Take a lighter or a micro torch and evenly heat the stem while rotating it. You’ve got to get it hot enough to expand, but not melt. After heating, dip it in some cool water and try the fit. You may need to lightly sand it to get it to fit.

As far as restoring the rest of your pipes, there are a lot of great YouTube videos out there if you want to try it yourself.  Pipe restoration can be a fun and rewarding hobby with no real skill and very few tools required. If you want to send them to someone, I would recommend Mike Myers of Walker Pipe Repair. He is one of the best in the business.  

Enjoy your pipes! I’m currently on a nicotine hiatus due to a recent surgery and I sure miss mine.

Thank you guys.

Fixing Loose Stems