If we could be copied we wouldn’t be sui generis
British pipes. —— a Hypothetical
- Thread starter mngslvs
- Start date
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If we could be copied we wouldn’t be sui generis
I would look at this hypothetical in a somewhat pedantic manner.
1. The best strategy to handle a windfall inheritance is to invest - Not waste it in temporary frivolous activities
2. If someone is not interested in history or aesthetics why should he buy old British wood? He is much better served by buying current White Spots, contemporary artisans, Castello, Savinelli Giubileo D’Oro or for that matter any $100+ pipe which generally gives a good smoke
3. Even if it is assumed that an old British wood works for him, there cannot be a consensus
4. I have a motley collection of pipes - Some old Brit woods, some newer Brit woods, legendary Scandinavian artisans, modern American artisans, Italian and Irish factory pipes across the full range, some American factory pipes, a bunch of meerschaums, and even a couple of cobs. They all smoke well. So it’s less on the manufacturer and more on the smoker
1. The best strategy to handle a windfall inheritance is to invest - Not waste it in temporary frivolous activities
2. If someone is not interested in history or aesthetics why should he buy old British wood? He is much better served by buying current White Spots, contemporary artisans, Castello, Savinelli Giubileo D’Oro or for that matter any $100+ pipe which generally gives a good smoke
3. Even if it is assumed that an old British wood works for him, there cannot be a consensus
4. I have a motley collection of pipes - Some old Brit woods, some newer Brit woods, legendary Scandinavian artisans, modern American artisans, Italian and Irish factory pipes across the full range, some American factory pipes, a bunch of meerschaums, and even a couple of cobs. They all smoke well. So it’s less on the manufacturer and more on the smoker
Don't want to hijack the thread but I am fascinated by the stripped down egg in the middle. Sort of a harbinger of popular workhorse briars and meers today. What year? how heavt?
You're telling me that Les Wood's wife Dolly Wood did the pipe carving for Ferndown pipes? Uh, I never heard this before. I associate Dollywood with Dolly Parton, but I live to be educated. Tell me more?
Here you go
Ryan Alden Saves a Late 1800’s Loewe Egg Meer :: Pipe Talk
Here’s a pretty cool Loewe Egg Meer. It originally had a gasket that a wing bone that was the stem inserted into. The gasket was obviously trash. The wing bone was still actually usable. So I did what idiots with my lack of brain cells do. I destroyed a Kiko Meer to extract the stem...
pipesmagazine.com
Sticking with a brand, to the exclusion of others, before experiencing for ones self firsthand the qualities of each, and then proceeding to build an entire collection... I'd say it's a bit myopic.
I think she did all the finishing, and in Les’ words she was the best finisher at the Dunhill factory when they worked there together.
Ferndown Score! (w/pics) Info Appreciated :: British Pipes
Lucky to find this pipe today in a trade. I am not a Ferndown expert and was curious if you can date them or if anyone can tell me more about it before I start the clean up and smoke her.
pipesmagazine.com
In pipedia it says that it is a team effort. I think I read from R. C. Hacker that Dolly Wood made the pipes and that Les did the metal work. But now I have no way to check, so forget it, I must have been wrong. In the future if I find that information I will copy it, but maybe I made it up
I think Bill Ashton Taylor also said that his wife had a much better ability to find defects in a pipe than he had and that's why she did quality control.
From the thread linked above:
“…the briar is from Italy turned in the UK by me silver was made by me but I have to tell the truth dolly (that's my wife) and she is responsible for all the finishing as she worked at dunhills at the same time as me and was the top finisher I turned the bowls and made the M/P took them to pumicing. Dolly would take over from there and give them back to me for the silver work. Reg les"
Interesting. There is no young guy and there is no inheritance. This is just a hypothetical. I have a preference among old britwood, but it rests on a thin foundation. I have a number of British makes, but nowhere near enough to come to any conclusions. I had one Dunhill shell circa 1966, but it tasted so weird I got rid of it. I’ve had a number of Charatans and a couple of Upsalls, but have not been especially impressed . At the moment, I am on a Sasieni jag, but they are few and far between.
Special thanks to Jesse, convincing as always. I may want to try some old Barling.
Special thanks to Jesse, convincing as always. I may want to try some old Barling.
New artisan pipe makers have tremendous skills, better engineering and vulcanite, but briar is at a premium.
Even so, I typically pick up an older pipe 90 out of 100 times. I sold some of my modern artisan pipes, just because they weren't getting used. I'm standard shapes guy, thats what pulls my trigger. I can look at a Comoy's or Sasieni stem logo all day and marvel. I'm sure that colors my perception on how they smoke. Stamped stem logos just seem 2nd rate (Charatan, Barling's). But, those are my tastes. In fact, I have three Artisan pipes (M. Kyriazanos, Vollmer & Nillson and Jack Howell). The Kyriazanos is a copy of a 1920's Comoys, same for the Jack Howell. The Volllmer & Nillson is close to a Sasieni Ashford. I have a Royal Oak Briars (student of Micheal Lindner), who made me a modern Comoy's 499. The Royal Oaks briar smoked better than the 90 year old Comoy's, so I kept it. (and, it has zero resale...)
Even so, I typically pick up an older pipe 90 out of 100 times. I sold some of my modern artisan pipes, just because they weren't getting used. I'm standard shapes guy, thats what pulls my trigger. I can look at a Comoy's or Sasieni stem logo all day and marvel. I'm sure that colors my perception on how they smoke. Stamped stem logos just seem 2nd rate (Charatan, Barling's). But, those are my tastes. In fact, I have three Artisan pipes (M. Kyriazanos, Vollmer & Nillson and Jack Howell). The Kyriazanos is a copy of a 1920's Comoys, same for the Jack Howell. The Volllmer & Nillson is close to a Sasieni Ashford. I have a Royal Oak Briars (student of Micheal Lindner), who made me a modern Comoy's 499. The Royal Oaks briar smoked better than the 90 year old Comoy's, so I kept it. (and, it has zero resale...)
I would put Comoy on par with Barlings, Sasienis and Charatans, if you're talking OLD (family era) Britwood
There is also BBB, GBD, Orlik, Loewe, Ben Wade, Bewlay, Gluckstein and a myriad other 2nd tier producers
But if you're looking at the creme de la creme you could do worse than follow @sablebrush52's suggestions
I keep close track on the estate market, well a couple sources anyway, and one thing I notice is that when a Sasieni comes available, it is snapped up toute suite. (With the exception of one that was recently listed on this forum for a few days recently, which I kick myself for not buying). I have 3 or 4 already but I still suffer from lusting for more. My strategy, not having infinite finances, is to sell one pipe for each new estate that I lust after. Just trying to gradually improve the smoking qualities of my collection.