Quintessential Shapes by Maker

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loadclear

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 13, 2017
111
4
There are certain makers who, in my opinion have nailed the classic shapes. For example, I think that the GBD 357 is a great, if not the best example of a Prince in form. When I think of a Billiard, I think of a classic Dunhill 3 series.
What are your opinions of a specific general shape, and which maker and number best represents each shape?
If you had literally every pipe in your collection, and had to pick examples of each shape to display in a museum as an example of that shape, which maker and shape would that be?
I realize this is VERY subjective, but I'm genuinely curious if some type of consensus could be had for a given shape.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,863
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Very interesting question. Since, to the extent I'm knowledgeable about any of this, I'll speak to Barling. While they made every shape in the canon, their focus was on pots and billiards The 233, 276, and 279 are classical large pots with pencil shanks. They made pots in all sizes, and the EL and EXEL sized pots are the best smoking implements of which I know. The 251, 252, and 71A are my favorites of their many billiard shapes, especially the 71A, which was in their line up from before WW1 right up through the 1960's. In addition, they occasionally produced acorns from the 1940's onward, that are beautifully proportioned. While Barling produced Dublins, they felt that Peterson and Charatan ruled that area of the classical canon. They had over 1000 patterns. In addition to their pattern pipes they produced quaints which were one-of-a-kind custom shaped paneled pipes.
Given that my collection of Barlings ranges from 1872 to the mid 1970's, it would be difficult to state which would be museum pieces, though the long billiard magnum from 1872 would definitely be a candidate, as would the unsmoked 1907 cased billiard set, their quaints, pots, and the 71A. But, with this make there are a lot of custom shapes and one offs that have no matches among the other British makers.

 

tschiraldi

Lifer
Dec 14, 2015
1,813
3,555
55
Ohio
Following Sable's excellent discourse on Barling, allow me to offer Sasieni shapes as excellent (the best, in my own novice opinion) examples of Billiards and Dublins. Though Sasieni made several examples of each of these shapes, the " Cromer" Billiard is the one by which I judge other Billiards. Straight as an arrow and having the correct proportions, to me, it sets the standard. As far as Dublins go, we have seen them get more and more drastically conical. I prefer a Dublin with less extreme shaping, to the point where it is JUST able to be distinguished from a Billiard. Such as the Sasieni "Haslemere" shape. Again, highly subjective! Everyone has different views on preferred shaping. With regard to Sasieni, I am of course speaking of family era One, Four, and Eight Dot pipes.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,324
11,096
Maryland
postimg.cc
Hmm, some tough choices, almost too many
Bulldog:

GBD 549

Comoys 409

Dunhill - geez, all of them

Sasieni - Danzey

Castello - 54

Peterson - 80S
Rhodesian

Comoy's - 499,293,284

GBD - 9438, 9242 & 9239

Peterson - 999
Bent Billiard

Castello - 65

Dunhill - LC, 56, 120

Comoy's - 42

Castello - 65

Peterson - 9BC
Author

Dunhill - CK

Comoys - 256

Sasieni - Ashford

 

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,905
6,545
When I think of an author, I think Kaywoodie 13b. When I think of a stack, it’s a Pipe Dan.

 

usrkain47

Might Stick Around
Aug 26, 2017
57
0
Tennessee
I second Al’s list here nailing many of my favorite classic shapes. Especially in Bulldogs as they take up a large majority of my collection. While I don’t do many authors both the Dunhill and Sasieni offerings in that category are prime examples. Also the prior comment on dublin’s I find I agree with wholeheartedly; Sasieni also did a Dublin exceptionally well.

 

usrkain47

Might Stick Around
Aug 26, 2017
57
0
Tennessee
I’ll also state the obvious. You really can’t go wrong with a Dunhill LB or the longer shanked LBS for a classic billiard. Apologies for the back to back post.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,416
Florida
J.T. Cooke, sandblasts

Walt Canoy, suedes

Lee Van Erk, smooth spirals

Preben Holm, plateaux topped freehands

Scottie Piersal, pencil shanks

Marc Balcovek, stems

Costello, shape 55

 

noquarter

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 18, 2015
104
0
Peterson - bent billiard/dutch system 4/309

Northern Briars - sea urchin

Custom-Bilt - Mincer era bullmoose

Dunhill - LC

 

headhunter

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 12, 2013
177
5
I feel the GBD 357 is the classic shape for the Prince. I have 12, each in a different grade, I love’em.

 

agnosticpipe

Lifer
Nov 3, 2013
3,333
3,413
In the sticks in Mississippi
I tend to think of shapes being common to different countries rather than just makers. When I think of the bulldog shape, the first thing that comes to mind is England and France too. It's not that I think of bulldog shapes aren't made in other countries, because they are. When it think freehand pipes, I think of Denmark first, and also Italy. As far as the US goes, they're all over the place. US factory pipes are usually pretty standard shapes for the most part. Where as US artisanal pipes don't show up in standard shapes all that often. I realize that I have sort of side stepped the OP's question here, but clearly, my brain works differently than others, which to most of you should be obvious by now. :crazy:

 

lestrout

Lifer
Jan 28, 2010
1,758
283
Chester County, PA
Yo loa
Any thoughts about hawkbills? I gather Castello was the originator. This shape is strange in that very slight variations jump out to the eye, more than any other. I have a Radice, since none of the dozens of Castellos I've seen jump into my acquisition list.
hp

les

 
Castello #32 and #55
I used to think of Savinelli as having the best bent dublin, but I think that was the older Savs. I’m not as crazy about their dublins these days, except in some of their higher grade Autographs.
Nording has those dublinesue freehands.
Stanwell, I think of those #63s
...as far as quintessential to me eye.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,863
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Any thoughts about hawkbills? I gather Castello was the originator. This shape is strange in that very slight variations jump out to the eye, more than any other. I have a Radice, since none of the dozens of Castellos I've seen jump into my acquisition list.
No, Castello was nowhere near being the originator of the hawkbill shape. I don't know who originated it, but Barling was producing humungous hawkbills during the 1920's, long before Castello appeared on the scene.

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,063
6,119
Central Ohio
The quintessential cherrywood shape, for me is the Dunhill #475.
As for Canadians, again, Dunhill for me. The 335, EC, ES, and ODA 850/51 are such Classics. The proportions are spot on, the shanks are slender, graceful. One of my all-time favorite shapes.................

 
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