An Odd Dunhill LBS

buroak · Mar 4, 2016

Am I wrong, or is the shank on this LBS on the short side for that shape? Note, I am not suggesting foul play. Actually given the double date stampings, I wonder if the pipe was repaired by Dunhill or an authorized repair outfit.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-DUNHILL-SHELL-LBS-F-T-PIPE-IN-A-GROUP-4-SIZE-/121907910370?hash=item1c624716e2:g:GDEAAOSwB4NW0jk~
Edit: Corrected to make the link shorter

georged · Mar 4, 2016

Looks legit in every way to me. The "3" just means it was sold/shipped in 1963 after sitting in inventory for a year.
As for the short shank, that's why LBS's (presumably) existed---to salvage up-to-snuff bowls that showed a flaw in the tenon area after the first turning. (Since too-long-taper would look odd, a long saddle was used to "extend" the shank visually.)
Dunhills are amazingly consistent regarding overall length, but the stummel & stem's individual lengths varied quite a lot. This specimen pushed the boundary (I've never seen a shorter shanked LBS), but made the cut.

gtrhtr · Mar 4, 2016

I'm far from an expert, be the finish looks excessively wet.

ssjones · Mar 5, 2016

That button end looks sublime.

newbroom · Mar 5, 2016

41 grams...seems heavy? Beauty of a pipe!

buroak · Mar 5, 2016

Looks legit in every way to me. The "3" just means it was sold/shipped in 1963 after sitting in inventory for a year.

My brain first goes to that view of multiple date stamps. When a Dunhill strikes me as a bit queer and has two dates stamps, though, my brain will be cued to recall something John Loring once wrote about date stamps being added in the case of at least certain repairs (I have only ever seen one pipe that really seemed like an instance of that stamping).

This specimen pushed the boundary (I've never seen a shorter shanked LBS), but made the cut.

Glad to know I am not totally crazy.

I'm far from an expert, be the finish looks excessively wet.

What you see is an artifact of whatever the seller does with his/her photography. Given the prices the seller achieves, that photography is working.

That button end looks sublime.

Yep, that stem looks to have had a pretty easy life.

41 grams...seems heavy?

That may be down to the thick bowl walls.

londonmake · Mar 7, 2016

Looks legit to me!

Notice how the stem's shoulder [the thick part] is longer, perhaps to make up the missing shank length, by design. Good looking billiard, my friend!

kenbarnes · Mar 9, 2016

I agree with georged. When the fitter notices a small flaw when forming the countersink he would try and 'squeeze it back a bit' especially if the pipe has nice grain and shape (like this one). I also agree that this was stamped in 1962 and sold from the Dunhill factory in 1963. I love this pipe's relief grain and it looks like it is in beautiful condition - nice piece!

buroak · Mar 10, 2016

Notice how the stem's shoulder [the thick part] is longer, perhaps to make up the missing shank length, by design. Good looking billiard, my friend!

The long shoulder is (I think) common to Dunhill saddle stems. In my opinion it is what makes their saddle stems better than most.

When the fitter notices a small flaw when forming the countersink he would try and 'squeeze it back a bit' especially if the pipe has nice grain and shape (like this one).

That does make sense. Nice to have a maker's perspective!

Search

Search

An Odd Dunhill LBS

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

buroak

Lifer

georged

Lifer

gtrhtr

Starting to Get Obsessed

ssjones

Moderator

newbroom

Lifer

buroak

Lifer

londonmake

Starting to Get Obsessed

kenbarnes

Can't Leave

buroak

Lifer