Barling's Pre-Transition

Allan:
Sablebrush52 should be able to answer your questions, as he knows quite a bit about about old Barling pipes.

Allan that is a classic, Jesse gifted a big pot Special that is a smoking machine, you will be pleased.

Allan, congratulations on the purchase of your new (to you) pipes! They all sound wonderful, and I look forward to the report on their smoking qualities.
We've had long conversations on what makes good briar good, and great briar great. I wonder, though, the impact of the 'seasoning' imparted to these pipes due to the fact that they are estate pipes, and likely previously smoked; and the impact this also has on smoking quality.
Regardless, enjoy your exploration!
-- Pat

I think you will find it a very good smoking pipe, combining both excellent construction/engineering, and properly aged/cured briar. I think the weight of the pipe, at 24 grams, is indicative of the latter. You did very well!

Huh, I just looked at the pictures at Marty's site. I know he does not do any "restoration" on the pipes he sells, so be it. It looks like some made an attempt, but did not go all the way. I could be wrong. But having said that, the "issues" seen could be fairly easily fixed, or at least ameliorated to a large extent. My two cents. Still think you found a nice old pipe, and will find it an excellent smoker.
Dave

Oh, how can I not put in my oar...
The "reader" whom Marty mentions in his write up is me. When I read his original write up I realized that Marty had a very unusual and significant pipe listed. It has BOTH the family era model number for that model AND the Corporate Era model number that Barling began using around mid 1962. As such, it supports my contention that the ONLY difference between BARLING'S MAKE pipes with the accepted 3 and 4 digit (starting with a 1) model numbers and those BARLING'S MAKE pipes with the 4 digit model numbers whose first digit ranges from 2-6, is the model number. So buy those later BARLING'S MAKE pipes while the collecting community remains stupid, 'cause they're a steal.
Reviewing all of the discussion regarding whether the age of the briar or the engineering is more important, I am reminded of what Nevebend wrote a few months ago in another thread here, and I think that he has the truth of it. The processing is the most critical part. That includes the initial selection of the wood, the seasoning of the wood, how the wood is cut into blocks, how it is engineered, how it is finished. All of it contributes to the odds of a better smoke.
The Barling family oversaw the whole process from the ground to the display case, unlike their competitors. They also believed that air curing was better than oil, and that all such attempts to speed up the curing process were inferior. That said, they also used their own oil process on their Guinea Grain pipes, but that was to enhance the grain contrast, not for curing. For the kind of Algerian Briar that they favored using, they looked for burl that was between 80 and 120 years of age and they cut from the top plateau, the oldest wood.
But plenty of other top tier pipemakers believe that much younger wood is not only just as good, but may be actually better for heat dispersion, with a target age of 35-60 year old burl. And, they're using wood from different regions than the wood that Barling harvested, and that may be a factor. But the processing is still the key.
As far as old pipes VS old wood, I look for the most lightly smoked old timers that I can find. Just because a pipe is old doesn't make it better. If an old pipe has been abused, it's just a geriatric stink pot.
Allan, if you are willing to send me some images of that pipe with the two sets of model numbers on it, I would be happy to put them on the Pipedia Barling page, with proper accreditation.

I only have one Barling so far (a pre-transition EL pencil-shank pot I had restored by Tim West), but I really notice the difference in the way it smokes. I only own English pipes, and favour Oriental heavy mixtures, principally Rattray's Red Rapparee. Most of my pipes accentuate the savoury characteristics of these tobaccos, but the Barling reveals what I can only describe as a real luxurious creaminess to the flavour: Does anyone share that experience, or am I just reading in something that isn't there because of the psychological pull to pipe smokers of "ye olde wood"?

Does anyone share that experience, or am I just reading in something that isn't there because of the psychological pull to pipe smokers of "ye olde wood"?

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You have one the best shapes that Barling produced, a pot, in an excellent size, the EL. I own a number of them for exactly the same reason that you state. They are wonderful pipes for Balkan/Oriental blends.
A Barling pot whether an EL, EXEL, or EXEXEL size, is one of the very best pipes ever made, by anybody, anywhere.