Bing Crosby Pipe shape?

damnyak · Nov 2, 2012

Okay okay, question.....
I would love to get a Crosby shape pipe for Christmas, I think having one will help me through all the traveling and visiting and gluttonous eating.
What would you call Bing's pipe shape, I know Savinelli make their "bing's favorite" and Dunhill has theirs, but if I wanted to search elsewhere what would I call it besides "Bings" or "Crosby". Its similar to a Canadian, but the long Mouthpiece throws it?
Does anyone have one they could part with to help a brother out?

numbersix · Nov 2, 2012

Ha! I love Bing Crosby and the pipes he smoked - so I hope I can help you with this one (I own each of these styles in honor of the man)
First, IMHO, the Savinelli doesn't come close to anything Bing actually used. It's got a nice curve to it, but the pipe is more of an homage to the man than a replica of anything he used.
He smoked Canadians early on (he was from the state of Washington, grew up surrounded by lumberjacks, which may be why he liked the Canadian style)

He also smoked a four square panel pipe in Holiday Inn:

He's most famous for this pipe, a custom-made job. Bing designed it and asked Ed Kolpin to make it.

Here's my version of it, a Stanwell 2010 Pipe of the Year

Happy hunting! : puffy

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topd · Nov 2, 2012

I think Bing Crosby and Hugh Hefner had similar tastes, although Hefner's weren't quit as long.

captainprophesy · Nov 2, 2012

WOW... numbersix... that Stanwelll is really nice, so nice in fact that it now made it on my PAD list

damnyak · Nov 2, 2012

@numbersix, I like his custom job, But the long Canadians look nice, I was confused by the two as the Savinelli as I could not find pic with him using it, and it looked nothing like the Canadians in alot of the pics.
I not a fan of Paneled pipes, Not for me.
That Stanwell is stellar man!
Thanks for the help!
ALSO: What about these Peterson's....Probabaly not long enough eh?

numbersix · Nov 2, 2012

Thanks guys. I really love the Stanwell - it was designed as a "Bing" by Tom Eltang. It is priced high on some sites (that is if you can even find it). I found one at a Danish site, good price and good service. Shipping was very high, but we worked it out.

ALSO: What about these Peterson's....Probabaly not long enough eh?

Actually, I have the Aran version of that pipe. It's great. For me, with it's simple looks and fat nickel band, it's falls into the category of 'close enough". : puffy

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damnyak · Nov 2, 2012

Yea that Aran version looks a lot closer.

numbersix · Nov 2, 2012

Today I bid and won what I hope is a closer version of Bing's Canadian:

It's a Gresham Giant (a Comoy second) - 7.25" long!
No idea how old it is, can't find much info on it. If anyone knows, please share. Snagged it on ebay for $39. Has a sterling band. Hoping it has no fills - looking forward to getting it and smoking it. : puffy

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weezell · Nov 2, 2012

How about a BriarBird Bing

I love mine..

damnyak · Nov 3, 2012

Oh Numbersix, you shouldn't have. Its still to early for Christmas

numbersix · Nov 3, 2012

@coalsmoke

I really like the Savinelli smooth Bing, but the golf club head on the stem is just too hokey for me. The ebony model doesn't have it, but I'd rather have a regular smooth briar finish. Hmmmm...maybe the Canadian?

Funny, I thought I was the only person in the world who felt that way! That logo absolutely killed their version for me. And I also noticed that the ebony model was missing it, but I wanted the natural finish too. My only other complaint was the curve - it's nice, but not a genuine "Bing" to me.
@damnyak

Oh Numbersix, you shouldn't have. Its still to early for Christmas

lol! So sorry, maybe next Xmas!
@weezell That's a beauty! How long is that?

rigmedic1 · Nov 3, 2012

I have a Savinelli Bing's favorite, but I decided that the stem doesn't look right.

I think Bing's Pipe was more like a Lumberman with a round shank. I want to have a straight stem made for this one. My pipe has a filter stem, btw, and doe not have the golf club emblem.

numbersix · Nov 3, 2012

I think Bing's Pipe was more like a Lumberman with a round shank. I want to have a straight stem made for this one. My pipe has a filter stem, btw, and doe not have the golf club emblem.

I did notice that some natural finish models were missing the golf emblem - so I enquired a couple of places about it. Most didn't reply and the one that did said it no longer exists.

cigrmaster · Nov 3, 2012

six, great looking pipe you scored. Someone's PAD is going strong. lol Let us know how she smoked when you get it.

numbersix · Nov 3, 2012

Thanks cigrmaster - I hope it's as good as it looks (PAD is a killer!) : puffy

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john218 · Nov 5, 2012

I read years ago that Bing's pipe favorite shape was a Merchant Service Special. It was also mentioned in another forum as Bing's favorite back in March of 2010. One was sold on Ebay back in August and the proportions match those of the pipe Number 6 shows above that Ed Kolpin made.

brass · Feb 24, 2015

I read elsewhere that Bing bought the Merchant Service Specials by the box full, and would give them away as souvenirs to his fans.
I've been trying to find one but haven't seen them for sale anywhere. Got any leads?
thanks
Pax

huntertrw · Feb 24, 2015

"He's most famous for this pipe, a custom-made job. Bing designed it and asked Ed Kolpin to make it."
Actually I believe that the pipe shown in the image (above) to which this quote applies is, indeed, a Merchant Service Special manufactured by Merchant Service Ltd., a British company started by the late Herbert Merchant, a former employee of Dunhill.
Merchant Service Specials ARE sometimes available on the estate market, but are rather expensive due to their association with Mr. Crosby and the fact that they are no longer manufactured.
At one time Willmer produced a veritable copy of the Merchant Service Special, and called it the Bel Air (ostensibly after Mr. Crosby's residence in that exclusive west Los Angles, California neighborhood). I have both, and find that the Merchant Service Special is a better smoker.
Good luck in your search!

JimInks · Feb 24, 2015

I didn't buy a Savinelli Bing for the same reasons: not a natural finish, not straight, and that stupid golf club stamp turned me off.

darwin · Feb 24, 2015

This shape may have actually been Bing's "favorite" but if so it is conspicuous by its absence in his screen appearances. I've seen close to a dozen or more Crosby flicks on TMC in the past year and although he sports a pipe in virtually all of them I didn't see a single one with a curved stem.

Bing Crosby Pipe shape?

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