Does anyone have details about William Craig & Fireside Pipe Shop pipes?

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jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
741
389
Seattle
Seems the (late?) Bill Craig owned the Fireside Pipe Shop in Hurffville, New Jersey, and he carried both pipes made my well-known factories and pipes made in his shop, carrying the Craig marque. Most I've seen say "Craig," but I found one marked "Fireside Pipe Shop." I've found several mildly-interesting freehands, a blobby one with two bowls integrated into the same block, a cavalier with a forward-aimed lower plug, and one really crazy freehand pictured here, missing its stem:
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mTOO4I7.jpg

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I just won this crazy thing. I had wanted to own one really wild freehand. Did I pay an okay price? I'll get a replacement stem soon, either in a color as close as possible to the ferrule on the shank, or something contrasting (ideas?).
Anyone know more about him or his shop? Any idea whether this is the shop's work or a relabeled pipe? If the former, did Mr. Craig himself carve them? And is there any known significance to the "O H 1" stamp on the shank?

 

dulgunz

Can't Leave
Feb 11, 2015
310
0
That thing is definitely different! I am glad that you like it, it looks like (to me) it use to be a plastic block that had caught on fire, melted and this is the result. :lol:

 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
741
389
Seattle
Nice description. A friend told me it looked like the carver started to make a pipe and abandoned the process halfway through.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,444
11,353
Maryland
postimg.cc
That's a very distinctive shape, I like it. I had not heard of the Fireside Shop but I pass by Hurfville on my way to some of our NJ restaurants. It seems to be gone now, a pity.

 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
741
389
Seattle
Thank you, whitewolf! I looked up Micoli and found a bunch of his pipes. This really does have that look about it. The info I've found says that Craig had house-branded pipes made by "well-known factories." Would it be unusual for a Micoli to not be branded Micoli? Nothing else I've seen from Craig has this kind of style to it.

 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
741
389
Seattle
Located Micoli's website and sent an email, with photos, asking if they can identify it. Looking at more and more of Micoli's pipes, this looks like it really could be his work! I'm even more excited by that-- I'd seen his stuff in the past but had largely forgotten about it.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
It's a one of a kind to be sure but I've seen uglier. If it were me I'd go for a ruby red acrylic stem, I think it would contrast nicely. Something tells me that blob is going to smoke like a champ. Congrats!

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,101
I'm most fond of freehands that make free with a discernible classic shape. This pipe reminds me of another made by a Russian carver, all twists and turns, and in the end an oddity,

 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
741
389
Seattle
Got a response from Mr. Burns. He says it's the best copy of a Micoli he's ever seen. I'm partly disappointed that it isn't his work, and partly excited that it's something else as-yet unknown.

 
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