GBD Oddity: 9438 or 9242?

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ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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This GBD showed up as a BIN this evening and only lasted a few hours:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381160658532?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I almost bit at $65 shipped, but ultimately passsed.
It has an aftermarket stem, that's pretty obvious. Something is stamped on top, but I can't quite make it out.
What throws me is the "New Era" stamp and no shape number. New Era pipes are always smooth.
Any ideas or thoughts? Is it a 9438 with a tapered stem or was it a 9242? Or neither?
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pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
I almost bit, too! But I didn't notice the stem or know anything about the New Era stamp. That is odd. Wonder if someone blasted their own smooth pipe?

 

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
It's sandblasted. The stem markings, though faint, look like....HAND CUT. In the world of English pipes, never say never...because we seem to see oddities that go against convention now and then!

 

ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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I guess that could be "Handcut", but I've never seen that stamp on top of the stem, but only on the other side. A real GBD mystery. It sure looks blasted to me. Would someone have gone to the trouble to blast a New Era? The shank looks shaved down a bit.

 

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
I do agree Al, in the third picture the shank does look a little tapered. I've seen Orlik stems with the HAND CUT on top... You know GBD's much better than I do.

 

ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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Sam is right, GBD stamping is typically on the sides. Someone did some unspeakable things to that pipe, it's probably better we don't know all the details....
Here's what a typical New Era stamp should look like. I am still looking for the right "New Era" grade for my GBD collection.
6650209801_031fb5eda4_b.jpg


$_57.JPG


 

joshuaburgess

Lurker
Jun 30, 2014
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Al, I've seen a few sandblasted GBDs that are stamped New Era, with the stamp on the underside like this one. The absence of the shape number and the stamping on the stem are weird indeed.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
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Massachusetts
As a rule GBD stamped (Finish Name) smooth pipes on the left side and rusticated or blasted pipes on the bottom. I have no less than 25 in my collection and all GBD labeled pipes follow that pattern. I have never seen a New Era as a blast. The name (Century, Virgin, New Era, etc.) represents the finish not the style. In fact the finish was applied to a wide number of styles. The bit as shown was produced but not as a 9438 which was as a rule a saddle bit. G.L Pease has one in his collection and states it's a 9242 but this one is absent the usual GBD rondell. Had this pipe started out life as a smooth finish the GBD logo would have been on the left side not on the bottom. Since it's on the bottom like most of GBDs textured pipes I suspect that is how it was produced. One possible explanation is that it was mislabeled at the factory.

 

ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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@joshuaburgess & @glouchesterman: It's good to see some new faces in the British section, welcome!
Well, what do you know, I did find a New Era Sandblast (only one example via Google). I'd be curious to see how the COO stamp was done on this one (round or straight line)

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/peterson/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=39157
My guess is the pipe in question has an aftermarket stem, it just doesn't look GBD to me.
I have a 9242, a New Standard. The shape of this stem (and button) sure looks different from the one in question. Without seeing it in person, I guess we'll never know the full story.


 

ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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And btw, it appears to be back up for sale, anyone want to take the leap???
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381160658532?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 
Mar 30, 2014
2,853
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wv
My two cents. I have two GBD New Era & New Standard, both stamped on the top side center of the shank. I know, apples and oranges.

Great looking pipe btw, SS.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I prefer the 9438 saddle bit version so I'm not really interested but this is an interesting individual pipe. One thing for sure I'll bet it's a good smoker! I have yet to find one that isn't.

 
Aug 1, 2012
4,587
5,131
That shank has been butchered during a re-stem from the look of it. It is turned down quite a bit from the rest of the shank and (badly) re-rusticated/blasted (that redone area looks more like a bad imitation of a blast but without the pipe in hand...). That, along with the stamping being "wrong" would cause me to run away from this one.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. The stem taper, button and bend all look quite wrong for a GBD of any except for the earliest era. And what about the COM stamps?
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