GBD Unique Line

ssjones · Aug 23, 2014

I didn't win this one, sadly I was only admiring it. I don't own a GBD Unique, but if I want to, I better act fast as prices seem to be climbing. Last week, I saw a huge, carved Unique at a VA shop, but forgot to snap a a photo of that pipe.
This one ended today. It is pretty conservative in design for a Unique. I don't know how many Uniques were also stamped "Straight Grain", but this one is a beauty.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXCELLENT-GBD-HORRY-JAMIESOM-CARVED-UNIQUE-CALABASH-FREEEHAND-Estate-Pipe-NICE-/361022513302?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=PFxJlfv%252FZVyIkuJj3xxl4IRtpnI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

From my recent Sasieni post, member Neverbend added this about the carver, Horry Jamieson.

Jameson worked at Barling through ~1960 (per Jon Guss) and was hired by Cadogan where he continued to make unusual pipes many that would look more current today than in the 1960s for (mainly) GBD and Comoy. The pipe that you describe could only be his work.

As Jameson's production slowed, others made Uniques as well. GBD 'allowed' selected shops to pick a few Uniques from time to time and they heavily romanced his work. If you knew what you were looking at you could easily pick out his pipes but by the late 1970s there were only a few of his lesser pipes available.

I saved this info from a "Mr Can" ebay ad (Tony Soderman):

Most pipe collectors who are familiar with GBD and Comoy should be familiar with Horry Jameson - - - one of the MOST RENOWNED and RESPECTED MASTER CARVERS of all time!!! Employed by GBD until his retirement, he was exclusively responsible for the creation and production of ALL GBD UNIQUE's!!! And when GBD and Comoy shared a manufacturing facility at the Homerton Plant in the early 1960s, he also contributed his expertise to making the first Comoy "Designer" Series. Only after retirement did Jameson make a few pipes bearing his own name. However, is HAND MADE FREE FORMs produced for GBD set a standard for excellence unequaled by most other pipe makers! Every one of his creations is a “WORK OF ART IN BRIAR” and a COLLECTIBLE RARITY!!!

I see his last name differently (Jameisom, Jameson, Jamieson) but Pipepedia says it is "Jamieson".

ssjones · Aug 23, 2014

Google didn't give me many results, but here is another one:

papipeguy · Aug 23, 2014

That's beautiful pipe, Al. The price is astounding but given the grain and carver I guess it makes sense. Good hunting.

huntertrw · Aug 23, 2014

So how does one obtain a GBD Unique pipe? Simple, you neek up on it!

ssjones · Aug 23, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcYppAs6ZdI

mrenglish · Aug 23, 2014

That is a gorgeous GBD.
Premal, at Smokers' Haven has put a ton of GBD's up on his site. I have never seen so many GBD's as he in his shop now.
Smokers' Haven GBDs
No affiliation and the other usual disclaimers.

peteguy · Aug 23, 2014

Kind of confused a bit - were all GBD Uniques by Jameson or did they allow "knock offs" so to speak.

As Jameson's production slowed, others made Uniques as well. GBD 'allowed' selected shops to pick a few Uniques from time to time and they heavily romanced his work

peteguy · Aug 23, 2014

weeee 200 posts lol

ssjones · Aug 24, 2014

Yes, if you seek a GBD, Smokers Haven always has a large number. They are always over-priced, but I've found Cheda will negotiate and accept reasonable offers.
He does have several interesting pieces, but these are out of my price range for a GBD.
Collector Pageant @ $105. Did Jamieson make this one, who knows?

http://www.smokershaven.com/gbd-estate-pipe-pageant-large-bent-billiard.aspx

Original Unique @ $345!

http://www.smokershaven.com/gbd-estate-pipe-original-unique-sitter-bulldog.aspx

Unique Standing Stack Egg @ $625, yikes! I love the stem and button on this one.

http://www.smokershaven.com/gbd-estate-pipe-unique-standing-stack-egg.aspx

ssjones · Aug 24, 2014

This is not a GBD, but a Comoys "Specimen" carved by Horry Jameson.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Estate-Pipes-in-Tobacciana-/131273086278?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e907c5546

ssjones · Aug 24, 2014

Good point Mike, the at JB Hayes was probably over 100 grams, giant. I too have the same issue with most Charatans, except for the 109. But, look at all of the cash I'm saving!

ssjones · Aug 24, 2014

That is pretty cool Sam, and 30 grams, perfect!

mrenglish · Aug 24, 2014

That is a nice one, Sam. Huge for 30g.

neverbend · Aug 25, 2014

I'm not a Jameson expert but I have some experience with his work and history.
Jameson purportedly made all of the Uniques through the 1960s and into the 1970s but as his production waned Cadogan used other people to make them, so not all Uniques are Jameson made. I saw a grouping of Uniques in 1983 and there were only a couple of lesser Jamesons remaining. The larger and more dramatic (but less refined) pipes were clearly made by others and they were represented that way by the GBD rep. Unfortunately the Unique that a friend purchased, not a Jameson, had 17 fills that were well hidden until the pipe was smoked. I don't remember ever seeing a filled Jameson.
The best Jamesons that I've seen were in private collections and there are some lovely examples of his craft shown in this thread but it's impossible to tell exactly which pipes he made and I'm not certain that he made all of those shown here (sorry Al, the Collector Pageant probably isn't one of his).

peteguy · Aug 25, 2014

Great info neverbend - that helps with my confusion and helps give us an idea of what is out there.

neverbend · Aug 25, 2014

Hi Peteguy,
I guess the working wisdom would be that you have to make a judgement piece by piece. If it's good then even if Jameson didn't make it, it's a good pipe.
Jameson's background was with Barling, a company who worked in very exacting tolerances in hand making classical shapes and they had the finest lathers in the world, so that would have been his primary influence. You can see the variations of the classic theme in the standers and in working with the lathe in the tomahawk.
I'd imagine that Jameson was impressed and influence by the rising international exposure that the Danes received starting about the same time as he began at Cadogan.
Wish I could give some golden rule to identify his work but that's not possible. I've seen some Uniques that were simply too skillfully shaped not to have been Jameson and others that showed lesser skill.
Pete

ssjones · Aug 25, 2014

Pete, thanks. Now I'm even more intrigued now about the Unique that John Hayes has. I'll have to take a picture of it for your input.

Smokers Haven does have a Jameson estate pipe but I think it's priced pretty high. I made an offer but they didn't respond, so I took that for a "no".

ssjones · Sep 6, 2014

Another carved Unique, just posted, unsmoked!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GBD-UNIQUE-TULIP-BLONDE-UNSMOKED-WITH-SLEEVE-JAMISON-/121429639165?ssPageName=ADME:SS:SS:US:3160

ssjones · Sep 13, 2014

That last one was listed as a BIN of $1000 but sold for $275. I almost gave that a shot,almost.

leslie88 · Sep 13, 2014

I must have owned at least six GBDs, from New Standard to Virgin grade, and they all smoked badly in their own ways. The lovely shape back-catalogue and beveled tops was what attracted me, but the pipes themselves were hot smoking, or smoked wet, or had stems with too thick a bite for comfort. GBD "uniques" seem expensive when compared with non-straight grain (Lane era) Charatan freehands, of which I am privileged to own a few, and my Charatans have much better and more consistent smoking qualities.

GBD Unique Line

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