Help Needed Identifying Two Vintage Pipes

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 16, 2015

• #1

Afternoon All,
I won an EBay auction yesterday, HERE, and after much searching I'm still unsure what I've got.
The bulldog, made in France, has "Strand" on the left of the shank and a band marked "sterling silver", according to the seller, and confirmed in the pics.
The little apple is marked "ye old root" and appears to have Chester hallmarks (hence I put this in the British section), but I can't make out the date letter. No matter.
Does anyone know which company made the "Strand" pipes, and also, who made "Ye old root,"?
Any assistance appreciated, gents. Thanks.

 

huntertrw

Lifer

Jul 23, 2014

5,267

5,502

The Lower Forty of Hill Country

• Mar 16, 2015

• #2

klause:
For what it's worth, Wilczak & Colwell, in their book titled "Who Made That Pipe?" state the following: "Strand: Comoy's/ L Orlik / L&HS, Engl / USA." There was no listing for "Ye Old Root."
I also checked Jose Manuel Lopes' book titled "Pipes - Artisans and Trademarks" but there were no listings for either.
I will continue to check, and will post further if I find anything. jguss, a Forum member here, might be your best bet for the positive identification of these pipes.

 

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 16, 2015

• #3

Thank you very much, Hunter - I greatly appreciate your efforts.
Maybe, when I have them in hand, more will be revealed.
Of course, if Jon, or anyone else, were to chime in with any additional info I'd be absolutely delighted - fingers crossed!

 

dmcmtk

Lifer

Aug 23, 2013

3,672

1,685

• Mar 16, 2015

• #4

Okay, for the bulldog, GP? George POLLARD - Manchester tobacconist, or George Albert PETERS - London pipe mounter?
http://www.silvercollection.it/DICTIONARYTOBACCONISTG.html
Definitely a Chester mark on the pear, to hard to read from the pictures, the Chester marks are rather fancy from 1901-1950!
http://www.silvercollection.it/englishsilverhallmarksCHE.html

 

jguss

Lifer

Jul 7, 2013

2,470

6,432

• Mar 16, 2015

• #5

Both good guesses from Dave. The images are too blurry on my screen for me to decipher (or more likely it's my lousy eyesight). But I have nothing to add without a bit more data, so, Klause, if physical examination gives more clues please let us know.
Here's one slender reed to think about, though; the seller's description says that the "pear" nomenclature is "Ye Olde Root Veteran". I don't know anything about the "Ye Olde Root" part, but as far as I know there was only one "Veteran" pipe model, and that was made for decades by Duncans Briars Ltd. of Manchester, founded by John Louis Duncan in 1899.

 

dmcmtk

Lifer

Aug 23, 2013

3,672

1,685

• Mar 16, 2015

• #6

For further consult when you have them in hand, quite a few hallmarks for (5) for John Louis Duncan.
http://www.silvercollection.it/DICTIONARYTOBACCONISTJ.html

 

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 16, 2015

• #7

Dave, thanks for the pointers - great stuff. I agree about the Chester marks - they got kind of 'crazy' alright.
Jon, you've given me something to look into and follow-up, again - thank you very much.
A start that may interest some others out there: John Duncan History
Now, off to find more, and possibly a catalogue or two!
Thanks, again, for the help, gents.

 

jguss

Lifer

Jul 7, 2013

2,470

6,432

• Mar 16, 2015

• #8

Well, even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while. In other words I got lucky. I searched for "ye olde root" and "pipe" turned up this thread:
http://pipesmokersforum.com/community/threads/can-anyone-identify-this-pipe-please.7867/
The posters there misread the nomenclature, easy to do because of the stylized script; it says "Zoie", not "Pole" or "Zole". And Zoie just happens to have been a Duncan model for decades. That fact, along with what looks very much like a JLD cartouche on the silverwork of the pipe they're discussing, moves the "slender reed" to a decent probability. I think the odds are now reasonably good that your pear was made by Duncan. Look closely at the hallmarks when you get the pipe and tell us what you see.
Also, note that the Zoie was stamped "Ye Olde Roote"; when your pipe arrives see if there's a final "e" at the end of "Root".
By the way, at a guess the nomenclature may have been Duncan's way of horning in on Barling's "Ye Olde Wood"; if so, they wouldn't have been the only competitor to try it.

 

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 17, 2015

• #9

Jon, that's an interesting little thread. I agree - it's looking like a decent probability alright - once I have pipe in hand, I'll clarify what exactly is on it, and also the date stamp. I should have done this in the first place - may have been easier - but, I got wrapped up in the thrill of acquiring 2 beautiful pipes.
I'll let you know, as soon as I know.

 

mso489

Lifer

Feb 21, 2013

41,210

60,454

• Mar 17, 2015

• #10

I'm no help in most cases, but I love this stuff, better than a detective story. A little standard info on the stamp would resolve everything, but I guess that would spoil the mystery. Good apple, great bulldog! They look in fine shape, very clean. For pipes with metal bands, and in good shape, a very nice price.

 

jguss

Lifer

Jul 7, 2013

2,470

6,432

• Mar 18, 2015

• #11

i zoomed like hell into the silverwork in the ebay listing photos of the "strand", and it seems pretty clearly to say "GR" not "GP". of course I haven't the foggiest who that hallmark represents; it's not listed in the usual places. so for now that doesn't get us much farther.
as for it being a comoy or orlik, not only is the hallmark wrong, but based on the few samples i've found of a comoy strand and an orlik strand, the oval seems to be slightly different from the one klause bought. his has a slight flattening at either end of the oval, whereas the comoy and orlik versions do not; they're both more rounded. definitive? no. just suggestive that maybe there's another "strand" out there...
but if i were forced to make a wild guess limited to choosing between the two existing candidates, i'd pick comoy, if only because i believe the orlik version was only sold for a few years in the early twenties, while the comoy version was apparently in production for a fairly long time.

 

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 23, 2015

• #12

They are sitting on my desk as I type, and are absolutely gorgeous - I'm tempted to pop out and buy a Yachtsman Plug, go stand in the cold and smoke 'em. But, I reckon the boss wouldn't be too happy about it.
Anyway to business. The pear is definitely stamped for chester, unsure of date letter until I get home and get the loupe out. There is a makers stamp on the silver, but it is very worn - a diamond with something in it.
On the left of the shank it is stamped, 'Veteran' and on the right, 'Ye Olde Roote.' No COM that I can make out. It has a gorgeous Orific stem.
The Bulldog is made in France - interestingly this is stanped around the underside of the shank, parallel with the silver band - never seen anything quite like that before. On the right side of the shank there is a number - very faint - either 23 or 28. The silver band is simply stamped, Sterling Silver, and GR. Beautiful pipe.
So, going on what Jon surmises I'm inclined to think iI have a Duncan and a Comoy!

 

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 23, 2015

• #13

The Pear is date stamped for 1909.

 

dmcmtk

Lifer

Aug 23, 2013

3,672

1,685

• Mar 23, 2015

• #14

The Pear is date stamped for 1909.

Click to expand...

Very cool! Two great old pipes!

 

okiescout

Lifer

Jan 27, 2013

1,530

6

• Mar 24, 2015

• #15

Congratulations, Klause. I saw that listing and was interested because of the bulldog, got busy and missed it. Happy puffing

 

K

klause

Guest

• Mar 24, 2015

• #16

Thanks, Okiescout.
It was the bulldog that first grabbed my attention (I'm developing a thing for these old Bulldogs, especially the taper stems), and, it is utterly gorgeous in the flesh.
The pear is a beautiful pipe, to - far nicer than I was expecting - curious thing: it actually sits up. If you place it on a flat surface it self-rights, kinda like a weebly-wobbly.
I'm glad you got busy ;-)