Why is it possible to get a birth year Dunhill but not a birth year Chacom, Nording, Dr. Grabow, Savenelli, etc. etc. In fact, why couldn't pipes in general be stamped with just a bit more information. I'd like brand, city or town and nation of production, year of production, and artisan as appropriate unless that's the name of the pipe anyway. Even Dunhill makes you decode a number, which is okay but kind of silly. Many artisans and a number of manufacturers do this already, like Luciano. But most don't. I know I've made this case before, and I probably will again. I just think that the interest and history of pipes is better served with some information rather than a blanket of obscurity that we unravel at the expense of much time and often continued skepticism.
