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  1. kenbarnes

    Do You Think Charatan Made This One?

    Relating to the 1950s, this is an interesting question that I will ask Barry Jones the next time we speak - possibly this evening. Barry did tell me the other day that Reubin Charatan did not have a sandblasting machine in the 1950s and Barry or Jonny Mahoney would prepare these pipes/bowls to...
  2. kenbarnes

    Do You Think Charatan Made This One?

    Yes, in my opinion, this large bent is from the late 1950s-early 1960s. Towards the middle 1960s onwards, the stamp font size increased from 1-1.5mm to 2-3mm. Normally this No.42 giant bent would have been 're-worked'/ re-sanded to try and eliminate the flaws to make, for example, a Charatan...
  3. kenbarnes

    Do You Think Charatan Made This One?

    It looks very much like a Charatan second and, although I cannot see the stamping in detail, the size of the stamping looks small which could well make it an earlier example.
  4. kenbarnes

    Here's a Charatan Shape You Rarely See

    This Charatan Extra is a very rare piece and were made in the 1920-1930s. In the 1930s it would have sold for £12. At that time a Farm Worker's pay was about £2 per week so it would be equivalent to 6 weeks pay. In those days, this would have been the Selected equivalent and the grade higher...
  5. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    WOW! They look like they are all from the original era- early 1980s. This is, in my opinion, a valuable 'clutch' of un-smoked Upshalls. I am not so fond of the clips in this case as they can have a tendency to scratch the shanks of the pipes. The spigot mouthpiece that has fallen to the bottom...
  6. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    This 'pot-shaped Lovat' is a very early piece. This one is from 1979- early1980. There are various reasons why I know this and I think that this is the earliest J.U I have seen since working there in the 1980s. This was made when Barry and I were possibly the only ones making pipes at Upshall-...
  7. kenbarnes

    Interesting Upshall needing military stem

    I love that P grade bowl - a true original 1981-82. We never stamped or engraved the J.U on spigots as there was nowhere to put the stamp. I think we used to put the A for Astley on his pipes (on the top of the mouthpiece - possibly not. I also love a simple push-in taper mouthpiece too, rather...
  8. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    great, I am so pleased you got an ok one. It seems as though these marks were just stains on the briar. Enjoy it.
  9. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I have never seen a pipe being filled with mastic/putty let alone knowing how to do it, so no, no Tilshead or Upshall or Charatan was ever filled and I am 100% sure that none were ever filled during Barry's tenure of the company. There have been a couple of people who claimed that Tilsheads had...
  10. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Towards the end of Barry's time at Upshall working for Moti, he was told to strip, re-work and finish certain bowls and pipes that were put in front of him and to stamp them up as Tilsheads or ..... He told me this the other day when I met up with him. Such a sad thing to hear - heart-breaking...
  11. kenbarnes

    Interesting Auctions (Sunday, July 9th)

    it is a London Hallmark 'b' for 1917-1918
  12. kenbarnes

    My first Estate Dunhill since I started Considering Myself a Pipe Smoker

    My opinion is that it is definitely a replacement mouthpiece as the stamping has faded more towards the fit which is normal when sand papering the new mouthpiece flush with the shank. Another indicator is that when Dunhills touched up the stain which they removed, it shows up slightly lighter at...
  13. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I love the shape, the gliding mouthpiece and the grain and I am sure it is from 1981 but I am still baffled as to the grade. We never stamped a pipes grade on the upper side of the shank and never near the fitting. It certainly looks like a 'c' stamp (which we did not have) and I am thinking...
  14. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Firstly, I cannot see a grade letter on the shank are you sure it is a G grade? This is one from the early days possibly 1980-1981 ish. I had forgotten that the first stamp die we used had a dot in between the J and the U. This has been hand stamped both on the shank and mouthpiece. I am...
  15. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I do not think I have seen the mouthpiece logo with full stops. In the 1970s-1989 the stamp (and the engraving template was JU - I would like to see a photo of one with stops if possible.
  16. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I am also on good terms with her. I have recently bought one or two breathtakingly fine pipes from her and other stuff. She openly admits to me that she knows nothing about pipes nor the pipe-business and, occasionally, I give her some advice on certain pieces that she lists on ebay
  17. kenbarnes

    Ben Wade Pipe Question: identification

    I have never seen a carved Ben Wade before. It sort of reminds me of the Castello-type carving. I agree with Jensen, this has got to be a later one.
  18. kenbarnes

    Another Tilshead? Strange Auction and Strange Little Pipe - Pics

    I didn't know which thread to reply to so I have copied and pasted my message from the other thread. I love this little pipe - nice grain on the 'front' side too. It is definitely hand-made eh? I think that the bowl was a little over-worked on the sand-papering. I can see that Barry Jones...
  19. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I love this little pipe - nice grain on the 'front' side too. It is definitely hand-made eh? I think that the bowl was a little over-worked on the sand-papering. I can see that Barry Jones formed the curve of the mouthpiece - it's a beautiful curve, his style, like a thumb print. This pipe...
  20. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I remember Mr Shah or a member of his family. When they opened their shop in Oxford Street in about 1988, I went to see him and he said that he wanted to buy every pipe that we had i.e. our entire stock. I told him that there were quite a few but he was unperturbed. So the next week I brought...
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