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  1. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    "I'd love to hear more about the women of pipe making history. Pipes often feel like kind of a man's game, but it is refreshing to hear that women may have played a strong hand in the creation of some of the most premiere and classic British pipes"..... The staff at Charatan's was like a very...
  2. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Might I also add that 'on a run' i.e. when the briar is a treat to work with and the grain was to die for, the briar needed to be growing in an ideal place where the drainage was 'perfect', the nutrients from which it fed itself, rotting leaves and such like were all present in the optimum...
  3. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I would not be able to say the quantities/yields from recent productions, although 30 years ago we were making approximately 45 pipes per day. Of these 45 finished pipes, we would have 'scrapped' 8 or so (and at the earliest stage possible) as we did not want to take one 'all the way through'...
  4. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I trained at the Charatan factory for one year as a sander (shaping the bowls after they were 'trimmed' on the saw using a coarse sand paper 60 grit, a 120 grit (medium) and a 400 grit (fine). This is where a necessary skill takes place. I sat next to and was trained by Joan Nicholson who sanded...
  5. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Here is a photo I found just now, what do you reckon? Not for the faint hearted! Hope I pasted it correctly.
  6. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Actually, I have never hand-turned a pipe on a lathe in my life. I did try it once and, after a few minutes, I remember feeling really uncomfortable with this. I think that this was partly due to a memory of a guy at Charatan's (I can't remember his name), who lost an eye when the chisel flew up...
  7. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    The challenges I faced when cutting the plateau blocks was... as I cut into the briar to present it as clean and to find the grain (and cut away the nucleus of the root)i.e what looks like branch wood but is at the core and to 'tilt it when required so the grain became more perpendicular, as the...
  8. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I dealt exclusively with Otto when I was running James Upshall, except on one occasion when I purchased a few dozen blocks of plateau from Stan Haney (after he stopped making pipes for Ashby Hall) We had many talks about his adventures before the war and after. Firstly, when he was taken...
  9. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    That's a beautiful looking classic Tilshead and well looked after!
  10. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Otto Braun my briar supplier who, incidentally supplied Alfred Dunhill with his briar pre-world war 11 and after and also Charatan, always said to me "Ken, the ABC of this business is to keep your quality as high as you can otherwise it will kill the business. That, coupled with my father's...
  11. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I wasn't thinking that you were - it seems that I imagined that people in the pipe manufacturing business/pipe-makers all know "the golden rule" and that is to always strive to improve quality otherwise it will kill their business. I can also imagine the disappointment that Barry may have...
  12. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    "Tilshead pipes have had the JU on the mouthpiece since the late 1990's, so I don't really see how this be deemed to "tarnish the product". And as for the price, it strikes me as reasonable for the quality - yes there may be a flaw or pits, but never any fills." Please accept my apologies for...
  13. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Regarding the qualities of James Upshall Pipes, between 1978 and 1988 the grades were XX, X, E, G, B, P, S (red). I cannot recall 'A' or a Dark Tan Upshall nor can I remember other markings relating to size although I do remember Barry bringing up the subject on occasions. I wanted the grade...
  14. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Thanks guys, The small colour photo is more recent and meant to be my I.D. photo instead of a blank in my members box. The other two must have been taken over 32 years ago. "Ah, but I was so much older then and I'm younger than that now" Bob Dylan
  15. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I have my album with my member's photo and 2 others which I wanted to share with you. How do I attach this album or photos to this message?
  16. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    well, this thread sure gets my heart pounding (in a healthy way!)Thanks S.S.J for your guidance in downloading some stuff I came across yesterday (for the first time in 26 years. I have done what was suggested I am just hoping the photos are attached to this
  17. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I want to ask anyone how I can 'attach' a photo to this message (or the next one I will write)
  18. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    What beautiful pipes! That XX is a peach. My first urge was to see all the way 'round it. Beautiful birdseye on the top.
  19. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I need some help as to when I left the company- I thought it was around 1989? I have never seen this red finish that is graded an "A". The "S" grade was the Upshall quality which was finished in this colour just below the "P" grade light walnut finish. The qualities that we were producing when I...
  20. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Hi Guys, Wow, so many recall buttons being pressed. First of all, I would like to say that I thought Barry was a far superior cutter of plateau. My idea at the time was that if I was involved in the cutting and the sales I could better coordinate what the pipe-smokers wanted at that time. Barry...