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  1. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    The grain looked like an E or X grade and then I saw it was an E grade in the 1st photo on the left of the James Upshall engraved name on the shank.
  2. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    Lovely E grade Upshall. I may have cut the block and Barry turned and finished it. I love the curve on the stem - graceful and flowing. :)
  3. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    I remember looking at Paul Bentley's (Astleys) extremely rare collection of carved meerschaums. Incidentally, Paul, whilst running the Astley's shop, had also worked on the rostrum at Sothebys. He showed me the best indicator he uses to differentiate between a very good carved meerschaum and the...
  4. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    I really dislike this kind of pipe - especially with Charatan stamped on it. This one was made post 1977 (Dunhill era) whilst John Barber was still with the firm. In my opinion, pure kitsch. :cry:
  5. kenbarnes

    Loewes/FLC Brand Connection?

    The mounting was done by Henry WARNER trading as HARVEY & WARNER - London. I am not sure if they were solely silversmiths or pipe-fitters and finishers - i.e. 'pipe-makers'. I do know that briar bowls bought from St. Claude France were used by different English manufacturers and certain shapes'...
  6. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    The De Luxe quality was around in the early 1960s - I will check with Barry the approximate date they stopped this quality - possibly just after Reuben's death March 1962? I will also ask him when they opened Jermyn Street and when they closed the Grosvenor Square shop.
  7. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    I got the impression that, originally, Herman Lane had an 'S' stamp die made in the U.S. so any decent looking pipe (a notch better than the grade) he would add an S under the grade and sell it for more money. I think this was originally applied to Supremes and then 100, 200 etc stamps were...
  8. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    #422 I like this 'P' grade. The date of this one is after 1981 (I think) and before 1983. The stamp marks have been 'stamped' rather than engraved but not stamped by hand because the pressure is too consistent in my opinion. I bought the stamping machine we used from Sasieni in 1981 I think. In...
  9. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    You have brought this one back really well! Yes, the briar used to make this piece was from the Arta Company, Arta, Greece. We bought some MFF 4-5 cross grain blocks (extra long ebauchon blocks) from this saw mill in order to fill a huge demand for the Canadian shape at the time. This one needed...
  10. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    I think that this is a lovely piece, and created by Barry in the 1980s. It does look familiar and I am sure that I have picked this one up a few times to admire it.The mouthpiece may be a replacement - but really well executed. :)
  11. kenbarnes

    Lovely Birdseye Grain

    Wow, that Lestrade is a beauty! georged, I thought the panels would maintain the intensity of the grain and I was thinking a standard panel Billiard. Then I saw the second one below and I like it! I will let you know how I get on. As England is going into lock-down on Thursday for one month, I...
  12. kenbarnes

    Lovely Birdseye Grain

    Yesterday, nature gave me this challenge. Usually, I do not make cross grain pipes although this one is saying to me "make me into a paneled Billiard" . I don't know which grain would look nicer on the front side. :)
  13. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    This is a lovely Tilshead bent and made in the 1980s. I do know that sometime after I left the Tilshead Pipe Co in 1989 Barry started to engrave the Tilshead pipes. Gorgeous curve to the mouthpiece - definitely an early one.
  14. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Well, it was not Mick or Ken McConnell and it wasn't Derek Merton because he never really spoke to me as I think he was an extremely busy man and quite important too! So it must have been J.W. Sanderson who I am not familiar with. :)
  15. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    My word! This is weird. I think I remember this 'interview' was made in Solihull at the AITS show. In this year, I kept explaining that my ancestor's name was James Archimedes Upshall. My mother, at the time, read one of these articles and asked what are you saying here? Your Great grandfather's...
  16. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    This is a lovely James Upshall X grade craig61a. It was made just after I left the company as it is engraved FH which indicates it was made after 1989.
  17. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    I think that some of these pipes were bought from Lionel Melindi who owned the store called De La Concha on Avenue of The Americas (6th Avenue). I remember Lionel well, he loved Charatan and Upshall pipes. These Charatan straight grains are so rare and when I worked at the Charatan factory I...
  18. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    Does it? Yes, that sounds about right, I will ask Barry to verify that too. The DC was first used in Nov 1964 so most probably an early 1965 piece! :)
  19. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    Actually, on closer inspection, I think that the Crown Achievement is an early one, before the scripted 'City of London' stamp was introduced (i.e. Made by Hand) and after the DC mouthpiece was first used. So about 1965-66? I do not know what the prices are for early Crown Achievements - they...
  20. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    My 'gut feeling' is that the first one, the Achievement, was made during the Dunhill era (after 1976). The shape looks more Danish and not like Joan's work nor Stan or Barry's work from the 1960s or 1970 -1976. Additionally, the grain on this one looks more like a fine Executive or Selected...
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