One thing to keep in mind - In 1955 they had probably a dozen other companies competing with them. They HAD to make the best pipes to stay on top. By the 1990's they were the last company still making cob pipes, they had outlasted and bought up all the competition and there was no rivalry to drive innovation. Couple that with the decline in pipe smoking and the focus switched to mass producing low cost products.they seem to have simplified quite a bit.