1965 Barlings?

[ssjones]

I picked up this little Barling (no S!) Sandblast on Ebay, mostly because of the hallmarked end cap.
It appears to be a lowercase "k" from 1965.
I suppose this would be a Transition era pipe?
There is a faint Barlings Cross stem stamp.
I found no reference to a five-digit shape number on the Barlings Pipepedia page, this one stamped 56375
It didn't garner much interest and went sold for a modest price




The rest of the pipe, it should be an easy restoration.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Barling in script with the TVF. I think the corporate era began with them no longer using the TVF stamp, but then coming back to it after a couple years. 1965 fits into that narrative. I just got a similarly aged Barling myself and was re-reading the Pipedia entry.

Edit: regarding the shape number I recall reading where they started putting the size (group number) as the first digit. Don't recall if that counted as a fifth digit.

 

[paulfg]

I am sure Jesse will chime in soon,but I seem to remember seeing several army mount hallmarked Barling pipes from this era that had 5 digit numbers.the standard numbers were 4 digits but army mount seem to be 5

 

[jpberg]

That’s a humdinger of a shape.

 

[ssjones]

That’s a humdinger of a shape.

I am a fan of the small, bent Billiard - this one is remniscent of the Comoy's 215 or GBD 9456 shapes.

 

[sablebrush52]

I've dropped the Pre-Transition, Transition, Post-Transition designations because they are inaccurate at best and pointless at worst. The ONLY Barlings that could be identified as "Transition" are the 1962 Barlings that retain the traditional block lettered "Barling's Make" while employing the new model numbering system - four digits with the first digit ranging from 2 to 6. Imperial took over Barlings from Finlay's in February 1963 when it exercised it's option to take over Finlay, so the 1968 year that comes from Hacker is incorrect.
Finlay's bought B Barling and Sons from the family in October of 1960, but didn't change the nomenclature until 1962, so there are about 14 months of "Transition" Barlings that are indistinguishable from "Pre-Transition" Barlings because the nomenclature is the same. Also, the family was retained by Finlay's to run the company until 1962. So the "transition" era is mostly useless as a designation.
Finlay introduced new lines and a changed nomenclature in late 1962 and that nomenclature remained fairly consistent till the mid 1970's. Again, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between a "Transition" and a "Post Transition" pipe by looking at it. People continue to use these terms because of habit or ignorance, and most of the time, use them incorrectly.
I dropped them and use Family Era and Corporate Era because it's more accurate and factually correct.
Your 1965 Barling is Corporate Era, or if you feel more comfortable, "Post-Transition".

 

[ssjones]

I've dropped the Pre-Transition, Transition, Post-Transition designations because they are inaccurate at best and pointless at worst. The ONLY Barlings that could be identified as "Transition" are the 1962 Barlings that retain the traditional block lettered "Barling's Make" while employing the new model numbering system - four digits with the first digit ranging from 2 to 6. Imperial took over Barlings from Finlay's in February 1963 when it exercised it's option to take over Finlay, so the 1968 year that comes from Hacker is incorrect.
Finlay's bought B Barling and Sons from the family in October of 1960, but didn't change the nomenclature until 1962, so there are about 14 months of "Transition" Barlings that are indistinguishable from "Pre-Transition" Barlings because the nomenclature is the same. Also, the family was retained by Finlay's to run the company until 1962. So the "transition" era is mostly useless as a designation.
Finlay introduced new lines and a changed nomenclature in late 1962 and that nomenclature remained fairly consistent till the mid 1970's. Again, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between a "Transition" and a "Post Transition" pipe by looking at it. People continue to use these terms because of habit or ignorance, and most of the time, use them incorrectly.
I dropped them and use Family Era and Corporate Era because it's more accurate and factually correct.
Your 1965 Barling is Corporate Era, or if you feel more comfortable, "Post-Transition".

Thanks Jesse. I understand the blurred lineage. I'm certain the date code is 1965, so that serves my purpose on dating the pipe. I'll have to show the tenon when I'm done with it, for a military stem, it is nicely detailed.
Man, getting the oxidation off the stamped Barling Cross is a SOB. (I tossed my last Magic Eraser, my go-to for stamps)

 

[jpberg]

I've dropped the Pre-Transition, Transition, Post-Transition designations because they are inaccurate at best and pointless at worst. The ONLY Barlings that could be identified as "Transition" are the 1962 Barlings that retain the traditional block lettered "Barling's Make" while employing the new model numbering system - four digits with the first digit ranging from 2 to 6. Imperial took over Barlings from Finlay's in February 1963 when it exercised it's option to take over Finlay, so the 1968 year that comes from Hacker is incorrect.
Finlay's bought B Barling and Sons from the family in October of 1960, but didn't change the nomenclature until 1962, so there are about 14 months of "Transition" Barlings that are indistinguishable from "Pre-Transition" Barlings because the nomenclature is the same. Also, the family was retained by Finlay's to run the company until 1962. So the "transition" era is mostly useless as a designation.
Finlay introduced new lines and a changed nomenclature in late 1962 and that nomenclature remained fairly consistent till the mid 1970's. Again, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between a "Transition" and a "Post Transition" pipe by looking at it. People continue to use these terms because of habit or ignorance, and most of the time, use them incorrectly.
I dropped them and use Family Era and Corporate Era because it's more accurate and factually correct.
Your 1965 Barling is Corporate Era, or if you feel more comfortable, "Post-Transition".

Jesse, you almost sound curmudgeonly. I like it.

 

[captpat]

Nice find, I bet that will clean up well.

 

[trouttimes]

Nice! Let us know how it smokes.

 

[georged]

Jesse, you almost sound curmudgeonly. I like it.

Jesse is coming around in that regard.

The Sensitive Artiste ecosystem he's lived in since forever---remember the movie TRON? Jeff Bridges was like college age, right? Well, Jesse did the FX---is soon to be in his rearview mirror. Meaning finally telling shit like it is after fifty years of HOD (Hollywood Obligated Delicatespeak) is something he finds refreshing.

As do I.

 

[sablebrush52]

Jesse is coming around in that regard.

The Sensitive Artiste ecosystem he's lived in since forever---remember the movie TRON? Jeff Bridges was like college age, right? Well, Jesse did the FX---is soon to be in his rearview mirror. Meaning finally telling shit like it is after fifty years of HOD (Hollywood Obligated Delicatespeak) is something he finds refreshing.

As do I.


View attachment 223755

I've always been politically incorrect, always told it like I see it. There were a few times where that got me into trouble, but generally my bucking the "system" had to do with getting people recognition for their contributions. Some of my confreres at the supervisory or directorial level gave me some grief for "rocking the boat" and it did affect my career at times, but I still have no regrets.
I'm perhaps a bit less tolerant and a bit more blunt when confronted with a fool, and less inclined to suffer them because I'm aware that I have less time on the planet, period. Time's more precious. That's the freeing thing about getting older.
Make no mistake, I can be diplomatic when a situation calls for it, but when that fails, I will be pretty direct.
Fortunately, the people I'm working with are a tolerant bunch, and appreciate what I bring to the table, so it's been smooth sailing for the last few years of this quite minor career.

 

[kcghost]

Nothing like working for people that look at what you do rather than what you say. For some reason I've usually ended up fighting with those people.

 

[ssjones]

I finished the pipe this evening. I'll break her in on the holiday weekend. Thanks for the input and comments!

Full pictures are at the Reborn Pipes site:

1965 Barling Sandblast Bent Billiard Restoration

By Al Jones Barlings pipes are not a brand I typically collect, but this bent billiard caught my attention on eBay. It didn’t garner much interest, despite having a hallmarked silver shank ca…

rebornpipes.com

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I finished the pipe this evening. I'll break her in on the holiday weekend. Thanks for the input and comments!

Full pictures are at the Reborn Pipes site:

1965 Barling Sandblast Bent Billiard Restoration

By Al Jones Barlings pipes are not a brand I typically collect, but this bent billiard caught my attention on eBay. It didn’t garner much interest, despite having a hallmarked silver shank ca…

rebornpipes.com

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Looks great. That's a fine looking pipe

 

[ssjones]

First smoke was great, no funky tastes or smells. The pipe is 38 grams, but still has a fairly large bowl.

 

[ssjones]

I forgot to include a picture of the tenon. This thing is also drilled perfectly, a cleaner glides easily to the bottom of the bowl.

 

[sablebrush52]

I forgot to include a picture of the tenon. This thing is also drilled perfectly, a cleaner glides easily to the bottom of the bowl.

View attachment 224205

Yep. People think that once Imperial took over all of the Barling pipes went to hell. Quality did become more variable, but they were still turning out some excellent pipes. I have a few from this period that are excellent smokers.

Beautiful clean up BTW!

 

[bobpnm]

Great looking pipe! Congratulation!

 

[didimauw]

What a beauty! Should hang nicely! Nice clean up!