$2 Pipe Lot, 1866 Patent Date.

[FishNChips]

I found a jar of pipe parts at a junk shop for $2. Most are junk but I saw one that just looked older to me, and another I think is salvageable. All the bowls and stems were loose so I am assuming I have them matched right, as they would not fit any other way. Could be original stems, could be replacements or could be mix and match!

i cleaned up the older of the two pipes (it was filthy). There is a patent date of 1866 on the collar. Its in great shape with an odd finish. Its a nice looking pipe. The stem that fits it says WDC Wellington but I now know it’s a replacement. With help off another board the patent date shows it was issued to Lautenschlager and Gott. The patent says the pipe is made from coal dust and resin/pitch or rosin and heated. That explains the odd texture!

The other is nice looking burl. I think its an unmarked WDC but the WDC Wellington stem does not fit it. The stem that does is unmarked. The only mark on the collar is “nickel plated” and a possible “L” on the other side. I need to replace or try to fix the stem.

the rest of the jar was just some burned out corn cobs and stems, a broken medico and lots of broken stems/shanks.

Overall am pretty happy! I have a lot of research to do now! Hopefully I can find what stem originally came on the pipe and anything special I have to do to preserve it. Other than a good cleaning I have not done much else.

 

[mikethompson]

Nice find with some cool history attached!

 

[leonardbill1]

Very unusual bowl. I have not previously heard of coal dust being used as a pipe-making material. Good luck with the detective work!

 

[Grangerous]

Would like to know what you learn. Very unique find.

 

[Duck]

If those are teeth chatter marks that far down the stem on the briar then it must have been smoked by an exceptionally talented lady.

 

[anotherbob]

If those are teeth chatter marks that far down the stem on the briar then it must have been smoked by an exceptionally talented lady.

or a dog.

 

[FishNChips]

I should have taken more before pictures, but here they are when I found them. The pipe was pretty tarred up. You could not even read the collar.

 

[Streeper541]

Right on.

 

[kcghost]

Stem definitely looks like a replacement. I'd be very scared of something that said it was made of coal dust. But, that's just me.

 

[FishNChips]

Stem definitely looks like a replacement. I'd be very scared of something that said it was made of coal dust. But, that's just me.

Stem is definitely a replacement and post dates the pipe by a bit. My research is indicating the stem should have been cane or more likely hand carved wood, maybe with a horn tip. Its sure held up!

I think this one will go into the display and not really become a user. I thought it was rusticated briar when I first found it but likely it pre-dates briar being commonly used. The technology obviously didn’t catch on though!

My Grandpa was a coal miner so its pretty neat. I have a bunch of his coal dust figures so this will look good along side those.

 

[FishNChips]

So the original stem was still in the jar, its the wood! The wood is old and is sized to fit the pipe, makes sense as the talered ends are well tarred. The end caps are very old cow horn and are threaded for a mouthpiece that is missing. Glad I did not toss them!

I figured they were for the corncob pipes but they did not fit. Unfortunately the bark was in poor shape but I was able to save a couple pieces of it and put it back on.

I have some cowhorn and will have to try making a new mouthpiece.

 

[monty55]

I just love old shit! Nice find!