An interview with Les Wood of Ferndown

[highwindows]

I know there's plenty of overlap between this forum and psd but I figured this might be of interest to at least some here.

From Dunhill to Ferndown: An Interview with Les Wood. – MBSDpipes.com

www.mbsdpipes.com

 

[sablebrush52]

The interview was a very entertaining read.

 

[Scottmi]

I know there's plenty of overlap between this forum and psd but I figured this might be of interest to at least some here.

From Dunhill to Ferndown: An Interview with Les Wood. – MBSDpipes.com

www.mbsdpipes.com

Fabulous! Thank you for sharing.

 

[mingc]

That was a good read! Thanks! I noted with interest when Les mentioned sandblasting. I don't think I've ever seen a sandblasted Ferndown.

Does Les have a social media presence? I've an Astley pipe adorned with his silver and it'd be nice to find out if he also carved the pipe.

 

[trudger]

Excellent, thank you!

 

[kcghost]

I agree with @sablebrush52 in that it was a very good read!!

 

[georged]

This sort of thing, more of, the PipeWorld needs.

 

[highwindows]

That was a good read! Thanks! I noted with interest when Les mentioned sandblasting. I don't think I've ever seen a sandblasted Ferndown.

Does Les have a social media presence? I've an Astley pipe adorned with his silver and it'd be nice to find out if he also carved the pipe.

If it has his silverwork it's likely to be one of his Astleys, especially if the stem is stamped "hand cut."

You're right that sandblasted Ferndowns are very uncommon. From what Les told me, it seems that his early workshops (Carpenter's Road and Clavering) had blasting cabinets, but the workshop at his Ferndown house didn't. He was making pipes for many years at the first two, so some sandblasted pipes (whether Ferndown or another L&JS make) from that era should exist. Then there's the few that he outsourced the blasting for in the years before he and Dolly retired. But that would be it.

As for social media, Les is very old fashioned and not very "online." He does have a facebook but he doesn't use it to post pipe content or stuff like that.

 

[ssjones]

Fantastic article, thanks for sharing!

Wow, that straight grain Les has in his safe, I wonder were it will end up.



I have a Ferndown Bark, with their signature silver band, so it was great to read the story about the origins of that finish.

I have two Upshalls with Les' silverwork. This large bent billiard was sold by the now closed JB Hayes shop near Washington DC. John sent it back to Upshall to have Les make this custom tobacco leaf band, for a regular customer of his, a US Army colonel stationed at the Pentagon. I only have a small group of large pipes, and this is a favorite. It is not hallmarked, and I would not have known the backstory had John not sold the pipe, then bought it back from the Colonels estate. John showed me the invoice from Upshall for the work, I wish I had taken a picture of it.

 

[mingc]

If it has his silverwork it's likely to be one of his Astleys, especially if the stem is stamped "hand cut."

Hmm, no "hand cut" stamp. The silver does bear the L&JS mark. The pipe is less than 6", so smaller than might be expected for a Les/Dolly pipe.

Then there's the few that he outsourced the blasting for in the years before he and Dolly retired.

Ah, yes, I remember now that Michael Parks did some blasts for them.

 

[antonine]

That was a great read, thanks for posting!

 

[highwindows]

Hmm, no "hand cut" stamp. The silver does bear the L&JS mark. The pipe is less than 6", so smaller than might be expected for a Les/Dolly pipe.

Ah, yes, I remember now that Michael Parks did some blasts for them.

Ferndowns can still be less than 6 inches in my experience, especially 1 star smooths, and looking at that one, I'd be very surprised if it had come from anyone but Les and Dolly. The only other contender I'd figure it for would be Ashton, back before Jimmy Craig joined and took over the silver mounting. Any possibility that stem is Ashtonite?

 

[highwindows]

Fantastic article, thanks for sharing!

Wow, that straight grain Les has in his safe, I wonder were it will end up.

View attachment 344033

I have a Ferndown Bark, with their signature silver band, so it was great to read the story about the origins of that finish.

I have two Upshalls with Les' silverwork. This large bent billiard was sold by the now closed JB Hayes shop near Washington DC. John sent it back to Upshall to have Les make this custom tobacco leaf band, for a regular customer of his, a US Army colonel stationed at the Pentagon. I only have a small group of large pipes, and this is a favorite. It is not hallmarked, and I would not have known the backstory had John not sold the pipe, then bought it back from the Colonels estate. John showed me the invoice from Upshall for the work, I wish I had taken a picture of it.

View attachment 344035

That's really nice. I'll see if I can ask Les if he remembers doing a band like that next time I talk to him.

 

[Alejo R.]

That was a good read! Thanks! I noted with interest when Les mentioned sandblasting. I don't think I've ever seen a sandblasted Ferndown.

Does Les have a social media presence? I've an Astley pipe adorned with his silver and it'd be nice to find out if he also carved the pipe.

There was that black bulldog on the cover of Rick Hacker's book.

 

[Alejo R.]

 

[orlandofurioso]

Stunning; thank you for sharing.
As George said.

 

[highwindows]

View attachment 344107

Hot damn that pipe is something else!

 

[rodo]

Lots of fun, thanks for sharing.

 

[mingc]

Any possibility that stem is Ashtonite?

It could be. My stem seems to lack the characteristic burnt rubber smell that you get when you rub vulcanite vigorously. So I suppose it could have been made in Bill Taylor's shop. But I've been fooled before when a stem that I thought was plastic began to discolor because it was in fact rubber.