Another Guinea Grain Question

[doctorbob]

I was fortunate enough to be gifted a family era Guinea Grain for father's day- this is the pipe.

English Estates Barling's Guinea Grain Billiard (EB) (EXEXEL) (Regd) (Pre-Transition) | Buy English Estates Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes.com

Smokingpipes.com is your one stop shop for English Estates Barling's Guinea Grain Billiard (EB) (EXEXEL) (Regd) (Pre-Transition) Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new tobacco pipes and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

The pipe arrived this morning and it is in wonderful shape, crisp stamps, no stem wear. But my only question is that the finish is almost exactly the same as the other two YOW family pipes that I already own. The grain might be a little more prominent, but I was expecting something a little more 'different'. I am pretty sure the pipe has NOT been refinished. Were Guinea Grain pipes all that different?

Bob

 

[johng99]

I haven't seen too many Guinea Grains, but to me the difference was much more subtle with Barling than other brands. I have a Straight Grain that is very nice but is not going to grab your eye like a Blue Riband. It is a very good smoke, however.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Hi Bob,

I own a few family era GG's , the stain has a somewhat more yellow/brown hue, to resemblance the british golden guinea.

It is subtle, very subtle .

Will post a picture soon, it is wonderful.

 

[sablebrush52]

Congratulations on the wonderful gift!

Guinea grain pipes were oil treated bring out the grain contrast and then given a golden stain, hence the reference to "guinea" in the naming. That said, I've seen and have guinea grain pipes with that stain, and have seen guinea grain pipes stained differently.

BTW, SP has it wrong about the dating, which isn't a surprise. The pipe could be as late as 1962, and the Barling family managed the business for Finlay's until mid 1962.

 

[doctorbob]

Congratulations on the wonderful gift!

Guinea grain pipes were oil treated bring out the grain contrast and then given a golden stain, hence the reference to "guinea" in the naming. That said, I've seen and have guinea grain pipes with that stain, and have seen guinea grain pipes stained differently.

BTW, SP has it wrong about the dating, which isn't a surprise. The pipe could be as late as 1962, and the Barling family managed the business for Finlay's until mid 1962.

Yeah, SP can have real problems identifying pipe periods of production. They pretty regularly mess up Comoy dating, sometimes to my advantage ?.

I do love the new Guinea Grain, it couldn't have been smoked more than 5 or 10 times, airway was immaculate, bare briar.

 

[americaman]

That is a great Barling. I have a pre-transition EXEXEL billiard, very similar in shape to yours, and it is perhaps my favorite pipe. Stays cool and brings out subtle flavors in the tobacco.

 

[sablebrush52]

Yeah, SP can have real problems identifying pipe periods of production. They pretty regularly mess up Comoy dating, sometimes to my advantage ?.

I do love the new Guinea Grain, it couldn't have been smoked more than 5 or 10 times, airway was immaculate, bare briar.

Fantastic news about the condition of the pipe!

SP's recent article on Barling history was a sodding mess.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Hi Bob,

I own a few family era GG's , the stain has a somewhat more yellow/brown hue, to resemblance the british golden guinea.

It is subtle, very subtle .
View attachment 38768
Will post a picture soon, it is wonderful.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Hi Bob,

I own a few family era GG's , the stain has a somewhat more yellow/brown hue, to resemblance the british golden guinea.

It is subtle, very subtle .
View attachment 38768
Will post a picture soon, it is wonderful.

Hello Bob,

Silly me accidentally replied to my own post
I think this a fair example of the GG staining.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Fantastic news about the condition of the pipe!

SP's recent article on Barling history was a sodding mess.

About Barling Pipes | Smokingpipes.com

Learn how to identify and date Barling pipes in this guide to the historical marque.

www.smokingpipes.com

You mean this one ?

 

[sablebrush52]

About Barling Pipes | Smokingpipes.com

Learn how to identify and date Barling pipes in this guide to the historical marque.

www.smokingpipes.com

You mean this one ?

Yes. Scroll down below the article to read my response to it. Admittedly, I was being kind.

It's nice that SP wants to inform it's clientele about the history behind some of the products they sell, but they ought to make an effort to be accurate. Otherwise, it's misinforming its clientele.

Case in point, the "Barling-Nichols" bullshit.

There is no such person.

There was no such marriage.

Nichols was not a member of the Barling family. Nichols did not marry into the Barling family. The last name of the man who married Monte's daughter was Williamson and the hyphenate was Williamson-Barling. Williamson Barling became the General Manager and continued in that role until he was sacked in 1962 during the changeover of management. Williamson Barling went on to manage Charatan and is credited as one of the inventors of the double comfort bit.

NIchols was Barling's US distributor. Period.

It's not all that hard to get this right, and it's disrespectful to the people who spent their lives making the pipes and tobaccos we enjoy, to get it wrong.

Most of this is a matter of public record. Go look it up.