Barling 1903 Bulldog

[orlandofurioso]

Barling 1903 bulldog :

Isn't she lovely ?

Please share your educated and appreciated thoughts.

 

[philobeddoe]

I love the beadwork in the line around the bowl.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Thank you kind Sir , I consider it utterly charming.
Reminds me of St. Claude turned stummels .
The diamond is wonderfully decorated and is stamped "PBH".
Not a clue, could be the propietor's initials ?

Is our Barling Bard online ?

 

[americaman]

The diamond is wonderfully decorated and is stamped "PBH".
Not a clue, could be the propietor's initials ?

According to Jesse, Barlings of that time were stamped with the store that sold them. Maybe I’m incorrect, but this is what I remember him saying.

 

[orlandofurioso]

That is what he said , so this was my "predicament" too.
Only, as a rule the stamp was on the right side of the shank and this does not look one bit like a retailers stamp .

 

[doctorbob]

Barling's mounted pipes for any number of companies and merchants in this time period. An argument could be made from either viewpoint whether some of these pipes from this era could/should be considered 'Barling's'

This is to cast no aspersions on your lovely pipe.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Thank you Bob, I'm full well aware.
This topic was discussed in one of my earlier posts ; opinions differ.
See if I can retrieve it from the forums and post a link.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Here it is :

1905 Barling pipe :: British Pipes

Dear friends, It is a never ending story and that serves a purpose in its own right; the Barling nomenclature. I recently purchased this pipe on the bay; http://www.ebay.com/itm/222059788230?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT The trusted seller sold it as a Barling...

pipesmagazine.com

According to Jesse :

Hello all,
I was watching that auction. The short answer to whether Barling made the stummel is "maybe, maybe not". Prior to 1906 Barling made some of their bowls, but like all other English marques, imported a number of them from St. Claude and other sources. To be more precise, Barling would order stummels from France which would be stained, finished, and mounted in their London factories.
If I were to hazard a guess, based on BBB practices of the time, I would guess that the lack of a "Barling's Make" stamp would indicate that the bowl is French and was finished and mounted By Barling. BBB stamped "Own Make" on the bowls that they turned. Bowls from France or Austria did not get the "Own Make" stamp.
Keep in mind that the bowls still had to meet Barling's standards. But after the St. Claude carvers' strike in 1906, Barling pulled all production in-house.
EDT: Whether a stummel turned elsewhere and not at the Barling Factory is or isn't a Barling is an interesting question. All English makers supplemented their in-house production with out sourced production. Comoy stated that French work was far superior to what the English could do. Dunhill outsourced a portion of their production for decades. Barling didn't do that after 1906.

My best guess ; it was fitted in London by Barling.

 

[americaman]

Here’s some info from Jesse on one of my pipes, which might answer the question of whether a pipe is a true Barling. Just because Barling didn’t source/shape their own briar for every single one of their pipes, I would still consider them true Barlings.

“Barling often stamped the dealers' names on their pipes especially in the early years. This one was made by Barling, not just mounted by them. Up until 1906, Barling turned only a percentage of their bowls and like their competitors bought a number of stummels from St Claude for finishing and mounting. In 1906, Barling made the decision to make all of their own bowls after the pipe carvers in St Claude went on strike for better wages. It probably wasn't until 1907 that they were in position to do all of their own manufacturing. Prior to 1906, Barling made some bowls, which were stamped with a ‘Barling's Make’ stamp, and bought unfinished bowls from St Claude for finishing and mounting, which were not stamped with a ‘Barling's Make” stamp. Unlike Barling, the other British manufacturers continued to buy stummels from St Claude for decades, stamping the with ‘Made In England’, or ‘Made In London’ even though it wasn't strictly true.”

 

[orlandofurioso]

So much better than watching the telly

 

[sablebrush52]

Barling 1903 bulldog :

Isn't she lovely ?

Please share your educated and appreciated thoughts.

View attachment 42840

That's a beauty!
Given the year, I'm inclined to think of the stamp as a dealer's stamp. At this time, dealer's stamps were often placed where we're used to seeing the makers logo stamp, and if there was a "Barling's Make" logo it was on the other side.
The lack of a "Barling's Make" logo would indicate that the stummel was imported from St Claude as was widely practiced by the British pipe making industry at that time.
Unfinished stummels were imported to England and then finished and mounted with bling and a stem. It wasn't until 1906, following the carvers' strike in St Claude, that Barling decided to make all of their pipes from start to finish.
The fact of a French made bowl isn't a sign of lesser quality, more the opposite. French carvers were considered superior to British carvers at that time, more experienced and more highly skilled. I would imagine Barling brought in French carvers to begin that transition from relying on French imports and to train British carvers.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Thank you Jesse !

I purchased it for a mere $70,00 and consider it a steal.

Now to find out about the mysterious HBP dealer, apperently I was wrong about the placing of the stamp.

 

[orlandofurioso]

The odd bit :

 

[orlandofurioso]

Better picture of the dealer stamp :

 

[verporchting]

Stunning. Enjoy!

 

[orlandofurioso]

Thank you, it is not yet with me .

 

[sablebrush52]

The odd bit :

View attachment 42849

That’s called a semi orific bit.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Yes, a hybrid . Not often seen.
I like it, makes the stem look a little more special and shows it is probably original to the pipe.
I'm not a clencher, but it looks to be very comfortable.

 

[orlandofurioso]

 

[orlandofurioso]

That's a beauty!
Given the year, I'm inclined to think of the stamp as a dealer's stamp. At this time, dealer's stamps were often placed where we're used to seeing the makers logo stamp, and if there was a "Barling's Make" logo it was on the other side.
The lack of a "Barling's Make" logo would indicate that the stummel was imported from St Claude as was widely practiced by the British pipe making industry at that time.
Unfinished stummels were imported to England and then finished and mounted with bling and a stem. It wasn't until 1906, following the carvers' strike in St Claude, that Barling decided to make all of their pipes from start to finish.
The fact of a French made bowl isn't a sign of lesser quality, more the opposite. French carvers were considered superior to British carvers at that time, more experienced and more highly skilled. I would imagine Barling brought in French carvers to begin that transition from relying on French imports and to train British carvers.

Hi Jesse,

Could Gus be of help ?
I'd really like to know about the retailer who once sold it.
An approximately 117 year old pipe, I am so chuffed