Barling meerschaum.

[alialansari]

Greetings,
I was closely watching an auction on eBay of a Barling meerschaum pipe that ended a few days ago. I wanted your opinion on the pipe and whether or not it was worth that price. We need your help Jessie!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Superb-1925-BARLING-EB-WB-Vintage-MEERSCHAUM-SILVER-amp-AMBER-Estate-Pipe-Pipa-/162529055768?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=yydX%252BEgfQvmM%252B10TUrIFXldKxiU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
Regards.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Nice pipe. If someone paid the price, it's worth it! Sort of a non-answer, but it seems to hold true.

 

[georged]

Very likely that getting the pulled-partway-out socket for the bone screw sorted will be a nightmare.
It MIGHT just push back in, but I'd bet a fair amount it won't, and then you'd be off to the races. :crying:

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Ha. George looked more closely than I did! I rescind my previous commentary

 

[ashdigger]

The meerschaum looks more modern with the pre-coloring. I'll stick my neck out and cry foul. There, I said it.

 

[alialansari]

The meerschaum looks more modern with the pre-coloring. I'll stick my neck out and cry foul. There, I said it.

That's exactly what I thought. Pre-coloured rims are a relatively modern feature, often noticed on african meerschaum pipes (i.e. Peterson, Tanganyika, more recent Barling production, ...etc).
What confuses me on the other hand is the silver band that precisely dates the pipe to 1925. Could it possibly have been 'added' later on?

 

[sablebrush52]

Hi Gents,
Just happened to pop in for a look. I've been in Ashland Oregon, with no Internet thank goodness, just returned and here's this very interesting thread. I think the piece could be legit. Barling produced meers in a variety of finishes, though this is the first one with this type of multicolor finish that I've seen from this era. A dark stained Barling meer went for about a grand a few months back. In that instance the finish was uniformly dark. The pipe was also a flip by a dealer, having gone for about 1/4 that amount a few weeks before in a badly done listing.
What you're looking at is a vulcanite tenon that's stuck in the mortise. Barling stopped using bone tenons around the beginning of the 20th century and were attaching vulcanite tenons to amber stems. The tenon has unscrewed from its connector. I faced a similar problem with a cased 1912 Briar billiard and I freed the tenon by using a syringe loaded with alcohol. I dripped the alcohol into the mortise, a few drops at a time until the alcohol loosened the goo holding the tenon and was then able to free it. Took about 45 patient minutes. With a meerschaum shank, the process could be more problematical.
Given the issue I'd say that the buyer paid top dollar though I can't definitely say that he overpaid as it's a unique kind of item. 1920's Barling pieces often command higher prices. Still, given that issue, I wouldn't have gone above the mid $200's.

 

[sablebrush52]

That's exactly what I thought. Pre-coloured rims are a relatively modern feature, often noticed on african meerschaum pipes (i.e. Peterson, Tanganyika, more recent Barling production, ...etc).
What confuses me on the other hand is the silver band that precisely dates the pipe to 1925. Could it possibly have been 'added' later on?

Could a silver band be attached later? Absolutely. But the construction of the stem and tenon is consistent with an early Barling amber stem. As for the finish, I've seen images of this kind of finish in 1930's era catalogs from other makers, so I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that Barling could have offered a meerschaum in this finish in the 1920's.

 

[snagstangl]

I was looking through a george yale catalog 1941 or 1942 and they had "burnished" meers with that look. Maybe 1940's is a recent development?