BBB Meerschaum 'Cutty' Hallmark Dating Issue

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bluegrassbrian

Your Mom's Favorite Pipe Smoker
Aug 27, 2016
5,974
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Louisville
The 1897 "x" is rounded like two opposed C's, while the 1922 is very straight lines.

I know what it is to struggle with an eye loupe, staring at 100+ year old overbuffed marks in silver. It can drive a man over the edge.
 
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virkia

Lifer
Jan 30, 2020
1,245
23,583
Here is something for the Sunday afternoon forum nerds! I have quite a few BBB meerschaum 'cutty' pipes most of which I have owned for years. They all get smoked on a very regular basis and quite a few of them have silver bands or repairs which is pare for the course with anything this old. Sundays is my polish silver bands day and routine pipe maintenance since I am guaranteed no dumb arse phone calls requesting instant free gratification legal services/drafting etc. Anyway my question to the panel is how old is this damned BBB pipe. I used to think the hallmark was 1897 but then again it could be from the 1920s although I didn't think BBB made meerschaum 'cutty' pipes that late. I suppose it could be a later repair or something odd. The hallmark is an anchor on its side, lion and the letter X. Any thoughts, guesstimates?

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Unable to zoom in to see the print under the BBB lozenge inside your fitted case ... if it reads "Own Make" it's an earlyish one i.e before 1920. Later models from the 1920s have a "Best Make" stamp I'm led to believe.
The scalloped mount is also more usually seen on earlier models.
The horizontal Birmingham anchor stamp is probably the best indicator of an early example as from 1900 the stamp is vertical

For example
1897 H.P in a lozenge (Henry Perkins)
1648431492662.png

1900 HP in a lozenge (Henry Perkins)
1648432131117.png
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Maybe you could help me out with dating BBB pipes stamped not on the shank but on the back of the bowls ...
20201225_181454_resized (1).jpg
20201225_180901_resized (1).jpg
 
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condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,611
New York
@virkia : Those are lovely unsmoked BBB briar pipes. I wouldn't even know where to start with those pipes. If the pipe has silver wear and is unsmoked then the hallmarks would probably be a good starting point. Did you buy those from that chap that had the stall in the antique market or from that great shop in that arcade in S.W London? As you know I have only ever collected meerschaum 'cutty' pipes and I have come across and own a few unsmoked specimens from the 1870/80s. Those are longer stemmed and resemble one or two infrequently smoked cased meerschaums I own or have gifted off to people over the years. Did those come in cases?
 

virkia

Lifer
Jan 30, 2020
1,245
23,583
@virkia : Those are lovely unsmoked BBB briar pipes. I wouldn't even know where to start with those pipes. If the pipe has silver wear and is unsmoked then the hallmarks would probably be a good starting point. Did you buy those from that chap that had the stall in the antique market or from that great shop in that arcade in S.W London? As you know I have only ever collected meerschaum 'cutty' pipes and I have come across and own a few unsmoked specimens from the 1870/80s. Those are longer stemmed and resemble one or two infrequently smoked cased meerschaums I own or have gifted off to people over the years. Did those come in cases?
Unfortunately no hallmarks to help with the dating but stamping the backs with the BBB lozenge is puzzling as it's evidently not because they didn't have the facility to stamp a thin shank ...
1648510706617.png

90% of my Smokiana was bought from Michael Clements who was the manager of the Peterson Pipe shop in Burlington Gardens until it closed in the late 1970s. After the shop closed I followed him to his stall - Tabako Collegium - situated in a nearby market and I then followed him to Desmond Sautter in Mayfair where he continued to sell older items. The remaining 10% of my items were bought from Brian Tipping in the Antiquarius market in the King's Road and from a few collections auctioned off in the late 1980s/early 1990s including the three day sale of the contents of The House of Pipes.
 

virkia

Lifer
Jan 30, 2020
1,245
23,583
@virkia that silver capped bbb cutty with the chain is stunning.

i have never seen a bbb stamped on the bowl either - or any pipe for that matter. I wonder if it’s placement is for the smokers enjoyment.
Stamping the trademark on the back of the bowl not uncommon on clay pipes but as you say most unusual on briar.
 
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condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,611
New York
Unfortunately no hallmarks to help with the dating but stamping the backs with the BBB lozenge is puzzling as it's evidently not because they didn't have the facility to stamp a thin shank ...
View attachment 136866

90% of my Smokiana was bought from Michael Clements who was the manager of the Peterson Pipe shop in Burlington Gardens until it closed in the late 1970s. After the shop closed I followed him to his stall - Tabako Collegium - situated in a nearby market and I then followed him to Desmond Sautter in Mayfair where he continued to sell older items. The remaining 10% of my items were bought from Brian Tipping in the Antiquarius market in the King's Road and from a few collections auctioned off in the late 1980s/early 1990s including the three day sale of the contents of The House of Pipes.
I remember you mentioned that. Some of the better meerschaum pipes from House of Pipes were stolen in a burglary before the owners death. I loved that place and the pipe shop just down the road.
 
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