Bing Crosby Pat # 2838052

[jgriff]

I picked up a strange pipe that I hadn't seen before. There is no maker's mark and the patent # tracks back to a Rosario Crisafulli in 1958 out of Jamaica Plains, NY. It's a strange little pipe. It's basically a Canadian but the shank is detachable and it's ventilated with a balsa wood filter inside. Does any one now anything further about who made this pipe? It screams something associated with the economy pipe/gimmicks that Kaywoodie, Medico, etc. would have done.

 

[jgriff]

It looks a bit like a Mastercraft Satin Grain. I know Bing promoted Mastercraft pipes. Does anyone know if they did a line of pipes around him?

 

[numbersix]

Nice find jg, very interesting. I cannot shed any light on it, but sounds like you're on to something.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Imagine if you find out it was a pipe made personally for Bing Crosby himself

 

[numbersix]

Imagine if you find out it was a pipe made personally for Bing Crosby himself

You know, as unlikely as that probably is, if mastercraft didn't make a 'Bing Crosby" model, it just could be. Good luck jg, keep us posted if you learn anything.

 

[jgriff]

The more I look into Mastercraft the less I know. It seems they imported from pipemakers everywhere and slapped their name on it all. This one is strange since there are no logos. The ventilator system is part of the stem and it's obvious that the whole thing has never been smoked, so I know it's not a replacement stem.
I can only find one or two old posts mentioning something like this pipe (but no pictures) so I assume they aren't too common but it's got all the trappings of a mainstream gimmick system.
Now I just have to smoke it....and I plan to fix that tonight. Though if smoke starts coming out the shank, I might be concerned. (The ventilator holes in the shank line up with pinholes in the balsa filter. But you can twist the stem to open or close them.....wacky stuff)

 

[rigmedic1]

I believe Bing's personal pipes were made at the Tinder Box in Santa Monica. You might have something of a knock-off there.

 

[numbersix]

I believe Bing's personal pipes were made at the Tinder Box in Santa Monica.

This is true, but if Bing promoted mastercraft (I don't know if that's true or not), it's possible they either made a "Bing Crosby" line or made one for him as a gift.

 

[badgercat]

Bing did endorse master raft pipes. There are a couple of print ads from the 40s on eBay tight now.