Bing Crosby Pipe shape?
- Thread starter damnyak
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Here is a link (Willmer Bel Air pipe) to information courtesy of smokingpipes.com about the Willmer Bel Air pipe.
I love my Bing's Favorite. Having a bowl of Stokkebye's LBF in it right now in fact. Great pipe. Nice and cool smoke. If you ever see one on an estate sale or you have an extra $120 laying around I highly recommend picking one up.
Great clip, Buster.
Some of my fondest TV memories are of Bing Crosby and his pal, Phil Harris, hunting together on ABC's "The American Sportsman" hosted by the great Curt Gowdy.
Fnord
Some of my fondest TV memories are of Bing Crosby and his pal, Phil Harris, hunting together on ABC's "The American Sportsman" hosted by the great Curt Gowdy.
Fnord
Thanks to all of the photos here I now realize I have unwittingly assembled a collection of pipes in shapes smoked by Bing. I should probably put them in the same rack.
Interesting thread. What about Savinelli's "Clark's Favorite" supposedly based on a pipe of Clark Gable? Even as the Savinelli pipes may not deserve the Bing and Clark labels they are handsome pipes on their own merits. I've had the rusticated Bing in my shopping cart for weeks but just might go for the Clark.
Thanks for that clip, Buster. Me, I would've been fumbling around with my lighter like an idiot not listening to a word the other guy said. You said it perfectly--Bing fired up that bad boy "like a boss." Thanks for sharing.
Now I'm off to find pipe shapes like Bing's. Love the Bing's Favorite and will most likely pull the trigger on one, but I'm going to do some Internet research on other pipes in the "Bing" style.
Now I'm off to find pipe shapes like Bing's. Love the Bing's Favorite and will most likely pull the trigger on one, but I'm going to do some Internet research on other pipes in the "Bing" style.
That extra slim shank looks really dashing, but I have to say, having owned a pipe with a thin shank like that, unless they are done perfectly, they can be trouble. I didn't buy it because of a Bing Crosby association, but it had that look. It was a Dublin. But it would swallow pipe cleaner fluff and wouldn't give it up. I did all of the usual things, and it was always a struggle, so I finally traded it.
I like the Savenelli Bing's favorites, although I agree I don't see him smoking anything quite like them. It's a sort of compromise between a standard size pipe and a churchwarden. It's been a best seller for (what?) thirty years or more, so maybe it's a pretty good pipe, as are most Savenellis. I wonder if the pipes Bing used on screen were ones he enjoyed smoking in his off-time, or if he used the movie pipes with theatrical effect in mind. He commanded the screen and would have been totally focused on what enhanced his image as a star. The ones in his boathouse or golf locker may have been a different cut. As a vocalist or actor, the guy was a consummate professional. Notice the Kolpin pipe in the photograph appears to be unsmoked.
I like the Savenelli Bing's favorites, although I agree I don't see him smoking anything quite like them. It's a sort of compromise between a standard size pipe and a churchwarden. It's been a best seller for (what?) thirty years or more, so maybe it's a pretty good pipe, as are most Savenellis. I wonder if the pipes Bing used on screen were ones he enjoyed smoking in his off-time, or if he used the movie pipes with theatrical effect in mind. He commanded the screen and would have been totally focused on what enhanced his image as a star. The ones in his boathouse or golf locker may have been a different cut. As a vocalist or actor, the guy was a consummate professional. Notice the Kolpin pipe in the photograph appears to be unsmoked.
Based upon my reading of Mr. Crosby's autobiography "Call Me Lucky" and Gary Giddins' subsequent outstanding biography of him titled "Bing Crosby: A Pocket Full of Dreams - the Early Years, 1903 - 1940" I believe that he was a pipe-smoker who also happened to be an actor, not an actor who smoked a pipe as an affectation. Consequently I also believe that the pipes that he smoked on-screen were his own, and the same ones he smoked off-screen.
In the following episode of the late, great Edward R. Murrow's "Person to Person" television program, note how Mr. Crosby makes his pipe-smoking seem as natural as breathing. It was simply an integral part of who he was.
Edward R. Murrow's Interview of Bing Crosby - 1954
In the following episode of the late, great Edward R. Murrow's "Person to Person" television program, note how Mr. Crosby makes his pipe-smoking seem as natural as breathing. It was simply an integral part of who he was.
Edward R. Murrow's Interview of Bing Crosby - 1954
Hey Six,
Using Dunhill Group Sizes, what size is your Stanwell Bing? I think it was 2010 POY for them as well?
Chris
Using Dunhill Group Sizes, what size is your Stanwell Bing? I think it was 2010 POY for them as well?
Chris
The Bing shape is one of my favourites. I understand Bing Crosby used to buy them in bulk and he would give them to people as souvenirs.
To me, the Bing is a straight billiard with a longer, thin (pencil) shank and stem. The shank and stem are equal length (i.e. the shank and stem meet half way). It is an elegant pipe. I've also seen similar shapes that have a dublin bowl rather than a billiard bowl, and that's a nice variation which works well. The Bing should be a lightweight pipe, even though it is longer than most pipes.
The Canadian, Liverpool and Lovat are different. These all have long shanks and short stems. They also do not have such thin, pencil shanks and the Canadian also has a robust, oval shank, which adds even more weight.
The pencil shank should not present any problems for the smoker - the draft hole should be the same as any other pipe. It no doubt requires especially accurate drilling and shaping to make.
To me, the Bing is a straight billiard with a longer, thin (pencil) shank and stem. The shank and stem are equal length (i.e. the shank and stem meet half way). It is an elegant pipe. I've also seen similar shapes that have a dublin bowl rather than a billiard bowl, and that's a nice variation which works well. The Bing should be a lightweight pipe, even though it is longer than most pipes.
The Canadian, Liverpool and Lovat are different. These all have long shanks and short stems. They also do not have such thin, pencil shanks and the Canadian also has a robust, oval shank, which adds even more weight.
The pencil shank should not present any problems for the smoker - the draft hole should be the same as any other pipe. It no doubt requires especially accurate drilling and shaping to make.
"At some point, Bing had the studio buy his pipes for the movies because people were always stealing them on the set."
According to whom?
The only reference I could find concerning this was contained in Richard Carleton Hacker's book titled "Rare Smoke - The Ultimate Guide to Pipe Collecting" wherein he stated that, "So many fans would steal Crosby's pipes whenever he laid them down, he began importing Merchant Service pipes to America by the boxful. Fortunately for the singer, they were never very expensive, only costing about $15 at the time. As collectables (sic), they carry substantially higher pricetags (sic) today." Note that he did not cite the source for this information, nor did he state that the studio (Paramount) purchased his pipes for him.
According to whom?
The only reference I could find concerning this was contained in Richard Carleton Hacker's book titled "Rare Smoke - The Ultimate Guide to Pipe Collecting" wherein he stated that, "So many fans would steal Crosby's pipes whenever he laid them down, he began importing Merchant Service pipes to America by the boxful. Fortunately for the singer, they were never very expensive, only costing about $15 at the time. As collectables (sic), they carry substantially higher pricetags (sic) today." Note that he did not cite the source for this information, nor did he state that the studio (Paramount) purchased his pipes for him.
Hunter: it didn't come from Hacker's book because I've never seen it. I don't remember reading it in Giddins' book either. I believe I heard it on a TV documentary, but I really can't cite which one. I don't think it was The American Masters that aired last December. I have an artist friend who is a long standing member of the International Bing Crosby Fan Club (and occasionally has done art for them), and I recall us talking about it a few years back. He could have been the source, but it seems like I heard it on TV. Anyway, I heard it as a declarative statement and not speculation.
I contacted the official Crosby website and asked the question to see if they know the story. I know I heard it, just can't remember where.
I contacted the official Crosby website and asked the question to see if they know the story. I know I heard it, just can't remember where.
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