I have been toying with the idea of looking for a birth year pipe but have no desire to get being ripped off. Any idea how big of a pain this will be? Birth year is 1969. Maybe a man on the moon pipe?
BIRTH YEAR Pipe
- Thread starter Swampdragon69
- Start date
Well, a hallmarked pipe (English or Irish Peterson's), or a date coded Dunhill would fit the bill. It may take time, but 1969 shouldn't be too hard to find.
I am 1970, seems to be a hard year to find. I have seen some 69’s at pipestuds place.
errr...I should have worded that differently..
errr...I should have worded that differently..
1969 DUNHILL SHELL BRIAR EP F/T 4S (CANADIAN) OVAL SHANK ESTATE PIPE | eBay
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I don't think you will any problem finding a 1969 but getting the right one could be a problem.
I am 1990 (just turned 30 a few days ago) and I think I’ve seen a 1990 Dunhill for sale ONCE. I don’t know if Dunhill lacked workers that year or what.
Ok this is a weird coincidence but I just did this a few days ago. Now that everyone is mentioning big name brands with easily identifiable stamps I might have gotten a little ripped off, but for the price I couldn't pass it up.
What I did was search SP and SP EU with just my birth year as well as a few general google searches like "1991 estate pipe" "vintage 1991 pipe" and so on. What I came back with was this guy! Estate Tobacco Pipes: Japanese Estates Kobe Smooth Billiard (1991) || Smokingpipes.eu - https://www.smokingpipes.eu/pipes/estate/japan/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=130786
Now being 1969 and not as new as mine I gotta assume your pipe is going to come with a higher price tag no matter what. Heck the other 1991 pipes I found were around $200+ and one of them was just a 5 year range so I'll be happy with this buy as long as it's a decent smoker.
Good luck and happy hunting!
What I did was search SP and SP EU with just my birth year as well as a few general google searches like "1991 estate pipe" "vintage 1991 pipe" and so on. What I came back with was this guy! Estate Tobacco Pipes: Japanese Estates Kobe Smooth Billiard (1991) || Smokingpipes.eu - https://www.smokingpipes.eu/pipes/estate/japan/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=130786
Now being 1969 and not as new as mine I gotta assume your pipe is going to come with a higher price tag no matter what. Heck the other 1991 pipes I found were around $200+ and one of them was just a 5 year range so I'll be happy with this buy as long as it's a decent smoker.
Good luck and happy hunting!
I can understand the attraction for others but I neither felt nor followed a trail to get one for myself, perhaps because many such pipes cost more than what I was willing to spend (Dunhill).
I searched for my 1959 birth year pipe with no luck. Then I received this 1959 Dunhill from my pipe forum Secret Santa...a very generous gift.
To my Secret Santa - thank you!
I haven't been able to find a 1953 pipe. So far I have two that MAY have been made in the 1950s, but nothing I can look at with certainty and say, that's a 1953.
1943 Dunhill RB, SPC had it, it wasn’t cheap, I was a war baby.
Swampdragon1969 good luck with your search. I got my first Dunhill birth year (1961) pipe about 3 years ago and now I own 3. They are definitely out there and I see 1969s from time to time. I got my first at forum sponsor The Danish Pipe Shop. They have nicely restored estates, good values, and great service. The other 2 I got off of ebay. All of them were (IMO) reasonable, not super steals like chasingembers finds but, he proves that deals can be found.
Wouldn't it be fine if year of manufacture were part of the stamping on pipes. Then we could have birth year pipes of any standard brand. It should be a tradition, not mandated by anyone. By popular demand. This is a recurring fantasy of mine, which his unlikely because people feel it would make pipes look shelf worn into the next year and might make buyers want them for less. Some carvers stamp or etch the date on their pipes. Luciano stamped all their pipes with the year, and hurrah for them. I'm not sure they are still in production, but I salute them.
I guess you could commission a pipe from a carver who is willing to stamp it with the year of your birth.
My big fear is that it will be crazy expensive and just lacking that “WOW” factor. I really like bent bulldogs and longer pipes. I have an affinity for leather wrapped and Meerschaum pipes. I have a Savenelli lovate/ Canadian but it does not float my boat. I seem to be more of a tobacco collector than a pipe guy.
The problem is that what dramatically narrows the field and ups the ante, is other than Dunhill pipes (which have an annual date code--which may not be of much concern to many EBay sellers, or misread). The only other category of pipes that can usually be accurately dated are (in addition to Dunhill) other English brands with hallmarked sterling silver or solid gold parts. Most countries don't require silver or gold be dated, and even GB is somewhat relaxed about smaller works of silver.
Then, no matter how ingenious you are, search engines are some help, but I know most of the time I look at pipes for sale, and want to know the date, I have to blow up an image, and then with the aid of John Loring's Dunhill Briar Pipe and/or Tardy's International Hallmarks, figure out the fracking date thing myself.
I don't wish in any way to discourage you from your quest. Just know that you're going to have to decide if you really love Dunhills, or possibly pipes with silver fittings-- and then. whether the hunt is actually part of the fun for you. If so, as they like to say on Battlestar Galactica, Good Hunting!
Then, no matter how ingenious you are, search engines are some help, but I know most of the time I look at pipes for sale, and want to know the date, I have to blow up an image, and then with the aid of John Loring's Dunhill Briar Pipe and/or Tardy's International Hallmarks, figure out the fracking date thing myself.
I don't wish in any way to discourage you from your quest. Just know that you're going to have to decide if you really love Dunhills, or possibly pipes with silver fittings-- and then. whether the hunt is actually part of the fun for you. If so, as they like to say on Battlestar Galactica, Good Hunting!