Briar Plateau Block Pipe Stands, "Made in Italy"... By Whom and When?

[PLANofMAN]

Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
As a younger man, I drooled over elegant pipes in well lit cases, and there was always that one stand out pipe prominently displayed in a gorgeous burl stand. My younger self admired the well north of $500 pipes and the stands themselves, which if not labeled "NFS" (not for sale), had price tags hovering between $150 and $300 as best I can recall. This was in 1999.

I've seen several on Worthpoint (examples above) and various other sites, but who made them? They all carry "MADE IN ITALY" stampings and are made from briar with natural plateau tops. Are they still being made, and who made them in the first place? Does anyone know?

Edit: As best I can tell, this is the only practical use anyone has found for most 'actual' 100 year old briar.

The rest of the pictures of the above stands.

 

[Chasing Embers]

As best I can tell, this is the only practical use anyone has found for most 'actual' 100 year old briar.

Pipes can be made out of burls that old.

 

[PLANofMAN]

Pipes can be made out of burls that old.

Of course they can, and I didn't mean to imply that a small segment of aged burl is suitable for pipes, it's just that the likelihood of running into imperfections, sand pockets, and other defects in the briar go way up the older the bush. That's why 30 is considered the perfect age to harvest pipe burl.

I'm assuming the stands above are representative of burl that is both big enough to make a stand out of, and yet showing enough flaws to be considered not suitable for pipe making.

 

[warren]

I'm assuming the stands above are representative of burl that is both big enough to make a stand out of, and yet showing enough flaws to be considered not suitable for pipe making.

I'm guessing some enterprising individual thinks there is a market for such. Too many pipes with bad fills, poor grain and such are being sold so, I wouldn't place a lot weight on your assumption. There is still a "decent" market for such or, there wouldn't be so many available.

 

[PaulRVA]

I have 1 the only markings are multiple letter C’s almost like paw prints on the bottom. Came from Iwan Ries back in the 90’s
As far as original maker ????

 

[TheIronMonkey]

At present, I only have one (I’m always on the lookout for more), made by Brebbia. It holds four pipes. This was not issued with the cushioned caps on the metal—I added them to prevent scratches to the finish of my pipes. This might be from the ’60s or ’70s. It bears a sticker similar to Brebbia hookahs I have from that period.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I have 1 the only markings are multiple letter C’s almost like paw prints on the bottom. Came from Iwan Ries back in the 90’s
As far as original maker ????
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Yes! All three of the stands I posted above have those carved 'c's on them as well. Some are definitely on there to sort of obscure cracks and pits, others appear to be purely decorative. I can't tell if the marks were made by a gouge or a stamp.

I'm guessing some enterprising individual thinks there is a market for such. Too many pipes with bad fills, poor grain and such are being sold so, I wouldn't place a lot weight on your assumption. There is still a "decent" market for such or, there wouldn't be so many available.

Pipes or stands?

 

[Briar Lee]

Example 1:
View attachment 279583Example 2:
View attachment 279584Example 3:View attachment 279585
As a younger man, I drooled over elegant pipes in well lit cases, and there was always that one stand out pipe prominently displayed in a gorgeous burl stand. My younger self admired the well north of $500 pipes and the stands themselves, which if not labeled "NFS" (not for sale), had price tags hovering between $150 and $300 as best I can recall. This was in 1999.

I've seen several on Worthpoint (examples above) and various other sites, but who made them? They all carry "MADE IN ITALY" stampings and are made from briar with natural plateau tops. Are they still being made, and who made them in the first place? Does anyone know?

Edit: As best I can tell, this is the only practical use anyone has found for most 'actual' 100 year old briar.

The rest of the pictures of the above stands.
View attachment 279639
View attachment 279640
View attachment 279641View attachment 279642
View attachment 279643

Missouri has so many oak trees, and so many hillbillies with chainsaws, and so few people that still burn firewood, that the price of a true cord of seasoned, oak firewood, that’s been barked, has fallen from a hundred dollars a cord delivered to about seventy five in the last forty years. They won’t stack it, but they’ll dump it where you say to. Ash is more money. If you want kindling sticks you say so, because they otherwise are left in the woods with the bark.

The market for the burls of the heather shrub is likely one hundred times less than seventy years ago.

Those pipe stands are made from the bark.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Missouri has so many oak trees, and so many hillbillies with chainsaws, and so few people that still burn firewood, that the price of a true cord of seasoned, oak firewood, that’s been barked, has fallen from a hundred dollars a cord delivered to about seventy five in the last forty years. They won’t stack it, but they’ll dump it where you say to. Ash is more money. If you want kindling sticks you say so, because they otherwise are left in the woods with the bark.

The market for the burls of the heather shrub is likely one hundred times less than seventy years ago.

Those pipe stands are made from the bark.

Your analogy might be confusing for some people reading this. The bark on oak firewood is not the same as what you’re describing as “bark” on these pipe stands. For the oak, the bark would be the outer skin of the tree that is above ground; with these stands, we’re looking at the outer portion of the heather’s burl (same thing used for pipes) that is underground. The pictures in this article will show this clearly:

How Briar Curing Works: History, Methods, and Benefits | Smokingpipes.com

Learn more about the history, methods, and benefits traditional briar curing and how the process ensures optimum smoking qualities

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[Briar Lee]

I love Danish freehands because I know they used briar, I can see that bark on top, and usually on the end of the shank, as well.

But a plateux briar block isn’t all pipes, there is lots of waste.

Those stands are a bye product of pipe production. Otherwise they’d find a stove.

 

[warren]

Pipes or stands?

Pipes. Lotta "flawed" pipes available out there. Many become cherished smokers.

 

[PLANofMAN]

While it's true there's a lot of waste, the only unusable portion (for pipes) of the pipe burl is the center, which is softer and lacks grain. The plateaux is surface of the wood, just under the bark. The bark is stripped off using a wire wheel, which does no harm to the hard wood underneath.

It's probably safe to say that these were made from the larger cuts dug from the reject pile, and it is almost certain that they were made exclusively from pipe briar burl.
Edit: The Stanwell 63M Vario in the picture may very well have come from a block cut like this stand. The flame grain lines flow much the same way.

 

[PLANofMAN]

Picked up another stand. Won't know for sure if it's briar burl or just 'regular' burl until it arrives. Seller thinks it's petrified wood, which is amusing. I believe the kerf marks left by the saw on the bottom indicate wood rather than wood turned to stone.

...But I can definitely see why someone would think it was petrified wood, especially if it's heavy. If it was petrified wood, I can't say as I would be unhappy about it, especially since I can't recall ever seeing petrified wood with unfilled cracks...

(Pipe not included, and it's not mine, but seller listed it in another auction, and used the stand, so I nabbed a screenshot to show how the pipe sits).

This one is a bit more...ah...rustic than earlier examples in this thread.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I love Danish freehands because I know they used briar, I can see that bark on top, and usually on the end of the shank, as well.

But a plateux briar block isn’t all pipes, there is lots of waste.

Those stands are a bye product of pipe production. Otherwise they’d find a stove.

 

[PLANofMAN]

View attachment 344014
View attachment 344015

He does have a point, though. There is lots of waste when cutting briar, and a lot of waste again after the briar has cured for years or decades. I suspect most of these Italian made stands are from blocks that were pre-cut, but didn't make the cut (ha!) after curing, or were found to have unrecoverable flaws during the initial cuts. The bigger bits got dug out of the burn bucket and turned into stands.

I don't have proof of this, and this is all speculation, but it's telling that these stands just happen to be about the same size as an extra large pipe block. You pretty much never see a briar burl stand that can hold more than two pipes, and you never see one without a fair amount of cracks, pits, and other flaws. (Probably because IF someone did find a briar stand without flaws, they would probably be overly tempted to turn it into a small pipe and a lot of sawdust.

Edit: I will concede some exceptions, like the four pipe Brebbia stand posted earlier in this thread that is made from an entire briar burl. Such extravagance, a beautiful piece.

 

[Chasing Embers]

He does have a point, though. There is lots of waste when cutting briar, and a lot of waste again after the briar has cured for years or decades. I suspect most of these Italian made stands are from blocks that were pre-cut, but didn't make the cut (ha!) after curing, or were found to have unrecoverable flaws during the initial cuts. The bigger bits got dug out of the burn bucket and turned into stands.

I don't have proof of this, and this is all speculation, but it's telling that these stands just happen to be about the same size as an extra large pipe block. You pretty much never see a briar burl stand that can hold more than two pipes, and you never see one without a fair amount of cracks, pits, and other flaws. (Probably because IF someone did find a briar stand without flaws, they would probably be overly tempted to turn it into a small pipe and a lot of sawdust.

Edit: I will concede some exceptions, like the four pipe Brebbia stand posted earlier in this thread that is made from an entire briar burl. Such extravagance, a beautiful piece.

Some are selected due to the grain.

 

[BingBong]

View attachment 344014
View attachment 344015

A 2000 year-old facepalm? That must be worth a fortune.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I think it's briar burl, but I'm no expert. It sure cleaned up nice. Board butter (beeswax and mineral oil) followed by hairdryer, followed by horsehair brush. Repeat.

Lost a few bits of bark and a few tiny pieces that dry rot had claimed, but overall, I think it turned out well. Scroll up a few posts for the before images.

 

[bullet08]

It's a pipe stand. I've seen more thoroughly engineered toilet paper holder.

 

[PLANofMAN]

It's a pipe stand. I've seen more thoroughly engineered toilet paper holder.

My main hobby is razor collecting. Pipes and pipe accessories are uncomplicated, let's keep them that way.