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A resale business out in Lake Elsinore, California, recently posted this pipe as part of a lot purchased as an "asset sale" after a pipe shop in Southern California closed down. I searched the nomenclature but couldn't quite find a match to Les Wood's Ferndown "Tudor Root" as the Ferndown stamp was missing and it was stamped "Made in London / England" rather than the more familiar "Hand Made in / England."
I inquired with Les Wood himself, and he was gracious enough to email this response the next day:
On further inquiry:
By 1994 Mr. Kolpin's shop would already have been renamed The [Original] Tinder Box, in Santa Monica, which closed its doors in 2017. I'm inclined to conjecture that the Tudor Root came to California at about that time and was perhaps a gift to Mr. Kolpin Sr., as it likely remained in the shop until its closure. The shop assets probably remained in storage and were sold recently to the Lake Elsinore resellers.
As an aside, at about the time the pipe arrived from England to California, I began working at another Tinder Box location on the East coast.
The pipe is beautiful, lightweight, and has wonderful grain.
I inquired with Les Wood himself, and he was gracious enough to email this response the next day:
"Hi [...]
Yes that is and an early Tudor Root made about 1994/5 ish after that we changed to Ferndown Tudor Root on the darker Roots smoth pipes it look in good condition would love to see a few more photo M/ P size,
As a matter of interest as I had worked at Dunhills and they made a pipe stamped Root I asked them would it be a problem if I used the name Root and they said no problem so that why the pipes from them were stamped Root on the top end Ferndown pipes,
Enjoy if you need any other info please get in touch
Regards
Les"
On further inquiry:
"Hi [...]
At that time any pipe that went into the USA would have gone through Eddie Kolpin from Santa Monica, California his dad Edd Kolpin Senior had the shop and Eddie had the import agency
Reg Les"
By 1994 Mr. Kolpin's shop would already have been renamed The [Original] Tinder Box, in Santa Monica, which closed its doors in 2017. I'm inclined to conjecture that the Tudor Root came to California at about that time and was perhaps a gift to Mr. Kolpin Sr., as it likely remained in the shop until its closure. The shop assets probably remained in storage and were sold recently to the Lake Elsinore resellers.
As an aside, at about the time the pipe arrived from England to California, I began working at another Tinder Box location on the East coast.
The pipe is beautiful, lightweight, and has wonderful grain.
