GBD, Comoy's, Sasieni, Ben Wade [Leeds}, Dunhill, Charatan, James Upshall, Ashton, BBB.
Estates! The old british gems rule my collection!
Estates! The old british gems rule my collection!
Favorite English Pipes
- Thread starter samuelgawith01
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Could anybody tell how's the draw in Northern briars like?And do they offer smooth'pipes with smaller and medium sized bowls?
For my money, vintage Comoys-manufactured pipes (even their Guildhall, Everyman, and Town Hall brands) are hard to beat. Also among my favorites are certain vintage-production Sasieni, Barling, Ashton, Blakemar, G. Huybrecht, BBB, and Dunhill models.
I adore the rigid classical shaping of Dunhill. If a maker needs input on achieving such shapes he need look no further. I've owned two Ferndowns, one of them a pot/billiard with a chamber nowhere nearly as wide so as to achieve the pot's width, but as regards the purity of the shape, it speaks quite well. So no big deal on chamber size, but what is a big deal to me is the 65g weight precluding clenching, and the typically large cut to Ferndowns.
Aside from the smoking qualities of some very fine Brit-Wood, I enjoy the history of British pipe making up to the 1960s, especially of Barling and Dunhill. Perhaps even more than owning the pipes themselves. I do own a few nice British pipes, but I have in recent years developed more love for Italian and North American pipes. But British pipes have the aura of history more than any other AFAIK.
I only have two, a wedding year Dunhill group 3 shell, it's a great little pipe I reserve for St Bruno.
The other is a Parker Gourd Calabash, although it's an English brand, it's stamped Austria so I'm not sure it's really English, it's stellar smoker, one of my best.
I love the aesthetics of Dunhills, especially the shells, but I find them overpriced.
The other is a Parker Gourd Calabash, although it's an English brand, it's stamped Austria so I'm not sure it's really English, it's stellar smoker, one of my best.
I love the aesthetics of Dunhills, especially the shells, but I find them overpriced.
Limited exposure to a lot of pipes, however, I love my Northern Briars bent billiard. It is a group 5 that feels just right in the hand and smokes like a dream. The bit is perfect too.
Not sure that I have any favorites, but my Northern Briars stack Dublin is my go to pipe for Virginia flakes. I have a 1930's Dunhill chimney that also does flakes well; a deep Barling's Guinea Grain Oom Paul for a long smoke, and a small Charatan Special Pot for short ones. My Fernsdown REO bent billiard is an excellent peice of workmanship. I have 14 Peterson pipes as well, and smoke them all, though not all the time. All of them smoke great, and once I find a tobacco that goes best in each, I dedicate the pipe to that style. Like my children, I would be hard pressed to select a favorite.
The draw on my Northern Brairs pipe is great, as is my Dunhill. The others flow well, but are a little more restrictive.
The draw on my Northern Brairs pipe is great, as is my Dunhill. The others flow well, but are a little more restrictive.
Britannia is a surprising good brand though not widely marketed. I think I picked mine up at the local Tinder Box for a modest price, but its design, finish, and balance is beyond its price point. It happened to have a double bore stem, but that has worked out fine, and both airways pass a pipe cleaner. It's a slightly bent Dublin with a smooth finish, nicely carved, and an oval shank and stem.
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