Glokar anyone?

[londonmake]

Hi Guys;

Just nabbed this little bent on ebay and thought you'd like to see it.

It arrived yesterday. Needs some love, and then, it will be a nice pipe for flakes. Or maybe just for lakelands.

4" long. Very old, from 30s-40s approx. I also found it pictured in the BBB catalog recently published by Briar Books.

 

[pitchfork]

Dude, that's a 1911 BBB from the company's golden era. If the chamber isn't too charred (something that worried me about this listing), you've got yourself a classic antique pipe made with some really mellow-smoking briar.
"Glokar" is the company's name for what was essentially their answer to the Peterson P-lip. Congrats -- glad someone on the forums picked it up.

 

[pitchfork]

Another great thing about the pipe is the composition of the stem -- however they formulated the rubber back then, they don't usually oxidize as readily as more modern pipe stems. Yours even still has the BBB logo on the stem, so you can tell it hasn't been buffed much at all, and yet there's barely a tint of oxidation. A really nice pipe and in a rare shape to boot.

 

[londonmake]

pitchfork/guys;

thanks for the comments. 1911? wow.

Yes, the bowl has some cracks in the interior cake, but luckily, it doesn't look like actual wood charring. I'm planning on trying some pipemud to heal those areas, let them dry and harden, and then fire it up.

Meanwhile, I'll work on the stem oxidation which is not too heavy. Also, the silver band should clean up after some work. The slit on the glokar bit had been opened up by the previous owner, but it did improve the draw, apparently. And some clean up on the bowl rim with good old saliva.
I wonder where this pipe has travelled in all this time?

 

[pitchfork]

Yes, the bowl has some cracks in the interior cake, but luckily, it doesn't look like actual wood charring.

That's good to hear -- however, the walls of that pipe are pretty thick, so it should be fine either way.

 

[bonehed]

Beautiful!

 

[mso489]

Looks gently used for over 100 years old. That's truly an estate pipe.

 

[dmcmtk]

londonmade, you can trust pitchfork on this, he did a lot of research on the subject of Glokar a couple of years ago, and I mean that seriously. Neat old BBB.
http://pipesmokerunlimited.com/showthread.php?4129-1905-BBB-Bulldog-with-quot-Glokar-quot-Stem

 

[beefeater33]

Londonmade, that is a SWEEEEET old survivor!

Great score on that one, I'm betting it will be a great smoker.

Thanks for sharing, I don't ever recall seeing a Glokar before.......... ::

 

[ssjones]

Nice, I was watching that one!

 

[doctorbob]

I was watching, wishing I hadn't already spent my budget. Good on you, that is an excellent piece of history.
Doc

 

[danielplainview]

I was watching that as well. I love my old BBB's. That's a great looking pipe especially considering the age. With a little mud and a carbon coating that beaut should be around another 100 years. Please post pics after it's cleaned up.

 

[buroak]

I hope you are able to save that beautiful old BBB pipe. Some photos of the bowl interior that did not make it into the listing proper led me to think the bowl walls are rather badly charred - deep fissures, significant wood loss, and the like. The seller accepts returns, so you will be safe no matter what. Actually, the listing history of the seller shows the pipe was returned once before.

 

[mayfair70]

I was watching this as well. Glad a forum member got it so we can ooh and aah. Yes, please post pics when its cleaned up, i's dotted and t's crossed.

 

[jerwynn]

Oooooooo... I totally love deeply bent pipes!! Oom Pauls are kinda "my" favorites... and that one is close enough for jazz!! What a gorgeous specimen!! And nothing like smoking a piece of history!! If only they could talk.

 

[londonmake]

Thanks for all the feedback, Gents!

I will post pics after the restoration.

The pipemud is drying, silver band sparkles, stem is clean, airways sanitized, you know the routine---except that this is over 100 yrs old, so I'm going slow & careful...
and I'm still debating what tobacco to put in her for her debut...

 

[didimauw]

Yes, can't wait to see the after pics! That's a gem you have there!

 

[londonmake]

Hi;

There was some charring in the bowl midway down, two in particular, to worry about.

well, after treating the bowl to 3 coats of pipemud, it is starting to come around and heal the wounds. Make cake!
Sometimes, with some pipes that are very rare, I've learned to put up with defects for the sake of, well, collecting a great looking pipe. The fun of it is the challenge of making it smokable again and going through whatever restoration is possible. Also, learning to smoke a damaged pipe is instructive in that you have to proceed slowly, puff less, pack differently, etc so as not to burn out!
After all, these are one-of-a-kind pipes that you may never see again... except in a catalog from the Year 1. Remember that great article John Loring wrote about collecting Dunhill LCs in the Emphemeris?