I would like to applogize first for not being an expert on anything in this area. so i am like a sponge at this point looking for informantion. I have aaquired a pipe from my grandfather and he got it from his is the way i was told it got passed along i have loterally spent weeks trying to incover some history nehind this pipe os have as of las week i put on 2200 miles visiting shop and talking with artists and folls that lile a gook smoke but have come up almost empty for information i wpuld appreciate any help and if someone could put a value on it for me for onsurance purposes that would be wonderful as well? It is an exceptional peace and no one i have talked with yet can give me info other that earlie 1800s G Larsen name and has an exen tip made of horn the woven part no idea
Hello My Name is Oliver
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Is there any stamping or etching on the pipe that might help? Did your grandfather travel or live in another country; that might help too. Has the pipe been smoked much or at all? It could be mostly a souvenir item. Though it looks exotic, I don't pick up any aura of rarity or value, but our Forums experts would have to know more.
Hello the makers name is G Larsen there is some sort of number in the inside of the silver cap from what i have been able to find out so far is there were 2 brothers started the company in Norway and moved to turkey in order to get the materials they used to make the bowl as well as the hand carved water buffallo or oxen horn tip definetly not a novelty also the wood connecting the 2 silver fixtures appears to be made of cherry or some sort of fruit tree. Just what i have been able to find out so far
It's a German or Austrian Kalmasch pipe with a meerschaum (your pipe looks like it is a meerschaum) or clay bowl, silver fittings, stem often made from cherrywood and mouthpiece of cow horn. These pipes are often made in one country, and exported to another country eg England where the silverwork is added, hence may have English silver hallmarks.
They come up quite frequently on EBay - although not always complete. You can go to the EBay estate pipes site,
call up "advanced search", put in "kalmasch meerschaum pipe" and hit the "completed auction/buy now" option and get recent prices which will give you an estimate of what your pipe is worth.
I think it is worth far more as a family heirloom, than a collector's piece. They are cumbersome, often overly large and bought more as historical curios rather than as pipes to be smoked regularly.
They come up quite frequently on EBay - although not always complete. You can go to the EBay estate pipes site,
call up "advanced search", put in "kalmasch meerschaum pipe" and hit the "completed auction/buy now" option and get recent prices which will give you an estimate of what your pipe is worth.
I think it is worth far more as a family heirloom, than a collector's piece. They are cumbersome, often overly large and bought more as historical curios rather than as pipes to be smoked regularly.
C
carolinasmokes
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Welcome Oliver to the forums. I also agree that it appears to be German, it was a style from the Deutschland area that had some controversy over the style. Is it porcelain, clay, or meerschaum? Or are you able to tell? Looks kinda thick in the picture which leads me think think meerschaum. Good luck and Keep it Classy.
If G Larsen co moved to Turkey "in order to get the materials", that would point towards the bowl being meerschaum.
My first thought before I read that was the bowl could be porcelain. ???
A few years ago a 100+yo German pipe shop closed. A German guy bought all the NOS and has been selling it since on ebay.
He's had quite a few Hunter pipes with bowls made from briar and porcelain.
Nice looking pipes for sure [I bought one for myself]
Olivers looks like a real quality piece by comparison. [Like comparing a cob to a briar]
Hello and welcome.
That's a real nice piece Oliver.
OzPiper is correct when he said that those type of pipes are more of a decorator piece than meant to be smoked.
But, some Hunter pipes [and similar] were made to be smoked.
Yours is of very good quality so it's worth loading the bowl and giving it a go to find out one way or the other.
If G Larsen was just making curios, then there would have been no need to go to Turkey to source materials.
Porcelain would have done the job. Meerschaum on the other hand, makes a much better smoking pipe than porcelain or clay in that application.
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