Help Me Find Out More About My New Pipe?

[twistedhammer]

I just recently received a beautiful pipe from a family member. According to the inscription, it is a Frank Stanwix, made of Italian Briar, and it has an E.P band. I asked the family member, but they apparently don't know any more than I do, having baught it from a yard sale.
Here is a link to a picture: http://i.imgur.com/FG67eD9.jpg
I try to keep a good tab of information on my possessions, so I was wondering if anyone on here would be able to tell me anything about this pipe? Possibly a year and value?

[It is in magnificent condition, only having a single obvious nick in the exterior (which can be seen in the photo). It's been lightly used, as well, but I can tell its previous owner took good care of it.]

 

[pstlpkr]

Welcome aboard Twistedhammer.
I've never heard of Frank Stanwix.

It's probably a product of one of innumerable the small pipe factories in Italy.

Many small towns and some large towns have small independent pipe factories.

I agree it looks to be in good shape; however, the band and the stem appear to be post production.

e.g. the shank may have split and the band added to arrest the split, and the stem was made as a replacement.

Just a guess of course.

Also, one more guess: It looks to be of very decent quality, and it's condition and color suggests to me that it's probably from the 1950's or 60's.
I hope that helps some.

::

 

[sfsteves]

Here's something that will shed a little light on Stanwix ... it was apparently a WDC model, and two pictures of a Stanwix are to be found down the rather long list of pictures ... note that they look strikingly similar to twistedhammer's pipe ... WDC, it turns out, was a rather old firm with some loft connections ...
http://kaywoodie.myfreeforum.org/archive/w.d.c.-master-list__o_t__t_191.html

 

[sfsteves]

oh, and incidentally, EP quite likely indicates that the band is electro plated ...

 

[ejames]

I think what you have there is an older S.M.Frank made pipe. The "Frank" stamping looks like the stampings used on early S.M. Frank pipes. They may have "borrowed the Stanwix stamping from WDC. S.M. Frank bought out WDC and it became a subsidiary of Frank in 1937. WDC pipes were made until about 1972.