Hi folks. I can’t seem to receive an email verification to activate my membership on the Kaywoodie Talk website and I’m really curious about this Kaywoodie I picked up. I wonder if there are any Kaywoodie mavens around here? I won this tiny little Drinkless on auction (I was surprised when I opened the package at how tiny the thing is) and I’d really like to date it. It doesn’t have a shape number and I can’t find any other like it on the inter webs. It has a 4-hole stinger.
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My best guess is a late World War Two “hand carved”.
A pre war pipe would not be stamped IMPORTED BRIAR and before the war Kaywoodie took pride in a $3.50 Drinkless being a Cadillac of pipes.
The hand carving was to salvage inferior briar during the war.
A pre war pipe would not be stamped IMPORTED BRIAR and before the war Kaywoodie took pride in a $3.50 Drinkless being a Cadillac of pipes.
The hand carving was to salvage inferior briar during the war.
Ma
Maybe a reason it ended up in Japan. It’s so small, a nose warmer, it would have fit nicely in the pocket of a GI uniform. Just speculation. Thanks so much!
I do see some people say on that website that the “imported briar” stamp happened in the late 30s though.
I have a considerably later version of a similar Kaywoodie pipe that was purchased as a Drinkless Ruff-Tone with the smooth surface carved with grooves on both the bowl and shank. It is not particularly small, but is otherwise quite similar. Despite the stinger, it smokes well and is easy to clean.
This is my first Kaywoodie! I wish I could get a ballpark of the date on this. I haven’t smoked it yet. I think this is the smallest pipe I’ve ever had.
On the subject of Kaywoodies, I am a committed Peterson smoker, collector, refurbisher. While rummaging around at a flea market I came up with this one [drinkless] on stinger. [drinkless] over [kaywoodie] on obverse and [imported briar] over [77 OOP] on reverse. Any Kaywoodie expert help is appreciated. Pipepedia was none to clear (for me).
I have to look more closely but the stinger is similar to mine. Re: my pipe, I think Briar Lee must be correct: post WW2. For yours, what I’ve read seems to say yours having text on the stinger vs. mine not doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The 4-holes went out late 40s/early 50s perhaps. Someone will have to confirm about the stingers because ours actually look the same.
Mine is about 5-1/4” long. Not sure how long yours was. I need to some more research and take some brtter photes. Let’s continue the discussion
Yes. And I know realize that mine says “drinkless” just like yours does. I wasn’t looking carefully.
Primer for dating a Kaywoodie
1920s Kaywoodies have the large ball 4 hole stinger, KB&B stamp, no screw stem
Drinkless is a $3.50 pipe, in a 50 cent to $1 pipe market. It’s a luxury item.
Early 1930s, the screw stem (Synchro Stem) added
1935 sees $5 Super Grain and rare Straight Grain
1936 last year of 4 digit numbers
1937 $10 Flame Grain
By 1937 the Super Grain and Flame Grain are truly using the finest briar on earth. Late thirties high grades are masterpieces.
Maybe 1939 , use of IMPORTED BRIAR (submarines have shut off briar supply)
Early war- Smaller ball and thinner mortise (saves aluminum)
Later war- Carved pipes (stretches briar supply)
Three hole stinger- 1952?
1920s Kaywoodies have the large ball 4 hole stinger, KB&B stamp, no screw stem
Drinkless is a $3.50 pipe, in a 50 cent to $1 pipe market. It’s a luxury item.
Early 1930s, the screw stem (Synchro Stem) added
1935 sees $5 Super Grain and rare Straight Grain
1936 last year of 4 digit numbers
1937 $10 Flame Grain
By 1937 the Super Grain and Flame Grain are truly using the finest briar on earth. Late thirties high grades are masterpieces.
Maybe 1939 , use of IMPORTED BRIAR (submarines have shut off briar supply)
Early war- Smaller ball and thinner mortise (saves aluminum)
Later war- Carved pipes (stretches briar supply)
Three hole stinger- 1952?
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And I mean to say thanks. Even though it may not be the desirable ones with the prime prewar briar, it’s nice to know they still smoke well.
In all honesty, briar quality merely pleases the eyes.
As much as I love Pipes by Lee, it’s because they are cheaper than classic Kaywoodies.
This medium billiard Super Grain from the middle thirties was made, along with dozens of other standard shapes, for over forty years.
Any Kaywoodie from 1925 to 1972 represents a lifetime purchase.
The last few years the briar just isn’t as fancy.
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I, too, believe this is during or post WWII, but the small size stummel with the Handmade style carving is odd. I'll do some digging.
I'm still a Kaywoodie newbie, but I have a 4-digit kaywoodie (7780), 4-hole pipe that is also stamped 'Imported Briar', so I believe that there may have been a transition. If the 4 digits ended in 1936, but 'Imported Briar' was post-WWII, then one of those must not but completely accurate. Based on my pipe, I believe it is late 30s, unless they either made a special run of wartime or postwar pipes with 4 digits, or used up prewar stummels at a later time. I think they may have transitioned to the 'Imported Briar' in the late 1930s?
Pipe in question is on the bottom -
Does OPs pipe have a shape number? If not, then it is probably that wartime to post-WWII era that others are also echoing.
Nice pipe! Just to clarify, is the number 7700, as in 4-digits? If so, it is probably a later 30s pipe if I had to hazard a guess.
Unfortunately, there is no shape number on the pipe in the picture. It’s an odd pipe really. It’s very small, a nose-warmer really. It has that 4 hole stinger. And it has this “hand carved” style. BTW, can someone explain, was the “hand carving” actually done by hand? That couldn’t be, right? Some factory trick? I guess I am to gather that this is a late 40s early 50s pipe? If it could speak, what stories would it tell I wonder…