Many house pipes are essentially no-name pipes. You have the stamp of a pipe shop or other retailer, but no clue on the sourcing. I have a Thompson (Cigars) house pipe, a freehand with plateau on the brim, stamped Thompson and West Germany. I have no idea which pipe maker made the pipe. The pipe was a gift, an estate pipe of course. Its p-lip stem oxidized so persistently, despite my polishing efforts, that I had it refitted with a tortoise shell fishtail stem that gives it a more jaunty look. It has a good big chamber and is one of my pipes for long, meditative smokes.
I had a great "Made In London" pipe, a trim straight billiard with a dark reddish stain, that smoked really well. The joint between the bowl and shank cracked, and I finally gave it away to a friend who wanted a few pipes for decor. Today I might have had it repaired, though it was not fixable with a band, cracked in that location.
