Innovations In Pipe Smoking - Is Design Dead?

[huckleberry]

Yesterday I enjoyed shooting this 1927 A H Fox Sterlingworth at a black powder shoot.

View attachment 176840
Recently a company tried making new Fox shotguns down to the last detail the same as originals starting at ten thousand dollars. They actually sold a few, and still might.

A hundred years ago at a shotgun match and a hundred years from now at a shotgun match not anything will excel a classic American double gun for functional style.

Before the recent craziness in gun prices, that old Fox I own was about a five hundred dollar gun, maybe it’s a thousand dollar gun today.

The same thing applies to a classic briar pipe.

No matter who makes it or what’s stamped on it, how can you improve a Giant Wellington?

View attachment 176841

Both of those are truly wonderful items to appreciate and use. I can think of nothing that could improve the Fox, but "Birdseye" grain is the only thing that could possibly improve the pipe...Just my opinion though.
I have to commend your taste in both though

 

[dunnyboy]

I think there is room for innovation in the material used for stems. The Porsche Design pipe I referenced earlier comes closest in my experience to combining comfort with durability and beauty. Compared to acrylic or vulcanite stems, the Porsche Design tenon never gets too tight or too loose and always glides smoothly in and out of the mortise. It resists tooth marks, doesn't oxidize and retains a beautiful glossy finish. Although some proprietary acrylics, like the material used by Castello, and some German vulcanites come close, they are either harder or less resilient than the stuff used by Porsche Design.

 

[K.E. Powell]

Consider that all the pipes the Indians used were really long, I wonder if that isn't a functional design more than aesthetic.

The reason for that, at least from my understanding, is that the materials used then were not as heat-resistant as more modern materials. The long stem allows once to get a hold of the pipe without palming the bowl and scalding yourself. I could be mistaken on this, however.

 

[SBC]

Yesterday I enjoyed shooting this 1927 A H Fox Sterlingworth at a black powder shoot.

View attachment 176840
Recently a company tried making new Fox shotguns down to the last detail the same as originals starting at ten thousand dollars. They actually sold a few, and still might.

A hundred years ago at a shotgun match and a hundred years from now at a shotgun match not anything will excel a classic American double gun for functional style.

Before the recent craziness in gun prices, that old Fox I own was about a five hundred dollar gun, maybe it’s a thousand dollar gun today.

The same thing applies to a classic briar pipe.

No matter who makes it or what’s stamped on it, how can you improve a Giant Wellington?

View attachment 176841

Showing my ignorance, here, since my shooting interests have been in other directions ... but, how is a break-barrel gun a black powder gun?

 

[Briar Lee]

Showing my ignorance, here, since my shooting interests have been in other directions ... but, how is a break-barrel gun a black powder gun?

Technically my Sterlingworth grade Fox, first made about 1910, was a modern smokeless powder break open hammerless gun from day one, but they let me shoot it at black powder shoots because it’s a “ black powder period” design. No Fox ever had Damascus or twist barrels but Parker, LC Smith, Ithaca and Lefever did. To technically be legal for tournaments an old gun ought to either have Damascus barrels or outside hammers.

Black powder shells were loaded by the ammo companies and used until World War One. Today it’s a hand load only proposition.

I also have a replica black powder muzzleloader double, and those don’t break down.

 

[OverMountain]

Yesterday I enjoyed shooting this 1927 A H Fox Sterlingworth at a black powder shoot.

View attachment 176840
Recently a company tried making new Fox shotguns down to the last detail the same as originals starting at ten thousand dollars. They actually sold a few, and still might.

A hundred years ago at a shotgun match and a hundred years from now at a shotgun match not anything will excel a classic American double gun for functional style.

Before the recent craziness in gun prices, that old Fox I own was about a five hundred dollar gun, maybe it’s a thousand dollar gun today.

The same thing applies to a classic briar pipe.

No matter who makes it or what’s stamped on it, how can you improve a Giant Wellington?

View attachment 176841

Didn’t know Fox was back in the shotgun business. That pipe looks great, is it an antique piece?

 

[Grumpy11]

Conneticutt Shotgun Mfg reproduced the Fox and Winchester Model 21and still may be doing it. I'm not sure. I can't bird hunt any more due to an injury. I hunted with a Parker 16 gauge for many years. I shoot trap with a Perazzi now.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Actually all

Actially all ancient pipes were long.
Old Egyptian pipes and Old Chinese pipes were also long.

I believe that for absence of Zippo lighters, one wouldn’t want to strike flint next to one’s face.

I can pretty well guarantee they would be using candles or a hot coal from the fire pit, starting anything on fire with flint is a huge challenge.

 

[Briar Lee]

Didn’t know Fox was back in the shotgun business. That pipe looks great, is it an antique piece?

Yes, the gun dates to 1927, made in Philadelphia.

The finish is redone with boiled linseed oil now, there’s a Galazan pad added, and I’ve had to replace the right hammer. I was amazed a used hammer was able to be found.

A word of caution.

Modern German, Italian, and especially Japanese side by side doubles are miles above the old classic Parker, Fox, LC Smith, Ithaca and Lefever doubles in reliability.

If a part can break on an American classic double it will break. You are buying trouble when you get one.

If you want one and don’t have one, buy a Japanese made Browning, Miroku, or SKB from about forty years ago.

Or bring money and patience and know a good double gunsmith, and get the real coin.

And while all classic American doubles break, a real A H Fox breaks the least, because they were the last of the big five to be designed, learning from the others.

The Winchester Model 23 is a luxury gun and not a classic double.

A classic double was designed before WW1, most before 1900.

 

[Searock Fan]

I still have a .410 double that I received as a gift when I was a kid in the 50s. An uncle and I along with a couple of others and about half a dozen beagles used to go rabbit hunting. Haven't fired it in ages as I not longer hunt. I don't think killing things is a good way to entertain one's self. Oops! this thread seems to have wandered.

 

[Briar Lee]

There are several things besides classic double shotguns and classic briar pipes that simply don’t change styles.

Fine pens, pocket watches, Zippo lighters, and good leather goods come to mind.

Of all those a Zippo is the cheapest and a good classic double gun the most expensive.



But you really only need one classic double.

They are good for centuries of careful use.

 

[Searock Fan]

I can remember being at a gun show years ago and a guy had on his table a matched pair of Krieghoff over and unders (12 and 20 gague). Asking price was 30 or $40,000. This fool walked up and without saying a word picked one up and started pawing it. The owner's back had been turned and when he looked around and saw what was happening he went into a rage and I actually thought it might come to blows. Seems that while the fool was pawing the shotgun he was also eating a bag of nice, salty, French fries.

This story can be applied to a pipe show also. It's always best to ask to handle something before picking it up. Especially if it's expensive..