Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes
- Thread starter ssjones
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
This one just ended for a 1940's era Family Era Barling Pot. To be honest, I'm at a complete loss to understand the final price of $1025.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ENGLISH-ESTATE-PIPE-BARLING-273-EXEXEL-PRE-TRANSITION-/372297901240?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=X9i2%252BTagWfuB4lLzVcAUV%252BpJQN0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
One of the bidders I've seen before. He way overpays on the auctions I've tracked and buys all kinds of stuff. So I imagine he's either a trust fund baby, or a mental case. The other bidder? Maybe it's ego in a bidding duel.
It's a nice enough pot and it's in really excellent clean condition. But I have two of these, one unsmoked, in the EXEL size, and I paid $225 for the unsmoked piece. $450 to $500 would be more in line, given condition.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ENGLISH-ESTATE-PIPE-BARLING-273-EXEXEL-PRE-TRANSITION-/372297901240?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=X9i2%252BTagWfuB4lLzVcAUV%252BpJQN0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
One of the bidders I've seen before. He way overpays on the auctions I've tracked and buys all kinds of stuff. So I imagine he's either a trust fund baby, or a mental case. The other bidder? Maybe it's ego in a bidding duel.
It's a nice enough pot and it's in really excellent clean condition. But I have two of these, one unsmoked, in the EXEL size, and I paid $225 for the unsmoked piece. $450 to $500 would be more in line, given condition.
This one caught my eye, not sure if it is British, maybe someone can give some info on the brand. Couldn't find much in my 30 minutes of searching.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunhill-Antique-Meerschaum-Lion-Head-Pipe-9Ct-Gold-ferrel-1908/382459317956?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&redirect=mobile
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunhill-Antique-Meerschaum-Lion-Head-Pipe-9Ct-Gold-ferrel-1908/382459317956?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&redirect=mobile
One thing I can tell you is that it isn't Dunhill. The Dunhill maker's mark is AD inside a diamond. This makers' mark is one that I couldn't find after looking through several sites. Also, Dunhill had a London hallmark, not Birmingham. So if the buyer thought he was buying a Dunhill, he was very much mistaken.
More than likely the mark belongs to a mounter, who provided the band and the stem.
More than likely the mark belongs to a mounter, who provided the band and the stem.
This Barling brought in a good payday for its owner, $560:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Barling-1910-Bulldog-with-Alligator-Case-FREE-Shipping-/202336859777?var=null&nma=true&si=rEfug3rOEkEIyicfVp1YAiMfmjE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Condition is good, though not great. There is considerable tapping damage to the rim and the tenon has become stuck in the mortise with the result that the glue attaching it to the amber stem has failed and the tenon can be unscrewed from the stem. On the other hand, the amber stem appears to be clean and intact, with no damage. The alligator case looks like it's been stained with ink and it has suffered a broken hinge.
The price does feel high for this pipe, but clearly several people really wanted it and were willing to pay top dollar to get it.
Bidding was spirited, with the price more than doubling in the final hour.
I own a similar pipe, from 1913, uncased, with a "Ye Olde Wood" stamp, the earliest such stamp I've seen. As I recall, I paid about $110 for it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Barling-1910-Bulldog-with-Alligator-Case-FREE-Shipping-/202336859777?var=null&nma=true&si=rEfug3rOEkEIyicfVp1YAiMfmjE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Condition is good, though not great. There is considerable tapping damage to the rim and the tenon has become stuck in the mortise with the result that the glue attaching it to the amber stem has failed and the tenon can be unscrewed from the stem. On the other hand, the amber stem appears to be clean and intact, with no damage. The alligator case looks like it's been stained with ink and it has suffered a broken hinge.
The price does feel high for this pipe, but clearly several people really wanted it and were willing to pay top dollar to get it.
Bidding was spirited, with the price more than doubling in the final hour.
I own a similar pipe, from 1913, uncased, with a "Ye Olde Wood" stamp, the earliest such stamp I've seen. As I recall, I paid about $110 for it.
Some people on fleabay have not only more $$ than cents, they can't control themselves if they think somebody else might think the same way they do. Big-time happy happy joy joy for the seller, fosho. :crazy:
Jesse, I'm the seller of the pipe in question. I'm unsure how you came up with the idea that the tenon is stuck in the mortise but, I can assure you it's not sir. If you take a look at the photo's again I'm sure you'll see you must have gotten it mixed up with another pipe.
Looking at that picture, that's exactly what a stuck tenon looks like. I've extracted more than a few of them. By 1910, Barling was using a combination of a vulcanite friction tenon attached to an amber stem by means of a threaded connector, which looks like what what I'm seeing in this picture. RonnieB told me how to get them out.
You realize there's only about a 1/16 of an inch between that circle on the mortise end and the sides of the shank?
That's cutting it a bit close for my tastes and I would never attempt to drill a mortise that close to the sides of the shank. That's just asking for a cracked shank. And by the looks of the circular wear on the face of the stem I'd say it's always been that way. Maybe you can show me one that is still attached?
That's cutting it a bit close for my tastes and I would never attempt to drill a mortise that close to the sides of the shank. That's just asking for a cracked shank. And by the looks of the circular wear on the face of the stem I'd say it's always been that way. Maybe you can show me one that is still attached?
I get where Jesse's coming from, but since I'm seeing it on my Droid I reverse-pinched, & those are definitely screw threads inside the shank. I hate having to have to disagree with the Bard, but I think he's off on this one. Sorry, Jesse! 
Absolutely! But that will have to wait until I get back home on Tuesday. I have one from 1912, and it's one that I had to free up and remove the stuck tenon from the mortise. I don't remember if I re-glued that tenon or not, but if not, I'll unscrew it and give you pix of it on and off. It's not all that uncommon an occurrence. As for the thinness of the shank walls, I've got a couple of pipes from the 1920's with damned near tissue thin walls, and they're perfectly sound. I may throw in a picture or two of those. One is a Kaywoodie and the other is a Comoy.
Yes, those threads you see are inside the tenon stuck inside the shank. That's what that circular shape is inside the shank. Those threads connect the tenon to the threaded connector attached to the stem.I get where Jesse's coming from, but since I'm seeing it on my Droid I reverse-pinched, & those are definitely screw threads inside the shank. I hate having to have to disagree with the Bard, but I think he's off on this one. Sorry, Jesse!
I'm happy to defer to you -- you've got far more experience in these matters than I do. I'll let y'all experts haggle it out t. I freely admit I looked at it from a layman's perspective only.
Great, I'll be looking forward to seeing that. And yes, I do agree there are some pipes out there with TOO thin of shanks as far as the size of the mortise to the side of the shank but, I don't believe it would have been standard practice by any means.
I can't speak to the Barling issue specifically, but thin mortises were pretty common back then. Here are two square-shanked BBB's of mine (one a straight bulldog and the other a bent billiard). The mortise of the bent billiard is cracked, but there was a flaw in the briar. The straight bulldog mortise (on the right) has some partial hairline cracks, but is otherwise still intact.
The stuck tenon was designed to screw onto the stem---and stay on the stem---so that the pipe came apart push-style in daily use.
If the pipe had been designed to be screwed together, the extended portion of the stem would be bone---not naked amber (which is too 'snappy" unless reinforced---and the shank would have a small threaded hole directly in the wood.
The wall thinness of the mortise isn't/wasn't a worry because the band reinforces it. And drilling wasn't a delicate operation because it was drilled first and shaped/thinned second.
In short, as usual, Jesse knows his stuff. :
:
If the pipe had been designed to be screwed together, the extended portion of the stem would be bone---not naked amber (which is too 'snappy" unless reinforced---and the shank would have a small threaded hole directly in the wood.
The wall thinness of the mortise isn't/wasn't a worry because the band reinforces it. And drilling wasn't a delicate operation because it was drilled first and shaped/thinned second.
In short, as usual, Jesse knows his stuff. :
:
Yes PF, I too have 1 or 2 that have very thin walls and are cracked. But, I think in the instance of Barling (if that is really a secondary tenon as said) they may have put a sleeve in the shank to make it easier to a line the (most likely) pre-made amber stem with bone screw tenon when tightened. This way they could tighten the sleeve onto the bone screw apply adhesive to the shank and insert it into the shank at the exact point to a line with the shank and, being the adhesive has not cured, will spin in the shank till they were happy with the fit. I do fairly the same thing when replacing a bone screw tenon just opposite. I tight the bone screw first into the shank and then apply adhesive to the mortise of the stem, tighten it till it's flush and a lined. Of course you can't be sloppy with the adhesive.
But, this is my thought on it because I don't believe reputable manufactures like Barling are going to want pipes coming back because of faulty manufacturing practices nor a bad rep for themselves. This is just my feelings on it.