Interesting Pipe My Dad Had

[morior8]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Not sure if this is just a generic or something. My dad got it from an old guy from Greece in the 80’s. I haven’t seen anything like it before. It only says “real briar” on one side and no other markings I can see.

 

[warren]

Don't know about the briar but, the rope work and cat are exquisite. Clean it up and try it out. The pipe may be a generic but, the handiwork makes it a oner I believe. First one like it I've seen.

 

[morior8]

Don't know about the briar but, the rope work and cat are exquisite. Clean it up and try it out. The pipe may be a generic but, the handiwork makes it a oner I believe. First one like it I've seen.

That's what I was thinking, a generic but someone added the work to it later or the original owner had it commissioned or customized. I'll get it cleaned up and try it out soon enough. But yeah, haven't seen anything else quite like it anywhere.

 

[Kingsley]

Either way, she’s a beaut.

 

[verporchting]

Very cool work on it. Even if it was a generic basket pipe to begin with it’s a beauty now!!! Clean it up and smoke it would be my vote. Extra cool that it was your father’s pipe and you know the history of it.

 

[wordheavy]

That's really cool. Nothing generic about a pipe like that, especially since your father owned it. Hope it smokes like a dream.

 

[morior8]

Very cool work on it. Even if it was a generic basket pipe to begin with it’s a beauty now!!! Clean it up and smoke it would be my vote. Extra cool that it was your father’s pipe and you know the history of it.

Yeah he was talking about it a while back. Always had such neat treasures.

 

[anotherbob]

I agree it looks like the metal work is after market. Nifty either way. Probably is a generic basket pipe. I doubt you'd find another like that. I think I've seen maybe three pipes like that over the years and never with any back story more detailed then the one you gave us.

 

[morior8]

I agree it looks like the metal work is after market. Nifty either way. Probably is a generic basket pipe. I doubt you'd find another like that. I think I've seen maybe three pipes like that over the years and never with any back story more detailed then the one you gave us.

Kinda wish I could have been there when he got it. But yeah probably right on the afterwork. Would be neat to see after work or something like this done by pipe makers in the future. I'd buy one.

 

[anotherbob]

Kinda wish I could have been there when he got it. But yeah probably right on the afterwork. Would be neat to see after work or something like this done by pipe makers in the future. I'd buy one.

Yeah I can see there being some interest in custom pipe bling (for lack of a better term). I am sure you could make a few bucks just off of the people on this list. I mean if you did work as nice as this.

 

[morior8]

Yeah I can see there being some interest in custom pipe bling (for lack of a better term). I am sure you could make a few bucks just off of the people on this list. I mean if you did work as nice as this.

I dunno if I have the skills though I'm sure with practice it could become a thing. Maybe I'll get some blanks and try out some inlays and wire/emblem work like this and see what comes of it.

 

[anotherbob]

I dunno if I have the skills though I'm sure with practice it could become a thing. Maybe I'll get some blanks and try out some inlays and wire/emblem work like this and see what comes of it.

yeah I certainly would have to get a new skill set. But that doesn't mean I can't identify the potential market. That said I wouldn't even begin to know how much would be a fair price for either party.

 

[chilllucky]

We do have a resident jeweler/silversmith, here. If you wanna get an idea of what kind of time, tools, and money that sort of endeavor could take.

Paging Dr Cosmic!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You rang!!

That brasswork comes from a couple of French companies in the late 1800's. They used a press to mass produce the shapes, and some were attached with tiny little brads. I have a few pipes like that in the bulldog style. But, they were sold throughout Europe. Many didn't keep their brasswork, because it was easily dented or just torn off by more humble pipe smokers of the time.
Check out ebay for vintage briar pipes. There are still some out there, just not many. The ropework is very uncommon though. But, I'll bet it was from the first couple of years that briar was used in pipemaking.

As for what skills you'd need to do that. Ahhhhh.... I would have to first ask what skills you already know.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

BTW - because this was created before any of the other pipe companies had been conceived, it is no way a bucketpipe. It is one of the original briar pipes ever made. But, I am not knowledgeable enough to know what that company was called, nor what it may have evolved into.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Crap... I failed to take into consideration the stem. It "could" be a later pipe, as the first pipes all used either Bakelite or amber stems. Vulcanite was a later development.... uggg, take my assessment with a grain of sand.

 

[morior8]

You rang!!

That brasswork comes from a couple of French companies in the late 1800's. They used a press to mass produce the shapes, and some were attached with tiny little brads. I have a few pipes like that in the bulldog style. But, they were sold throughout Europe. Many didn't keep their brasswork, because it was easily dented or just torn off by more humble pipe smokers of the time.
Check out ebay for vintage briar pipes. There are still some out there, just not many. The ropework is very uncommon though. But, I'll bet it was from the first couple of years that briar was used in pipemaking.

As for what skills you'd need to do that. Ahhhhh.... I would have to first ask what skills you already know.

Wow thanks for all the info! More than I could have hoped for on it honestly.

Dad seems pretty happy about it as well. He said it was just some treasure he kept all this time not knowing it was anything special. And it may not be worth much but sometimes any knowledge alone gives a thing a story to tell and that's worth more than all the gold in the world.

Suppose we'll clean it up a bit and use it, doesn't look like it'll fetch much on ebay from the looks of some of the other similar ones I've seen.


And as for my skills, I don't have a lot of crafting skills beyond basic wood carving and dremel work. I've never done wire or brasswork... well I've done chainmail but that's a bit less delicate. As for jeweling I've done wax metal casting. But I'm a pretty quick learner.

 

[jonasclark]

I've not seen anything quite like it. Even if the pipe IS a very basic one, the metalwork is gorgeous, and I'd love to see it all cleaned up.

 

[seagullplayer]

I want to see a picture after you have cleaned it up. nice

 

[pappymac]

What’s throwing me is the “Real Briar” stamp. I would say that would make it a U.S. made pipe.