James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

[craig61a]

Let’s do this... loaded up some Dunbar. Fabulous pipe this.

 

[creole]

I have the same large billiard with thin shank as posted above. It was my first James Upshall pipe and has been a favorite over the years. I bought it at De La Concha in New York in 1984 or 1985. Mine has the letter “ R “ stamped to the right of the James Upshall logo but I have not been able to determine what this signifies. If anybody can tell me what the R stamping means I would be grateful.

 

[kenbarnes]

Hello creole and welcome to this forum. I would be really interested to see a picture of this pipe as I would probably be able to tell you when I see the stamp etc. Lionel Melindi, the owner of De La Concha was a really good client of ours during these years and sold some really super pipes from Tilshead Pipe Co.

 

[creole]

Thank you Ken. I welcome your insight and will post a photo as soon as I am able.

 

[laniromee]

Hello, Ken!
Inspired by your posts and stories in this thread I got me a James Upshall grade G. Think you could tell me anything about it?

 

[ssjones]

G grades are rare air!

 

[laniromee]

@ssjones got it really really cheap! I'm very happy with it.

 

[kenbarnes]

Yes, I agree with ssjones, these G grades are rare. This pipe looks lovely and has some fine grain too. I think it was made in the 1980s after 1983. The engraving machine that we used did not allow us to engrave the James Upshall on the 'top side' of the shank on this pipe so it was engraved on the underside.

 

[laniromee]

@kenbarnes
I was placing it in the 80's following all the information in this thread. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and a little bit more about my pipe!

 

[hauntedmyst]

The second arrived today. Except for a small flyspeck at the front top part of the bowl, I see no flaws.

That is beautiful! Tilsheads are odd birds. They are seconds but usually show better than many "first" from other pipes. I was just looking at mine today and can't figure out why it wasn't an Upshall.

 

[kenbarnes]

I was just looking at mine today and can't figure out why it wasn't an Upshall.

If it is a Tilshead Natural finish, a small unfilled flaw will be there, which could also be in the tobacco chamber (which were left natural). If the Tilshead was in a plum/red finish, the tobacco chamber would have been 'carbonized' and the flaw would not be seen. There is a flaw there somewhere - happy hunting!

 

[laniromee]

Hey, @kenbarnes!

I have just acquired another JU and I'm eager to see if you could tell me something about it. I'm placing it in the 80s after '83 like the other one I got by following the same clues (stam positioning). Am I right?

This one is also a lovely bent bulldog and a B grade!

 

[alexj52]

Hello Mr. Barnes and fellow Upshall fans! Just purchased an estate Upshall from eBay, a nice XL bent. However, the stamping "DS" is new to me, can anyone help me identify what the letters stand for? Plus, I would like to know if the lack of the "FH" stamp always indicates that the pipe was made when Mr. Barnes was still working in JU.
Thanks in advance!

 

[paulfg]

re the DS stamping,not a grade but the seller
a reply from Ken Barnes in 2017

kenbarnes
Senior Member

• Hi sumusfumus, as ssjones said the DS is for Desmond Sautter, Mount Street, Mayfair. Desmond was a shop that really sold James Upshall in a big way and one day he asked me whether we could put his initials on the James Upshalls that he sold. I said that I will check with Barry, my partner at the time and yes we stamped this on all the Upshalls he sold.

 

[ssjones]

Show Off Your "XX Brand" PIpes Here! :: Pipes: Show Us Your (fill in the blank) Pipes

This is the start of the "Show Off" Threads These threads will give you the ability to showcase your pipes, Tins and Tobaccos for all of pipemagazine.com members to marvel over. It will Also give us all insight to many different Pipe makers styles, shapes and designs so it is both educational...

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[alexj52]

Thanks for the information! Wonder which grade this pipe would've received if it wasn't stamped in this unique way.

 

[jojoc]

I believe the pipe is post Ken Barnes era. The sizing stamp started after he left.

 

[kenbarnes]

Thanks jojoc,
indeed, this pipe was made and sold after I left the firm.
Desmond Sautter may have had an agreement with Barry that he would sell Upshalls with the 'grade DS' - selected by Desmond himself. This pipe was probably earmarked as a 'B grade' natural finish and probably sold for more than a B grade in the Mayfair shop.
I reckon this pipe was made in the early part of the 1990s. Nice piece!

 

[alexj52]

Thanks jojoc,
indeed, this pipe was made and sold after I left the firm.
Desmond Sautter may have had an agreement with Barry that he would sell Upshalls with the 'grade DS' - selected by Desmond himself. This pipe was probably earmarked as a 'B grade' natural finish and probably sold for more than a B grade in the Mayfair shop.
I reckon this pipe was made in the early part of the 1990s. Nice piece!

Thanks for the reply sir! Good to know that despite lacking the golden stamp, it's supposed to be the equivalent of a B grade.

 

[hauntedmyst]

Hey Ken,

I wonder if you remember making this one? I only have ever seen two like this, both of which I bought. I sold the other one which was a Dublin.