Kirsten Guide, for Those Interested

[jonasclark]

Using Smokingmetal's images, my own knowledge, info from Stacy Thrasher, etc. I've compiled a detailed guide to Kirsten pipes over the years. I'm posting it here not only to help other Kirsten fans, but also to hopefully obtain more information for this list. Questions and comments are welcomed!
Full list of Kirsten pipes, compiled from details gleaned from Tony Pringle's "Smoking Metal" website, Stacy Thrasher, and various collectors. Pringle got information from, among others, Stacy, Lynne Kirsten, and Dave Whitney
List of models (excluding 1 & 1.5 gen) by size:
Straight:

"G" Gem (mini)

"S" Sportsman (small)

"J" Jewel (small)

"M" Mariner (medium)

"L" Lancer (large)
"Lady Kirsten" (small ladies' model)
¼-bent:

"A" Aladdin (mini)

"V" Vagabond (small)

"H" Horizon (small)

"C" Cavalier (medium)

"T" Tyrolean (large)

"R" Regent (large)
Full-bent:

"B" Beau Geste (mini)

"W" Westerner (small)

"P" Premier (medium)

"E" Esquire (medium, pedestal valve)

"F" Firesider" (large)

"D" Designer (large, pedestal valve)
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Sizes & models by generation:
1st Gen. - No O-rings - stamped "Pat. Appl. For" (1930s-40s) or "Pats. & Pats. Pending" (50s)

Straight:

"S" Standard (small)

"M" Medium

"L" Large

"A" Aristocrat (extra-large, different knurling on valve)

"C" Companion (rough finish Standard?)

During WWII, the usual aluminum ramrod was shortened, and pipes were supplied with a glass ramrod for cleaning
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1.5 Gen. - O-ring on valve or stem, not both - stamped "Pat. Pending" or "Pats. &

Pats Pending," some say "Made in U.S.A"

Straight:

"K" Companion (small, drugstore model)

"M" Medium

"L" Large

Thrifty (small, reverse-action valve, O-ring only on valve)
Up to this point, all are hand-polished Duralumin, a silver color, with black vulcanite stems
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2nd Gen. - O-rings - stamped "Pats. & Pats. Pending" and "Made in U.S.A."

Straight:

"G" Gem (mini)

"S" Sportsman (small)

"M" Mariner (medium)

"L" Lancer (large)
¼-bent:

"A" Aladdin (mini)

"V" Vagabond (small)

"C" Cavalier (medium)

"T" Tyrolean (large)
Full-bent:

"B" Beau Geste (mini)

"W" Westerner (small)

"P" Premier (medium)

"F" Firesider" (large)

"D" Designer (large, first full-bent with pedestal valve, introduced 1977)

Full-bent 2nd-gen (non-pedestal) have hexagonal instead of knurled valve
Finishes:

-- Hand-polished Duralumin

-- X Western Satin/Heritage

"Western Satin" (satin coppery orange-brown) until 1974

"Heritage" (antiqued silvery or brassy) after 1975
Stems: black vulcanite, either standard, flat, or bite-proof (twin-bore)
-- "Lady Kirsten" (a 2nd-gen pipe) Model X

5" long, brass stem, black mouthpiece, black hexagonal valve. Available with six bowls: "Riviera" (Billiard) or "Parisian" (Columbus), light or dark, smooth or carved
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3rd Gen. - O-rings - stamped "Made in U.S.A."

Straight:

"J" Jewel (small)

"M" Mariner (medium)

"L" Lancer (large)
¼-bent:

"H" Horizon (small)

"C" Cavalier (medium)

"R" Regent (large)
Full-bent:

"E" Esquire (medium)

"D" Designer (large)

Full-bents available with with standard valve, but usually sold with pedestal valve

Esquire pedestal is rectangular with concave sides, front, back

Designer pedestal is flared, circular
Finishes:

-- Silver (satin, no finish letter)

-- X Brasstone (satin)

-- B Black (matte)
Stems: black vulcanite, gray pearl lucite, brown pearl lucite
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4th Gen. - O-rings - stamped "Made in U.S.A."

Straight:

"J" Jewel (small)

"M" Mariner (medium)

"L" Lancer (large)
¼-bent:

"H" Horizon (small)

"C" Cavalier (medium)

"R" Regent (large)
Full-bent:

"D" Designer (large)
Finishes:

-- Silver (satin, no finish letter)

-- X Brasstone (satin, the first run were a very matte yellow-ochre color)

-- B Black (early ones are matte, later are semi-gloss)

-- BC Black 'wrinklepaint' (textured, semi-gloss)

-- P Polished (short production run, only in straight & full-bent)

-- Gray matte (an experimental finish Stacy calls "gunmetal," looking more like a modern firearm finish than traditional gunmetal, only test radiators have been so finished)
Stems: black lucite, brown pearl lucite, black lucite with white thread swirl
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Other items produced:
Cigar Holders came in "regular" and "panetela" (smaller) diameters. Finishes were, by known dates:

?-1974: hand-polished Duralumin or 24-k gold-plated

1975-76: not available

1976-77: hand-polished Duralumin or "antique bronze"
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Cigarette holders eventually came in S (3 1/8"), M (4 1/4"), L (5")

1950s, hand-polished Duralumin, and a four-color ladies' set was offered, colors unknown. All in L size. Later, only two lengths were offered, then three. Some early models also available in King diameter

Finishes were, by known dates:

1973-74: hand-polished Duralumin or 24-k gold-plated

1974-76: hand-polished Duralumin

1976-77: hald-polished Duralumin or "antique bronze," "autumn gold," "sunset red" (latter two matte)
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At some point, sets of 8 corn cob holders were produced, in polished silver finish
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Bowls:
Many early bowls were made by Kaywoodie, in a polished finish, either light or (very) dark. Many were small and miniature sizes. Some had small fills. These, and other early Kirsten bowls, fitted directly to the stems with a screw, requiring a screwdriver to change bowls. Later, around the transition period (gen 1.5) they added a metal cup or "adapter" that screws to the bowl, which can then be put on or taken off without the aid of tools
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Bowl shapes:

Bavarian (conical with rounded top, 2nd Gen, discontinued)

Danish (tulip shape with inwardly-sloped rim, discontinued)

Dynasty (Mandarin with inwardly-sloped rim, wide, discontinued)

Midway (spread conical with narrower top, 1st Gen, discontinued)
Billiard (cup shape, sometimes with flaring sides)

Bulldog, 1st Gen (kettle shape, two cut rings)

Bulldog, 1970s (rhodesian style, two cut rings, inwardly-sloped rim)

Brandy (rounded, widest point below center, large and extra-large only)*

Columbus (rounded, widest point above center)

Mandarin (two cones attached at widest point, some 4th Gen much narrower)

* 4th gen, a few made in oversize extra-large, black sandblast
Castaño (4th Gen, bulldog with rough bottom half)

Italian (4th Gen, narrow Columbus)
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Finishes include:

"smooth, light"

"walnut" (smooth)

"matt walnut"

"sandblast" (walnut)

"rustic" (smooth, sandblast patches or black spot carvings)

"charcoal black sandblast" (sometimes with smooth, light rim)

"staghorn" (hand-carved patterns, oiled matt walnut)
Sandblast bulldogs may have a smooth between-rings and/or rim
Oiled matt walnut bowls will darken with extended smoking
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Bowl qualities:

Standard (may have small fills)

Standard Select (better grain)

Premium (extra quality, oiled matt walnut - no miniature)

Premium Select (about 1 in 100, smooth light, sandblast, matt walnut, rustic - no miniature)
Bowl sizes, with height given:

Miniature - 1 1/16" (discontinued)

Small - 1 3/16"

Medium - 1 5/16"

Large - 1 3/8"

Extra-large - 1 5/8"
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Some bowls were made by Kaywoodie in the 1950s or 1960s, mainly miniature and small, in a few shapes, including Midway and Billiard. All smooth, light or dark polished. Some have small fills
Meerschaum bowls were made in the 1960s at Kirsten, and again in the 1970s. The 1960s bowls were not waxed. Only Billiard, Columbus and Brandy shapes were made, in miniature through large (1960s), small through extra-large (1970s)
Meerschaum bowls were produced again in the 1990s, entirely finished in Turkey, in smooth and lattice finishes, extra-large only, Mandarin, Bulldog and Brandy shapes. Mandarin and Bulldog had teardrop faux-lattice, Brandy had small, deep round true lattice
In the late 1970s or early 1980s, a small number (perhaps a few hundred) true freehand bowls with plateau top were made. One claim is that these were mainly given out or sold to big names in the pipe retail industry. Mine belonged to a Tinder Box owner. Many are engraved, a service offered to regular customers as well. All freehands I've seen so far were Designers (I've seen them in brasstone, polished silver, and Heritage)
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Are the "Thrifty" and "Collegiate" the same? Flat top w/o fins, reverse-acting valve, 2nd-quality bowl. The "Thrifty" was like this. I've also seen the "Sportsman" listed as such, but it's a standard model in the catalogs I've seen

 

[owen]

Great info. One of the best things about the forum is this kind of effort.

 

[eggrollpiper]

Yeah nice to see all in one place. My Kirsten Mariner with mandarin seconds bowl is one of my favorite pipes. Mb I missed it but I didn't see any mention of seconds(Not important?)

Also I could sear I read the meerschaum bowls they offer now were carved in the seventies by Kirsten himself. Anyone try those new old meerschaum bowls available now? Or last time j checked... mb a month ago..

 

[mso489]

If you're a Kirsten person, better print this one out. It's a real reference post.

 

[jonasclark]

I couldn't have assembled this without the amazing efforts of all the people listed. About 80% of this belongs to them; Tony Pringle's article and pages formed the backbone. I just cleaned and tidied a bit, really. I didn't mention seconds, but I will.
Turkey banned the export of uncarved block meerschaum, but the date seems to be hazy. I've seen it given as anywhere between 1962 and 1970. But yes, the first run of meerschaum bowls were carved by Gene Kirsten in the early- to mid-1960s. They're not waxed at all. Stacy still has quite a lot of these, in smooth, staghorn and a dimpled staghorn, sizes from mini to large (I have a mini staghorn on my Horizon and it's pretty spiffy), in Mandarin, Columbus and Billiard. Gotta visit the shop to look through the selection, though if someone wanted a specific shape and finish, they could call Stacy.
Fir anyone wondering, the new 4th-gen Kirstens are great. The quality is just as high as 3rd-gen. The brasstone (now called bronze) had a hurdle at the start, but it's good now. The matte black has given way to a semi-gloss. If anyone here is a collector like me, she still has a couple of the Tsuge collaboration with the black sandblast bulldog with metal top, the textured black models are almost gone (a few Designers left) but are continuing, and the hand-polished will not be returning (too finicky, but she has a few Designers and some kind of straights left). This hand-polished is a good one to grab if you want a brand new pipe that looks like it's from the fifties.
She also told me she has a bunch of the Missouri Meerschaum bowls (made for one year, circa 1969-1970) which only need the draught hole drilled, so those may be available again soon (in limited quantities).

 

[jonasclark]

Also: the new meerschaum bowls shown on pipes on the website are NEW. The ones shown alongside the briar seconds are Gene Kirsten's work from the 1960s, unwaxed (but they'll still color, if slowly).

 

[pylorns]

This is great, I own a couple and have inherited some.

 

[pappymac]

I talked to Stacy a couple of years ago when I found an old Kirsten Mariner at a junk shop and wanted to replace the O-rings and stem. I sent here photos of the pipe and all the parts to get an idea of how old it was.
She identified mine as an early 1950s transistion pipe what you have as a 1.5 generation but it had O-rings on the valve and stem but no bowl adapter. That's the little cup that the second generation bowls sat in atop the shank.

 

[jonasclark]

The idea of dividing by generation, and also which pipes are which gen, is also Tony Pringle's work. Thanks for the info, pappymac-- that some 1.5s had o-rings on both stem and valve!