Looking for Information About L. Vuitton Pipes

[Lancero]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Hi all, I'm new to this forum, but I've been smoking pipes for the last couple of years. A year and a half ago, I've found this nice L. Vuitton pipe on a local flea market (see pictures below). I can hardly find any information on these pipes on the web. But could find the following:

1/ There is a mention in an old pipesmagazine.com thread
2/ an 1942 advertisement by Louis Vuitton in the French newspaper Le Figaro
3/ the brand is listed on pipephil.eu and discussed very briefly
4/ there is a blog post about the Louis Vuitton smoking accessories

It's noteworthy that the logo on the pipe stem is not the typical Louis Vuitton logo, but the advertising indicates that the brand has made and sold pipes. Also, the mention on pipephil.eu and the blog uses the same logo as on my pipe.

I'm curious if other members own a pipe of this brand? Or who know more about it (manufacturer, when it was made, ect.)? Thanks!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Wow, I had no idea... Did Gucci or Dior ever make pipes also?

 

[Lancero]

I'm not sure for Dior, but Gucci did (see this mention with pictures on pipephil.eu). Quite some luxury brands at that time ventured into the pipe market, e.g. Dunhill, Longchamps, Hermes, etc.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm not sure for Dior, but Gucci did (see this mention with pictures on pipephil.eu). Quite some luxury brands at that time ventured into the pipe market, e.g. Dunhill, Longchamps, Hermes, etc.

Very COOL!!! I had no idea.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I'm not sure for Dior, but Gucci did (see this mention with pictures on pipephil.eu). Quite some luxury brands at that time ventured into the pipe market, e.g. Dunhill, Longchamps, Hermes, etc.

Dunhilll is definitely not a luxury brand that ventured to pipes. Quite the opposite actually, Dunhill was a pipemaker, tobacconist that eventually moved to luxury goods (shame).

This topic came up a while ago and if I remember quickly these fashion brand pipes are Select and Seconds from Chacom or some other factory pipe company with a repackaging, rebranding, and repricing - I believe that's also when the fad of having leather wrapped pipes became foolishly popular.

 

[STP]

Not sure about Louis Vuitton... With regards to high-end brands, I recently saw that Bentley had a line of pipes.

 

[mso489]

That pencil stem is right up to date. Everything old is new again.

 

[Lancero]

Dunhilll is definitely not a luxury brand that ventured to pipes. Quite the opposite actually, Dunhill was a pipemaker, tobacconist that eventually moved to luxury goods (shame).

This topic came up a while ago and if I remember quickly these fashion brand pipes are Select and Seconds from Chacom or some other factory pipe company with a repackaging, rebranding, and repricing - I believe that's also when the fad of having leather wrapped pipes became foolishly popular.

Interesting! A French pipe-maker that I've contacted with my questions about Vuitton answered about the same: the Vuitton pipes are most likely rebranded pipes from some St-Claude pipe company. But which company, time period, price, etc. remains unclear.

I do disagree wrt Dunhill: Alfred Dunhill inherited the saddle company from his father and transformed it to a company selling accesories for automobiles and motoring attire, targetting the luxury segment. The first Dunhill pipe can also be seen as a automobile accessory: it had a 'windshield' that made it possible to smoke while driving. A couple of years later, the first Dunhill tobacco and pipe shop was opened in London. And some more years later, the first Dunhill pipe factory was opened (source wikipedia).

But I guess the crucial difference is that Dunhill was manufacturing pipes, while other luxury brands were often only rebranding pipes from other companies.

 

[ChuckMijo]

I really like the shape. I bet she is a good smoker!!

 

[GlassMan]

That’s very interesting. I wonder how many of these are floating around.

 

[kcghost]

Looks like a very good pipe!

 

[verporchting]

That’s just cool. Nice bit of luxury brand history.

 

[madox07]

Wow ... I though that Louis Vuitton was a ladies luxury purse maker, and other fashion related ... stuff.

 

[warren]

Dunhilll is definitely not a luxury brand that ventured to pipes. Quite the opposite actually, Alfred Dunhill was a pipemaker, tobacconist that eventually moved to luxury goods (shame).

Absolutely and abjectly incorrect! Auto accessories and leather harnesses and such came first. When he determined there was moneys to be made in tobacco ... Alfred started selling and blending. Pipe making came later. Once he saw that demand he began with pipes. Alfred was all about money and not simple a tobacco/pipes vendor. If I remember correctly he was one of the first to sell radios for automobiles. The Dunhills were into improving the family fortune. No shame in that.

 

[Lancero]

Doing some more research, and following the Chapuis-Comoy suggestion of @lukasstrifeson, I've found a pipe that is identical in all measures/dimensions as my Louis Vuitton pipe: the Super Dauphin Pot. I've send an email to Chacom, hoping that they can provide more information. I'll keep you posted.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I definitely misspoke originally, I only meant that in regards to pipes, Dunhill is a producer as opposed to just a fashiony trend chaser.

But yeah I believe it was one of the popular French factory brands.