Lovat : Love it

[agnosticpipe]

Glad to see a thread on the Lovat. I have been a fan of this shape for some time and have a few, but this humble Comoy sub brand, a Hyde Park is my favorite. Loaded with birdseye on both sides, and is a wonderful smoking pipe. Congrats on your Stanwell, unsmoked no less, a rare pipe indeed!

 

[OzPiper]

Glad to see a thread on the Lovat. I have been a fan of this shape for some time and have a few, but this humble Comoy sub brand, a Hyde Park is my favorite. Loaded with birdseye on both sides, and is a wonderful smoking pipe. Congrats on your Stanwell, unsmoked no less, a rare pipe indeed!

View attachment 171542

That has great looking Birdseye grain for a sub-brand
Very nice.

 

[agnosticpipe]

That has great looking Birdseye grain for a sub-brand
Very nice.

Thank you, I agree. I don't think I've ever seen a regular Comoy with such nice grain. Here's the other side.

 

[OzPiper]

Thank you, I agree. I don't think I've ever seen a regular Comoy with such nice grain. Here's the other side.

View attachment 171564







I guess I'm being kind of mean, but here's the other side.

Unless there is/are hidden fills, that is an AA grade pipe for any artisan maker.

I'm often perplexed by the grading system used in some factories. It seem quite arbitary.
I seem to recall some one (it could be Ken Barnes) saying it depends very much on that particular batch of pipes sorted on the day. It was a batch of stummels with great grain, a "not as great" might be downgraded when on another day, it may be top dog in a batch with quite ordinary grain.
Ie subjective rather than objective.

I have a Blue Riband with nice but not great grain. I have a few Select Grain (supposedly "rejects") with much superior grain.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Unless there is/are hidden fills, that is an AA grade pipe for any artisan maker.

I'm often perplexed by the grading system used in some factories. It seem quite arbitary.
I seem to recall some one (it could be Ken Barnes) saying it depends very much on that particular batch of pipes sorted on the day. It was a batch of stummels with great grain, a "not as great" might be downgraded when on another day, it may be top dog in a batch with quite ordinary grain.
Ie subjective rather than objective.

I have a Blue Riband with nice but not great grain. I have a few Select Grain (supposedly "rejects") with much superior grain.

There is a tiny flaw about 3/4 of the way down on the left front of the bowl. You can just see it at the bottom of the reflection in the first photo. Not a fill, just kind of a pit of sorts, and not noticeable unless you were looking for it. That's the only flaw I can see on the pipe. I guess that's why it was down graded.

 

[OzPiper]

There is a tiny flaw about 3/4 of the way down on the left front of the bowl. You can just see it at the bottom of the reflection in the first photo. Not a fill, just kind of a pit of sorts, and not noticeable unless you were looking for it. That's the only flaw I can see on the pipe. I guess that's why it was down graded.

Yep.
That accords with my experience with older Comoys.
A small flaw/fill (often difficult to spot) got it downgraded.
Our gain, as these "rejects" can be got at a fraction of the price of a Blue Riband

 

[OzPiper]

I thought I'd post a photo of the Stanwell with my other 2 Lovats to show their relative sizes

The smallest at the top is an Orlik. I love the taper to the shank. It's a small design detail, but one which lifts it above the ordinary.
Orlik seems to be under-appreciated as an old Britwood brand. Exception of Dave (@Ahi Ka)

The middle pipe is the patented Stanwell shape 38a

The one at the bottom is a GBD Virgin (supposedly one of their higher grades)

 

[Ahi Ka]

And may Orlik stay under appreciated until I’ve had my fill

I only have one Danish pipe and it’s a Larsen lovat. It’s also my favourite lovat. I really like the subtle elements used to embellish a classical shape, without going all carnival freakshow with the carving.

 

[mikethompson]

I don’t want to be an enabler

Then this is not the forum for you!

@OzPiper nice new addition!

 

[OzPiper]

@OzPiper nice new addition!

Thank you.
Coming belatedly to the party, but better late than never

 

[mikethompson]

Haha, thanks for leaving the door open a crack so I could slip in.

 

[simong]

Funny how nobody calls them ‘Colonel Frasers’ anymore. That was always the term given by the older generation. Round these parts anyway.

 

[OzPiper]

Funny how nobody calls them ‘Colonel Frasers’ anymore. That was always the term given by the older generation. Round these parts anyway.

I find it interesting why one name becomes favoured over another eg Hungarian vs oom paul.
The bulldog shape which originated in France was known as "Haiti". I often wonder how that evolved (?devolved) into "bulldog"

I like "Lovat" - both a name, and also describes how you feel about that pipe. A double entendre.

 

[hugodrax]

I find it interesting why one name becomes favoured over another eg Hungarian vs oom paul.
The bulldog shape which originated in France was known as "Haiti". I often wonder how that evolved (?devolved) into "bulldog"

I like "Lovat" - both a name, and also describes how you feel about that pipe. A double entendre.

I share the interest, sir. Colonel Fraser was the Lord Lovat, so not too much of an evolution on this one, but the general evolution of terms over the years is always interesting.

Shall we have a refreshing discussion on the bulldog vs the Rhodesian?

 

[OzPiper]

Shall we have a refreshing discussion on the bulldog vs the Rhodesian?

The Bulldog shape is my favourite.
I read as many threads as I could find on the subject in these and other Forums
To say debate was vigorous is an gross understatement.
In some cases stopping just short of pistols drawn at 10 paces.
I believe generational feuds have started over less.

 

[huntertrw]

The Lovat was the favorite shape of the late pipe-smoking English writer Sir Compton MacKenzie (1883 - 1972), the author of Sublime Tobacco.

 

[OzPiper]

I sat through a few of the TV series of "Monarch of the Glen".
Wife being half-Scots explains that

 

[tklee]

I just got my two Stanwell Lovats today! The bottom one is my Peterson Lovat

 

[Andre_T]

A new arrival - a Stanwell shape 38 Lovat.
An earlier shape designed by Sixten Ivarsson.

It is an unsmoked NOS complete with original box and papers. Patent numbered

The bowl is a large size 5 but at 13cm long it is a shorter shanked Lovat which I prefer.

View attachment 171307

I mean you either Lovat or leave it. You have to make a choice. My choice is I will see myself out.

 

[agnosticpipe]

I was looking in my pipe collection and forgot about this lovely little Wessex Lovat with a cumberland stem. Handmade in France it says. Hmm, not so sure about that, but it is a very nice pipe.