Luxor “Basket” Pipe

[Briar Lee]

For only $22 I won this beautiful French made Luxor pipe.

I’ve seen these years ago as “basket pipes” when we still had real pipe shops. I think I have one in my stash someplace.

Luxor - Pipedia

pipedia.org

One of the greatest casualties of the sad decline of real smoke shops is the only basket pipes now are found on eBay.

 

[coming to_falling too]

Nice pipe. There are a couple B&M shops in Springfield that offer basket pipes. I bought a Canadian at one that was a really nice pipe, but I broke the tenon and sadly never got it fixed. I miss that pipe

 

[didimauw]

That's a handsome pipe!

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I like that one.

 

[Briar Lee]

It arrived today, and all I could say was—

Jackpot!!!

This Luxor 2nd is the size and quality of the largest standard sized Lee.

It was intended to be a top of the line pipe, except for that unfortunate crack.

 

[mso489]

Despite the gash, that's a nicely shaped pipe with good grain. The gash looks like some kind of accident.

I think the basket pipe category doesn't really identify much about a pipe. Shop proprietors can put anything in there, from good brand-name pipes to real junk, just depending on what they want to move, and what they want to charge.

I had a pretty good eye for pipes by the time I bought anything from the basket at my local shop, and I ended up with and unstamped unfinished Savinelli billiard with a tapered stem, and another time, a Savinelli 404 yacht, also unfinished. These have both colored beautifully, with just smoking, time, and polishing with a cloth after each smoke, no polish, wax, nose grease or anything. They actually look stained and polished to a high finish with no added products to leave residue.

 

[OzPiper]

The gash looks like some kind of accident.

Most likely a fill that had shrunk with time, loosened and fallen off

 

[hugodrax]

There's a place in this world for the shilling briar and it's a place dear to my heart. That's a lovely pipe. Would totally purchase that and treat it with care.

It's when they dress em up in cheap clothes and put gold stars on them that I go cold.

 

[Briar Lee]

A man named Tom Holmes had a watch shop in Humansville when I was a teenager. He smoked SWR in big apple pipes just like this one, because they’d roll upright on his desk.

Brands don’t matter.

Good briar and perfect construction make for a perfect smoker.

 

[grayjoe]

I’ve got a Luxor. I’m pretty sure I got it a Jon’s Pipe Shop in Columbia, MO. It was my first briar. I still use it for aromatics and such but don’t smoke it much. For me it was just ok.

Joe

 

[JSPiper71]

I picked up a bunch of used pipes from Marketplace. There are two Luxor’s in the stash. Here’s one I’ve cleaned up. Stem was very oxidized but has come out really nicely. Pipe looks like it’s been smoked only once or twice if at all.

 

[Briar Lee]

I picked up a bunch of used pipes from Marketplace. There are two Luxor’s in the stash. Here’s one I’ve cleaned up. Stem was very oxidized but has come out really nicely. Pipe looks like it’s been smoked only once or twice if at all.

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On a cheap pipe I sort of like seeing oxidation on the stem because vulcanite oxidizes and nylon doesn’t.

That was as much as practical a machine made pipe, but one made of real Mediterranean briar and real vulcanite.

Until 1954 the French factories had access to the best smoking briar ever commercially available from French Algeria. They paid no tariffs or duties on it. That Luxor might smoke as well as an old Dunhill Shell or Marxman.

I’m curious as to that sliver ring on the stem.

It added to the cost. It had to be fitted by hand. Some caused rejections. There was a reason for it, maybe only decorative, or to hold a filter or stinger.

I wonder if Luxor was a second tier brand or there might be high dollar ones still out there in drawers?

 

[JSPiper71]

Luxor were seconds from Chapuis-Comoy and later Vauen. The stem does have a stinger. I am wondering about the logo and ring as well. The pipe is really well made. Drilled perfectly, very light, stem fits very snug, and it's got handsome grain. There are a couple small imperfections (or dings that have happened over time) that may have made it a second, but I'm only guessing. The logo is not one that I would associate with either of these brands, so I will do some more digging.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

For a "basket pipe" it looks really nice. It looks like a good piece of briar (minus the flaw) and will probably turn out to be a great smoker. May it bring you many happy smokes.