MARXMAN Pipes, Anyone?

[Briar Lee]

This business about Albert opens up a mystery now. Legacy information was always Louis carving those Briar pipes marked Cowan. Fascinating.

The granddaughter would know, about great uncle Albert making the Cowans.

What’s a little garbled is Louis trying to have pipes made in Italy and France.

Much more likely Louis was awarded the hand made contracts by Mastercraft, who had the means to contract overseas.

 

[towhee89]

The granddaughter would know, about great uncle Albert making the Cowans.

What’s a little garbled is Louis trying to have pipes made in Italy and France.

Much more likely Louis was awarded the hand made contracts by Mastercraft, who had the means to contract overseas.

She did say, before Marxman was passed to Louis , they did outsource to Italy and France. But it still is fuzzy, I'll have to ask her for more details about that.

She'd never heard of Mastercraft , but we know of Marxs involvement for a fact.

 

[telescopes]

She did say, before Marxman was passed to Louis , they did outsource to Italy and France. But it still is fuzzy, I'll have to ask her for more details about that.

She'd never heard of Mastercraft, but we know of Marx's involvement for a fact.

At least you are able to ask an actual source rather than provide made up speculation. Historical documents show that Marx did worked for Mastercraft. Mastercraft never made pipes themselves but rather imported pipes from other factories, generally under the Mastercraft name. A question we now have is what role if any did Mastercraft have with the imported post 54 Marxman pipes? Eventually Mastercraft was purchased by Grabow.

I have one of the imported Mastercraft pipes, a six panel billiard - a nice example of it's era.

The quality difference between similar Marx pipes made by Marx and the imported ones are telling - especially the vulcanite quality.

I hope you will be able to ask more questions and bring us additional answers.

 

[towhee89]

At least you are able to ask an actual source rather than provide made up speculation. Historical documents show that Marx did worked for Mastercraft. Mastercraft never made pipes themselves but rather imported pipes from other factories, generally under the Mastercraft name. Eventually Mastercraft was purchased by Grabow.

I have one of the imported Mastercraft pipes, a six panel billiard - a nice example of it's era.

The quality difference between similar Marx pipes made by Marx and the imported ones are telling - especially the vulcanite quality.

I hope you will be able to ask more questions and bring us additional answers.

I will. I will be talking to her more and trying to get as much info as I can. I was surprised that she had never heard of Mastercraft, and she said she is very interested in what us collectors know.

There's actually a panel Marxman I was going to buy, it says Genuine Briar and has a shape number, but I was not sure if it is a Italy or France made or not. It's on hold for me. I'm wondering if your 6 panel is similar.

 

[telescopes]

My six panel does not have a country of import although it says imported briar.

 

[Briar Lee]

My six panel does not have a country of import although it says imported briar.

In the day, there was a law that required foreign made products to have a nation of origin. So if it’s an old pipe, only says imported briar, that presumably was made in the USA.

I don’t know I’ve ever seen any pipe marked Genuine Briar (Mission Briar and Mountain Laurel were genuine domestic briar substitutes for imported briar). I’ve seen some marked Real Briar.

But if doesn’t say France or Italy, it was made in the USA.

 

[towhee89]

In the day, there was a law that required foreign made products to have a nation of origin. So if it’s an old pipe, only says imported briar, that presumably was made in the USA.

I don’t know I’ve ever seen any pipe marked Genuine Briar (Mission Briar and Mountain Laurel were genuine domestic briar substitutes for imported briar). I’ve seen some marked Real Briar.

But if doesn’t say France or Italy, it was made in the USA.

I've got a better Pic but it's buried in pipe pics on my phone. It says Genuine Briar and has a 3 digit shape number, looked faded though. I'll post the closer Pic when I can find it.

It's been on hold for me for a while, I gotta hurry up and get it

 

[telescopes]

View attachment 385036

I've got a better Pic but it's buried in pipe pics on my phone. It says Genuine Briar and has a 3 digit shape number, looked faded though. I'll post the closer Pic when I can find it.

It's been on hold for me for a while, I gotta hurry up and get it

Dunsboro is a genuine Marxman. I have one myself. Go for it.

 

[Briar Lee]

View attachment 385036

I've got a better Pic but it's buried in pipe pics on my phone. It says Genuine Briar and has a 3 digit shape number, looked faded though. I'll post the closer Pic when I can find it.

It's been on hold for me for a while, I gotta hurry up and get it

I’ve not seen any Marxman with a shape number.

But it does have the arrow >>MARXMAN> stamp.

Is that a carbon lined bowl?

Often they’d sort of hide France or Italy on the stem in tiny letters

The stem looks Marxy, and the briar is the right color for a new or nearly new Marxman.

The Dunsboro was a lower cost machine shaped Marxman.

 

[towhee89]

Dunsboro is a genuine Marxman. I have one myself. Go for it.

I’ve not seen any Marxman with a shape number.

But it does have the arrow <MARXMAN<< stamp.

Is that a 650A I see, or am I losing it?

Very faint. Honestly...don't know what it is.

 

[Briar Lee]

Is that a 650A I see, or am I losing it?
View attachment 385041
Very faint. Honestly...don't know what it is.

That’s 650 A to me, as well.

Guess.

Mastercraft had prototypes made up in in New York for export?

Foreign markets preferred Geniune Briar?

Wherever it was made, that’s an authorized and real Marxman, an odd one.

 

[towhee89]

That’s 650 A to me, as well.

Guess.

Mastercraft had prototypes made up in in New York for export?

Foreign markets preferred Geniune Briar?

Wherever it was made, that’s an authorized and real Marxman, an odd one.

I thought it was 650A too, but wanted to get an outside opinion. It just is super faded.

I will post more pics when I get it. Hopefully next week.

 

[telescopes]

That is not a MasterCraft. Thats a pre54 and is in the catalogue.

 

[towhee89]

I’ve not seen any Marxman with a shape number.

But it does have the arrow >>MARXMAN> stamp.

Is that a carbon lined bowl?

Often they’d sort of hide France or Italy on the stem in tiny letters

The stem looks Marxy, and the briar is the right color for a new or nearly new Marxman.

The Dunsboro was a lower cost machine shaped Marxman.

The guy I buy from lines his bowls with carbon when restoring.

 

[telescopes]

Just for fun, here’s my two star Lee broken down.

 

[telescopes]

https://pipedia.org/images/9/94/MarxmanCatalog3.jpg

 

[Briarcutter]

View attachment 385109Just for fun, here’s my two star Lee broken down.

That's quite the contraption, cool piece!

 

[towhee89]

View attachment 385109Just for fun, here’s my two star Lee broken down.

Is that a unique stinger? My two Lee's are missing theirs....but, I know they may have used whatever they had laying around it seems?

 

[towhee89]

https://pipedia.org/images/9/94/MarxmanCatalog3.jpgView attachment 385111

I wonder if they made Dunsboro in Italy or France, not sure if I've seen one. Can't recall.

 

[telescopes]

That's quite the contraption, cool piece!

Yes it is. I happened onto it on EBay. It was unsmoked at that. I misplaced it and tore the house up looking for it. It was in a coat pocket. Fortunately, using the WAYS Thread I was able to see the last time I smoked it.