My First EBay Pipe, Unsmoked Old Stock

[maxx]

This is my first eBay pipe. It was unsmoked and only says Imported Briar on it. It's almost a copy of my Peterson Kenmare 106, but the shank is shorter and the stem is shaped a bit differently. The bowl isn't exactly the same shape, either, but the color is the same. It has no fills, unlike the Peterson. It's as good a smoker as the Peterson, and it cost $24. Does anyone have any ideas of where this was made and who made it?

 

[maxx]

I posted that wrong. It belongs in pipe talk above. Could a moderator correct this for me and delete this request? Sorry about that.

 

[papipeguy]

"Imported Briar" suggests to me that it is American made. Now the fun begins as to the actual maker. It looks like a very nice piece but without any other marks you'd need to research American factories that made shop pipes for B&M's. I'm sure others here will make recommendations. Meanwhile, enjoy your new pipe.

 

[brass]

I would have assumed that with no nomenclature other than imported briar that it would be a basket pipe.But this appears to have been of much higher quality. Why would a maker not sign their creations?

 

[maxx]

The seller had more of various styles, all with the same finish and nomenclature. Each for $24. A few have sold, After smoking this Billiard I bought the Dublin, which is on its way. The info says the pipes are 25 years old and have been in a shop's storage.

 

[okiescout]

It is not uncommon to see where a stash of pipes or unfinished pipe stock has been found in an old back room or a recently purchased

building. I have several pipes from Holland that were that way. They smoke well enough. My favorite pipe is a no name Dublin with 6 or 7 fills. Hope some one can figure it out for you, in the mean time just sit back and enjoy it ::

 

[newbroom]

Buy them all. Apply nomenclature. Sell them all. How about, MaXX , Imported briar?

 

[settersbrace]

If it smokes good, buy as many NOS as you can get and say no more about it. Sometimes those no name mystery pipes, especially the old ones, are the best cheap smokers you can get. Chances are good that the remaining lot will do well too.

 

[jkrug]

Great looking pipe you scored. Enjoy.
I have a couple $30 pipes stamped "Italy", no other markings. Although they aren't show stoppers they are nice looking pipes and smoke great. They're part of my smoking rotation and usually the pipes I bring to work to smoke on break. Great low dollar smokers. ::

 

[maxx]

I run a search on "unsmoked pipe" at eBay and have several pipes now in my watch list. This seller still has a "smallish Apple" someone here might like. The name is willbsmom.

 

[maxx]

To complete my remarks - that Dublin arrived today. This one was definitely a second. The airway is off center and high, entering the bowl. There's a small chip in the rim of the bowl, which I could have caught from the pix, but missed. It also has a stinger, which wasn't mentioned or shown. This pipe seems to be the same unmarked brand as that Billiard. The finish is the same and the stem is, too, except for the stinger. Maybe the Billiard's was removed or never put in. The marking stating imported briar is the same on both, but on the Dublin it is marked ITALY on the underside end of the shank. I haven't smoked it yet. I can pull the stinger - yes? The pipe is a tad shorter than a Huck Finn Cob, but chamber diameter at the top is larger. It'll be okay for a toss around pipe and a shorter smoke, but I wouldn't have gotten it if I'd known of the kiltered airway or stinger. The Billiard is fine as far as I can tell, so I can't see why it would have been a second, though I suspect now that it was. I might as well mention, too, that these pipes have a smaller airway than my Peterson Billiard. It's thinner, top to bottom and side to side at the lip. I think I'm done with cheap, basket pipes. There are reasons they're cheap.