Jumbo Bench Made four panel billiard Marxman with EMP. A Highly maintained example of a Marxman that is a fine example of its genre.
My New Marxman Bench Made Pipe
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Jumbo Bench Made four panel billiard Marxman with EMP. A Highly maintained example of a Marxman that is a fine example of its genre.
When I ruminate on the mysteries of Algerian briar, it becomes apparent to me that Algeria is just some lines on a map the French drew a long time ago. All briar grown around the rim of the Mediterranean is the same species.
Yet during the first half of the last century the French promoted exports of briar from their colony of Algeria that gained a reputation like Kentucky bourbon, or Tennessee whiskey. It was a distinctive product, unlike other briar.
And like Kentucky bourbon, there had to have been grades and qualities of Algerian briar, the same as there are grades and qualities of Turkish meerschaum, or any other distinctive product.
All of it, was tan and most of it was soft, and rarely was it highly figured.
While the heath shrubs still grow in Algeria, the system for a high quality product labeled Algerian briar, is gone with the French Empire.
Yet during the first half of the last century the French promoted exports of briar from their colony of Algeria that gained a reputation like Kentucky bourbon, or Tennessee whiskey. It was a distinctive product, unlike other briar.
And like Kentucky bourbon, there had to have been grades and qualities of Algerian briar, the same as there are grades and qualities of Turkish meerschaum, or any other distinctive product.
All of it, was tan and most of it was soft, and rarely was it highly figured.
While the heath shrubs still grow in Algeria, the system for a high quality product labeled Algerian briar, is gone with the French Empire.
This Marxman Mel-O full bend is a fine example of what you are referring to when you write about Algerian briar. @The Algerian, has a few similar pipes - I obtained this one from him directly. The closest I ever have been to Algeria is Morocco, although if I could, I would love to visit there as well. Yves St. Laurent was originally from Algeria as well. Style is one of their exports I suppose.
The Depression was so bad tobacco companies lowered the price of a pack of cigarettes from 15 cents to a dime.
25% of able bodied men were out of work.
By 1933 a thousand families a day were thrown in the street from foreclosures, in a nation with about a third our present population.
And Robert Marx started Marxman pipes, with cheapie being a $3.50 Mel-o.
A cheap briar pipe was fifty cents and a decent one was a dollar. Later there was a $2.50 Marxman but I think close to the end.
Compare a $3.50 Mel-o with a depression era $3.50 Kaywoodie Drinkless and it’s shocking how ugly and crude the Marxman is.
That there are so many Mel-o pipes still in existence says a lot a lot about Marx’s genius at promotion, and they tasted good, you know?
25% of able bodied men were out of work.
By 1933 a thousand families a day were thrown in the street from foreclosures, in a nation with about a third our present population.
And Robert Marx started Marxman pipes, with cheapie being a $3.50 Mel-o.
A cheap briar pipe was fifty cents and a decent one was a dollar. Later there was a $2.50 Marxman but I think close to the end.
Compare a $3.50 Mel-o with a depression era $3.50 Kaywoodie Drinkless and it’s shocking how ugly and crude the Marxman is.
That there are so many Mel-o pipes still in existence says a lot a lot about Marx’s genius at promotion, and they tasted good, you know?
I just won a fresh bent Jumbo Marxman.
It has the box, and if I had to guess it’s at least a B size.
Don’t say Marx didn’t make pretty pipes, it was just seldom that he did.
It has the box, and if I had to guess it’s at least a B size.
Don’t say Marx didn’t make pretty pipes, it was just seldom that he did.
I was able to add , a Dunsboro, to my purchase of the bent Jumbo, for combined shipping. A Dunsboro was an oil cured pipe the same price as a Mel-o.
I own another ungraded Marxman close to this shape, which is either a Rhodesian or a ringed Prince, or maybe something in between.
It’s also a pretty pipe, as Marxmans run.
I own another ungraded Marxman close to this shape, which is either a Rhodesian or a ringed Prince, or maybe something in between.
It’s also a pretty pipe, as Marxmans run.
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To rehash the oil curing of Marxman pipes, the $3.50 Dunsboro was advertised as being “specially cured with a deep hued oil (a secret formula) to give the grain a dark, rich walnut appearance.”
The one I bought doesn’t look much, if any darker, than most Marxmans smoked a few times.
So the regular production might well have been oil cured in clear oil.
Using the ad as a jumping off point, ir is quite possible that this is the case - that Marx oil cured his briar stock. Marx had his own in house shop and workers. When he sold his brand, the factory workers ceased production on Marxman Pipes and the brand was sub contracted out to others as was the habit of MasterCraft pipes. Marx became a sales person and an executive with MasterCraft. He was also a health nut who had a Charles Atlas type body even at the age of 74 When he was still with MasterCraft.
Today my latest Marxman arrived and I’m pondering the reasons behind two mysteries of the brand.
The first is this well smoked pipe had a thick cake “more than the thickness of a dime” all around the chamber, evenly. Why does cake not stick to a Marxman? A couple of minutes work with a sharp pocketknife removed all the thick cake and left a smooth, perfect, brown chamber. And in my experience every Marxman is easy to clean back to like new in the chamber.
The second mystery is smoking Half and Half in this is like smoking Five Brothers in a Lee or other brand of pipe. I love it, I’m not complaining, but something either adds to or enables a rich, strong, bold, hearty, robust smoke in a Marxman.
If you want a light, sweet, easy smoke keep on moving past Marxmans.
The first is this well smoked pipe had a thick cake “more than the thickness of a dime” all around the chamber, evenly. Why does cake not stick to a Marxman? A couple of minutes work with a sharp pocketknife removed all the thick cake and left a smooth, perfect, brown chamber. And in my experience every Marxman is easy to clean back to like new in the chamber.
The second mystery is smoking Half and Half in this is like smoking Five Brothers in a Lee or other brand of pipe. I love it, I’m not complaining, but something either adds to or enables a rich, strong, bold, hearty, robust smoke in a Marxman.
If you want a light, sweet, easy smoke keep on moving past Marxmans.
Marxman made a few highly polished, flawless, smooth pipes in conventional shapes. This Benchmade grade Dublin I just bought is a prime example.
But…..I bought the last sales pitch!!
I hope the three Lees I got garnered you a good Marxman!
I honestly think most pipe smokers, especially those starting out, will prefer a Lee to smoke over a Marxman.
A Lee is a smooth, easy, sweet smoker.
Marxmans are for old leather tongued nicotine addicts like me.
I’m really enjoying them, thanks again!