My New Marxman Bench Made Pipe

[Briar Lee]

Telescopes needs to start a show me your Marxman thread.

I’ve done got the itch for ‘em.

$20 delivered, from Ebay
Five minute cleanup
This was a $5-$10 Benchmade grade in the late forties, according to size.

 

[telescopes]

That pipe would look outstanding with a metal band.

Marxman Pipes... When a Lee is really a woman's brand.

 

[Briar Lee]

That pipe would look outstanding with a metal band.

Marxman Pipes... When a Lee is really a woman's brand.

The grain isn’t spectacular but there’s not one atom of the stummel not grained.

It’s perfectly made from button to rim.

It was hand cut and made on a bench.

No pipe at any price smokes better.

And ain’t it classy?

 

[didimauw]

The grain isn’t spectacular but there’s not one atom of the stummel not grained.

It’s perfectly made from button to rim.

It was hand cut and made on a bench.

No pipe at any price smokes better.

And ain’t it classy?

View attachment 197534

Very nice, that one! A bull dog is one pipe shape I don't own. But I expect them to be heavy in my weak jaw.

 

[Briar Lee]

Very nice, that one! A bull dog is one pipe shape I don't own. But I expect them to be heavy in my weak jaw.

As an aside, a straight medium Bulldog like my newest Marxman is prone to burnout or black char spotting at the bottom of the bowl on those two thin sides at the bottom.

I own a Patent Pending (very early thirties) Drinkless Kaywoodie Bulldog I expect to burn out the bottom each time I smoke it, although in 90 years it’s not yet.

This extremely close grained Algerian briar Marxman smokes cool all the way down. It was made right, of good stuff.

Another peculiar thing.

Top shelf Algerian briar doesn’t hold on the cake well. I restored the bowl to brown, bare briar easily with my trusty pocket knife. There wasn’t much cake, but it came off in a jiffy.

 

[Briar Lee]

When I got home I had another ten minutes to clean up this filthy Marxman Mel-o.

$20 delivered. This was a $3.50 pipe when Moon Mullican topped the charts.




Makes me want to Relax with a Marxman.

 

[telescopes]

That's one ugly pipe. Honestly, I can't imagine just cleaning the pipes. I find I must have the sterilized and Deodorized with ozone as well as the stummels scraped clean to bare wood. The chambers and the rims are always something I preferred to have restore back to new as well as the inside and outside of the stems.

 

[telescopes]

 

[Briar Lee]

View attachment 197651

To add to Marx’s problems he started his brand new company in the depths of the Great Depression in the highest wage, highest taxed and most regulated city on this earth, New York City,,,,and

He took out full page color advertisements in the highest priced magazines.

Esquire 1947




I think his secret was use of tan colored Algerian briar.

It smoked the best, but was hardest to work with, and was not usually beautifully grained. Likely KB&B didn’t use soft Algerian briar, to make over 10 million pipes a year.

I bought a nice example of a Benchmade today for $20 delivered.



A Marxman is a bargain, because Bob Marx made soft briar into art works.

 

[telescopes]

Today, this Marxman Melo came in. It has the bones of what I think will be a great looking pipe. The draft holes are lined up quite nicely and I don't see any evidence of burnout. The rim will need to be cleaned, but it is in fair condition. The bit has a chew mark, but it will be easy to fill in.

Honestly, the pipe in person shows a lot of potential and it has that older Marxman darker color that works really well with the Marxman rustication as seen in the pictures below. The stinger is dirty, but it looks like it will be clean up as well.

I will repost when the pipe has been fully restored.

 

[telescopes]

She's a beaut for sure Very little work need to be done on this one

 

[didimauw]

She's a beaut for sure Very little work need to be done on this one View attachment 198047View attachment 198048

I think I'm going to briar withdrawl. Because even THAT ONE looks like a beautiful pipe to me!

 

[telescopes]

I think I'm going to briar withdrawl. Because even THAT ONE looks like a beautiful pipe to me!

Strangely enough, it is a beautiful pipe and in person it looks absolutely stunning. It is a great block of briar and has a strong masculine look that looks and comes across as very Romanesque. I am NOT an over of ugly pipes, even though I have pointed interesting one out. This is a pipe that somehow defies the ugliness and expresses manliness. .

 

[Briar Lee]

Not all Marxman pipes were ugly.

Look at what $20 still buys on eBay.



Honestly, how can any pipe at fifty times the price look any better?

It can’t smoke any better, for sure and certain.

Marx used the best smoking briar that ever existed.

 

[didimauw]

Not all Marxman pipes were ugly.

Look at what $20 still buys on eBay.

View attachment 198529View attachment 198530View attachment 198531View attachment 198532

Honestly, how can any pipe at fifty times the price look any better?

It can’t smoke any better, for sure and certain.

Marx used the best smoking briar that ever existed.

Even better briar than...LEE???

 

[Briar Lee]

Even better briar than...LEE???

Yes, better smoking.

I own over a half dozen Marxman pipes now. Algerian briar isn’t as beautiful as others but it smokes the best.

 

[shermnatman]

Found this picture on the internet of a Marxman carved Devil's Head pipe... WOW!

Now THAT is a pipe I would like to own! - Sherm Natman

 

[Briar Lee]

Found this picture on the internet of a Marxman carved Devil's Head pipe... WOW!
View attachment 202752
Now THAT is a pipe I would like to own! - Sherm Natman

Those artisan carved pipes are very expensive and collectible.

This one cost twenty bucks, in the mail now. It’s a Benchmade Jumbo (?) B size.

A smooth Marxman (with minimal carving) is by far and away the best bargain in used pipes.

 

[telescopes]

Here is a Cowan. Crown was an artist for Marxman and he left to make his own pipes. He was able to evolve the Marxman look, in my opinion and give it a nice mid century look. This one is on sale for $55 at Reborn pipes. If I wasn't in the process of culling my pipes I'd jump on it.

 

[telescopes]

Back from Briarville. Behold the following:
following:

Top- Markman Dunboro Billiard
Middle - Marksman Mel-O
Bottom- Marksman Four Panel Benchmade