My New Marxman Bench Made Pipe

[Briar Lee]

I am beginning to think our friend is less a Cambelite and more of a Presbyterian.

One advantage of being raised up Campbellite is we aren’t committing a sin dressing fancy or buying nice things, so long as we follow the Master.

Even our humble Savior had Mary Magdalene wash His feet.

Lookie at this fancy Marxman Golden Sunset I just won.

Sort of a Sunday pipe, I think.

It taint quite a 400, but it’s gettin’ closer!

 

[Briar Lee]

Two extraordinary Marxmans on the same day is lucky.

The Golden Sunset pipe I bought this morning is something I’ve not seen advertised. It was likely a special run.

But this evening, I think this big Benchmade is a 400 attempt.

Algerian briar was notoriously difficult to work into pipes. The 400s had to be perfect, and large, and the ones on advertisements had a sort of wedge between shank and bowl, a Marxman styling cue.

Lookie here. The wedge has been polished off. But it’s a 6 1/2 inch pipe with the 400 style large saddle stem.

And it’s barely smoked.



This makes four of the large size Marxmans I own that could have been born a 400, if fate had been kinder.

 

[OzPiper]

Not wishing to derail this thread or pour cold water on this lovefest

Just wanting to know how many of you gentlemen are devotees of LHS pipes - Sterncrest, in particular, and to a lesser extent their Purex line
Any love for these ?

Asking because there has been little or no mention of LHS since members Danielplainview and Tuold ceased posting a couple of years ago
The LHS Sterncrest pipes restored and posted by Danielplainview are some of the most attractive American factory made pipes I have seen

 

[Briar Lee]

Not wishing to derail this thread or pour cold water on this lovefest

Just wanting to know how many of you gentlemen are devotees of LHS pipes - Sterncrest, in particular, and to a lesser extent their Purex line
Any love for these ?

Asking because there has been little or no mention of LHS since members Danielplainview and Tuold ceased posting a couple of years ago
The LHS Sterncrest pipes restored and posted by Danielplainview are some of the most attractive American factory made pipes I have seen

I own a Sterncrest, and it has to be one of the best made factory pipes I’ve seen.

The sad, sad story is I broke the tenon the first day I owned it. All the better reason to send it to Briarville.





If it’s not the absolute best grained pipe I own, I have no better ones.

 

[Briar Lee]

As a general rule, it seems Marxman pipes came in these grades and sizes:

1. The top was the $25 400, a special pipe that was registered at Marxman with the owner’s name and a lifetime guarantee. These were large pipes, the best of the best.

2. For years the cheap Marxman was the $3.50 Mel-o. These were smallish, not tiny but about the same size as contemporary American “drug store” pipes.

3. The next in the line up was the $5 Super Briar. It was a medium sized pipe, but highly polished with fancy (for a Marxman) grain.

4. Then came the Jumbo, a large pipe and usually carved, although I own a smooth, polished one. The Jumbos came in A, B, C, and D sizes, ranging from $5 to $15.

The Benchmade was usually carved, but was often a deluxe, large pipe, although I own medium sized smooth ones. If you can’t have a 400, you want a Benchmade.

Today I got in a huge Benchmade in nearly new condition, marked with a C. This would have been a $10 pipe, at minimum. I also think it was a 400 attempt.

Sometimes you hit the jackpot. This is an incredibly good smoker and I think beautifully grained, as a Marxman goes.

 

[Briar Lee]

Marxman Super Briar grade pipes were five dollars in the depths of the Great Depression, ten times the price of a decent fifty cent briar pipe, and five times the price of a Yello Bole.

So today we often find them lovingly cared for in the original box.

This will be $35 delivered.

It appears to have a 400 style saddle stem, reserved for their larger and better pipes.

 

[telescopes]

Marxman Super Briar grade pipes were five dollars in the depths of the Great Depression, ten times the price of a decent fifty cent briar pipe, and five times the price of a Yello Bole.

So today we often find them lovingly cared for in the original box.

This will be $35 delivered.

It appears to have a 400 style saddle stem, reserved for their larger and better pipes.

View attachment 217305View attachment 217306

I know longer believe that the saddle stem is the hallmark of The Four Hundred. In doing more research on pipes that are actually labeled "The Four Hundred", about half do NOT have a saddle stem. It seems the main four trademarks are natural stain, gold band marked 14K, extremely big bowl and stummel, and a bigger than average stem. The stem itself seems to be bigger overall to match the proportions of the bowl.

 

[didimauw]

As a general rule, it seems Marxman pipes came in these grades and sizes:

1. The top was the $25 400, a special pipe that was registered at Marxman with the owner’s name and a lifetime guarantee. These were large pipes, the best of the best.

2. For years the cheap Marxman was the $3.50 Mel-o. These were smallish, not tiny but about the same size as contemporary American “drug store” pipes.

3. The next in the line up was the $5 Super Briar. It was a medium sized pipe, but highly polished with fancy (for a Marxman) grain.

4. Then came the Jumbo, a large pipe and usually carved, although I own a smooth, polished one. The Jumbos came in A, B, C, and D sizes, ranging from $5 to $15.

The Benchmade was usually carved, but was often a deluxe, large pipe, although I own medium sized smooth ones. If you can’t have a 400, you want a Benchmade.

Today I got in a huge Benchmade in nearly new condition, marked with a C. This would have been a $10 pipe, at minimum. I also think it was a 400 attempt.

Sometimes you hit the jackpot. This is an incredibly good smoker and I think beautifully grained, as a Marxman goes.

View attachment 217103View attachment 217104View attachment 217105View attachment 217106View attachment 217107View attachment 217108

I'd smoke that! If it were new of course

 

[telescopes]

I'd smoke that! If it were new of course

Mine just might be. I'll have Briarville confirm that for sure.

 

[Briar Lee]

The secret of Bob Marx’s pipes had to be something he did differently to cure his Algerian briar.

Every factory pipe ever made was constructed well enough to work. It wasn’t the construction.

And Algeria shipped countless tons of briar. Marx pipes smoke better than other Algerian briar pipes.

Willie Nelson owns a wooden guitar, but it’s a 1969 Martin guitar, sprinkled with Martin fairy dust.

Marx cured his briar, so that if you’ve mastered pipe smoking nothing else compares with a New York City made Marxman.

 

[telescopes]

Below is another NOS in box Marxman pipe. I have no idea how I ended up with this one - I didn't intend to actually bid on it, but none the less, my curiosity seemed to have ended up with me adding another NOS to my NOS Marxman Pipe Collection - all in Marxman Boxes and many with the original paperwork.

Although the pipe says it is a Jumbo, it is the smallest jumbo I've seen. The finish of the pipe is typical Marxman. Rough cuts with their trademark darker stain found on may of their pipes. The stinger is in the shape of an arrow and easily is removed. Notice the slight indent for the airway.

@didimauw, there still are many NOS unsmoked Marxman pipes out there. Don't despair.

 

[telescopes]

Here is the Mighty Marxman Four Hundred. It is huge and is as advertised. I now consider my Marxman collection closed. It is such a giant piece of briar and consumes so much tobacco that it will not be a regular rotation pipe. But… it will still be smoked. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy the pipe.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

View attachment 240734View attachment 240735View attachment 240737View attachment 240739
Here is the Mighty Marxman Four Hundred. It is huge and is as advertised. I now consider my Marxman collection closed. It is such a giant piece of briar and consumes so much tobacco that it will not be a regular rotation pipe. But… it will still be smoked. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy the pipe. View attachment 240741

Did it come with a custom box, etc.?

 

[telescopes]

Did it come with a custom box, etc.?

That was the one thing it didn‘t come with. Unfortunately. That would have been perfect.

 

[LotusEater]

View attachment 240734View attachment 240735View attachment 240737View attachment 240739
Here is the Mighty Marxman Four Hundred. It is huge and is as advertised. I now consider my Marxman collection closed. It is such a giant piece of briar and consumes so much tobacco that it will not be a regular rotation pipe. But… it will still be smoked. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy the pipe. View attachment 240741

Congratulations! I know you were looking for this pipe for quite some time. Can I ask how how/where you got it?

 

[telescopes]

Congratulations! I know you were looking for this pipe for quite some time. Can I ask how how/where you got it?

I saw it on Ebay. After looking at additional pictures and contacting the seller, I snapped it up. I knew Briar Lee was looking at it as well, and 400s are very rare indeed. It is in pristine condition. If it was previously smoked, it was only done so very lightly. I did send it out to Briarville to have the draft hole opened slightly and that improved the draw immensely. The ONLY downside is that it didn't come with the original box, which as you know, was part of the sales incentive to purchase a 400. It is numbered, has a solid 14K gold band - or so it says on the band - and has the words, The Four Hundred written on the bowl of the pipe. The stem is well made and may be hand cut as it is an unusually wide stem. The briar lacks any real grain, but the size of the bowl is interesting because I can't really find any flaws or fills in the wood. I have the original magazine advertisement from a magazine and will frame it and put it in my office. I may make a blue velvet lined box for the pipe myself and stencil the original label used for the authentic box onto the one I make. The pipe is just too large to put into a pipe rack and requires its own stand or box. I will smoke this pipe. I intend on going to the Las Vegas pipe show and will bring it with me.

Thanks for asking. I hope all is well with you in KC.

 

[OzPiper]

@telescopes
Congratulations on landing your white whale and completing your Marxman “set”
As a former stamp collector I know how satisfying that is.
Enjoy

The only problem with that is “what do I collect next?”

 

[LotusEater]

I saw it on Ebay. After looking at additional pictures and contacting the seller, I snapped it up. I knew Briar Lee was looking at it as well, and 400s are very rare indeed. It is in pristine condition. If it was previously smoked, it was only done so very lightly. I did send it out to Briarville to have the draft hole opened slightly and that improved the draw immensely. The ONLY downside is that it didn't come with the original box, which as you know, was part of the sales incentive to purchase a 400. It is numbered, has a solid 14K gold band - or so it says on the band - and has the words, The Four Hundred written on the bowl of the pipe. The stem is well made and may be hand cut as it is an unusually wide stem. The briar lacks any real grain, but the size of the bowl is interesting because I can't really find any flaws or fills in the wood. I have the original magazine advertisement from a magazine and will frame it and put it in my office. I may make a blue velvet lined box for the pipe myself and stencil the original label used for the authentic box onto the one I make. The pipe is just too large to put into a pipe rack and requires its own stand or box. I will smoke this pipe. I intend on going to the Las Vegas pipe show and will bring it with me.

Thanks for asking. I hope all is well with you in KC.

Nice work sniping BriarLee lol!
Enjoy it in good health sir.

 

[NE Pipeteer]

Good day Marxman fans,

I recently came across this large less-than-lovely Marxan It was unsmoked, a trait that I remedied. Anyway, in looking at the boring, I noticed that the draught hole was not center drilled in the "cooling chamber". This is a term I used for this description not knowing a better one. Here are a couple of shots that explain:
The stamping of "Marxman" and "Imported Briar" are the only marks on her. I slid a drill bit into the draught hole to check and sure enough, it was drilled at an angle. I was surprised and fascinated at this little twist of craftsmanship. Have any on you noticed similar borings?

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Good day Marxman fans,

I recently came across this large less-than-lovely Marxan It was unsmoked, a trait that I remedied. Anyway, in looking at the boring, I noticed that the draught hole was not center drilled in the "cooling chamber". This is a term I used for this description not knowing a better one. Here are a couple of shots that explain:View attachment 250839View attachment 250837
The stamping of "Marxman" and "Imported Briar" are the only marks on her. I slid a drill bit into the draught hole to check and sure enough, it was drilled at an angle. I was surprised and fascinated at this little twist of craftsmanship. Have any on you noticed similar borings?

Not uncommon on pipes of this age or style, they were often drilled by hand, meaning the stummle was held by hand and pushed onto a spinning drill chucked on the end of a motor horizontally. So draft holes can be bored off a little, it rarely has any effect on the function of the pipe.