I thought it quite ingenious. Not quite as perfect as the Peterson System 31 pipe but still a good attempt at getting a more turbulent around the stinger and thus slower and cooler flow.
My New Marxman Bench Made Pipe
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I own an almost identical Marxman and what I think makes it different are these traits:
1. Even more dog turd ugly than normal. Nearly crude. Obviously stained.
2. No size stamp but at least a C.
3. Didn’t even make Mell-O grade.
Were these “400” attempts?
An honest appraisal
I got some nicer Marxman and so turdier ones coming as well. Looking forward to experimenting on the ones that need a little more work!
Nope. The 400 has and uses only the “stitching” marks for rustication. Besides, the 400 is obnoxiously large.
I have no idea how Bob selected which briar would be made into a 400, but given its size, he didn’t do it haphazardly.
The photo of the Marxman is on a Life Magazine sized page. You can see the photo is the same size as my actual Marxman 400. Bob was a sticker for accuracy when it came to his advertisements.
@OzPiper @Briar Lee @didimauw
Was that so you could cut them out and pretend to have one while you saved up? 
I just won this, what I call a Marxman “Bog Boy”. I have another Big Boy Apple and two Big Boy Billiards.
Most standard size Marxman Mell-o amd Super Briar pipes will have a .775” inch bore. A bigger one, marked B or C will have a .750” inch bore. This one looks like and the other Big Boys I own all have .880” inch bores, two have no grade stamps and no size stamps (Old Speedy is stamped Benchmade C), saddle stems, and might be the $15 size D or a failed 400 attempt that got lathe turned.
These are beyond the pale of super excellent dynamite smokers. You want one, but may not know it yet.
Once you get hooked on Marxman pipes anything else seems like wasted money.
They aren’t pretty.
It’s that briar he used.
Most standard size Marxman Mell-o amd Super Briar pipes will have a .775” inch bore. A bigger one, marked B or C will have a .750” inch bore. This one looks like and the other Big Boys I own all have .880” inch bores, two have no grade stamps and no size stamps (Old Speedy is stamped Benchmade C), saddle stems, and might be the $15 size D or a failed 400 attempt that got lathe turned.
These are beyond the pale of super excellent dynamite smokers. You want one, but may not know it yet.
Once you get hooked on Marxman pipes anything else seems like wasted money.
They aren’t pretty.
It’s that briar he used.
What is a "real" stinger versus a fake one? Also... how do I get my photos to arrange vertically rather than horizontally?
The 400 looks like dogwater for $25.
BUT the Jumbo for only $10. I'm feeling it. Passes the vibe check for an era in which Ketchup 
was spicy and The Rubaiyat was good reading among those in the know.
It looks like what you would find on the end of a bee.
The pipe is all hype,The 400 looks like dogwater for $25.
Its dope as rope.
But can it smoke,
The answer is nope.
yeah I know and yet it slowly growing on me. Like that fungus that's affixed my shoes to my feet. No I don't have foot fungus. But honestly the rustication looks gold star to me as in it looks like some ones five year old is going to be an amazing wood worker in a few years.
I'm a big fan of the rustication for some reason. I'm going to try my hand at making pipes here in a bit and want to try to develop the style.
For years I’ve considered a truly massive seventies Ben Wade freehand my best pipe, and maybe it is the most impressive and largest pipe I own.
But today on my deck smoking it, the thing gets sorta hot to hold, with half inch thick bowl walls. It’s not as good a smoker as my Marxmans.
Bob Marx used nothing but the most seasoned and longest aged sponge soft ancient Algerian plateaux briar he could buy.
The carving and tooling was just a way to get them in the boxes and out to customers.
But today on my deck smoking it, the thing gets sorta hot to hold, with half inch thick bowl walls. It’s not as good a smoker as my Marxmans.
Bob Marx used nothing but the most seasoned and longest aged sponge soft ancient Algerian plateaux briar he could buy.
The carving and tooling was just a way to get them in the boxes and out to customers.
And Richard Lee avoided Algerian briar.
Americans of that era judged a pipe by the beauty of the grain, and final finish.
We still do today, plus there are artisans making new shapes.
I had a Thermos I got for Christmas about 1977 lose it’s vacuum seal thirty years later. It still worked but not worth a damn compared to before, and Stanley replaced it.
The briar grown in the worst and most inhospitable place around the rim of the Mediterranean in Algeria must have had more air, natural insulation, than briar grown in more civilized and habitable places.
But that same insulation quality made it terrible to work with and the grain wasn’t as pretty.
Lees and Kaywoodies are gorgeous to look at and excellent smokers.
A Marxman just blows them away for smoking quality. Not sweeter, certainly not cooler, like smoking a little thermos bottle. You just puff exactly enough to fire the ember and release the smoke. It’s gloriously strong and flavorful.
That’s my theory anyway.
MARXMAN Carved Wood Alligator Tobacco Smoking Pipe In Box NOS ? | eBay
<p>Just found. Appears to be New Old Stock but please review the pictures for detailed condition. No smells or odors. Original $5 price tag still attached as pictured. Thanks for looking. Let us know if you have any questions. 101832Lfc7</p>
www.ebay.com
Here you go boys. The price is obscene, but the collection is spot on perfect. I just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger at that price else I would.
Make an offer! I'm tempted to see if they would go lower.MARXMAN Carved Wood Alligator Tobacco Smoking Pipe In Box NOS ? | eBay
<p>Just found. Appears to be New Old Stock but please review the pictures for detailed condition. No smells or odors. Original $5 price tag still attached as pictured. Thanks for looking. Let us know if you have any questions. 101832Lfc7</p>www.ebay.com
Here you go boys. The price is obscene, but the collection is spot on perfect. I just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger at that price else I would.
One Marxman alligator is enough eh?MARXMAN Carved Wood Alligator Tobacco Smoking Pipe In Box NOS ? | eBay
<p>Just found. Appears to be New Old Stock but please review the pictures for detailed condition. No smells or odors. Original $5 price tag still attached as pictured. Thanks for looking. Let us know if you have any questions. 101832Lfc7</p>www.ebay.com
Here you go boys. The price is obscene, but the collection is spot on perfect. I just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger at that price else I would.
