My Willmer Collection

[cigrmaster]

A few months ago the guy named Ben on ebay had a bunch of Willmer AAA Straight Grains for sale. I think it was 20 in total. Since I knew what great wood they used, I decided to low ball him just to see where he was. He ended up having 18 AAA and a couple of others. I cut a deal for all 20 and now I guess I am a Willmer collector. They are all group 6 or ODA so I dedicated them all to my aromatics that are not flakes. So far I think I have smoked 17 and every one smokes like a Willmer, incredible wood that never gets hot. I know have 21 in total and I am happy with everyone. Yeah I have to hold some but I can deal with it. If any of you see a Willmer for less than 200.00 ( AAA) go for it, I think you will be amazed at how they smoke. Does this make me the foremost Willmer collector on the planet? lol

 

[doctorbob]

LOL, my first high end Brit-wood was a Willmer AAA. GREAT pipes!

 

[pagan]

Close Im sure someone will come forward with a larger cash

 

[cigrmaster]

I want to be number 1, I don't care how many more I have to buy.lol

 

[bryguysc]

We need pics!

 

[cigrmaster]

I don't know if I got them all but there are a bunch.

 

[jefff]

Nice.... Not Dunhills.... But nice.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Nice score. I still can't believe you paid $8,000 for the lot though.

 

[framitz]

I have one notice the resemblance to charatan. Where he used to work. I have 19 charatans. Shel

 

[daveinlax]

WoW! Ben sold a pipe? I've known him from shows and I thought he was running a pipe museum. He has some of the dustiest pipes on ebay.

Nice looking group! My old pipe board/chat room buddy and Willmer collector Trucker Chuck Wright (RIP) would have loved to see this Willmer collection. I like to read Ken Barnes take on this group 8O

 

[cigrmaster]

The only reasons I bought them was I stole them.
I have never smoked a Dunhill that came close to a Willmer.

 

[jefff]

 

[ssjones]

I say that you are the worlds foremost Willmer collector!

 

[tbradsim1]

! :worship: :worship: :worship:

 

[sablebrush52]

I have one notice the resemblance to charatan.

If you only knew...

 

[mayfair70]

A very nice collection. They seem top notch. If they smoke as well as you say, then good score !! ::

 

[jvnshr]

Nice collection. Congrats.

 

[mso489]

Great looking pipes. Declare yourself the primo collector.

 

[kenbarnes]

I have one notice the resemblance to charatan. Where he used to work. I have 19 charatans. Shel
For the record, Harold Wilmer never worked at Charatans. I have seen so many references to this in the past and I want to clarify that he was Dan Tennyson's brother. Dan Tennyson started working at Charatan's in the 1950s and, after being trained up by Reuben Charatan, he worked on the handturning lathe alongside Reuben. Harold Wilmer used to buy freehand bowls from Charatan in the late 1960s early 70s. He would then take them to his workshop and fit, fraze and finish the pipes and stamp them with his name.I am sure that Wilmer did source bowls from elsewhere too.

I can see that 10 or more of these pipes were sandpapered by Joan Nicholson (the Dublin shaped ones), who was also taught by Reuben and trained up Barry Jones in the art of sandpapering in 1958 (and she taught me in 1974). In 1958, Barry made the first 'freehand style'Charatan with Joan and when Reuben saw these first pieces, he immediately changed from his factory overalls into his suit and took these pipes down to Mr.Lewington who worked in the Charatan shop in Jermyn St or Whitcombe Street? (incidentally, the Charatan shape 'Lewington'was named in memory of him). Anyway, in 1958 the Charatan 'freehand' was born and Reuben loved them and they sold extremely well.

So some of these briars are actually late 60s early 70s Charatans and the briar that they were using in this epoch was great quality. To make this more personal, I will try to upload a photo of Joan in the 1960s.

 

[kenbarnes]