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ReneRobert

Might Stick Around
Aug 6, 2021
68
230
I mean, I'll play.

Aside from ubiquitous drugstore pipes stamped Captain Black or something like that, the actual anchor you are talking about, or again, perilously close, we find on a super high end co-operative, namely Tao-Ilsted. Have a look here. Same frickin anchor really.



But you're right, that's probably... just a coincidence.

Why Tao & Ilsted though. They're not exactly popular or even expensive. You think they're counterfeiting a niche collaboration that you can buy $300 pipes from? I mean Poul Ilsted by himself would make more sense to copy.
 

sasquatch

Lifer
Jul 16, 2012
1,689
2,885
Because forging legitmate high grade pipes is incredibly difficult and time consuming and not profitable. If you stamp up a fake Bo Nordh, a dozen Bo Nordh collectors will point out all the reasons it's fake, and the pipe will sell for 90 bucks even if it took a week to make. No, you make a pipe that bears similar marks to a somewhat more expensive brand (or in this case, brands) and hope to catch someone who mistakes it for the very similar but higher priced pipe.

I'm one of I think only a handful of people in the world who could make a reasonably good fake Dunhill Shell. I've made replacement Dunhill style stems enough to do it. I've made Dunhill-type shapes and blasted them like crazy. So why don't I make fake Dunhills? Because when I make a pipe that looks as good as an old Dunhill, it gets bought in like 4 seconds. There's no point, business-wise. And if I did do a fake Dunhill outright, get stamps made up etc, there would still be a bunch of experts out there who would find some little problem with the pipes and denounce me. Let alone the steady stream of old never before seen "Dunhills" pouring out of my shop.... no that can't work. You start faking up Ilsteds or something, you get burnt fast.

The issue here isn't making forgeries. The issue is marketing pipes that look enough like other pipes, stamps and all, to catch the interest of potential buyers at a certain price point.
 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,539
14,250
The issue here isn't making forgeries. The issue is marketing pipes that look enough like other pipes, stamps and all, to catch the interest of potential buyers at a certain price point.

Exactly.

Convincing art-forgery-class copies are insanely hard to make. The money---the "business model" from China's perspective---doesn't work.

Basket-pipe-grade copies can be spotted by anyone. Again, the business model doesn't work.

Decently-made-but-still-off-in-intriguing-ways pipes scare off some potential buyers, but fascinate others? That's the $weet $pot
 

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,955
6,703
Why Tao & Ilsted though. They're not exactly popular or even expensive. You think they're counterfeiting a niche collaboration that you can buy $300 pipes from? I mean Poul Ilsted by himself would make more sense to copy.
You’re absolutely correct. 100%.