Possible New Favorite

[foolwiththefez]

I just received a leather wrapped meerschaum lined bulldog that I bought on ebay. I haven't had a chance to light it up yet, but I'm in love with its aesthetics. It couldn't be prettier and is amazingly light.

This may become my new Ennerdale pipe.

 

[sablebrush52]

Meerschaum lined as well! Nice! Enjoy!

 

[mso489]

These were much beloved in the 1950's and early 60's. I remember them on the commuter platform of the Chicago and Northwestern, when there were smoker cars. You might see two or three of them, lit, as people waited for the trains. Snap narrow brim fedoras and narrow lapel suits with skinny ties to go with 'em.

 

[pappymac]

mso489 - and to think, people dressed like these days would be called hipsters.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

mso489 - and to think, people dressed like these days would be called hipsters.

Ha. We do like our labels! I just call them people that do whatever makes them happy. I don't begrudge anyone a style, look or habit that brings them joy. Hipster? Sure.. but I don't have any ill-will towards them.

 

[foolwiththefez]

The pipe is stamped "Made in Tanganyika" so it has to be at least 52 years of making it the oldest pipe I own to boot. It's a Kiko. According to Pipedia that means the meerschaum came Lake Amboseli.
My shoulders are too wide for a narrow brimmed fedora, but I do wear nice black driving cap in the summertime. Not so big on ties though.

 

[shutterbugg]

I have a couple of Amboseli meers, got them NOS not long ago. Great smoking pipes! I also had a leather-wrapped bulldog years ago just like that one except it was a briar. They used to do that with ones that had too many large fills that no amount of rustication could camouflage. Mine smoked great and the leather did help to keep the pipe cooler in the hand.

 

[pagan]

Very nice

 

[jpmcwjr]

I had a smallish billiard in the 60's, where the stitching and leather looked similar. The leather eventually turned almost black due to use, and somehow it got away.
Nice find!

 

[jerwynn]

That pipe is wonderfully splendid!! Congrats!! I think I saw a photo of Walter Cronkite smoking one like it somewhere back in the day.

 

[akfilm]

Nice find! I have a black leather wrapped, meerschaum lined Medico pipe. It's fun, but a smaller bowl than I like smoking generally. It was my car pipe for a good while, it's currently out of rotation, but will make it's way back in now and again. I recently ran across a bulldog estate pipe that I could tell was leather covered at some point, you could see the stitching indents in the briar.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I recently ran across a bulldog estate pipe that I could tell was leather covered at some point, you could see the stitching indents in the briar.

I've seen one, too. I'm actually surprised you don't see more of them, as popular as the leather-wrapped were for all those years.

 

[foolwiththefez]

Does anybody know the best way to care for the leather? I'm thinking saddle soap will be the right tool.

 

[cossackjack]

Leather wrapped pipes never appealed to me. Looks a little like BDSM.
For leather care:

Leather Honey Leather Conditioner, & Leather Honey Leather Cleaner (Leather Honey) - better than saddle soap.

Both are available on Amazon.com & elsewhere.

 

[ray47]

I have a same shaped Longchamp but it's not meerschaum lined. Smokes Virginia flakes and ribbon cuts better then any of my pipes.