Pre Letter Size Marxman Jumbo

[Briar Lee]

In the beginning in 1934, 29 year old Robert Marx and his pretty wife Helen managed somehow, in the middle of the worst depression in modern history, to launch a brand new pipe company in a pipe factory at 27 West 24th Street 10 New York City, New York that still stands today. Those pipes are testament that it was a successful venture, and they got away with it, and in 1953 Marx sold out to Mastercraft and lived happily ever after and was a salesmen for the company, until his old age.

It is difficult to tell a Benchmade from a Jumbo. I own several pipes stamped Benchmade Jumbo.

I own both Benchmade and Jumbo pipes stamped A,B,and C and those stamps are dollar sizes, $5, $7.50, and $10.

I own about a half dozen enormous pipes that ought to be stamped D but they are not. Obviously they were $15 grade.

I’ve bought from my favorite online pipe peddler, Pipe Dreams 3, what appears is a high condition Pre Letter Size Jumbo $5 size pipe.

I think the $5 Benchmade size came first, and early on the $5 Jumbo was a little larger, and only later did the larger $7.50, $10, and $15 size pipes appear.

And, I think all $15 size pipes were attempts at a 400. That’s why no D stamp. The blocks used were not from bins A, B, or C. The retailer and customer knew the price of the pipes of the letter grades. The huge “Big Boys” are so gigantic, sometimes larger than a 400, they obviously were $15. The $25 400 was a special with it’s own box and the customer got registered in the Blue Book. The $15 and $25 sizes were mostly sold to wealthy women to give as gifts.

What else better explains it?

This one should clean right up to like new. Look at the stem and button.

 

[Indygrap]

I almost pulled the trigger on that one. If I hadn’t already spent my “allowance” for the month I would’ve. Glad it went to a good home. Enjoy!

 

[telescopes]

That’s why no D stamp.

I sold two D stamp pipes - In my mind they were not any different than the C or B stamped.

 

[Briar Lee]

I sold two D stamp pipes - In my mind they were not any different than the C or B stamped.

I wish I’d bought them.

Thanks to you I invested another $5 for another sealed Tupperware tub, just for extra large pipes.

And a Marxman Big Boy is just gigantic, obvious, needs no D stamp for a retailer to tell it’s bigger than a C.

A Big Boy is too big to pocket, and you would have to be even more of a showoff than me to smoke it in public.

Here’s a typical square panel Big Boy. I own another almost identical as a hand made pipe can be.



Compare with a Pre Letter Size Benchmade $5 size.



It is a shame Louis Cowan didn’t have a date code system for Marxman like Dunhill had. It would have only involved one stamp extra.

But maybe Marx was afraid people would buy the newer stock first.

Earlier Marxman pipes, before the cheapies they made just before the Mastercraft sale, are magnificently well made. None are junk.

 

[telescopes]

I wish I’d bought them.

Thanks to you I invested another $5 for another sealed Tupperware tub, just for extra large pipes.

And a Marxman Big Boy is just gigantic, obvious, needs no D stamp for a retailer to tell it’s bigger than a C.

A Big Boy is too big to pocket, and you would have to be even more of a showoff than me to smoke it in public.

Here’s a typical square panel Big Boy. I own another almost identical as a hand made pipe can be.

View attachment 397988

Compare with a Pre Letter Size Benchmade $5 size.

View attachment 397990

It is a shame Louis Cowan didn’t have a date code system for Marxman like Dunhill had. It would have only involved one stamp extra.

But maybe Marx was afraid people would buy the newer stock first.

Earlier Marxman pipes, before the cheapies they made just before the Mastercraft sale, are magnificently well made. None are junk.

Next to the miniature pipe you just purchased it looks bigger than it is. That‘s an interesting photo.

 

[Briar Lee]

Next to the miniature pipe you just purchased it looks bigger than it is. That‘s an interesting photo.

Left to right

Miniature- Benchmade $5- Jumbo $5- Big Boy



The Benchmade probably came first, all five dollars. Then for the ruggeder man of action Helen convinced the boys a Jumbo would sell better. Girls like a man with a Jumbo size pipe, and likely 90% of the five dollar and up pipes were sold to women as gifts, which is why so many survive in high condition today.

Human nature will not ever change.

My Daddy was dressed by my mother like a prize calf is groomed at the county fair, head to foot, after his mother handed the job over to Mama. Every stitch was bought at Herr’s in Springfield, and tailored. Hundred dollar suits until he married Mama and two hundred dollar suits after that.

If they’d allowed him to smoke a pipe, it would have been a high grade Kaywoodie, Lee, or Marxman.

But every Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday evening and school board meeting and any public function my father, was as well dressed as the President of the United States, in order to properly escort my mother there.

When he went to town to eat at noon he’d change into khaki slacks and a buttoned shirt.

Better grade Marxman pipes were for treasured, pampered, and well loved men.

They sold at “finer department stores”.