Question: "SIM" Pre-1920 Austrian Meer

[Humblepipe]

Hello everyone,

A good friend gifted me this old Austrian meer. The orific button has me guessing this one is likely made pre-1920s. Inside the case is "SIM" over "Austria" within a 6-pointed star. I poked around on the web and found nothing yet. Any ideas about the maker? Thanks in advance.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Austria meerschaum stems were orific up through at least the 1950s.

One I owned from then.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Because of a treaty in 1738, Sephardic Jews (from Turkey) were allowed to settle in Vienna. Austrian Jews, whose travels were restricted in Vienna, used this to their advantage. I imagine there could be a tobacco tie-in with regard to opening a business under these circumstances (I’m just guessing here).



In 2009, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna’s Art History Museum, marked the occasion of two anniversaries: Ten years of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and 225 years of the Austria Tabak company (which had been part of JTI since 2007) with an exhibition organized in collaboration with JTI showing the evolution of tobacco consumption. I wonder if you contacted someone at the art museum, JTI, or Austria Tabak, if they might have reference material with a list of tobacconists from the late 19th or early 20th Century in Wien/Vienna (something akin to the rabbits that @jguss seems to pull out of his hat when it comes to tobacco and pipe minutiae you thought lost to the sands of time). Maybe you could find a “SIM” tobacco shop that way.

 

[Humblepipe]

Austria meerschaum stems were orific up through at least the 1950s.

One I owned from then.
View attachment 258832View attachment 258833View attachment 258834

This is great information. My personal collection is increasingly trending toward meers... I went from having a few to 50% of my pipes being meers at present. However, this might be my first Austrian meer. I have sold a few, but never had one of my own. All that to say, thanks for the info!

 

[Humblepipe]

Because of a treaty in 1738, Sephardic Jews (from Turkey) were allowed to settle in Vienna. Austrian Jews, whose travels were restricted in Vienna, used this to their advantage. I imagine there could be a tobacco tie-in with regard to opening a business under these circumstances (I’m just guessing here).

View attachment 258843

In 2009, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna’s Art History Museum, marked the occasion of two anniversaries: Ten years of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and 225 years of the Austria Tabak company (which had been part of JTI since 2007) with an exhibition organized in collaboration with JTI showing the evolution of tobacco consumption. I wonder if you contacted someone at the art museum, JTI, or Austria Tabak, if they might have reference material with a list of tobacconists from the late 19th or early 20th Century in Wien/Vienna (something akin to the rabbits that @jguss seems to pull out of his hat when it comes to tobacco and pipe minutiae you thought lost to the sands of time). Maybe you could find a “SIM” tobacco shop that way.

This is good! No doubt the 6-pointed star within the branding is a nod to the Star of David. I will dig some more. Thanks, @TheIronMonkey

 

[Humblepipe]

In case some extra photos of the case are helpful...

 

[Humblepipe]

Some deduction here... guess work... if the 6-point star in the branding informs the pipemaker was Jewish, the pipe was probably made before 1938 when Germany annexed Austria. Fritz Becker, and Austrian of Jewish decent, fled Austria in 1938. He eventually settled in Italy, never returning to Austria after WWII concluded. Just musing, but it is all I am able to do at this point.

My pipe: possibly made by an Austrian of Jewish decent and possibly made prior to 1938? If so, who is "SIM"? Maybe another unsolved mystery...

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I suspect it was a tobacconist. Perhaps, if you contact the art museum, JTI, or Austria Tabak, there might be something in the archives to check for shops in the area from that period.

 

[Humblepipe]

I suspect it was a tobacconist. Perhaps, if you contact the art museum, JTI, or Austria Tabak, there might be something in the archives to check for shops in the area from that period.

Good idea. I was thinking tobacconist as well. I will keep on keeping on ;]

 

[TheIronMonkey]

There are some old books that exist that list Austro-Hungarian Meerschaum pipe carvers. Finding these may be difficult, but they may contain the info you seek.

 

[Humblepipe]

There are some old books that exist that list Austro-Hungarian Meerschaum pipe carvers. Finding these may be difficult, but they may contain the info you seek.

View attachment 258948

I saw this very article. I am going to continue on this hunt!

 

[mikethompson]

This is one of the more interesting threads going on right now.

I hope you track down some more history on this pipe and let us know.

@TheIronMonkey how did you come into this history?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

@TheIronMonkey how did you come into this history?

Just used Google, hoping to help Steve with info.

 

[mikethompson]

Just used Google, hoping to help Steve with info.

Well that's a boring answer Jeff!

Saying you had to go to achieves and find documents would have been much more dramatic.

@Humblepipe , as someone always looking to add Austrian pipes to their collection, I hope you find the backstop.

 

[Humblepipe]

Well that's a boring answer Jeff!

Saying you had to go to achieves and find documents would have been much more dramatic.

@Humblepipe , as someone always looking to add Austrian pipes to their collection, I hope you find the backstop.

Thanks, Mike! The humorous part about all this is I will be smoking the pipe for the first time tonight. It better be a great smoker LOL.

 

[Humblepipe]

OK.... smoked it. It's a keeper!