Ruminations on the Marxman 400
- Thread starter Briar Lee
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Because my Mama had the good sene to marry Daddy in 1947 I inherited a nice farm and three rental homes, which every month provide me with money that I neither wove nor spun to get.
I did have $200. I was sorely tempted.
I own about five 400 sized Pre 54 Marxman pipes.
When you bought that one, my burden of temptation was lifted.
So I offered and won not one but two nice Benchmade A size pipes from the same seller, total invoice $33.40.
Those are Benchmade grade Jumbos or they’d not have A stamps.
Before you have that pipe put away like it was a postage stamp I’d like to know if it has better grain than the mill run Marxman.
For 25 hard dollars when men toiled in fields for fifty cents a day that 400 should be a rare specimen
I have a Benchmade with an “A” stamp but it’s fairly small. I thought it was the carver’s initial.
I could be in error, because really no one collects a pipe brand where the Holy Grail 400 is less than $200, and most are under $20, is this
At the last there was a Dunsboro grade
Then a Mell-o grade
Super Briar grade
Benchmade grade
Jumbo style in A, B, C, and D size
400 grade
To confuse this there are some Marxman pipes that are just stamped Marxman.
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Interesting. I would be surprised if my Benchmade weighs more than 30g.
Ha, Ha. I neither put my pipes in buckets in the barn or in drawers in some storage shed or in the glove compartment of farm trucks.
The pipe will be on a stand next to three other Marxman that I smoke regularly.
One is a beautiful four paneled Jumbo Bench Made with exquisite grain. The other is a Mel-O full bend pipe with some unique carving. The other, which I may sell, is the Royal pictured on page 1 and 2. It most likely was a "true" Failed Four Hundred. It has the gold band, the saddle stem, and the 400 shape. The Royal was a straight grain pipe that had no carving so it is clear to me that this pipe was never meant to be in that line. However, it is an Excellent smoking pipe.
The Four Hundred, which by the way is numbered, I believe this one says 52 - will be prominently featured with pipes of that genre and era. And, it will be smoked. Look to see it on the WAYS thread.
The only thing missing was the purple velvet lined box.
I did get some pictures of the inside of the bowl and they looked just fine. Regardless of shape, the pipe will be sent out for inspection and a bit of restoration on the bowl. I could do it myself, but Rich has a lot of experience with other 400 pipes so he gets the honor of bringing it back to NOS condition.
I am not sure how it could have commanded such a price back in the day when it was sold. It was all marketing. That said, I will be ordering an old advert from a magazine that describes and markets the 400 - I'll frame it and put it next to my pipe cabinet - an older piece from the 40s - really a secretary.
For me, it has never been about quantity - but alway quality.
Eat your heart out, LOL.
Like this. However, notice, the one pictured has no saddle stem.
The Four Hundred has arrived. It is HUGE. Massively HUGE.
The pipe is in excellent condition; however, the draft hole at the mouth piece needs to be opened up a slight bit. Due to the price of the pipe, I won't do it myself and risk something happening, i.e. snapping the mouth piece. So off it goes to Briarville. But in reality, it is already super clean.
The pipe is in excellent condition; however, the draft hole at the mouth piece needs to be opened up a slight bit. Due to the price of the pipe, I won't do it myself and risk something happening, i.e. snapping the mouth piece. So off it goes to Briarville. But in reality, it is already super clean.
@Briar Lee, @Parsimonious Piper , @milk
What am I to do. The Four Hundred apparently is ...Unsmoked.
What are the chances.
I thought it was a bit too pristine as I was preparing to send it off to Briarville. The only issue is a draft hole that needs to be opened a bit at the bit.
If it has been smoked, there is NO evidence of this ever happening.
Not a scratch on it.
What I can tell you is that the Four Hundred was clearly an overpriced pipe, even for the amount of briar that one receives. The workmanship is no different and even the fit and finish is average - and typical for a Marxman.
It clearly is a pipe that is all about the marketing.
It will hold at least three full bowls of tobacco compared to a Dunhill.
I'll send pics of it when I am ready to smoke it.
Yup, while I tend to not smoke unsmoked pipes from way back when, this one will be smoked if for no other reason than it is the most ostentatious pipe I have ever seen.
It screams Look at Me.
What am I to do. The Four Hundred apparently is ...Unsmoked.
What are the chances.
I thought it was a bit too pristine as I was preparing to send it off to Briarville. The only issue is a draft hole that needs to be opened a bit at the bit.
If it has been smoked, there is NO evidence of this ever happening.
Not a scratch on it.
What I can tell you is that the Four Hundred was clearly an overpriced pipe, even for the amount of briar that one receives. The workmanship is no different and even the fit and finish is average - and typical for a Marxman.
It clearly is a pipe that is all about the marketing.
It will hold at least three full bowls of tobacco compared to a Dunhill.
I'll send pics of it when I am ready to smoke it.
Yup, while I tend to not smoke unsmoked pipes from way back when, this one will be smoked if for no other reason than it is the most ostentatious pipe I have ever seen.
It screams Look at Me.
I just wanted to look around for some images of 400 pipes. Some of them are pretty cool! This one sold for 45$ at smokingpipes. It must have been a while back because the page has their old grading system:
I really like the Jumbos. I want one of those.
I really like the Jumbos. I want one of those.
I can assure you that you do not. I have a pipe I believed was a 400 attempt. I have Marxman Jumbos. The Four Hundred is MASSIVE AND OVERWHELMING AND OBSCENELY PORNOGRAPHICLY LARGE. IT MAKES A MARXMAN JUMBO LOOK LIKE A MINI COOPER NEXT TO A MAC TRUCK.
That is NOT A FOUR HUNDRED.I just wanted to look around for some images of 400 pipes. Some of them are pretty cool! This one sold for 45$ at smokingpipes. It must have been a while back because the page has their old grading system:
I really like the Jumbos. I want one of those.
Some observations gleaned from the accumulation of too many Marxmans.
Flashy, highly figured cross grain, birdseye, and flame grain briar graining ain’t a gonna happen.
Dunsboro and Mello-o grades may be stained buf above those the briar is left natural.
The better the pipe the softer the briar.
All color almost like meerschaums, likely because they are so soft and porous
Flashy, highly figured cross grain, birdseye, and flame grain briar graining ain’t a gonna happen.
Dunsboro and Mello-o grades may be stained buf above those the briar is left natural.
The better the pipe the softer the briar.
All color almost like meerschaums, likely because they are so soft and porous
The Four Hundred reminds me of one of those huge pieces of glass slag one sees at a roadside curiosity stop in rural Missouri or Eureka Springs. in this case, I am beginning to think the real value must have been in having the box as well. It is so big it won’t fit into any of the slots in any of my five different pipe racks.