Sasieni "XS" Stamping Question

[ssjones]

Someone recently messaged me regarding the XS stamping on Sasieni pipes (and SXS)

Pipephil says of the XS stamping. I assume that obtained that from some credible source (but who knows!).

Sasieni -- Logos & Markings

www.pipephil.eu

XS: this stamping corresponds to a premium priced pipe.

S is easy, that always corresponds to a Saddle stem Sasieni, either after the town name or shape number.
Sometimes the SXS stamping is all equal size letters, making it look like one stamp. I've also seen it a smaller S, then larger font XS

The individual asked me if I had ever seen the definition of the XS stamp in any Sasieni literature/catalog. I looked around my meager archives and had to say "no", that I've only seen this mentioned on the Pipephil page.

Has anyone ever seen the XS stamp described in Sasieni literature?

 

[Papamique]

Yes I have. To pull them down/up and look for it is a whole other thing. It was referred to as “premium pricing”. I figure it is a hard to carve shape or a larger piece of briar need for a particular shape that received the XS stamp. For instance every Danzey was stamped XS and, as you mentioned, if it had a saddle stem then it was stamped SXS. The Viscount Lascelles was another that received the XS stamp and of course SXS if it was fitted with the saddle stem.

 

[Papamique]

Here is a shape chart which is also, I believe, in one of my catalogs but can be found online at pipedia. It describes the XS stamp at the top of the page.

 

[dmcmtk]

Yes I have. To pull them down/up and look for it is a whole other thing. It was referred to as “premium pricing”. I figure it is a hard to carve shape or a larger piece of briar need for a particular shape that received the XS stamp. For instance every Danzey was stamped XS and, as you mentioned, if it had a saddle stem then it was stamped SXS. The Viscount Lascelles was another that received the XS stamp and of course SXS if it was fitted with the saddle stem.

You beat me to it. It was also illustrated in the "mid '50's" catalog that used to be on Chris Keene's site.

I think the Amesbury (or maybe the Dovercourt...) shape was also XS, but I can't remember for sure.

 

[ssjones]

Ah,thanks guys! I have that catalog shape page, and never noticed the XS reference. I knew it had to be somewhere.

 

[Papamique]

You beat me to it. It was also illustrated in the "mid '50's" catalog that used to be on Chris Keene's site.

I think the Amesbury (or maybe the Dovercourt...) shape was also XS, but I can't remember for sure.

Yes, the dovercourt was given the XS stamp. Here is the other page to the shape chart.

 

[ssjones]

I wonder how they determined which shapes get the XS stamping?

 

[Papamique]

I wonder how they determined which shapes get the XS stamping?

That is a good question Al. I have never seen that answered by Sasieni. I can only hazard a guess that it was either a popular shape that the demand out paced the production, a hard shape that only their best carvers could manage, or it required a large piece of briar (although they had other stamp designations that would have covered this). Maybe a combination of these things or maybe something else.

On a side note (and maybe I’ll make a separate thread some day) I have a four dot with an R stamp that for the life of me I can’t find a reference anywhere as to what that may be for.

 

[Scottishgaucho]

On a side note (and maybe I’ll make a separate thread some day) I have a four dot with an R stamp that for the life of me I can’t find a reference anywhere as to what that may be for.

My Sasieni has a B stamp. I've no idea what it means.