Self-Isolation Restorations - 1919 BBB

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Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,524
31,509
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Kia ora whānau,

Hoping everyone here is safe at home with their loved ones during this Covid-19 pandemic.

A massive shout out, and gratitude to those of you on the front lines providing essential services to their communities.

All of us down-under in wee ol' Aotearoa/New Zealand are now in a nation-wide lockdown, and so I thought as a way to bolster morale (and my sanity) I would upload a thread every few days with a different pipe that we have been cleaning up - All credit for this snazzy lady goes to my friend and neighbour, Mr Mortonbriar (Isaac). One silver lining to the requirements of physical distancing is that his dry wit and keen sense of humour is now at least 2 metres away.

He gave her a well-deserved clean up and restored back to smoking quality, with the intention of preserving the integrity of the pipe rather than a heavy buff and shine to new approach.

Attached below are some pics of what I will forever refer to as my peace pipe:

- She arrived in the mail on the official first day of isolation.

- Is 100 years old (unless I am misreading the 'u' on the hallmarks), so is not only a survivor of the original Influenza pandemic a century ago, but is now being kept warm during the current Coronavirus spread. 1919 also celebrates the year of armistice, and on a special note, was the birth year my Gjiddy (Grandad) who I remember fondly from my childhood.

- Due to my inability to grow a decent moustache, I have passionately embraced nose warmers without a fear of having my face go up in smoke...and this is the fanciest mother fucken nose warmer I have ever seen. (Sorry about the language I am just really excited...and mods, sorry about the typo, I can edit spelling to 'fucking' if you prefer. lol)

Anyways, enough of this ranting. Let's get to the pics!
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The pipe is marked with the standard BBB diamond on the shank, silver band, and stem. - NOT own make.
The hallmarks read 'anchor', 'lion', 'u' - assuming this is 1919 due to the border style around the logos.
Most interesting for me, is the 'L.B' signature, instead of AF&Co.

Does anybody else have any pipes makred by Mr Blumfeild himself, which are dated this late?

I would love any further information if anybody has any, especially the backstory, value or pics of similar numbers.

Anyways, until the next time.

Peace,

David
 

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Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,524
31,509
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
That's incredible. I've never seen anything like it -- gonna check the 1912 catalogue and see if I can find that shape.
Thanks looking forward to hearing back from ya. I was almost tempted to buy the catalogue just to find the shape. I’ve exhausted all the online forums and standard sites trying to find information - have learnt heaps in the process, but still nothing specific to the pipe in question.
 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
606
The LB and AF&Co marks seem to be used randomly and don't seem to indicate anything in particular about the pipe. I have a few BBBs, but I've never noticed a pattern with regard to those marks.
 
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Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,524
31,509
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
The LB and AF&Co marks seem to be used randomly and don't seem to indicate anything in particular about the pipe. I have a few BBBs, but I've never noticed a pattern with regard to those marks.
Ok thanks for clearing that up. I had presumed that L.B was the original mark, and then there was a transition period of cross over until only AF&Co was used. Good to know it places the pipe within a general timeframe - but obviously not an issue with hallmarked bands.
 
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Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,524
31,509
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
The lack of an "Own Make" stamp suggests to me that the bowl was turned in either Saint Claude or Nuremberg, which is where BBB sourced a lot of their stummels
Yes my thoughts exactly. I’m quite partial to French pipes, so I’m not concerned. Do you know if the ‘own make’ stamp also signifies a step up in quality, or only pertains to the pipe being made, not just completed in England?
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,747
45,290
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Yes my thoughts exactly. I’m quite partial to French pipes, so I’m not concerned. Do you know if the ‘own make’ stamp also signifies a step up in quality, or only pertains to the pipe being made, not just completed in England?
It signifies the pipe being made in England and nothing more. In the 19th and early 20th century, within the pipemaking industry, French carvers were considered to be more experienced and more skilled than English carvers.
This seems to have been the thinking as late as 1928, when a battle broke out between Barling and the other major marques over Barling's efforts to have the Merchandise Marks Act of 1926 amended. Barling had stopped importing stummels from France in 1906 after the carvers strike in St Claude, and started making all of their own pipes. Other makers were buying stummels from France and Nuremberg and stamping "Made In England" or Made In London" on them. Barling sought to have the Merchandise Marks act amended to allow only pipes actually made in England to be stamped in that manner. The rest of the pipe business, led by Dunhill, fought Barling over this and won. According to the records of the proceedings, Comoys stated categorically that the best carvers were French and Dunhill stated that such an amendment would be a "disaster" for the pipe industry. Even though French carvers were largely viewed as superior within the industry, marketing had bestowed a cachet on pipes being of English manufacture and other makers were loath to lose that edge.
 

mortonbriar

Lifer
Oct 25, 2013
2,676
5,722
New Zealand
OK, I found it. I was wondering if it was part of the "Golfer" line, and indeed it is (or appears to be). "Golfer" pipes, as far as I can tell from the catalogue, were short, chubby pipes that I guess would be easy to clinch, maybe.

View attachment 24284
Pitchfork, is there a second page of 'golfer' pipes there, or is it just those four? Dave, we should try and track down the whole set!
 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
606
OK, here's a couple more pages of "Golf" or "Golfer" pipes from the catalogue.
 

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