Here's my meager stash of John Bessai pipes. The 4 upper left are marked Special X. The lower one is marked Special.
The pipes on the right vary from quite early to the late fifties. Only one, the straight grain on the right upper has any fills and then only on the stem. Curiously the Oom Paul shaped pipe is marked Special LV. It is the only Bessai pipe I have seen marked that way. Any experts know what the LV stands for? So far the ones I have smoked can't be beaten by anything I have experienced so far. Equal to Comoy's, Barlings, etc. His stems are particularly well done and don't oxidize very much. Mr. Bessai knew how to carve a pipe!! Hoppes
The pipes on the right vary from quite early to the late fifties. Only one, the straight grain on the right upper has any fills and then only on the stem. Curiously the Oom Paul shaped pipe is marked Special LV. It is the only Bessai pipe I have seen marked that way. Any experts know what the LV stands for? So far the ones I have smoked can't be beaten by anything I have experienced so far. Equal to Comoy's, Barlings, etc. His stems are particularly well done and don't oxidize very much. Mr. Bessai knew how to carve a pipe!! Hoppes