Here's the assortment as it stands, with details. I'm really beginning to focos on Kirsten pipes, they're my favorite to smoke.
The Gen. 1 at top left was my first, "M" medium size. I don't smoke it. Valve is stuck, stem oxidized. Rusticated Billiard bowl, heavily-smoked. Below it, LX "Lancer," late 1970s (Gen. 2) when X denoted the antiqued Heritage finish, which could be silvery or (as here) brassy, shown with a big (1990s 2nd-quality) Dynasty bowl. The Dynasty and Mandarin are very similar. What's the difference? The Dynasty has a concave rim, and is often a bit wider.
Below it are quarter-bents. First, H "Horizon," Gen. 3 in silver with bronze stem; the bowl is a mini-size staghorn meerschaum Mandarin from the 1970s. Second, the new CBC "Cavalier" black crackle, an authentic wrinklepaint, a finish I think Kirsten, in some alternate universe, could have offered in the fifties, with another 1960s meerschaum Mandarin. The stem is her nifty Gen. 4 design in black with white wisps, reminiscent of curling smoke!
To the right, full-bents. The EB "Esquire" is Gen. 3, with the discontinued gray pearl stem and yet another 1960s meerschaum Mandarin, dimpled staghorn; this was the first new Kirsten I bought, with this bowl and a matching in briar. The middle DP "Designer" is a Gen. 4, with Stacy Thrasher's attempt to bring back the hand-polished finish; the machinists hated how tricky it was and called off making more. Bronze stem. The bowl is a new snifter shape. The other "Designer," DX, is a brassy Heritage with a freehand plateau bowl; these were given to some luminaries in the WA tobacco world, in this case Paul Reasoner, whose name is engraved on the side. Paul opened the Tukwila, WA Tinder Box at Southcenter Mall, the shop where I started collecting pipes as a kid, so buying one of his-- an unusual Kirsten, no less-- was special to me. Also bronze stem. Far upper right is a Kirsten cigar holder, in the Antique Bronze finish (this is the large size; a smaller Panatela was available).
Bowls, top row from left: Two Missouri Meerschaum bowls, made for only one year (1969-1970); these are not modified, they were made for Kirsten. Next, two discontinued shapes, Bavarian (cone) and Danish (tulip), both 1970s. Then, two Columbus, one part-sandblast (1990s 2nd), the other with a carving that's part tiki, part Pacific Northwest Native, part staghorn (1970s).
2nd row, from left: two more 1960s unwaxed meerschaum staghorns, Columbus and Billiard. Then, four Mandarins, black sandblast w/ smooth rim (1990s 2nd), then a 4th Gen. (unfinished because it has a flaw, I got it because I liked its unpolished severity), a 1970s staghorn finished in a wine red-purple with a light metallic gold overspray (and experiment, I was told - they had a few of these in the 2nds bin), and a 1970s heavily-carved version (same, they had a handful).
3rd row, from left: Two Billiards, 1950s Kaywoodie mini w/ a few tiny fills, and black sandblast w/ smooth rim (1990s 2nd). Next, the smooth Mandarin (2nd) I bought with my Esquire. Then, a Gen. 4 extra-extra-large black rusticated Brandy, only a few made. Two bulldogs, one all black rusticated, one walnut rusticated w/ smooth middle ring & rim (classy!). One of the narrower of the two Gen. 4 Mandarin styles, a curvier interpretation with light carving on the lower half. Then, a sandblast walnut Brandy.
I'm hoping to purchase a few others. I'm still looking for a "Western Satin," the first finish other than polished aluminum (and the first X designation, before Heritage), which is an orangey color. I still don't have a brasstone/bronze pipe, which will probably be a new Regent unless I find a used one at a good price. Stacy is working on another finish, the prototypes of which (radiators only, straight) are a gray color; I may try to buy a prototype, and use a black stem, valve and adapter, in case they don't pan out.
I'm also still looking for other cigar holders (they came in polished, gold-plated and the antique bronze shown, and two diameters) and would like to find a few cigarette holders (there were three lengths and five finishes: polished, gold plated, Antique Bronze, and two intensely-colored versions, Sunset Red and Autumn Gold).
The Gen. 1 at top left was my first, "M" medium size. I don't smoke it. Valve is stuck, stem oxidized. Rusticated Billiard bowl, heavily-smoked. Below it, LX "Lancer," late 1970s (Gen. 2) when X denoted the antiqued Heritage finish, which could be silvery or (as here) brassy, shown with a big (1990s 2nd-quality) Dynasty bowl. The Dynasty and Mandarin are very similar. What's the difference? The Dynasty has a concave rim, and is often a bit wider.
Below it are quarter-bents. First, H "Horizon," Gen. 3 in silver with bronze stem; the bowl is a mini-size staghorn meerschaum Mandarin from the 1970s. Second, the new CBC "Cavalier" black crackle, an authentic wrinklepaint, a finish I think Kirsten, in some alternate universe, could have offered in the fifties, with another 1960s meerschaum Mandarin. The stem is her nifty Gen. 4 design in black with white wisps, reminiscent of curling smoke!
To the right, full-bents. The EB "Esquire" is Gen. 3, with the discontinued gray pearl stem and yet another 1960s meerschaum Mandarin, dimpled staghorn; this was the first new Kirsten I bought, with this bowl and a matching in briar. The middle DP "Designer" is a Gen. 4, with Stacy Thrasher's attempt to bring back the hand-polished finish; the machinists hated how tricky it was and called off making more. Bronze stem. The bowl is a new snifter shape. The other "Designer," DX, is a brassy Heritage with a freehand plateau bowl; these were given to some luminaries in the WA tobacco world, in this case Paul Reasoner, whose name is engraved on the side. Paul opened the Tukwila, WA Tinder Box at Southcenter Mall, the shop where I started collecting pipes as a kid, so buying one of his-- an unusual Kirsten, no less-- was special to me. Also bronze stem. Far upper right is a Kirsten cigar holder, in the Antique Bronze finish (this is the large size; a smaller Panatela was available).
Bowls, top row from left: Two Missouri Meerschaum bowls, made for only one year (1969-1970); these are not modified, they were made for Kirsten. Next, two discontinued shapes, Bavarian (cone) and Danish (tulip), both 1970s. Then, two Columbus, one part-sandblast (1990s 2nd), the other with a carving that's part tiki, part Pacific Northwest Native, part staghorn (1970s).
2nd row, from left: two more 1960s unwaxed meerschaum staghorns, Columbus and Billiard. Then, four Mandarins, black sandblast w/ smooth rim (1990s 2nd), then a 4th Gen. (unfinished because it has a flaw, I got it because I liked its unpolished severity), a 1970s staghorn finished in a wine red-purple with a light metallic gold overspray (and experiment, I was told - they had a few of these in the 2nds bin), and a 1970s heavily-carved version (same, they had a handful).
3rd row, from left: Two Billiards, 1950s Kaywoodie mini w/ a few tiny fills, and black sandblast w/ smooth rim (1990s 2nd). Next, the smooth Mandarin (2nd) I bought with my Esquire. Then, a Gen. 4 extra-extra-large black rusticated Brandy, only a few made. Two bulldogs, one all black rusticated, one walnut rusticated w/ smooth middle ring & rim (classy!). One of the narrower of the two Gen. 4 Mandarin styles, a curvier interpretation with light carving on the lower half. Then, a sandblast walnut Brandy.
I'm hoping to purchase a few others. I'm still looking for a "Western Satin," the first finish other than polished aluminum (and the first X designation, before Heritage), which is an orangey color. I still don't have a brasstone/bronze pipe, which will probably be a new Regent unless I find a used one at a good price. Stacy is working on another finish, the prototypes of which (radiators only, straight) are a gray color; I may try to buy a prototype, and use a black stem, valve and adapter, in case they don't pan out.
I'm also still looking for other cigar holders (they came in polished, gold-plated and the antique bronze shown, and two diameters) and would like to find a few cigarette holders (there were three lengths and five finishes: polished, gold plated, Antique Bronze, and two intensely-colored versions, Sunset Red and Autumn Gold).
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