Ok folks, break out the Sherlock Holmes pipe, magnifying glass, and Deerstalker! This was this the first pipe that I ever bought back in 2010. It was purchased from SmokingPipes.com here is the original listing;
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=66618
So for years I took the listing at it's word. I thought the pipe was a M. Vitou, made in England in 1947, as the write up on SP suggests. Well one of the reasons that I love pipes, is the history that they have. So I have forever been searching for a British pipe-maker named M. Vitou to no avail. Tonight I was researching the hallmarks on the silver. The hallmarks don't match the date mentioned by the seller. Also, generally an anchor on it's side is used for gold, not silver. So, that got me thinking that perhaps the hallmarks are possibly fake, a red herring if you will. So, at that point I tossed out everything that I thought I knew about the pipe. I did a generic search for M. Vitou via google. The search turned up this article;
http://digital-archives.ccny.cuny.edu/thecampus/1939/MAY_64_25/00000027.PDF
There is an advertisement for a M. Vitous pipe shop at the the bottom of page 4 that advertises a pipe shop in NYC. From this I gathered that the pipe makers logo was actually missing the "s" from the maker's name. The pipe is actually a "M. Vitous". From here the case has turned cold. I've found one pipe restoration on pipemag that mentions the M Vitous;
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/my-first-successful-contrast-stainpics
And one other advertisement on SP.com;
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/misc/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=34573
And that's it. So I'm calling on the fellowship to help solve this mystery. Who was M. Vitous, what years did he (she) make pipes, why is there so little information on the pipes and pipe maker available?
Here are some pictures that may help with the case.
Good luck in your investigations chaps!
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=66618
So for years I took the listing at it's word. I thought the pipe was a M. Vitou, made in England in 1947, as the write up on SP suggests. Well one of the reasons that I love pipes, is the history that they have. So I have forever been searching for a British pipe-maker named M. Vitou to no avail. Tonight I was researching the hallmarks on the silver. The hallmarks don't match the date mentioned by the seller. Also, generally an anchor on it's side is used for gold, not silver. So, that got me thinking that perhaps the hallmarks are possibly fake, a red herring if you will. So, at that point I tossed out everything that I thought I knew about the pipe. I did a generic search for M. Vitou via google. The search turned up this article;
http://digital-archives.ccny.cuny.edu/thecampus/1939/MAY_64_25/00000027.PDF
There is an advertisement for a M. Vitous pipe shop at the the bottom of page 4 that advertises a pipe shop in NYC. From this I gathered that the pipe makers logo was actually missing the "s" from the maker's name. The pipe is actually a "M. Vitous". From here the case has turned cold. I've found one pipe restoration on pipemag that mentions the M Vitous;
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/my-first-successful-contrast-stainpics
And one other advertisement on SP.com;
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/misc/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=34573
And that's it. So I'm calling on the fellowship to help solve this mystery. Who was M. Vitous, what years did he (she) make pipes, why is there so little information on the pipes and pipe maker available?
Here are some pictures that may help with the case.
Good luck in your investigations chaps!
