Sasieni military mount 8 Dot from 1941:
Many of us have a deep and abiding love of history. Count me in as one of you. I also love pipe history and this little yet mighty pipe is an historical artifact. The sterling olive features JS (Joel Sasieni) enclosed in a circle and bears hallmarks for 1941. The stampings on the bowl consist of a football shaped "Made In England", the fishtail logo, London Made, and model number 35. No town name, which indicates that the bowl was carved at least a decade before it was fitted with the sterling mount, and possibly much earlier. So how does a bowl made in the 1920's or "30's get fitted with a 1941 mount?
Well, what was happening in 1941? A little event called World War 2. And what happened to shipments of briar from North Africa? They had long ceased. Pipemakers were ransacking their storerooms looking for any old stock that they could put to uss. So a '20's era bowl got dusted off, reworked, and put into service. And being an 8 Dot, it was intended for the American market.
When I look at this pipe I am reminded that people carry on with their lives in spite of tremendous adversity. They do not give up. In the middle of a world war, people sent this little pipe across wolf pack infested waters to provide some pleasure, some bit of normalcy, under the most extreme conditions. That's history.
Trever Talbert cauldron:
Like his good friend Paul Tatum, Talbert creates pipes that are distinctively his own. He can produce purely classical shapes or let his imagination run wickedly wild. If Hieronymus Bosch had carved a pipe, I suspect that it would look very much like this one.
Lee Von Erck paneled billiard:
My favorite American artisan maker. Lee's pipes have a distinctive look and his blasts, which are produced through an 8 step process, are stunning. I don't always like his carving, but I sure do like how his pipes smoke. Like many of the very best carvers, Von Erck started out as a pipe repairman. I think that the experience of learning how pipes fail is useful. Lee also spent a good deal of time perfecting his own oil curing process, one that makes his pipes sweet smoking with no need for breaking in.
Many of us have a deep and abiding love of history. Count me in as one of you. I also love pipe history and this little yet mighty pipe is an historical artifact. The sterling olive features JS (Joel Sasieni) enclosed in a circle and bears hallmarks for 1941. The stampings on the bowl consist of a football shaped "Made In England", the fishtail logo, London Made, and model number 35. No town name, which indicates that the bowl was carved at least a decade before it was fitted with the sterling mount, and possibly much earlier. So how does a bowl made in the 1920's or "30's get fitted with a 1941 mount?
Well, what was happening in 1941? A little event called World War 2. And what happened to shipments of briar from North Africa? They had long ceased. Pipemakers were ransacking their storerooms looking for any old stock that they could put to uss. So a '20's era bowl got dusted off, reworked, and put into service. And being an 8 Dot, it was intended for the American market.
When I look at this pipe I am reminded that people carry on with their lives in spite of tremendous adversity. They do not give up. In the middle of a world war, people sent this little pipe across wolf pack infested waters to provide some pleasure, some bit of normalcy, under the most extreme conditions. That's history.
Trever Talbert cauldron:
Like his good friend Paul Tatum, Talbert creates pipes that are distinctively his own. He can produce purely classical shapes or let his imagination run wickedly wild. If Hieronymus Bosch had carved a pipe, I suspect that it would look very much like this one.
Lee Von Erck paneled billiard:
My favorite American artisan maker. Lee's pipes have a distinctive look and his blasts, which are produced through an 8 step process, are stunning. I don't always like his carving, but I sure do like how his pipes smoke. Like many of the very best carvers, Von Erck started out as a pipe repairman. I think that the experience of learning how pipes fail is useful. Lee also spent a good deal of time perfecting his own oil curing process, one that makes his pipes sweet smoking with no need for breaking in.
