Threaded Albatross extension stem. What to do with it?

[craiginthecorn]

I have a roughly 14" vintage extension stem in a case that I believe is made of Albatross bone with silver threaded ends -- one male, one female. The threads are not of any modern standard, but are close to 5/16"-24. Looking at the inside, I'd say it is unused. Where would I sell such an item? I don't think eBay seems appropriate due to its relative rarity. Any idea of value?

 

[sablebrush52]

Any makers marks or hallmarks stamped on the sterling fitment?

 

[craiginthecorn]

Unfortunately no. Not on the case, either. The fitments may be a Sheffield style silver over copper or brass.

 

[craiginthecorn]

It came from an Australian auction of extremely historic and interesting pioes and tobacciana. I believe it was from the Buring Pipe Collection, a portion of which is still in a regional museum near Adelaide, South Australia. It was not pictured in the lots I bought, but was sent to me. I tried looking at the other lots to see if it should have gone with another pipe, to no avail.

 

[craiginthecorn]

It is Sterling after all. There was a bit of darkness that looked like more than simple tarnish, but I was wrong, as it cleaned up fine with a little silver polish.

 

[saltedplug]

What about keeping it and commissioning a pipe around it? A mini-churchwarden? If it is albatross it is indeed a rarity, and did I have it, the dream of smoking with it would be compelling.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Interesting idea to commission a pipe. That might be challenging as we'd need to figure out the threads and find an antique set of taps and dies. That, or cut new threads in the silver. These threads might be British Standard Whitworth. This system was associated with marine applications and albatross pipes were often crafted by sailors, from what I've learned.
I actually have another albatross-stemmed pipe. At least that's what the auction house claims. I guess they actually described it as a mid-19th century albatross quill pipe. The thing is, it's much, much daintier. Instead of a heavy 13-1/2" hunk of bone, this other pipe has two slender 4" sections. If it's not from another bird species, it's at least a different kind of bone.

 

[sablebrush52]

Commissioning a pipe sounds like a neat idea, though I wonder how the albatross bone would hold up to moisture, etc, after all these years. Do you have a hardware store in your area that carries loose screws? You might be able to identify something that works with the existing threading.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I have two full sets of thread finders -- SAE and metric. The threads aren't compatible with any of these two standards. The bone still looks strong and glossy, but can't tell if it's brittle. The inside diameter is quite large.

 

[saintpeter]

British Standard Whitworth?

 

[craiginthecorn]

Yes, that's my guess too. BSW.

 

[craiginthecorn]

This is an interesting article on a Barling's pipe with a threaded mouthpiece and extension, allowing it to be converted into a churchwarden, as we previously suggested. Maybe I need to be on the lookout for such a pipe, minus the extension. The fitments even look like they could be the same as on mine, but that sort of scalloped decoration was pretty common.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Butz Choquin, in their early days produced a pipe with a long albatross bone stem, perhaps you might research those?
They still make the very same pipe albeit with a white nylon stem.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Thanks Jay. Yes, I have come across the BC Origine as I've been learning about albatross stems. They used goose bone for a time after albatross hunting was banned and before settling on acrylic. I bid on one of the goose bone ones recently, but was too stingy, I guess.

 

[mso489]

I spent a full nesting season with the Laysan Albatross on Midway Island and was totally enthralled with them, deeply impressed. Yahoos who spent a few hours or days watching them land clumsily called them Gooney Birds, but they were dimwits. They do skate on their shoulders sometimes landing, but they can stay aloft or resting on calm seas for months. They have beautiful courting dances and "sky calls," crying to the heavens and circling and dancing, both to mate and to socialize. They "speak" gently to their eggs before they hatch. The chicks go through astonishing trials to slowly learn to fly. In sailing ship days, killing an albatross incurred a lethal curse, as written in "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner." Walking out into the nesting fields far from human habitations and activities, I was the alien and tread lightly as a thousand eyes followed my path. I regard them with awe. Their bones often dry on the sand or are eaten by sharks. Personally, I wouldn't own any part of such a bird, being as I am an honorary member of the tribe.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I understand and respect your well-stated position, but although I wouldn't buy a new one, I will choose to honor the history involved and keep my one complete albatross stemmed pipe. Similarly, I'm not getting rid of my grandfather's 1935 Baldwin upright with ivory keys.

 

[jasonmazzy]

Is be very honored to own the albatross bone. Ibthinknyou should leave it as is and have a piece of history.

 

[georged]

I spent a full nesting season with... (etc) I regard them with awe.

Though it has nothing to do with the original thread, I feel bound to remark on how it's always seemed odd to me that an animal species is so often revered or deplored according to human values.
As for the extension, rather than re-tap its threads, it would be a simple matter for a machinist to make two adapters (Whitworth threaded on one end, and whatever shape, style, or type of fitting you need on the other) so that it could be used "between" virtually any chosen bowl and stem.

 

[mso489]

Folks, I'm not passing judgement on the existence of this historical stem made of albatross bone or folks who own them. I did make the point that when you take time to observe and relate to a species, it changes your perspective, and I'm not ashamed of that. Reference the human values comment, I repeat, this is an animal nicknamed a Gooney Bird by the ill informed, so it has hardly been the darling of parlor society. Right now, the Laysan Albatross, along with other sea life, is being killed off by vast (hundreds, thousands of miles) of plastic trash from ocean dumping. The adults eat it as squid and regurgitate it for their chicks, and the chicks' intestines are blocked and they die. Researchers have found the outline of chick skeletons encircling little piles of colored plastic refuse, illustrating this process. As you know, I am not any sort of crusader on this site, and won't stay on, or get on, soap boxes. But sometimes it is likely proper to state what you know. So that's the Laysan Albatross as I know it.

 

[georged]

I wasn't criticizing mso. What you said just brought freshly to mind something I always found interesting in a slightly creepy/unsettling way: That humans most admire those animals which appear to express HUMAN traits and behaviors that are noble/desirable/etc., without considering that that correspondence is simply coincidental. An eagle doesn't know it looks wise, a baby seal doesn't know it looks cute, a wolf sitting on a hilltop doesn't know it looks calm, patient, and noble. And so on.
Why that might be so is interesting on several levels, and is the sort of Big Picture thing I find myself thinking about from time to time, is all.