Very Nice Pickwick Pipe, But What Is It? PICS

[agnosticpipe]

Every time I decide not to buy more pipes, I see something that is priced right, and intrigues me. I guess that's what PAD is all about. It would probably help if I quit looking at pipes!

When I saw this short apple? tomato? with the silver band and the nice grain, I had to buy it. It didn't seem to be smoked too much, just a little char around the rim and a little cake, but hardly any oxidation, and no chatter on the stem. What really got me was the almost straight grain all around the bowl, with nary a fill! The silver band looks to be original too as I see no evidence of any crack in the mortise. There are some hallmarks on the silver but I don't know if they mean anything or are just decorative. The only stampings on the pipe are Pickwick and Imported Briar, so I assume it to be a US pipe company or seller. Seems too nice to be just a basket pipe though.
Anybody got any ideas?

 

[pagan]

Apple Poker, but not my area of expertise, Im more of a Freehand and bent variety kinda guy. Nice grain and over all beautiful, nice score, enjoy

 

[simong]

Lovely pipe! Pickwik was a sasieni 'second' apparently, so you got quality as well as good looks,well done.

 

[samcoffeeman]

I don't think that is a Sasieni, the Sasieni Pickwicks said London Made by Sasieni on them. Whoever made it, looks like a gorgeous pipe, very nice grain. The hallmark does look British, Birmingham's mark is that anchor and the lion certifies it 925 silver. Having said that, I searched and cannot find a date year with that shape and letter combination.

 

[samcoffeeman]

This is the closest I could find, and this site does appear to be the official site, but as you can see the shape is not correct. This is for year 1968-69.

 

[mso489]

I'd call it an apple. Naming shapes is an inexact science.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Well this has been interesting. I finally found a number of sites that offer info on British hallmarks. And thanks to Samcoffeeman I found this T date stamp from Birmingham for 1993 that looks about as close as any. Still not quite sure, but then I didn't think it would be very old anyway. This pipe has a great open draw, with a nice wide slot too.

 

[dmcmtk]

Neat pipe, I don't think it is a Sasieni, the Sasieni second was MR. PICKWICK. However, the date mark, T is I believe the Birmingham 1943 mark. A nice old, completely unmarked pipe except for the same hallmarks as yours, that I have.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Thanks guys for all the info and feedback.

coyote, mine has a push stem, but I think the lion was to indicate that it was 925 silver, and the anchor indicated that it was from Birmingham England, well at least the silver band anyway.
dmcmtk, I think the T for 1943 looks different from this one, also you have to go by the shape of the surround that contains the letter, like the one I showed above.

I have never seen a Sasieni product that was not stamped Made in England, or some such. This just says imported briar, which means US maker or seller.
This one is a mystery, but hey, it smokes great! I think the stem has the largest bore of any pipe I own.

 

[dmcmtk]

dmcmtk, I think the T for 1943 looks different from this one, also you have to go by the shape of the surround that contains the letter, like the one I showed above.

The cartouche is important, but not necessarily definitive. I go by the font of the capital T, 1943. Another example of the T 1943 hallmark (it's a little hard to see in the picture) with another different orientation of the cartouche.

See the Birmingham marks here,
http://www.silvercollection.it/englishsilverhallmarksBIR.html
I think the only possibility for the T seen on your pipe, looking at the type fonts is...1943.

 

[hugodrax]

That's clearly a 'Joe."

 

[cossackjack]

The Anchor & Lion clearly look to be from Birmingham, but the date letter appears to match the London Date Letter Hallmark for 1954, both in letter shape/font & cartouche.

English Silver Hallmarks: London
Could there have been admixing of hallmarks by mistake, or perhaps by intent? What a conundrum.