West Cornwall Cigar co, Penzance.

[mawnansmiff]

I recently acquired a batch of estate pipes and in amongst the lot were four pipes stamped 'West Cornwall Cigar co, Penzance'. I did a quick Google search and found that the name referred to a tobacconist in the Cornish town of Penzance which is about 25 miles away. As the company was clearly a tobacconist only and not a pipe manufacturer I bagged up my finds and set off hoping to find out who made their pipes for them and possibly pick up some new blends whilst I was at it.
Alas, once I got there I was told by a neighbouring retailer that the shop had closed down about six months ago (this was late last year). I was well miffed. Not only had I wasted a load of petrol I was coming away none the wiser regards my estate finds.
So, here I am looking to the worldwide piping community to come to my rescue. Below are three of the pipes, I got two identical bent billiards so only photographed the one. All the four are quite substantial pipes and appear to be very well made with quality briar and vulcanite stems and perfect drilling of holes, I would wager they were not cheap pipes to buy. They do by the way smoke perfectly though I don't use them too often due to the size of the bowls! (baccy is expensive this side of the pond).
Any clues anyone?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I forgot to mention, each pipe has a stem stamp of a stylized white pipe which is just visible in the first image of the sandblasted sitter.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[fnord]

Very nice, Jay.
Absolutely love those thick walls on the next to the last pix,(guessing the bent Dublin?)
You did well and the mystery will unfold eventually.
Fnord

 

[dmcmtk]

Maybe your best bet would be to track down, and ask the people who were the owners of the shop...
http://www.cornwall-cigar.co.uk/cigars/about.html

 

[mawnansmiff]

Fnord, not sure if it's a Dublin, Zulu or calabash shape. It is oval shanked/stemmed and fits in the hand perfectly.
Dave, thanks for that but I've been there and done it, alas I get "the number you have dialled has not been recognised".
I forgot to mention, the bent billiard is stamped 570, the sandblast is stamped N1 and the Dublin/Zulu is stamped 391. I am assuming these are shape stamps though the N1 doesn't tally with the other two having three digit numbers.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[papipeguy]

The logo on the stem closely resembles that of pipes offered by Tobacco World in Cheltenham. I suspect these are shop pipes made by someone else. Here you go.
http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-t7.html#tobaccoworld

 

[iamn8]

VERY VERY Dunhill'esque! Awesome pipes!

 

[mawnansmiff]

Papipeguy, very well spotted my friend, and thank you so much. I shall 'phone him on Monday and make enquiries.
Nate, not owning any Dunhill pipes I cannot make such comparisons but thanks for the comment.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Papipeguy, I have just done a bit of research on Robert Dowding and it appears he was past manager of the tobacconist at Cheltenham, not a pipe maker as I thought. I shall still call on Monday though just to ask who makes/made their pipes.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[papipeguy]

Good luck with your inquiries and let us know what you discover.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Papipeguy, I just rang 'Tobacco World, Cheltenham' and got the same message "the number you have dialled has not been recognised".
It seems that I am to be thwarted at every attempt to find out the info I am after :|
Do you have any other suggestions?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jensen]

I have a Parker shape chart I got from Mc Gahey of Exeter years back.
Under billiards: N1 T ( taper stem) N1 S (saddle)

Under bents: 391

Under other shapes: 570
and they are all exactly as the pipes above.
Mc Gahey wrote on the frontpage: We do have these pipes by Parker but stamped AITS Craftman.
Jorgen

 

[simong]

Tobacco world in Cheltenham is my closest decent tobacconist, I'll ask where they get their shop pipes made on my next visit & let you know.

 

[jensen]

From Glouestershire Echo Nov. 22 2012:
Tobacco World, which was previosly based in the Regent Arcade for the past 23 years,has relocated to a new base

in the Beechwood shopping center.

It has also given itself a new name - John Hollingsworth.

 

[simong]

Cheers for the info Jensen, but I was already aware of that having been a customer for twenty years or more. They still retain the sign 'tobacco world' even though they were bought out by John Hollingsworth, which is a chain that took over many old tobacconists all over the country. The shop now is just further on up the high st. From the old regent arcade.

 

[jensen]

Ha, Ha Simon - and that must be why they do not take the phone (see above)

I have never been there and will never come there, I live in Danmark

but I do have a Hollingsworth pipe - I think it is made by Oppenheimer.

 

[simong]

I wouldn't be bothered going to Cheltenham either if I lived in lovely Denmark. You lucky old Viking!